WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:02.879 It's Adam West CEOs. You should know with me today, 2 00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:04.839 Michael McDermott che Cheese Restaurants. 3 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:06.960 Thanks for coming by, Thanks for having me. 4 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:10.039 All right, So the rumors have been well they're more 5 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:12.000 than rumors now because I guess you guys there were 6 00:00:12.039 --> 00:00:14.599 rumors before there was anything efficient. But Chee Cheese is back. 7 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:20.120 Yeah, you know, it's It's something that I'd never had 8 00:00:20.920 --> 00:00:23.879 a desire to do over the last number of years, 9 00:00:23.960 --> 00:00:27.440 and I just. 10 00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:29.559 Last summer I actually was. I was. 11 00:00:29.640 --> 00:00:32.679 I'm a big, big proponent of meditation. I was meditating 12 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:36.560 one morning and the thought came to me that I 13 00:00:36.600 --> 00:00:38.640 should bring Chee Chee's back, And. 14 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:40.479 You, on your own, came up with this. 15 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:41.640 Yeah. 16 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:45.399 Well I think it was like a divinely inspired moment, right. 17 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:48.159 I mean, I'm a big I definitely believe in that. 18 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:51.560 And I ran up by my dad and my uncle 19 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:53.840 Jack Michael. Jack actually used to be the vice president 20 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:57.439 chie Chee's back in the day, ok, and he's now 21 00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:01.600 the chairman and Coco Marco's Pizza the the fourth biggest 22 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:04.400 pizza chain in the country. And I always bounce things 23 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:08.120 off of these guys, and so I bounced off my 24 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:10.319 uncle Jack and he's like, you know, the only thing 25 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:12.359 wrong with that is that I didn't come up with it, 26 00:01:13.159 --> 00:01:15.799 and he thought it was a great idea. So, but 27 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:18.280 the problem was is that we didn't have the rights 28 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:22.239 to the name. So so in eighty three Hormel got 29 00:01:22.280 --> 00:01:26.319 the rights to distribute Chichi's related products in the grocery stores. 30 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:29.280 Was that the salside remember the commercials, the guy with 31 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:31.840 the overcoat and yep, and the yeah that was again, yeah, 32 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.040 the shortillas and margarita makes. I think they've got like 33 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:37.040 twelve products and they're all over the country now. But 34 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:39.400 and then then six, and then in two thousand and. 35 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:41.560 Four the last sixty five Chi Cheese closed and so 36 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:45.079 the trademark became available to full Mark, and so Hormel 37 00:01:45.719 --> 00:01:48.400 got it. And so for in order for me to 38 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:51.040 do Chee Che's, I had to get I had to 39 00:01:51.079 --> 00:01:52.280 make an agreement with them. 40 00:01:52.159 --> 00:01:52.840 To use the name. 41 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:57.120 Okay, So I approached their executive team with the idea 42 00:01:57.159 --> 00:02:00.920 of bringing Chee Chee's back, and they loved it, and 43 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:04.560 we reached an agreement, and so now you know, we 44 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:06.879 have the rights to do Chee Cheese throughout the country. 45 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:09.639 I don't entirely remember Chee Cheese. I knew of it. 46 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:12.280 I'm a little young for not totally young, but I 47 00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:14.039 mean there's probably some younger people. Can you tell me 48 00:02:14.039 --> 00:02:17.000 about the history what you know about Chee Cheese? I mean, 49 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:19.360 you know, having a relative part of it, you probably 50 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:19.960 know some. 51 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:20.800 Yeah, I do. 52 00:02:20.919 --> 00:02:22.680 I mean so, so the first door opened up in 53 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:26.120 nineteen seventy six, and was it here in Minnesota? It 54 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:28.120 was that it was that Nickeolin in four ninety four. 55 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:35.319 That was the first store, and uh, they ended up 56 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:37.479 they ended up opening a couple more stores in the 57 00:02:37.479 --> 00:02:42.599 cities and then expanded it. Eventually the company went public. 58 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:45.919 And the one thing with cheach is it did change. 59 00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:46.960 Ownership a number of times. 60 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:50.360 So there was probably because they went private after going public, 61 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:53.039 and so there was a number of ownerships of Chee 62 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:55.360 Che's throughout the twenty eight years that was around. 63 00:02:55.400 --> 00:02:58.919 Okay, it seems like it was longer than that. Was 64 00:02:58.919 --> 00:03:00.360 it only twenty eight years? 65 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:02.960 Well, I don't know, you're see if you're better not. 66 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:06.360 Technique, but it just I mean, that was such a seventy. 