December 22, 2023 • 67 mins
From the deck of a Navy ship to the heat of a bustling kitchen, Geo Zelaya's journey isn't your everyday culinary tale. Grab a seat at our table on Nerds On Tap as we savor the flavors of his authentic Latin cuisine and discover how Tacos El Fluffy came to be a community staple. Geo's story is a testament to the power of passion and innovation, and he's serving up insights on how to blend the art of food with the science of technology to create a thriving business.
What happens when you mix a dash of AI with a pinch of locally sourced ingredients? You get a recipe for restaurant success, something Geo knows all about. We unwrap the secrets behind his tech-savvy approach to restaurant management, from inventory wizardry to marketing genius, and discuss why knowing where our food comes from is more important than we might think. So, whether you're a foodie, a tech enthusiast, or an aspiring entrepreneur, there's a slice of wisdom here for everyone.
We round off our chat with a heartening look at the impact of mentorship and the significance of community spirit. Geo pours out tales of how Take Stock in Children has been a beacon of hope and how his own experiences with mentorship have shaped the lives around him. It's not just about the tacos and the tech; it's about how investing in people and local businesses can transform communities. Join us for a conversation that's as enriching as it is appetizing, right here on Nerds On Tap.
Sponsor of this episode: Digital Boardwalk
Digital Boardwalk is one of the top 10 Managed IT Service Providers in the United States. If you are seeking to outsource your IT Management, or if your IT Team could use some help with projects or asset management, give Digital Boardwalk a call today! They offer a FREE IT Maturity Assessment on their website. If you want to see how your business's IT scores against industry standards, go to GoModernOffice.com now.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tim Shoop (00:00):
Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of Nerds On
Tap, where we love to bring inspecial guests that like to get
nerdy for an hour, and I hopeyou're ready to get nerdy too
Today.
The name of our show is TechSavvy Tacos with our special
guest, Geo Zelaya.
How you doing, Geo?
Geo Zelaya (00:21):
I'm doing fantastic, tim, how are you?
Tim Shoop (00:23):
Awesome man, awesome.
So Geo is going to be talkingabout food and technology and
how he has incorporated it inhis business.
So, Geo Zelaya, you're 26 yearsold, right?
26.
Man, you're old, come on.
26 years old, and from a youngage, he has been a fan of
(00:48):
cooking, farming and livestock,so I'm excited to hear about a
lot of that, because I'm just atech guy, right.
He was raised in Dayton, texas,served in the Navy as a
firefighter and an air trafficcontroller from 2016 to 2023.
And after transitioning out ofthe Navy, you had your mindset
(01:11):
on moving to Europe.
I did yes.
To pursue culinary arts?
Yes, but what happened?
Geo Zelaya (01:21):
I decided to skip school and open up a restaurant
instead.
No, I didn't exactly go thatway, but the opportunity of
opening up a restaurantpresented itself.
And I've talked it over with myfamily and they kind of looked
at me and just didn't reallybelieve me because they knew I
was already set on Europe.
Yeah, I was like I'm 20, then Iwas 25.
(01:43):
I was like I'm going to move toEurope, I'm still young, I'm
going to go to school and thenjust party and nope.
Tim Shoop (01:51):
So the school when you were going to move to Europe
, you were going to get aculinary arts school.
Geo Zelaya (01:55):
No, I was actually going to be going to an
international school inBarcelona and I was going to be
going for an MBA and on the side, I was planning on getting a
job at a Michelin starrestaurant or a fancy restaurant
and work my way up until I wasbeing mentored by the head chef
(02:16):
or the sous chef.
Tim Shoop (02:17):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (02:18):
And that's what he was going to be doing for the
culinary arts.
I've been following Chef Ramsayfor a while and that's what he
did.
He moved to Paris and hestarted his journey in the fine
dining space, just like that.
Tim Shoop (02:32):
So I would say kids watch this show, but Geo's
saying skip school.
No, I'm kidding.
I'm kidding.
This is an entrepreneurial showand exactly what you did a lot
of people do when they want tostart a business.
They, I mean, look at some ofthe famous people like Bill
(02:53):
Gates and Zuckerberg and some ofthe others they drop out and
start a big tech company andtake off With you.
You were inspired by food yes,food, and making food, and the
process of going through thatand making new foods for people
(03:16):
to enjoy.
Geo Zelaya (03:17):
Yes, and the process of sharing and getting together
with people of differentbackgrounds and different
mindsets and just having onething in unison, which is food.
And growing up.
We didn't really have a wholelot, but we had the key elements
(03:39):
to a very happy childhood,which was a loving family and
amazing food, and from theyoungest, from a very young age,
I can remember always havingphenomenal food, and when I
joined the military the shipsare not known for having good
(04:02):
food.
Tim Shoop (04:04):
I was in the Navy stationed on an Air Force base
and when I first arrived thereand went to the galley which I
think they call it the food hallor something and somebody tried
to grab the tray off my out, Iwas like what are you doing?
He goes oh, I thought you weredone.
And I go oh, you're going totake my tray.
What is this place?
I felt like I was at the fourseasons.
Geo Zelaya (04:25):
Yeah, the Air Force has it made.
Tim Shoop (04:29):
Well, let's talk about you.
This show is about you today.
So you started Tacos El Fluffyand we're going to get really
into that in the first segmentof the show.
