An in-depth look at the people who run the sunset capital of Texas
The Oasis on Lake Travis is an institution: a sunset staple for locals and the must-see place for visitors from out of town. Nowhere else in Austin quite captures the splendor of the Hill Country at dusk! With kaleidoscopic umbrellas dotting the decks, fresh-faced waiters serving you margaritas, and cool breezes coming off the water, nothing spells ‘vacation’ quite like The OASIS at sunset.
Yet for the busy workers behind the scenes, a vacation is the last thing on their minds. The OASIS receives, on average, 60,000 visitors per month, with as many as 40,000 folk traipsing through their doors on Memorial weekend alone. For The OASIS’ employees, every day is a test of their ability to satisfy such crowds. Beau Theriot, the owner of The OASIS, was careful to select a management team who is as outstanding as the views his guests flock to see. Not surprisingly for a production of this size, he realizes that the individuals behind the scenes are as crucial to The OASIS’ success as its location.
So who are the people who make the Sunset Capital of Texas tick like a Swiss clock? And what makes them tick when they’re not making sure the sunset runs on time? Oasis Lifestyle Magazine found out a little more about the faces behind the pretty view.
Mo Lasater, General Manager
Management in Motion
At any given moment, Mo’s in the lobby, Mo’s in the kitchen, Mo’s dashing down the stairs. For Mo Lasater, the General Manager at The OASIS on Lake Travis, ubiquity is his M.O. and this is quite a feat. As most Austinites will know, The OASIS is a king-sized restaurant within the palatial expanse of a Tex-Tuscan villa. It boasts three kitchens, four levels, eight function rooms and an operational staff who, given the site’s epic size, liaise by two-way radio.
Mo’s job is to keep business flowing and guests happy throughout this complex operation. He never knows what a day at The OASIS will bring yet he thrives on the challenge it presents. As the day progresses and guests arrive, Mo deploys his 150-strong crew of wait staff in line with operational needs. As tables are filled or emptied and as levels are opened or closed, Mo’s there to remove anything that impedes the flow.
Despite his two-way radio, Mo prefers to see a room for himself. “Keeping a finger on the pulse,” is what he calls it, explaining that years in the business enable him, at a glance, to know when something’s wrong. If a server’s too busy to make eye contact, then it’s time for Mo to step in. If a guest has lost her cell phone, then Mo comes forward to find it. Even if a credit card drops over a cliff, it becomes Mo’s problem to solve.
Mo’s management goal is for his guests to have a better experience at every successive visit. He cascades his desire for distinction downward by holding his staff accountable for their jobs. “You’ve got to hire for attitude,” he says, adding that they must all have a “servant’s heart.” If they don’t have that, then he either “coaches them into it, or coaches them out” of The OASIS. Yet he also believes in giving his managers the space to do their jobs.
“I’m a firm believer that if you let people know what you need them to do, then you should get out of the way and let them do it,” he says. His more than thirty years of experience in restaurant management has proven that, with the right guidance and enough autonomy, individuals are motivated to be their best possible selves.
This is a personal goal for Mo too. He’s disciplined about what he eats and starts each day with a bout of early morning exercise. His goal is to live to be 100.
“I’m full of life,” he says, “and the key is that I work around young people and in an environment that keeps me young.”
Indeed, Mo at sixty-years-young and in perpetual motion, isn’t in danger of slowing down any time soon.
Morris Buck, Executive Chef
A chef with a Texan-sized meal on his plate
Morris Buck is a tall, quiet man. Yet despite his reserve and deceptively youthful looks, he can establish a presence without saying a word. As the Executive Chef at The OASIS on Lake Travis, this is an invaluable quality to have. He’s responsible for the smooth running of one of the largest outdoor restaurants in the US. Everything, from the sourcing of shrimp to the sauce on the shrimp, from the heat of the pots to the heat of his salsa, from the grilling of chickens to the thrilling of diners, is in his remit. Not surprisingly, Morris has a lot on his plate.
To be assured of the highest kitchen caliber every evening, Morris presides over his army of staff with the composure of a general going into battle. The ability to manage 100 souls in the combat zone of a restaurant kitchen means that, not only can he cook but he can lead. Indeed, leadership is what Morris Buck has by the bucketload.
And this is certainly something he needs. The OASIS restaurant is capable of serving 2,800 diners in one sitting while at least 60,000 visitors pass through the establishment in an average month. Morris’s chefs prepare ninety percent of their dishes from scratch which means that there is a Texas-sized operation line in his three kitchens every day.
Morris is deservedly proud of his team, and of the menu that he redesigned in partnership with The OASIS’ owner, Beau Theriot. Mr. Theriot had always envisioned a Tex-Mex cuisine for his restaurant and Morris reveled in the chance to bring this to life. As a young man growing up in San Antonio, the young Morris was seasoned by both Texan and Mexican foods. Each dish on the OASIS menu expresses his love for both of these culinary traditions.
Yet it is after he clocks off from his 13-hour day that he likes to express his true creativity. As the head cook for his wife and 12-year-old son, he loves to test new recipes on them based on his mood or what he finds in the fridge. He also loves to play basketball with his son, explaining that his idea of rest is to keep moving.
