How Scott Crawford is managing the rapid growth of his Raleigh food empire

Raleigh chef Scott Crawford didn't intend to open four new restaurants in a single year, but as with many well-laid plans, timelines shifted and new opportunities had to be taken.

Why it matters: Crawford has become one of the region's most significant restaurateurs thanks to his must-visit restaurants and his habitual nomination for awards.

• The blitz of growth Crawford has experienced over the past year aligns with his growing confidence as an entrepreneur, not just a chef.

Driving the news: Earlier this week, Crawford announced that his highly anticipated steakhouse, Crawford Brothers, will open at Cary's Fenton development this fall .

• It will join Croatian-inspired Brodeto, which opened in Raleigh in March ; Sous Terre, an underground Raleigh bar that came together after a friend offered him the keys to the former Atlantic Lounge ; as well as Crawford's Genuine , which is set to open in RDU's Terminal 2 later this year.
• On top of that, he has to maintain his existing area restaurants, like the flagship Crawford & Son, the French bistro Jolie, and Crawford Cookshop in Clayton.

Zoom in: "I am just putting one foot in front of the other every day," Crawford told Axios over the phone. In truth, he's been planning for this moment for years.

• Even before this year's growth, he's been investing in the behind-the-scenes infrastructure to ensure Crawford Hospitality can keep up. He's hired a culinary director, a director of operations, a financial controller, a beverage director and a director of culture.
• Those positions help keep eyes across the company's restaurants. Meanwhile, Crawford works with chefs to lead on their own and uses his own talents to keep quality up — like taking over the sauté station for several weeks at Brodeto and, most likely, the broiler station at the steakhouse once it opens.
• "Things in our industry can go sideways so quickly," he said of the importance of building out infrastructure even before it might be needed. "We need to be proactive."

What they're saying: Perhaps most importantly, Crawford discovered a newfound passion for entrepreneurship — a side of himself he only began to connect with after achieving sobriety nearly 20 years ago .

• "I am still learning about myself at this age, ... that this was clearly what I am supposed to be doing," Crawford said of running restaurants.
• "I discovered I actually do like risk," he added. "I like being scared and pushing the envelope and feeling like I am in control of the destiny of my company. I do think I was wired to be an entrepreneur, though I didn't realize it" until I opened Crawford & Son in late 2016.

What's next: Crawford Brothers, he says, will be an example of how he melded his art of cooking with his entrepreneurial inclination.

• "Anything I do has to be gratifying creatively and it has to make money," he said.
• A steakhouse is a "tried-and-true" concept in American dining, but you can do it a thousand different ways. Crawford hopes Crawford Brothers will marry the old school with modernity, but isn't comparing it to any other steakhouses in the Triangle.
• "We are competing with ourselves," he said. "We are our biggest critics and I would say that there is nothing in this area like what we are going to do."

For the next two years, Crawford hopes to let his current roster of restaurants settle in before he thinks about any more growth. That's the plan for now, at least.

• "We can spend a couple years operating before we grow again," he said, "... if we do."

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