Ben Morgan did not open 1925 PubHouse because it was trendy. He opened it because his son needed a new path.
In 2020, Tyler Morgan lost his job when COVID shut everything down. Ben had spent more than three decades in the food world, first in restaurant operations, then 31 years in food brokerage. He understood margins. He understood risk. When an opportunity surfaced because another operator had to step away, they took it.
“We decided it was the best time to give something a shot,” Ben said.
They opened 1925 PubHouse in Anderson, Indiana, in the middle of uncertainty. It was not a high-traffic corner in a major city. It was a community restaurant that would have to earn every visit.
Ben started studying operators online. Watching how others used technology to survive. That curiosity eventually turned into a bigger realization: running a restaurant well is one skill. Showing people how you run it is another.
Three Roles. One Business.
1925 works because everyone knows their lane.
Ben thinks long term. Systems. Profitability. One day stepping away.
Tyler runs operations. Hiring. Labor. Daily execution. “Nobody’s ever going to be perfect,” he said, “but we can dang sure try to get there.”
Then there is Mallory Morgan.
Mallory has worked nearly every restaurant role. She is also the family’s social media spark. Comfortable on camera. Confident online. When Ben and Tyler realized their marketing was mostly food photos and captions, they asked her to step in.
The shift was immediate.
“Just in the last 10 days we’ve seen dramatic growth when we put our people on there,” Tyler said.
Not polished commercials. Real servers. Real shifts. Real conversations.
Mallory’s advice to operators is simple: “Embrace your cringe.”
You already took the biggest risk by opening the restaurant. Do not stop short because you are uncomfortable pressing record.
Tech That Supports the Mission
From day one, they built on Toast. Online ordering. Marketing. Loyalty.
They layered in tools that make decisions faster: integrated delivery, AI labor insights, Kickfin for instant tip payouts, MarginEdge for costing, Ovation for guest feedback.
The stack is not flashy. It is functional.
But even with strong sales growth, something felt off. They were up double digits at one location. Profit did not move the same way.
Growth without margin is just motion.
The Reset
In December, they attended David Scott Peters training in Las Vegas.
Within hours, they realized they needed tighter forecasting. Better planning. Less reacting. Tyler began working with a coach, building structure around budgeting and promotions instead of relying on instinct alone.
And instead of waiting until everything was perfected, they decided to show the process.
Follow Tyler’s journey tightening operations. Follow the marketing evolution. Make the improvement part of the story.
A story within the story.
Mallory made one final point that matters most.
If you want your team to get comfortable on camera, leadership goes first.
Owners set the tone. If they show up, the team will too.
1925 PubHouse is not chasing perfection. They are pairing operational discipline with visibility. Community roots with modern tools. Sports radio with TikTok.
In 2026, good food is not enough.
The restaurants that win are the ones willing to show the work.
And sometimes all it takes to change the trajectory of a family business is curiosity, the courage to ask for help, and the decision to press record.
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