“I played bass in high school, in college and I thought of myself as quite the rockstar for a period of time.”
— James O’Reilly, CEO, Perkins & Huddle House
In her monthly “Grab Bag” column, Editor in Chief Laura Michaels asks the tough questions—What superhero power would you most like to have? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?—to show a side of franchising execs you don’t normally see.
Who would play you in the biopic about your life?
Steve Martin, because over the years he’s shown a way to always find a smile. And when he’s facing challenges, he still always finds a way to smile and he finds the humor. When I’ve seen him performing, he always seems to be the same person on film, not on film, and I like that about him.
What’s something not many people know about you?
That I am a bass player. I played bass in high school, in college and I thought of myself as quite the rockstar for a period of time. I still play, I still practice.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
iPhone cameras at concerts. We go to concerts and sporting events to have these great experiences, and I look around and I see hundreds if not thousands of people holding their cameras in the air, recording an experience that they’re actually having. I’ve always found it odd that I’m there for the experience and I don’t really understand why people don’t enjoy the experience rather than taking a video of it on their phone so they can go home and enjoy a lesser version of that experience later.
What’s something you would seriously stockpile if you found out it wasn’t going to be sold anymore?
Clean black T-shirts. I have a stack of them in my drawer at all times. I love the feeling of a clean T-shirt on a Saturday morning.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Reindeer. I was on a business trip in Norway, in Oslo, and it was served a few times while I was there. At first, I thought it was odd but I tried it and it was fine. It tastes like a game meat that we would be used to. But the thought of it at first was different for me.
If you could be a member of any TV show family, which would it be?
‘The Waltons.’ The idealist in me often harkens back for those family moments and the simplicity of that life. Especially in this day and age when everything is so crazy, it really depicts family life in an idealistic time.
Which time period in history would you want to visit?
The ‘50s. After the war, you know, sock hops, convertibles, ‘50s rock ‘n roll, and optimism. I’m an optimist—sometimes idealistic—and very positive by nature, and that seems to be a time when there was so much hope in the country. Both of my parents were teenagers in the ‘50s, and they tell stories about Elvis and the sock hops. It sounded like such a great time.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Hot popcorn with butter and salt, beyond a shadow of a doubt. Good movie theater popcorn is my No. 1, but microwave when necessary to hit the spot.
What’s one restaurant or food trend you wish would disappear?
Lab-grown food. Consumers want and deserve natural ingredients and high quality. For us, it’s something I’m continually focused on, that we’re focused on, is finding ways to improve quality.
Who is an actor you would watch in anything?
Robert Downey Jr. I’ve seen him in ‘Oppenheimer,’ in the Marvel movies. He’s such a versatile actor. He’s vulnerable, he’s confident, just kind of anything. I’ll watch anything he’ll do.