But you did it because youwanted to serve quality,
authentic, fresh Latin food,sourcing a lot of your produce
(04:50):
locally and making everythingin-house from scratch.
I love a good scratch tortilla.
Geo Zelaya (04:56):
Absolutely.
Tim Shoop (04:57):
Mm Tortillas, tamales , desserts and juices.
Yes, that's awesome.
So before we get into you,we're going to do two things.
I'm going to let you look atthe audience, tell them about
any specials that you might havegoing on.
Geo Zelaya (05:19):
To every taco lover quesadillas and tamales.
If you come to Tacos El Fluffyon Northpace Boulevard and you
mention Nerds on Tab, come onpeople, 15% off.
Tim Shoop (05:31):
Wow, that's a good deal.
Geo Zelaya (05:34):
Our food is priced beyond a fair for the type of
quality of cuisine that we'recooking.
It's a very gourmet cuisine.
We're making everything fromscratch.
Like you mentioned, the tamales, we make them in-house every
morning.
They get steamed.
Tim Shoop (05:51):
Oh, my goodness, I'm getting hungry.
I mean shoot, I could eat oneof those right now.
Geo Zelaya (05:57):
Why Just talk about it when we can actually enjoy
them?
Tim Shoop (06:01):
right now.
Geo Zelaya (06:02):
No way, I can't wait to see.
Tim Shoop (06:04):
Wait, what do we got?
Geo Zelaya (06:06):
Oh my.
Tim Shoop (06:06):
God.
And this is the first time,ladies and gentlemen, that I'm
going to get to try one of thesefantastic tacos, and what
better way than to pair it witha beer.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcometo Nerds on Tab.
I'm your host, tim Schu, and Icouldn't be more excited to
(06:29):
embark on this nerdy adventurewith all of you.
So grab your favorite brew,because things are about to get
exciting.
Tim Schaffer (06:40):
Three, two, one go .
Tim Shoop (06:46):
So while he's setting up, he's setting up his tacos
here.
I'm going to go ahead andintroduce the first beer of the
day.
We have a China brewery foundedin 1909 in China, texas.
We've got the China box.
Ladies and gentlemen, all thisis going to be so good, brewed
(07:09):
with rich toasted barley maltand German specialty hops.
This lightly hopped Americanstyle dark logger always goes
down easy.
I've had a bunch of these.
They're so good.
Only a seasonal beer.
Fans have demanded it yearround since 1973.
So I am staring at for youlisteners out there not seeing
(07:34):
this on video I am staring atsome amazing looking tacos and I
can't wait to try one of these.
Give me a toast.
Geo Zelaya (07:43):
Absolutely we're we tearing one of those tacos.
Tim Shoop (07:46):
I can't wait.
Geo Zelaya (07:47):
Salute.
Tim Shoop (07:48):
Salute.
We got a China box.
We'll eat as we go along,because I want to keep this
moving along.
We're going to get into ourfirst segment, which is
entrepreneurship and starting abusiness for Mr Geo.
All right, so I want to hearabout your decision on your
transition from the Navy tobecoming an entrepreneur.
(08:10):
What was going on in that brainof yours?
Geo Zelaya (08:16):
I can say that I've been an entrepreneur from a very
young age.
I was that kid in school thatwould bring a duffel bag full of
chocolates, Hershey's, KitKats,Skittles, M&Ms.
Tim Shoop (08:34):
You were selling chocolates at school.
Geo Zelaya (08:37):
Mexican candy.
I was that kid in sixth grade,seventh grade and eighth grade
this was back in 2010 and sixthgrade I made $6,000 off of
selling candy at school, dang.
Tim Schaffer (08:56):
Yeah, so has this always been food related as well
, because you sayentrepreneurship, but it sounds
to me like entrepreneurship withfood.
Geo Zelaya (09:05):
For me, yes, it's always been around, something
you can consume.
It's always either been justthe joy in people's face.
Really, that is my tip.
Whenever I can make someone'sday through something they
genuinely enjoy and brings themsome sort of happier, gives them
(09:27):
that euphoric feeling, that iswhat just does it for me.
Tim Shoop (09:34):
That's amazing.
So at your restaurants, whenyou, when somebody is is
chomping in to a tamale or ataco, especially for the first
time, and you probably know whoyour first time visitors are,
are you watching them?
Geo Zelaya (09:50):
I am, you are, I am, especially whenever is, like
you mentioned, people that areeating out of their comfort zone
and the food that we'reproviding.
In Pensacola, it's not reallyrevolutionary for us, being from
the Houston area.
We are accustomed to findingplaces where you know a taco.
(10:14):
Even the shell the tortilla hasplays a huge, important role in
the end result.
So whenever we came into thespace, we said if we're going to
do something, we got to dosomething that will add to it.
So, having people that havenever had a homemade flour
tortilla or corn tortilla, Ialways try to peek out and see
(10:38):
their reaction.
Tim Shoop (10:39):
So these, these are all.
These are all made from scratchtortillas that these tacos are
in.
Absolutely.
Tell me a little bit about thesauces and how, because I heard
a little birdie told me becauseI have not tried this yet and I
have a feeling after todayyou're going to have a regular
customer, so that's good.
(10:59):
I hope I get 15% off formentioning I'm kidding.
