The Night Hawk restaurant holds a special place in both Austin's and Hoover’s history. Harry Akin opened the doors of the Night Hawk in the early 1930s, and it was the first restaurant to stay open through dinner hours (hence the name). Mr. Akin was a pioneer of racial integration in Austin restaurants – for both customers and service staff.

Hoover's discovered his passion for food at the Night Hawk while he was attending the University of Texas. He started working there for extra spending money, rolling out pie dough, making gumbo, and filling in for the head chef, Mr. Leon, on his days off. It was there that he came to learn the restaurant business from the ground up: bussing tables, washing dishes, bartending, working the line, planning menus, and finally, managing.

Hoover honed his newfound skills over the next decade at other Austin institutions like Toulouse, Chez Fred, and Good Eats Café (where he was managing partner for six years). Finally, he landed at home with Hoover’s Cooking, a Texas home-cooking restaurant that encompasses his culinary expertise: Southern, Tex-Mex, Cajun, and, of course, BBQ. The Manor Road restaurant also happens to be a stone’s throw away from his childhood home.