67 00:03:06.039 --> 00:03:09.680 Six to two thousand and four. What is that? 68 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:12.479 Yeah, twenty eight you're right, Yeah, twenty eight years. 69 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:13.479 Yeah, twenty eight years. 70 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:17.199 I think it's been missed. Yeah, no, good move. Yeah yeah, 71 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:19.599 because when you hear about different restaurants that are missed 72 00:03:19.639 --> 00:03:21.560 in the Twin Cities, that came up quite a bit. 73 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:22.280 You know. 74 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:25.479 We actually, honestly, I didn't realize how much it was 75 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:28.520 missed until we did a press release. We we did 76 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:32.360 a press release in December, and I thought it would 77 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:34.680 be picked up locally because this is where Chichie started, 78 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:36.680 and I thought the trade magazines would pick it up. 79 00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:41.120 But I had no idea the coverage it that it 80 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:43.599 that it received. We had over six hundred articles written. 81 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:48.039 Every major news organization picked it up. It went viral 82 00:03:48.120 --> 00:03:50.800 on social media, and then I started reading the comments 83 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:53.639 and all the people that had missed it, and get 84 00:03:53.879 --> 00:03:56.960 I can't tell you them the amount of letters and 85 00:03:57.039 --> 00:03:59.960 emails I've received from people that are thanking me for 86 00:04:00.039 --> 00:04:00.680 bringing it back. 87 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:03.560 Wow. Okay, And so now you told me some stuff. 88 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:05.919 I assume that this is public stuff that you told me, 89 00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:08.400 But I'm so I'll just ask you, where's your first location? 90 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:11.240 So the first location we have announced, and that's going 91 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:13.159 to be at the West End. So we're going to 92 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:16.759 convert our Rojo Mexican grill to Chi Cheese, uh huh. 93 00:04:16.759 --> 00:04:18.839 And we're looking at third quarter of this year. 94 00:04:18.759 --> 00:04:21.600 Okay, And so I know that's because that's close to 95 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:27.519 where where iHeart is, so Minneapolis, so we love it. 96 00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:30.920 So what's what happens to Rojo, Well. 97 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:35.800 Goes away, That's what happened to so our planets convert 98 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:39.279 the rows to Chi Che's and then you know, we're 99 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:42.279 looking to expand it out of state. And we've had 100 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:44.920 a number of people that already reached out to us 101 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:49.680 that are interested in franchising the concept. We've had real 102 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:55.720 estate developers reach out to us about locations. So you know, 103 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:58.600 our goal is to get this first store open, but 104 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:02.160 we definitely would like be in a position to expand 105 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:02.720 the concept. 106 00:05:03.160 --> 00:05:05.600 Talking to Michael McDermott's CEO of Chee Cheese, which is 107 00:05:05.639 --> 00:05:08.079 apparently coming back, tell tell me a little bit about 108 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:10.279 you did you Are you from Minnesota? 109 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:13.279 So I was born in Minnesota, My parents grew up 110 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:16.519 in Austin, lived until fifth grade. My dad moved to 111 00:05:16.519 --> 00:05:20.680 Arizona and I spent the next you know, most of 112 00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:24.480 the next thirty years there, and then twelve years ago 113 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:28.199 my wife and I decided to move up here with 114 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:31.959 our kids. For a number of reasons I had I 115 00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:36.160 had opened up Rojo, so that was here. We wanted 116 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:39.680 the change of seasons, just a different environment. Scott still 117 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:43.439 had gotten really big. So we've been here now for 118 00:05:43.480 --> 00:05:44.120 twelve years. 119 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:47.399 And so you, I guess you already have a relationship 120 00:05:47.399 --> 00:05:50.480 maybe with Hormel or they say down there hormal Right. Yeah, 121 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:52.439 my neighbor's from Austin. She told me that. I was like, 122 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:56.000 what what does that mean? So did that help being 123 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.040 from Austin developing this relationship? 124 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:00.680 I don't know if that helped her now not, you know, 125 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:03.839 like with the negotiations or or them being excited. 126 00:06:03.560 --> 00:06:06.839 About yeah anything. Yeah, I mean I. 127 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:12.040 Think, uh, my uncle Jack as well does business with Hormale, 128 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:14.199 so and he's been part of this is a part 129 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:17.680 of my advisory board. So there's probably some connection there. 130 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:19.959 And so you talked about you just had this idea. 131 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:22.480 Did it come from? Is there anything that made you 132 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:26.199 think one day more about this about bringing back chee cheese? 