So someone was telling me thatthe sauces are part of what you
guys are about.
Geo Zelaya (11:11):
Yes, our, especially our, salsa verde are usually.
It's a tomato base sauce.
This is, I mean.
People literally drink this,like they at the shop.
We have the bottles and peoplewill get to go containers just
(11:33):
so they can drink it with theirfood.
Tim Shoop (11:35):
Really.
Geo Zelaya (11:36):
And it was never something that it was
intentional for us to to do thatintentionally, but they are
really good.
And all the the peppers forthese I work with a couple of
different farmers in town andthe jalapenos for this sauce
they're all coming from othersmall businesses.
(11:56):
From the beginning I said, if Iget into the space, I want to
be able to do something that weare growing together as a
community and uplifting eachother.
And same with the red sauce.
I mean, most of the ingredientsare coming from other
businesses that are sourcingthem out, bringing them to the
(12:17):
area, and then I'm one of theregular customers.
Tim Shoop (12:20):
Wow, that's amazing.
So I've heard I've heard corevalues here a few times.
I keep hearing community and Ikeep hearing happiness and
togetherness.
And so what, what are?
What are the core values ofTaco's El Fluffy?
What, what are?
Do you have a core value thatyou really try to express?
Geo Zelaya (12:44):
I you know the more, the more I thought about that
because I've been asked a coupleof times and our core values
are bringing quality, authentic,fresh food to the area and
putting smiles on people's face.
I mean that is just priceless.
Just to hear, you know, parentssay things like oh my kid is a
(13:09):
picky eater and he demolishesquesadilla, that's just beyond
exciting for me.
That's awesome.
Tim Shoop (13:16):
Yeah, so there's a slogan idea, we make you smile.
Geo Zelaya (13:21):
I hope it's not taken.
It sounds pretty good.
Tim Shoop (13:24):
I'm going to grab one of these in a second, but I'm
going to keep you talking andthen, while you're talking, I've
got to tear in one of these,because now, while I use this
sauce, is that okay?
Geo Zelaya (13:33):
use both of them.
Actually, do you like spicystuff?
Oh yes, absolutely Both of them.
We have another sauce that Idid not bring because it's that
we're out of it at the momentand I'm waiting for my supplier
to bring me more chocolate ghostpeppers, but it's a chocolate
ghost pepper sauce, and that onemixed with the green one.
(13:55):
I mean heaven.
Tim Shoop (13:58):
So you guys are constantly experimenting.
Geo Zelaya (14:00):
We are, yes, I'm very adventurous when it comes
to food and just being in thisspace.
I love being challenged, and itwent from you know, hey, you
should have you thought aboutdoing this.
No, and then just that ongoing,just people, hey, this and that
, and I was like, let's do it.
So we have a range of saucesthat have kind of we've
(14:26):
developed through the last 10months we opened back in
February and very experimental,and I mean to this day we're
still experimenting with a lotof things that we're like, ah,
we don't know if this is goingto do good or what the outcome
of it is going to be, and it'susually we're okay, we blew it
out of the water.
(14:48):
We got to find other ways tokind of keep up with the demand.
Tim Shoop (14:53):
So every I've started numerous businesses and every
time I start a business thereare a ton of challenges
presented.
I mean, we wouldn't be doingthis if we weren't trying to
solve a problem, right, right.
And so I want to explore thesteps and challenges with you of
starting a business, especiallya restaurant, the restaurant
(15:18):
industry and I heard it's supertough.
You know, I was talking tosomeone that was in the PEO or
the payroll industry one timeand they said most restaurants,
I think, fail within the firstyear or two and it's usually
either due to bad management orbad food.
(15:38):
I have a feeling that is mostdefinitely not the case here.
But what were your challengesand what do you think your
challenges are going to bemoving forward as you try to
develop and scale the business?
Geo Zelaya (15:57):
My biggest challenge was coming from the air traffic
controlling military communityto this restaurant space.
So, to put things into context,I've never I worked at
McDonald's back in my highschool year.
Tim Shoop (16:17):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (16:18):
And it was a fun job .
I loved working there, but Inever really cared how old were
you.
I was 17.
17 16.
Tim Shoop (16:27):
I was the fry guy at Burger King.
Geo Zelaya (16:29):
Hey, wasn't it fun though?
Yeah, I had a blast.
I had a blast working there,and all my friends from high
school work there, but I never.
So last year, whenever Itransitioned out of the military
, I had no intentions on openingup a restaurant.
You're okay, you got to take asip.
Oh my God, that's good.
Tim Shoop (16:48):
I wasn't expecting the bite.
Geo Zelaya (16:53):
Yeah, Wow, It'll creep up on you.
That is good, and you know.
The thing about the green oneis that we it's hard for us to
actually control the heat level,because the jalapenos some of
them will be spicy one week andthe following week they'll be
not spicy at all.
Tim Shoop (17:10):
This is perfect for the show.
We need to bring more beer inhere.
Let me tell you, ladies andgentlemen I just tried that I
was not expecting the heat.
I mean, I was expecting alittle bit, yeah, but not what
came after.
And oh my God, that is amazing.
I told you.
Geo Zelaya (17:30):
I told you it was good.
But yeah, biggest challenge wasnot knowing how to run a
restaurant, not having.