Given his taste for constant motion, Morris will soon begin his annual assessment of The OASIS’ menu. Not wishing to rest on his laurels, he aims to make his offering the best Tex-Mex fare in Texas. With the novelty of his dishes, the freshness of his style and the thousands of diners who keep coming back for more, such a goal is likely to be a slam-dunk for Chef Buck.
Adam Tompkins, Events Director
From white-ties to hoedowns, and smiling all the way
Adam Tompkins is a handsome man with the kind of playful energy that makes you instantly cheerful. He doesn’t seem able to talk without smiling and many of his sentences are punctuated by a warm, infectious laugh. As Events Director for The OASIS on Lake Travis, one can’t imagine Adam in a more perfect job.
Like many of The OASIS’ longtime staff, Adam started out waiting tables to pay his way through college. He surprised himself by loving every aspect of the job, becoming determined to climb the ranks of Austin’s most unique watering hole. Eleven years and many changes to The OASIS later, Adam is now the man who shows the current wait staff just how superb a function can be.
From business breakfasts to bar mitzvahs, from rehearsal dinners to rip-roaring parties, Adam is the man in charge. Together with Beth Simpson, the wedding coordinator, and Kyle Kilgore, his right-hand-man, he expects to host 600 separate events this year. Some are for as few as 25 guests, others for more than 1,500.
A lesser mortal might tremble at the thought of hosting an event for so many, but Adam rubs his hands in glee. “These are the kinds of events that drive me,” he smiles. He loves the creativity needed to brainstorm a party, he loves anticipating his clients’ needs, he loves to see a carefully choreographed event come off without a hitch.
And most of all, Adam loves the morning after when his clients call to say thank you. The pleasure of seeing their joined efforts come to fruition, and his pride in delivering an even better event than they’d expected, is the biggest payload of his job.
What’s more, it feels like a hobby to him. “No-one ever comes out to The OASIS and says, ‘Darn-it, I have to throw a party,’” he grins, “this is an Austin institution. With the food, the view, the ambiance … my job is easy.”
But don’t be deceived by Adam’s boyish modesty. No-one can execute eight simultaneous events, or handle the complexities of separate timings, teams and function styles, with only the love of a good bash. His friendly demeanor doesn’t disguise the determined set to his jaw, and you wouldn’t want to be a slapdash server beneath those laser-like eyes. This man is an unassuming perfectionist, and he bashfully admits that his sock drawer is an icon of order. Moreover, he can recall with crisp perfection every detail of an event he hosted three years ago.
“But don’t ask what I had for lunch yesterday,” he chuckles.
For 36-year-old Adam, his work is his pleasure because he’s both passionate and proud of what he does. And the good news for the ladies is that he’s single! Though how one might compete with The OASIS and his beloved Boxer dog, Sam, for time in his hectic day is another interview for a quieter day.
Beth Simpson, Wedding Coordinator
Sprinkling stardust as a bride’s best friend
If you’d asked an eight-year-old Beth Simpson what she wanted to be when she grew up, she’d have said a princess. Now, 20 years later, she’s stuck remarkably close to that dream by making other women feel like queens for the day.
As the wedding coordinator for The OASIS on Lake Travis, this glamorous Houstonian with the champagne smile was born to sprinkle stardust. There’s nothing she loves more than helping couples turn their dream wedding into reality. Indeed, Beth’s eyes shine when she talks about being part of the magic on that special day.
By far, her favorite part of the job is to see the faces of her newlyweds when they first walk down the aisle.
“Nothing beats their smiles,” she says with a radiance to match her bride and groom. “My parents have been married for 30 years so I value marriage, and everything to do with marriage, as something truly special.”
Yet Beth’s weddings don’t gleam without effort. From bouquets to buttonholes, from entrees to DJs, nothing escapes Beth’s exacting eye. It’s her job to make sure that every detail of a couple’s special day is precisely perfect. And she loves it.
Long before most of Austin is awake, Beth is talking to vendors and churning through tiny details. On the day of the wedding, Beth goes through every aspect of the event with a fine-toothed-comb. She can tie a bustle with one hand while adjusting napkin turns with the other. She might sew a button on a thousand-dollar dress without dropping a stitch … or breaking a sweat. And at night, Beth will lie in bed thinking about what she’d do differently next time.
“Every bride is unique,” she says, “and it’s my job to make sure that they have the best day of their lives.”
This makes Beth Simpson every bride’s best friend.
And, like a best friend, she’s the kind of person you want to spend time with. Her classic Hollywood looks and elegant demeanor are almost incidental to this Texas State graduate’s down-home charm. She has warmth that could put the most anxious bride at ease, and a genuineness that explains why many brides’ mothers keep in touch long after the wedding is over.
She is also disarmingly modest. “I couldn’t do this without my team,” she says, adding that the moment she thinks of something, it was done just a second before. “They’re magicians,” she laughs, with a brief finger-flutter to conjure the stardust that glitters around her.
Writer
Carolyn Jones
Photography
Eric Von Lehmden | ericvonphotography.com
& Tony Ku | kuphotography.com
Men’s Stylist
Chuck Haidet | keepersclothing.com
Men’s clothing courtesy of Keepers
Women’s clothing Neiman Marcus
Shoes Macy’s – The Domain
Make-up
Nisa Nicole | nisanicole.com
Hair
Anita C. Roberts
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