133 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:26.560 Now? 134 00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:30.000 Literally it was like a like a it came to 135 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:32.560 me one morning. I mean it was I know, I 136 00:06:32.600 --> 00:06:36.360 had no thought what's over bringing it back every until 137 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:39.160 that morning and then I then when that happened, I 138 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:40.600 just literally ran with it. 139 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:44.519 I thought you were kidding, But yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, 140 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:46.439 So do you I mean you don't really have any 141 00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:50.079 customers yet, right, I mean you haven't really opened officially. 142 00:06:50.199 --> 00:06:52.720 But what I mean, do you have a vision for 143 00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:55.240 for what serving your customers looks like? 144 00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:00.480 Well, I mean the so the concept. So what we're 145 00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:03.480 doing with Cheaches is we're bringing the concept forward, right, So, 146 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:05.439 I mean there's going to be I know, we're going 147 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.120 to get We're going to get emails, We're going to 148 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:10.000 get comments that people are going to say, this is 149 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:13.519 not the Cheachers I remember, right, And it's not intended 150 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:16.839 to be the exact Cheaches that remember. Now, we are 151 00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:19.399 going to bring back a number of the items right 152 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:23.000 that Chia Chees had. We have all the original recipes, 153 00:07:23.639 --> 00:07:26.920 so there'll be some familiarity with respect to the menu 154 00:07:27.160 --> 00:07:30.560 and with the decor. There's going to be some accents 155 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:32.879 such as the hanging plants or the tile or some 156 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:35.439 of the colors that we're using. But it's a new 157 00:07:35.480 --> 00:07:39.680 look and feel and a new menu. So the concept 158 00:07:39.720 --> 00:07:40.600 is being brought forward. 159 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:42.360 I think for some people to say, it's not what 160 00:07:42.439 --> 00:07:44.879 I remember might be dishonest because they probably don't remember 161 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:48.560 anything from right, it's from some of the nights they 162 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:49.000 were there. 163 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:52.000 Well, yeah, you got to remember the last ones closed 164 00:07:52.120 --> 00:07:57.240 twenty what twenty one years ago? Yeah, so you know, 165 00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:01.680 if you're in your thirties, you probably right exactly, Well, 166 00:08:01.720 --> 00:08:03.439 you weren't old enough to drink I know that unless 167 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:04.279 you were in your forties. 168 00:08:04.360 --> 00:08:08.720 Yeah, but many people probably were. Yeah. How how will 169 00:08:08.759 --> 00:08:11.839 you I mean, Mexican's not new to the Twin Cities 170 00:08:11.959 --> 00:08:15.680 by any means. How will you different differentiate yourselves other 171 00:08:15.720 --> 00:08:17.240 than I mean, you got the Chee Cheese name, which 172 00:08:17.240 --> 00:08:18.319 is a big bonus. 173 00:08:18.600 --> 00:08:20.600 Yeah, I mean we're definitely gonna leverage the name. 174 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:24.959 I think you know what we do too in our concept, 175 00:08:25.560 --> 00:08:28.519 which we've done with when ConA Grill, which is another 176 00:08:28.519 --> 00:08:29.480 concept I started. 177 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:32.159 We always have had a big bar. 178 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:37.519 Presence, unlike some other maybe Mexican restaurants, and we'll continue 179 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:42.600 that with che Cheese. But I think we'll differentiate ourselves 180 00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:46.279 from the experience people have when they walk in the 181 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:50.440 doors and all of our food is made fresh from scratch. 182 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:53.720 There's no third parties, there's nothing we don't know, there's 183 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:56.679 not a microwave on the premise. I mean, everything is 184 00:08:56.799 --> 00:08:59.799 made that day. So I think from the quality of 185 00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:03.519 our food, the price point, and the ambiance of the atmosphere, 186 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:05.720 I think will differentiate us. 187 00:09:06.759 --> 00:09:10.440 What challenges do you see starting up here? Maybe maybe 188 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:12.919 the industry as a whole. I mean, I think you're 189 00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:15.559 we kind of see what what you're up against. Well, 190 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:16.799 I don't know, maybe we want to talk about that. 191 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:18.360 What challenges are you up against? 192 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:19.679 Well, I think. 193 00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:23.000 All restaurants have experienced a tough time over the last 194 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:28.000 two years. I think with inflation, everything costing more, whether 195 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:29.799 it be at the you know, at the gas station, 196 00:09:29.960 --> 00:09:32.960 at the grocery store. You know, prices have been increased. 