I went on Google and how to runa restaurant and usually what
pops up was a sign up for thiscourse or this and that, or pay
this or pay that, but therereally wasn't a.
(17:50):
There's not a structure outthere that I found to, where
I've been kind of following stepby step.
Every day has brings newchallenges and just the running
of a business, you know paying.
For the first two months Ididn't pay sales taxes.
I was collecting sales taxes.
Tim Shoop (18:13):
Then you got a pay Right.
Geo Zelaya (18:16):
So I get a call from the state of Florida and I'm
like state of Florida, that'sstrange.
So I pick up.
I love it and they're like, hey,is this asking for me?
And I'm like, yes, like you runtacos at fluffy.
Yes, they're like, yeah, wehaven't received your state
(18:37):
taxes for the last two months.
I was like, what do you meanstate taxes?
They were like, yes, your salestaxes seven, 7.5%, 6% goes to
the state and 1.5 local.
Yeah and yeah.
So that was a huge learningcurve.
Unemployment tax is another onewhich I get, not knowing that
(19:05):
I'm supposed to be paying allthese things.
Tim Shoop (19:06):
So when I was I started my first business
actually started it at 27,launched it professionally at 29
when I incorporated and, justlike you, I had no idea till,
you know, till I started gettingphone calls.
And now, as we scale, a lot ofcompanies still do it all in
(19:33):
house.
They pay their unemploymenttaxes, their food, their suda,
their sales tax all in house.
But when you get bigger and youdon't have to be bigger to do
this you can hire a third partyPEO, which is basically they
take care of paying all yourtech not your sales tax, but all
your other taxes.
(19:53):
They pay all your taxes, theydo all your 1099s, they build
your handbook, they manage yourHR and do your payroll every two
weeks or every week, dependingon how you're set up.
We've been using one since westarted.
Well, about three years in adigital boardwalk, Once it
(20:14):
started to scale, we had to geta PEO and at a certain point in
someone's business you might dothat, because then you can focus
on other things, and I alwayslook at time, I compare time to
money and you know if you cansave time in certain ways by
either automating or outsourcing.
(20:35):
You can focus all of your timeon making badass tacos, which
these are.
I can't wait to promote thisbecause these are amazing and I
hope we drive a little bit oftraffic into your restaurant.
So how do you source your food?
I want to know.
You talked about local produce,I remember in the bio, and you
(21:01):
make everything from scratch, soyou have to be sourcing a lot
of stuff.
Do you source it locally?
Geo Zelaya (21:08):
A lot of it, and then you know again, we are in a
for-profit business.
Some of it it just makes sensethrough through, get through our
wholesaler, which is Cisco.
But every Saturday there is alady, her name is Donia Grisela
(21:30):
and she brings a lot of ourtomatoes, our cilantro, our
onions, our jalapenos, a lot ofour actually all of our peppers,
and what we do is we are buyingeverything in bulk, so we buy
the masa.
So masa is what you use to maketortillas.
And it's also what we use tomake tamales.
(21:52):
We're buying the flour andwe're making our own dough
in-house.
Coming into the restaurantspace, we didn't have a big
budget.
We were.
I was leaving my full-time job,my mom was also leaving her
full-time job and we yes, we hadsavings, but we didn't have
this crazy funding from someinvestor.
And to this day, we now wedon't have the space.
(22:18):
We have the funds to get amixer, but we don't have the
space to place a mixer.
So we're the flour tortillas,the dough, we're making it from
scratch.
So every two days we're havingto make a batch of close to 300
grams of flour that we turn itinto tortillas.
Tim Shoop (22:42):
Wow, that's crazy.
So your mom.
So it's a family business.
Geo Zelaya (22:46):
It's a family business.
Tim Shoop (22:48):
Who else does that do any of your siblings my?
Geo Zelaya (22:50):
sister.
I have two sisters.
One of them works therefull-time.
She's essentially my GM.
That's why I'm able to be here.
She is the one that's runningthe show whenever I'm not there.
Tim Shoop (23:01):
Do you work for your mom or does your mom work for
you?
I hope she's gonna tune intothe show, right?
Geo Zelaya (23:06):
She will.
Tim Shoop (23:08):
Say you better answer the right way GM.
Geo Zelaya (23:11):
We work for each other.
We work for each other.
We're partners.
Yeah, we're partners.
Intentions are the same.
We are very intentional and wewant to share the wealth with
Pensacola of what we've had ourentire life.
Tim Shoop (23:32):
Well, I can't wait to come over there and meet your
mom and I will and talk to herand see who the real boss is.
Geo Zelaya (23:45):
Yeah, it's her.
You see what I'm doing here,don't you?
Tim Shoop (23:48):
So that brings me to my next question.
Tell me about the role oftechnology in restaurant
operations and in datacollection and things like that,
anything that can tie in towhat you know in regards to what
you had to do to get this thingoff the ground and get it
rolling the right way.
Geo Zelaya (24:09):
Yeah, I mean, technology has been crucial to
us.
When we started off, we weredoing our inventory like the old
caveman ways where we wouldwrite everything down and then
we would turn it into an Excelspreadsheet and then that was
just getting really confusing.
And then we switched over toGoogle Sheets to be able to have
(24:32):
access and it just wasn'tworking.
And just through reading andresearching I came up with a,
came across a website that it'sessentially it's using AI to
track your inventory and then italso talks to your.
