BELMAR - Brian Katz, owner of 10th Ave. Burrito Co. in Belmar, got his start in the restaurant business after his love for music drew him to the West Coast, where he instantly fell in love with the area.

“I had just finished high school,” Katz said. “My friends and I went out there to see the Grateful Dead on New Year’s Eve for a three-day show and I ended up really enjoying everything that location had to offer. I fell in love with the (San Francisco) Bay area, and I would eventually seek out some business opportunities that were available to me there. It was the beginning of my livelihood.”

Katz was very interested in music growing up and recalls going to a multitude of concerts with his friends, including The Rolling Stones, Neil Young and, particularly, The Grateful Dead back in the 1980s.

“It all happened when I was young and hanging out with friends,” Katz said. “It led us to just explore and check out new things. This was during the record era, and I had a pretty good record collection. My friends and I would go to concerts, and they would record the show and then watch it at home. We would trade tapes with each other and just watch them for recreation. I was 14 when I got into it, and I grew from there.”

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When Katz decided to move to California from New Jersey, he got a job at a restaurant called Zeldas and worked there as a line cook at the grill station.

“I went into Zeldas and applied for a job, and they hired me right then and there,” Katz said. “That was my first real serious cooking experience, and I worked there as line cook, preparing the food that came to my station. I would cook burgers and steaks and stuff like that. Working there really opened my eyes to a lot of different things and I realized this was the life for me.”

'It challenges your abilities'

After working there for a couple of years, Katz left that job when he moved from Santa Cruz to San Francisco.

“I had a new opportunity and I jumped on it,” Katz said. “I did it for the experience and because I loved the town of San Francisco. I wanted to take advantage of any possibility to further my career. I started working at TGI Fridays and I cooked at that establishment again as a line cook at the grill station. I loved everything about that job, whether it was the location or the clientele. It was all rolled into one great package and I had a nice time there.

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"I was only there for six months and then I left to pursue culinary school in Providence, Rhode Island," Katz said. "I feel like I learned a lot there after two years, but I still believe it’s better to just work at a restaurant to get the experience you need, instead of going to school.

"It was a short program and I later moved on to another restaurant in Miami, Florida," Katz said. "I had a lot of friends that were living down there, and I heard that South Beach area was coming back to being a hot location for potential business, especially for restaurants.”

Katz went to work at a restaurant called Vendôme located in South Beach.

“I worked with a very talented chef there,” Katz said. “I really liked learning about a lot of different types of cuisine, including Asian fusion, Italian and lots of fresh fish, as well. It’s always helpful as a cook when you can make a lot of various types of food in a restaurant because it challenges your abilities as a cook and gives you the opportunity to work outside of your comfort zone. It’s a nice little diversion from the norm.”

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'I took the risk'

After working for Vendôme for two years, Katz moved back to New Jersey and was working and trying to make a life for himself. He wasn't deliberately seeking out what would later become 10th Avenue Burrito. Instead, he believes he was in the right place at the right time when he started his own business.

“My first store space happened to present itself to me,” Katz said. “It was small and manageable. I took the risk, and I tried it. Before moving to Belmar, I was driving around and checking out spaces locally and I came to the spot that would become my future business. The place that was there was a luncheonette, and the owners were looking to get out of the business. I introduced myself to the owners and we made a deal right then and there.”

Thus 10th Ave. Burrito Co. was born in 2003. Katz stayed there until 2012, when he decided that he had to switch up locations, leaving 10th Avenue to move to Belmar Plaza, but he kept the name, so as not to confuse customers.

“We had a news piece done on the business and after that, we had to change locations to accommodate all the incoming clientele,” Katz said. “The restaurant has grown so much over the years, and I have a ton of great employees that have helped me out since opening. We moved to a bigger venue and got a liquor license as well and that really helped.”

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Katz knows he couldn’t have done it without an incredible staff and nonstop customer base.

“I love this town and all the support we’ve gotten since opening,” Katz said. “I am proud of everything that we have built. I have the best customers and employees. I would never put all progress on myself. Everyone is like family to me here.”

Of course, Katz wouldn’t be much of a successful restaurant owner if he didn’t have a great menu with great food.

“The menu has expanded so much, and we continue to offer great Mexican food,” Katz said. “We have a lot of entrees to offer and some of our more popular dishes are the black and fish burrito and pork mole platter, among others.”

As Katz looks towards the future, he wants to continue to do great things for the business.

“We have been there for twenty years, and we want to keep rolling,” Katz said. “We have come a long way since opening, and we will continue to make leaps and bounds.”

10th Ave. Burrito

Owner: Brian Katz

Location: 801 Belmar Plaza, Belmar

Phone: 732-280-1515

Website: www.tenthaveburrito.com

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: 10th Ave. Burrito in Belmar NJ grew from a career in restaurants