197 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:37.039 There's been so people, you know, one of the first 198 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:39.440 things they can cut back on is going out to eat. 199 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:39.759 Yeah. 200 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:44.440 Right, So we're actually a pretty good economic indicator either 201 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:48.279 of going into a tough time or coming out of 202 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:52.519 a tough time. And and so I think there's been 203 00:09:52.519 --> 00:09:55.159 a lot of pressure in our industry with respect to 204 00:09:55.200 --> 00:10:00.320 the top line sales. And we've seen since COVID, we've 205 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:03.080 seen a lot of pressure too on just hourly labor. 206 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:07.440 You know, what we pay our hourly labor especially in 207 00:10:07.480 --> 00:10:11.720 the kitchen. It's going up over thirty percent since COVID. Wow, 208 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:16.600 so you know we've raised prices like a lot of restaurants, 209 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:20.279 but you can't raise prices to the point are enough 210 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:24.519 to offset the increase in costs, both from labor and commodities. 211 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:29.120 Yeah. Do you see pick up and delivery, because that's 212 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:31.960 obviously taken off since COVID. We pick up sometimes I've 213 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:33.080 never had anything delivered? 214 00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:33.840 Is that? 215 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:35.759 What's your philosophy on that? 216 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:38.879 It's just not a big part of our business now. 217 00:10:38.919 --> 00:10:43.039 It's probably three percent. There are other concepts that it's 218 00:10:43.080 --> 00:10:47.679 definitely a big part of their business. Yeah, but but 219 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:50.080 for us, you know, we do do it, we will 220 00:10:50.120 --> 00:10:55.519 do it, but it's never been it's never been anything 221 00:10:55.559 --> 00:10:57.240 that's made a difference in our business. 222 00:10:57.679 --> 00:10:59.600 There's a place in Lakeville that we sometimes will go 223 00:10:59.639 --> 00:11:01.879 to and get takeout and I bring it home and 224 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:03.840 I'm like, how do they come out ahead on this? 225 00:11:04.039 --> 00:11:06.399 Like there's just there's so much packing and just I 226 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:08.159 don't know everything. It seems like it's hard to make 227 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:08.840 a buck that way. 228 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:11.840 Yeah, I mean, your margins are not great on delivery, 229 00:11:12.320 --> 00:11:15.039 but but it adds to the top line. 230 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:20.720 Sure, what success stories do you have in your resume? 231 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:24.519 You know what's so funny is I did my MBA 232 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:27.399 and I thought, if I go back and teach, I 233 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:29.720 will go back and teach a class. And all the 234 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:34.000 things they don't teach you in school actually learn by 235 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:35.480 doing it. So I've had a lot of things that 236 00:11:35.559 --> 00:11:37.279 you know, I've learned along the way. 237 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:38.559 But I guess. 238 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:43.720 You know, the one national chain I did was ConA Grill, 239 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:48.000 you know that was that was a I stepped down 240 00:11:48.039 --> 00:11:50.679 a CEO of that company when we went public. I 241 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:55.320 just was not there's a difference between starting a company 242 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:58.679 and running a company, and I didn't want to run 243 00:11:58.679 --> 00:12:02.200 a public company. So that was the one national chain 244 00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:07.399 I did. I have done a number of other concepts 245 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:10.759 along the way. I mean, Rojo has been a great success. 246 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:13.159 I think as a you know, as a as a 247 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:17.120 business owner CEO, I really changed a lot and how 248 00:12:17.159 --> 00:12:20.600 I approach running a business, and a lot of that 249 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:26.159 is just my journey, personal journey of just my faith 250 00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:28.559 and and and and. 251 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:30.000 How that's really. 252 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:34.960 Been the foundation of of of how I approach business 253 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:35.399 in general. 254 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:38.399 So I didn't ask you, so you you actually did 255 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:41.159 you start ro HO? I did Okay, that makes okay, 256 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:42.559 it's all make you more said there, You're just like 257 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:45.399 taking it over somehow, And I feel better about this 258 00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:46.000 now now. 259 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:49.879 I think my strength has always been developing concepts and 260 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:54.480 getting the people involved and raising the money and and 261 00:12:54.519 --> 00:12:57.559 then always having a really good operator that's been, you know, 262 00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:00.360 next to me along the way, so I and do 263 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:01.399 what I've done. 264 00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:04.399 Without the people around me. 265 00:13:04.600 --> 00:13:06.799 I mean, I've always been really good at finding people 266 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:10.120 that know how to do the things that I don't 267 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:12.080 know how to do or I don't have the time 268 00:13:12.120 --> 00:13:15.720 to do. And I've just been really blessed with great people. 