For us, we use Cisco, so ittalks to our system in Cisco and
(24:54):
, as we're running out of things, all I got to do is go on my
phone and just hey, say hey,we're one bag left or this and
that, and that automaticallygoes to the cart over on Cisco
and it tells me what I need toorder.
So when Thursday comes aroundfor us to place our orders, it's
all there and there's not likeI can do inventory from here and
(25:19):
the restaurant being 10 minutesaway.
Tim Shoop (25:22):
So is that you're pulling that up on your phone or
your device?
Geo Zelaya (25:27):
It's yeah, my phone's off.
Tim Shoop (25:29):
Okay, well, you would pull it up on your phone, right
, and then you would scan.
Are you scanning the inventory?
Is it a rise on your phone orare you just keying it in?
Geo Zelaya (25:39):
You have different ways to do it.
You can either scan it or itgives you the option to just
plus minus.
It's very, it's a nap.
Tim Shoop (25:49):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (25:50):
So in a way it feels like you're playing a game, so
it doesn't even feel like you'redoing inventory.
It's just crazy.
Tim Shoop (25:56):
So this is a good lesson for anybody out there
starting a business.
And so when we started digitalboardwalk, we had a primary
professional services automationplatform that we use, and when
we needed to start adding toolsor dashboards and data and you
know, in marketing, instead ofjust going out and buying
(26:20):
anything, always go to your coreline of business application
that you use and go to theirwebsite or call them and go, hey
, I'm looking for integrationsto your software.
And that sounds like what youdid.
You went to Cisco and youcontacted them and you said, hey
, I want to do this.
How do I solve it?
(26:40):
Well, there's a third partytool that does the integration
correct, absolutely, all right,yes, so, and basically what it
does is it uses an APIintegration.
That developer usually there'sa developer tool set and the
developers of these softwarecompanies go out and they grab
(27:02):
it and then they develop on thatplatform and then they can
market to Cisco customers.
So in that case, that's howthey did it, but it solved your
problem, didn't it?
Geo Zelaya (27:13):
Yeah, and you're speaking foreign to me, because
I don't.
I'm so not.
I'm technologically challenged.
Tim Shoop (27:20):
Well, I'll be the nerd on the show because you
look to.
You look like some cool, likeEuropean soccer player.
Geo Zelaya (27:26):
That's the vibe that I was going for, but even our
point of sale system now thatI'm, I know that I got to pay
taxes and this and that ourpoint of sale system tracks are
hours that everybody's worked.
Tim Schaffer (27:43):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (27:44):
So at the end of the payroll week, all I got to do
is I got to go on QuickBooks andrun payroll and I have all the
numbers.
It also runs my monthly salestaxes.
So I know exactly what I needto do and it's just, it's made
it.
I mean, it cuts down the timethat you would have to take to
(28:09):
count this, count that and addthis, add that.
It's simple math, but it addsup on time.
Tim Shoop (28:14):
I used technology.
You mentioned AI.
I use AI, or our marketing teamuses AI, to develop the
episodes for the show.
So when you sign up for nerdson tap, we take the data that
you keyed in and we let AI takethat data and go.
(28:36):
This is what we're going totalk about.
So it takes us about 15 secondsto develop the entire episode.
Geo Zelaya (28:49):
That is crazy.
Tim Shoop (28:51):
It's amazing, isn't it?
Down that beer because we'regoing into the second beer
before we get into foodtechnology and innovation a
little bit more.
I'm going to go ahead and talkabout our second beer and while
I'm doing that, tim our producer.
If you want to grab a taco,feel free.
Otherwise we can wait till theend of the show.
Tim Schaffer (29:13):
No, I have to try it.
So the sauce the fact thatpeople drink the sauce proves it
must be amazing.
Tim Shoop (29:20):
Oh, it's got jalapenos in it.
It does.
Yeah, I didn't know that.
I mean, I should have known itwas green, yeah, but I'm like it
definitely has jalapenos in it.
So we're going to talk aboutour next beer.
This is from Goat IslandBrewery, founded in 2015 in
Kalman, alabama.
This is called the Sipsy RiverRed Ale.
(29:42):
It's an amber to red ale withthe perfect balance between malt
and European hops.
It's smooth, flavorful andcolorful.
The aroma will remind you ofwalking through the Sipsy River
Wilderness area in thespringtime.
So let's discuss, let's getinto the next segment.
(30:02):
Let's discuss the intersectionof food and technology,
including modern farmingtechniques.
Is that anything that you canlend a voice to?
Geo Zelaya (30:15):
You know, I find it extremely discouraging at times
the fact that as Americans,there's really a loss of
understanding where things comefrom.
If you ask someone, if you aska majority of millennials or it
(30:36):
grows in the grocery store.
Tim Shoop (30:38):
Right it grows in Right.
Doesn't it just appear on theshelves?
Geo Zelaya (30:43):
It just drives me insane.
The lack of appreciation forsimple things as a tomato.
The number of hours and thework that goes into being able
to develop this plant, to get itright, to be able to bear this
(31:04):
amazing fruit, is just insane.
And you ask people and theydon't know where things are
coming from.
They don't know and it's just.
It's crazy because we haveaccess to free this, free that
YouTube, and people still don'tcare and it's just like this
lack of ignorance that justbothers me a lot.
