Going by his middle name, Dale Malone has had a long and industrious career in the hospitality industry. Starting as a busboy when he was 10 years old at his parent’s restaurant “Beverly’s House of Fine Food” (Now El Tapatio’s) in Sedalia, Mo. And moving up to Dishwasher and kitchen helper by the time he was 12. He left Beverly’s to strike out on his own when he was 12 and went to work as a carhop at the infamous “Wheel-Inn” Drive Inn at the busy intersection of Highways 65 and 50 in Sedalia. Dale stayed there till he turned 16. Dale then moved to Columbia, Mo to live with his father. He graduated high school in 1976 and took a 2 year associates degree in sales management from UMC. He then moved back to Sedalia and went to work for “The Missouri Ruralist” Farming Publication. Malone worked all over the state of Missouri selling and servicing the magazine as well as an exceptional life and health insurance program designed for the rural and farming community. Dale enjoyed his time with the magazine and even won several sales awards and prizes, including all expense paid trips to the Catawba Islands on Lake Erie, Reunion Tower in Dallas, Texas and Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida all before the age of 21, then…. Something happened that changes his life…
Dale at a Pre-Staff Halloween meeting!
Having roots in the hospitality industry with his background in the restaurant business and with the explosion and onset of nightclubs across America in the late 1970’s due to the Disco craze, Malone had been bitten by the “Hospitality Bug!” In 1978, the first Disco opened in Sedalia, Mo. It was called “Flumgudgions”. It was named after a famous battle in the civil war. It seems a Basset Hound mascot for one side ended up on the other side during a fierce battle. The battle was stopped and the dog was returned to the other side, then the battle resumed. The dog’s name…. Flumgudgeon! The original owners, Tom Wells and Alan Ramsey, (later it was owned by Chris Harris and his mother Carol) took Dale under their wings and allowed him to help build the establishment and hired him as the first DJ for “Flum’s”! Dale stayed with the Magazine during the week and worked at Flum’s on the weekend. He did this till the end of 1979 and ended up making the decision to work at Flum’s full time. He stayed on until late 1980 and moved to Dallas, Texas….
He went to Dallas and immediately went to work at a small hotel bar, cleaning it up during the day and working as a busboy and bar back in the evening. All the while he was making tapes and resumes and dropping them off at as many clubs, bars and restaurants as he could to pursue his DJ career. Finally after 3 months he was hired at a Country and Western Bar called “Kings Ranch”. The sales tripled within 90 days and much of the credit was attributed to Malone and his DJ show. Dale was then approached by the Food and Beverage Director of the Dunfey Hotel of Dallas, an offer was made that he couldn’t refuse and Dale went to work as The “Entertainment Director” of the Dunfey Hotel of Dallas. Within 6 months Malone had been elevated to the role of “Southwest regional Entertainment Director with multi unit responsibilities for Dallas, Houston, El Paso, San Antonio and Austin Texas. Dale remained based out of Dallas. In late 1983 Dale was approached by McFaddin Ventures, the number one nightclub company in the world based out of Houston, Texas, about the Senior Programmer (Entertainment Director) of the local Dallas Nightclub called “Confetti”. Malone didn’t hesitate and immediately took the job. You see, based on sales divided by square footage, Confetti in Dallas was the number One Nightclub in the world! Dale ended up staying with McFaddin Ventures till 1987 and had moved up to the role of Western United States Entertainment Director and Trainer. McFaddin by this time had nearly 120 nightclubs such as “Confetti, Élan’, Studebakers, Acapulco Bar, Todd’s, and “R and R USA”, and nearly 60 Hotels and clubs with the “Vista-Host” Hotel Division.
Dale trained hundreds of DJ’s and Managers that are all industry leaders to this day. In 1987 Dale was offered the job as the National Entertainment Director for The Baja Beach Company based out of Chicago, Illinois. The first concept that came from this group was “The Heart Throb Café and Philadelphia Bandstand” concept. An interactive concept with a 50’s style diner and diner food from meatloaf to burgers and a 1950’s meets the 1980’s state of the art interactive nightclub! Hearth Throb ended up in Nashville, Kansas City, Minneapolis, St Paul, Chicago, Des Moines, and Chicago. The next Concept was the world famous “Baja Beach Club”. Baja had locations in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, South Beach, Coconut Grove, Tampa, Orlando, Daytona Beach, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, and Baltimore. The Baja Beach Club was licensed overseas and remains open to this day in Barcelona, Spain, Hamburg, Germany and in the Netherlands.