269 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:19.480 Well Rojo was awesome, so yeah, yeah, are you ever 270 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:21.600 a secret chopper? That'd be the best part. Could you 271 00:13:21.639 --> 00:13:23.679 ever go in there? And just I better try it? 272 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:26.720 I mean, you know my own restaurants, Yeah sure, yeah, 273 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:29.399 Well I can't go on my own restaurants with people, you. 274 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:32.559 Know, I amises right, Yeah, no, I've never done that, 275 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:34.840 but I can't help but when every time I go 276 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:38.279 into a restaurant, I can't help but notice things that 277 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:40.679 I would do differently A lot. 278 00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:42.960 Of times too, what they do right, yeah? Right? I 279 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:44.279 mean you pick up ideas? 280 00:13:44.519 --> 00:13:47.279 Did you work in the restaurants at a young age. 281 00:13:47.799 --> 00:13:50.000 So I started out. 282 00:13:49.480 --> 00:13:52.840 Uh. My first job was washing dishes at a restaurant 283 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.840 called Lafonda del Sol call mixing restaurant in high school. 284 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:00.879 And I did that because I wanted to get the 285 00:14:00.919 --> 00:14:03.919 salca recipe. Oh, they had the best sauce in the world. 286 00:14:04.440 --> 00:14:06.720 I worked at night and they made it in the morning. 287 00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:08.080 Wait where was Lafonda's. 288 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:10.519 Lefonda del Soul was at Scott Still and Shay, it 289 00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:11.720 actually just closed. 290 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:13.480 It had been there for like fifty years. 291 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:17.600 Okay, small little Mexican restaurant, and so I was never 292 00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:19.039 able to get the salsa recipe. 293 00:14:19.080 --> 00:14:19.960 But I started out. 294 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:23.080 There and then I I worked you know, pretty much 295 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:26.840 every position uh in the business over the next number 296 00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:27.600 of years. 297 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:29.879 Why couldn't you get the saluca recipe? Was it that 298 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:31.919 well they made it in the morning. Oh yeah, but 299 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:33.639 but you'd think that that you could have talked on 300 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:34.279 the people. 301 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:35.559 Well they didn't write it down. 302 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:37.919 Yeah, and well it's good they make it right out 303 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:38.320 of their head. 304 00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:38.799 That's yeah. 305 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:43.159 Yeah, yeah, all right, tell me about being a leader. 306 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:44.679 What is that? What does that mean to you? What 307 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:45.320 does it feel like? 308 00:14:45.799 --> 00:14:47.639 Oh? I feel like you should be talking to my dad. 309 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:50.320 Yeah, okay, I mean you talked about having other people, 310 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:52.360 partnering with other people, the people who really know what 311 00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:54.600 they're doing. I get that, But what I mean they 312 00:14:54.679 --> 00:14:56.919 people look to you. You're obviously very successful. 313 00:14:57.120 --> 00:15:01.320 Yeah, you know, I I am. 314 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:06.840 I am a big believer and making sure that I 315 00:15:06.919 --> 00:15:11.159 prepare myself each day to show up in a way 316 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:13.600 that I would want a leader to show off. So 317 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:17.080 I'm a big So we were talking about this before 318 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:23.480 this interview, But I came to Minnesota thirty six years 319 00:15:23.559 --> 00:15:26.440 ago because I was at Arizona State University and I wasn't. 320 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:30.639 I wasn't I wasn't graduating when I should have, and 321 00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:33.720 I had I had a big problem with alcohol. Came 322 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:36.240 up here, went through treatment, and I changed, you know, 323 00:15:36.679 --> 00:15:41.480 totally turned my life around. And so I've been sober 324 00:15:41.559 --> 00:15:43.799 the last thirty five years. But part of that a 325 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:47.759 big part of that process of my recovery has been 326 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:52.320 a daily morning prayer meditation that I do, and I 327 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:55.120 spent at least an hour every morning in peryer meditation. 328 00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:57.159 And and I really believe. 329 00:15:56.879 --> 00:16:00.799 That that is, you know, that is what sets me 330 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:05.200 up for being a leader, being showing up for my 331 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:09.000 employees and being a better listener, you know, making decisions 332 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:12.559 not based on fear, but based on the principles I 333 00:16:12.600 --> 00:16:15.519 try to live by. So I don't have a philosophy 334 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:18.440 like you know, this is how what a CEO should be. Like, 335 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:22.279 I just tried to prepare myself each day every morning 336 00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:24.600 so that I show up hopefully in the right way. 337 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:26.120 Well that's that's the philosophy. 