Tim Shoop (31:25):
Yeah, I know there's kind of a lack of perception on
where these foods come from to alot of younger people in my
knowledge, because I mean backin the day with boomers.
I hate that word, by the way,I'm not a boomer, no, I'm a Gen
(31:48):
Xer.
We were the last of the coolgeneration.
Geo Zelaya (31:50):
You're not a millennial.
Tim Shoop (31:52):
No, I'm a Gen Xer.
Geo Zelaya (31:54):
How do you word like 35?
Tim Shoop (31:55):
Yeah, I'm 54.
What?
Tim Schaffer (31:57):
Yeah, wow yeah.
Tim Shoop (32:00):
I got a great plastic surgeon.
I can tell I do not haveplastic.
No, no, I'm actually 54.
I've been running businessessince I was 27-ish.
So I have been an entrepreneurfor what?
Almost 35 years, doing it foralmost 25, 35 years.
(32:24):
I'm not in math mode becauseI'm in beer and taco mode right
now, but yeah, no, farming it'sa big part of it.
Right, and back in the day itwas all about our farmlands and
everything, and all that haschanged over time and farmers
(32:48):
have made things more efficient.
I mean, with you've got dronetechnology that can fly out over
and scan for different variantsin the field, and the time that
they save now doing things, itbrings the food faster to your
table, I would imagine.
Geo Zelaya (33:09):
But Absolutely it does.
I you know there's this.
oh, you know technology,witchcraft, this and that, but
in reality, if you're in theweeds and you're the one that is
having to wake up at 3 am, toget to the field to ensure that
(33:30):
you know, by 8 am you don't havecrows eating your crops and
then having to go to bed at 11because you had to.
You know, go get the cows, putthem in the field to get them
ready for the morning to milkthem.
It makes a difference andusually what I've noticed is
that a lot of people that arecomplaining between this
(33:51):
integration of technology andfarming are people that have
never farmed so they don'tunderstand what it actually
takes and the manpower and how,how labor-intensive and how
difficult it is.
Tim Shoop (34:06):
You know, think about the old movies that, the movies
that you watch that come fromthe era of the horse and plow.
I mean, think about that for aminute, think about what those
people had to do.
And even today, farmers dealwith weather events.
I mean a weather event canreally set a farmer back right,
(34:29):
absolutely so back in the day.
Geo Zelaya (34:30):
Yeah, I mean not even so my.
I have family that lives inHonduras and a lot of my family
they're farmers.
They, my family, we, they'vebeen farmers.
I don't say we because it's alot of work and I haven't really
put in the time to be able tocall myself a farmer but my
family, they're farmers andthey've been farming for
(34:52):
generations.
And even now, last time I wasin Honduras was back in 2019 and
, just seeing, I have friendsfrom Ocase, from Oklahoma, so
I've been to Ocase a couple oftimes, up to Tulsa.
Tim Shoop (35:06):
Oh yeah, yeah, I was stationed in Oklahoma.
Geo Zelaya (35:10):
Oh, I'm sorry, Tinker Air.
Tim Shoop (35:11):
Force.
I'm so sorry, that's the AirForce base I mentioned earlier
in the show.
Geo Zelaya (35:14):
Okay, so I'm a little assed out there.
Yeah, I know it's a, it's notbad so my first tornado.
How was?
Tim Shoop (35:20):
that it was in the distance and I just pressed the
accelerator and went the otherway.
Geo Zelaya (35:27):
No, I've.
I'm from the Houston area, soit's it's really green and not
dry like Oklahoma.
But yeah, even back in 2019,last time I was in Honduras just
seeing some of the farmingpractices that were being
conducted over there just beingway behind times I mean, I'm
talking about 50 years, 60 yearsand then just coming to the
(35:48):
States.
But it's the lack of resourcesand it's the lack of investing
from the government intoactually ensuring that these
people that are ensuring thatthe economy is spinning, because
if you don't have food, that'sjust really one way of working.
What are you going to do?
Tim Shoop (36:05):
Yeah, it stops right, right, Wow, well, how do you
stay updated?
Kind of reeling you back intothe restaurant.
How do you stay updated on thetech trends?
Do you stay updated on the techtrends?
You obviously do.
(36:26):
If you incorporated anAI-driven inventory system and
you figured out your point ofsale, you figured out taxes.
Geo Zelaya (36:33):
We have fair taxes, otherwise they can call Uncle
Sam, comes for you.
Tim Shoop (36:37):
Yes, sir.
How do you stay up to date onthe restaurant tech trends?
Because I mean tech drivesefficiency in restaurants.
Geo Zelaya (36:47):
Absolutely Social media.
I mean you can scroll throughmy Instagram and mostly Facebook
.
I still love Facebook becausethe things that you're able to
post on Facebook sometimes youcan't post them on Instagram.
I follow people that have beenin the industry for a while.
I had a pretty great militarycareer and it was because I had
(37:11):
really great mentors.
I had people that were tellingme hey, don't do this, because I
did it when I came in and thiswas the outcome and I want
something better for you.
It's always following someoneand the fact that there's so
many people that are willing toshare and educate others.
To me, that's just fascinating.
And again, it just comes downto how are you devoting your
(37:34):
time To me?
I love restaurant space.
I love food.
I love catering to peoplethrough food and showing my love
.