Malone left in 1996 to open his own company with partners David Townsend and Garry Smyth called “Creative Concepts Inc” and created “Boogie Nights Discotech” a nostalgia concept based on music from the 70’s and 80’s. The concept was very successful and eventually 12 places were opened with 3 in Houston, Texas, 3 in Chicago, Illinois, 1 in St Louis, Missouri, and 2 in Ft Lauderdale, Florida (Plus 3 Concepts called Trio). All were sold or ended up having great 7 year plus runs. “The Bamboo Room”, concept was created by Dale, David, and Garry in 2003 and was sold out in 2008.
David Townsend, Garry Smyth, and Dale Malone. Chicago 2002
Dale left David and Garry to strike out on his own again in 2006. He formed Malone’s Food-Bar Inc a Missouri based S-Corporation. He then created the concept, “Malone’s On Main!” in downtown Sedalia Mo. Malone’s was a Bar & Grill that featured a classic American Diner menu for lunch and dinner and also had a separate Nightclub and billiards room. In the summer of 2008 Malone’s added an 800 square foot outdoor Tiki Bar featuring table service and a full bar.
“Malone’s On Main!” was re-concepted in January of 2009 after the huge economic downturn of late 2008. This was done to revitalize the site by creating a new, trendy dance club and “hang-out” and in turn, eliminating the food costs and day to day operating costs of being open 6 days a week. The new concept is called “Rumour’s Ultra Lounge” and features low seating, subdued lighting and a VIP area that includes state of the art Bottle Service sponsored by Grey Goose Vodka as well as a dance floor and new bathrooms.
Dale also does ongoing consulting for operations in places including Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Chicago, and Houston Texas. One of the largest, being “The Saddle Up Saloon” a Country Crossover Concept that opened in August of 2009 and is currently one of the Top Clubs in the Chicago suburbs. Malone also helped in the development and opening of “The Dixie Roadhouse” Country Crossover Concept in Cape Coral, Florida. Opening in September of 2011, it is currently “The Hotspot in Southwest Florida!
Malone has been honored with many awards, distinctions and national honors in his 30 plus year career. He is asked to speak at various Hospitality based conventions, functions and shows nationwide, Including, “The National Nightclub and Bar Expo” held annually in Las Vegas, Nightclub and Bar Magazine Conventions, in Orlando, FL, Philadelphia, PA, Chicago, IL as well as the National DJ Expo and other prestigious events.
I love the small town pace, yet Sedalia has a vibrancy that can’t be denied. I started buying rental properties in 1998 so I could have a base to come back to whenever I decided to retire from the hustle and bustle of the big city. I now own several rental properties and a 60 acre ranch that I lease to a cattle ranch. But the real reason I came home to Sedalia ahead of schedule to take care of my Grandmother. I was appointed to be her legal guardian in 2006. I moved home because it was the right thing to do. I am thankful that I did as I lost her in the fall of 2010…. She was 96 and lived a long full life. I thank God for her influence on my life every day….
I opened a new Rural concept In Sedalia, Mo. ( www.DukesAndBoots.Net ) a 6,300 SF, Food, Fun and Dance Concept that is open Six Days a week from 11AM till 1:30AM. We serve a “Cook to Order” Classic Diner Style Menu. Dukes & Boots does a very brisk lunch business, Happy Hour and we play Country, Classic Rock and Party Music Favorites on Thursday, Friday and Saturday Nights. I just celebrated my first year of Operation in October of 2010, and sales have UP-TRENDED from the previous year! The concept is paid for, has a $50,000.00 contingency fund, an AP of under $2000 and averages about $20,000 a week in sales in a small town of 20,000 people. My plan is to open a small chain of these in Missouri using the “Sedalia Area and surrounding communities” as a demographic layout. I believe I can successfully open at least 6 of these in the next three years…