338 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:26.559 Yeah. 339 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:29.639 Yeah. Is it hard to focus when you're doing I've 340 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:32.639 tried different meditations at different points, not an hour, certainly 341 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:34.759 not an hour and I can fifteen minutes, No way 342 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:37.039 is it? Do you are you thinking about business or 343 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:37.559 you know? 344 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:40.559 Now you know what's funny is I got So this 345 00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:42.960 was about twenty five years ago. I got introduced in 346 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:46.200 meditation through a guy that I you know, I really 347 00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:48.480 respected this guy and he carried himself in a way 348 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:51.519 that I'm like, you know, I want what he has. 349 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:53.399 And I asked him, I said, what do you do 350 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:57.320 now to kind of have this type of piece and serenity? 351 00:16:57.399 --> 00:17:00.679 And He's like, I meditate every morning, and so I'm like, 352 00:17:01.320 --> 00:17:04.240 all right, I'm going to try that. Right, So I 353 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:07.359 got an egg timer because there was way before smartphones 354 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:10.279 and I set it for five minutes, and I sat there. 355 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:13.160 In my living room in my apartment and. 356 00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:17.279 Closed my eyes and was quiet, and I was like, 357 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:22.000 I think my egg timer is broken. I could swear 358 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:23.839 five minutes a gone by, and I looked at my 359 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:26.039 egg timer and it was like two minutes ago by. 360 00:17:26.759 --> 00:17:30.599 And I would rather run five miles barefoot and gravel 361 00:17:30.839 --> 00:17:33.920 and sit for five minutes. It was like the worst 362 00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:37.920 just experience. And so I'm but I kept with it. 363 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:41.839 I kept doing it every morning, and gradually I was 364 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:43.759 able to sit for five minutes and then said for 365 00:17:43.799 --> 00:17:48.319 ten minutes, and and and you know, so it's built 366 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:50.680 up board today. I mean, I don't miss a morning, 367 00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:53.200 no matter where I'm at, no matter what I'm doing, 368 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:55.720 no matter how sick I am. I spend in at 369 00:17:55.799 --> 00:18:00.319 least an hour every morning. And I've incorporated to a prayer. 370 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:02.599 You know, I have a faith that I that you know, 371 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:06.359 I believe in a power greater than me that I 372 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:11.000 think is give me a second chance in life. And 373 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:14.039 and so I try to connect to that. Do you 374 00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:15.799 sit on the floor when you do it? I sit 375 00:18:15.799 --> 00:18:17.160 on my couch. I used to sit on my floor, 376 00:18:17.160 --> 00:18:18.039 but my knees can't. 377 00:18:18.599 --> 00:18:20.599 Yeah, I'm right there with you. 378 00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:22.839 Yeah, so I said on my guy and I and 379 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:23.359 I tell you what. 380 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:26.640 I work with a lot of guys that that try meditation, 381 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:30.599 and and I really I'm a big proponent of guided 382 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:33.240 meditations if you struggle with it. So there's a lot 383 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:35.839 of people that just really can't sit still. They have 384 00:18:35.880 --> 00:18:38.640 a problem in the beginning. And so I believe in 385 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:42.119 using guided meditations, and there's a ton of apps for it. 386 00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:44.400 But I think that can be really helpful. And it's 387 00:18:44.440 --> 00:18:47.519 not really how long you go, it's developing consistency. 388 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:49.160 So if you can. 389 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:51.480 Start doing it every morning, if it's for two minutes, 390 00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:54.839 and just build off of that. But find a place 391 00:18:54.920 --> 00:18:58.960 that you really like and and you know that as 392 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:00.680 far as I if it's your in room or at 393 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:03.359 your office or wherever it is, and find that place 394 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:08.119 that you can go to every morning and and be quiet. 395 00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:11.759 I think there's probably different types or different ways of 396 00:19:11.799 --> 00:19:14.400 doing it too. It's still being quiet. I guess you 397 00:19:14.440 --> 00:19:16.039 got to be I mean, I can't walk my dogs 398 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:17.359 and be quiet, But you know what I mean, Like 399 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:20.279 different things maybe do they count? Would they be the 400 00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:24.720 same as you're looking for an hour or yeah, mowing 401 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:27.519