The last thing I would want todo is have to close my doors
because I'm not keeping up, I'mnot updating myself.
Just like your phone has to beupdated every so often, we also
(37:55):
have to update ourselves.
Tim Shoop (37:57):
We have to change Evolve Evolution.
Geo Zelaya (38:00):
Exactly.
Tim Shoop (38:03):
Just like a business has to evolve to scale.
You can't just set it andforget it in a business and you
can't set it and forget it inyour life.
For instance, a few years ago Inever worked out.
I ate horribly, I drank a lotof beer.
(38:24):
Still do that.
Geo Zelaya (38:27):
That's good though.
Tim Shoop (38:28):
But the reason I started working out and getting
into fitness and understandingnutrition and understanding all
of that was really to offset mybeer drinking.
I'm making a joke here, no,I've.
(38:49):
Yeah, no, it was to offset mybeer drinking so I wouldn't get
huge, but that's not true.
But you're into fitness and yousee where I'm segueing to
Absolutely You're into fitnessand tell me how it complimented,
(39:09):
or how fitness complements,because I know it does with me
your entrepreneurial journey.
I get up in the morning.
This morning I did mypre-workout drink.
I went up, worked out like abeast, drank my protein, worked
like a craze Crazy person.
(39:29):
All morning, meeting aftermeeting, after meeting, and then
I drove up here to meet you anddo the show and then I've got
calls all the way till sixo'clock tonight.
I'm just nonstop and fitnesshelps me with that, because when
I first get up in the morning,I have to have a cup of coffee.
That's just.
(39:50):
It's been that way since I wasa teenager.
To be honest with you, I haveto have that one cup of coffee
in the morning.
I read my emails, I catch upand if you haven't seen it,
there's life, a day in the lifeof an IT CEO.
It's on our YouTube page.
I filmed my daily routine andyou'll watch it and you'll go.
(40:11):
That is crazy.
Tell me about your routine.
Tell me how fitness integratesinto your daily life to help you
drive your energy towards foodpassion.
Geo Zelaya (40:26):
I mean, you kind of already covered it and, like you
said, I work out to be able toeat what I want.
Tim Shoop (40:33):
So I wasn't joking, you weren't joking.
I said I was joking.
Geo Zelaya (40:37):
But no, it's facts.
To me, fitness has never reallybeen something that I've seen
myself pursuing as a career, andthere's a lot of people out
there that are doing it and Ithink that's fantastic.
You know, through them we'regetting all these new
innovations, but for me, fitnesshas always been a way to be
(41:02):
able to eat what I want and tobe able to release.
I usually I'm usually prettystressed out and whenever I go
to the gym or if running wouldgive the same results as going
to the gym, I would never workout, but it's really difficult
for me to even keep on anyway.
I joined the Navy and I was 126pounds and I was six foot tall.
Tim Shoop (41:28):
That's funny.
I was 149 pounds and I was 510.
Geo Zelaya (41:34):
510.
Tim Shoop (41:35):
10.
Tim Schaffer (41:35):
510.
So last year I weighed 240.
Now I weigh 203.
And why is?
Because all I did is cutburgers, greasy food, all that,
and have reduced myself plentyenough to tacos, this taco truck
right at the road.
I've been dropping a lot ofweight because of that.
Tim Shoop (41:58):
But now you're going to go to tacos fluffy right?
Exactly that's what I'm saying.
You're going to drop that tacotruck and you're going to go to
this place.
Geo Zelaya (42:06):
And you're going to be dropping even more weight,
because our stuff is made fromscratch on the spot no additives
or anything, I can tell theshell alone, like I was saying,
yeah, now the quality is there.
Tim Shoop (42:17):
I tasted the quality and I tasted the heat, but I
love the heat chicken, turkey,leaner meats.
Tim Schaffer (42:23):
It's basically I made that huge shift and because
of that it's helped a ton withme right.
And then, instead of drinkingsodas and stuff, cut all that
out a lot of sugar.
But the big part is I love meattoo much and so instead of a
fat burger, I'm eating tons oftacos.
As funny as that is, that justis the reality of my life
recently and I've been droppinga lot of weight because of it.
(42:45):
So I'm very excited because itgoes so hand in hand with the
show here of that taco isdefinitely better than the taco
taco.
Tim Shoop (42:52):
Tim, that's great and wonderful and all this fitness
talk is wonderful, but it'smaking me want another beer, so
I can go work out and work thatoff, absolutely.
So let's talk about beer numberthree Bell's Brewery, founded
in 1985 in Kalamazoo, michigan.
Oh, this is gonna be a good one.
It's a Kalamazoo stout, I thinkI read you like stouts, right?
(43:16):
Yeah, I thought so.
So a smooth, full bodied stoutthat offers a blend of aromas
and flavors of dark chocolateand freshly roasted coffee,
balanced with a significant hoppresence.
So let's see what this thing'sall about.
(43:37):
Definitely has a look and theConsistency.
Well, the legs of a Guinnessalmost close to it on the walls
of the glass, but tasting it'sgonna be the only way we can
figure that out.
Geo Zelaya (43:55):
So pros Salud.
Tim Shoop (44:00):
Tastes the coffee and the chocolate and the chocolate
.
There's a heavy chocolatecoffee in that one.
It's good though.
Yeah, you like it I do.
Geo Zelaya (44:07):
Yeah, I'm not unlike you.
I'm not really a coffee personLike I'll drink coffee for the
aesthetics of it.
Tim Shoop (44:15):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (44:15):
Yeah, but caffeine doesn't affect my body Like this
was about a year ago.
I had 10 shots of espresso inone sitting.
Tim Shoop (44:26):
No, you did, I did.
I can't do that.
I wouldn't sleep for three days.
Geo Zelaya (44:30):
Nothing happened.
Tim Schaffer (44:32):
That's dangerous.
Geo Zelaya (44:33):
Nothing happened.
And whenever I was getting outof in the military I always had
issues with my EKGs and theysaid it was normal for me.
Tim Shoop (44:44):
Yeah, I'm finding this really hard to believe.
Geo Zelaya (44:48):
I promise I can.
Next episode.
Tim Shoop (44:51):
I have an espresso machine at my house.
Geo Zelaya (44:54):
When am I coming over?
Tim Shoop (44:55):
Yeah, you're gonna have to come over.
We're gonna feed you 20 shotsof espresso to see what happens,
and then we're gonna drink beer.
Geo Zelaya (45:01):
Absolutely.
I'll make some tacos at thehouse.
Tim Shoop (45:05):
I love cooking.
I'll have you over.
Geo Zelaya (45:06):
Absolutely, you need to come over.
I love using other people'skitchens.
Yeah, I bring my whole toolbox.
Tim Shoop (45:12):
That's funny.
So that was a pretty good beerthough.
Geo Zelaya (45:15):
It was really good.
Tim Shoop (45:16):
You know I'm not a big stout drinker.
I was back in my 20s.
When you get older it's likedrinking bread and when you get
older you tend to steer awayfrom bread because it adds to
your waistline.
But that beer I really like theway the chocolate and the
coffee blend in there I meanit's really.
It's kind of like a chocolateespresso.
(45:40):
Have you ever had like espressoice cream or something like it
has the same kind of consistencyit does.
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (45:50):
There's a really A flavor palette.
There's a good shop down theroad.
They have really great gelatoand they have a espresso gelato.
Tim Shoop (45:59):
Yeah, I probably know where you're talking about.
It's really good.
We're gonna get into a.
This is gonna be my favoritesegment because this is close to
my heart.
But community involvement andgiving back.
I read about your involvementand some of the things you've
done and I gotta say that's a.
(46:22):
It's pretty big for 20, 27,right, 26.
26,.
Okay, so let's talk about yourcommitment to the Pensacola
community and we're gonna getinto this I'm gonna leave the
audience hanging for a minuteand your involvement in
mentoring through the Take Stockand Children program.
(46:42):
So that's huge, you know, andtell me, go into it, Tell me
about it, you know growing upwith a single parent.
Geo Zelaya (46:56):
I was always really fortunate to have had guardian
angels around me, people thattook time out of their day to
ensure that I was getting theresources that I needed to be
able to be successful.
So from a very young age, I hadamazing teachers that to this
day, I owe them so much and Iprobably will never be able to
(47:22):
repay them, because it's theselfless act that they take on,
and they are like mothers andjoining the military.
I had the same experience withpeople that I joined at the age
I was 18 when I joined, and Ihad people that we had nothing
(47:43):
in common.
They were in their mid 30s,they had a family, they had a
career and they could haveeasily just focused on what do I
have to do to make the nextrank or the next pay grade, but
instead they took time out oftheir day to ensure that.
What does Zelaya need to ensurethat he gets to his next goal?
(48:07):
And that's meant a lot to meand just seeing how, if we take
the time to help those around usand ensure that people around
us are, they have the resourcesand the tools that they need to
(48:31):
be successful, and then they goout and they do that to someone
else.
It's a ripple effect.
Tim Shoop (48:38):
Yeah, pay it forward and you know you're the impact,
the impact they had on youthrough the years and you now
sitting down Now tell me aboutwho your.
Geo Zelaya (48:57):
Menti.
Tim Shoop (48:58):
Yeah, your mentee is.
Geo Zelaya (49:00):
I really want to give the program Take Stock and
Children kind of an exposure,because it's a program that not
a lot of people know about.
But Take Stock and Children is aprogram that is designated to
assist kids that come from homesthat the thought of going to
college is just non-existingbecause their parents never went
(49:20):
to school.
Their parents always worked lowincome jobs.
So that is kind of what isexpected out of you.
You're going to graduate highschool and you're going to go
get a job down the road whereyou're going to be collecting
minimum wage and living paycheckto paycheck.
Tim Shoop (49:34):
Where does that program originate?
Geo Zelaya (49:36):
It is a state of Florida program.
Tim Shoop (49:38):
Yeah, okay.
Geo Zelaya (49:38):
It's the entire state of Florida and the program
what it does.
It guarantees every studentthat is part of the program a
full right scholarship.
That's amazing A full rightscholarship to any public
university in the state ofFlorida.
So to me, that was the reasonwhy I joined the Navy was
(50:00):
because one of the reasons why Ijoined the Navy when I
graduated high school wasbecause I couldn't afford
college.
I had the grades, I had the SATscores to get in, but I did not
have the financial support togo to school.
And I joined the Navy for theeducation aspect of it.
But to have a program thatguarantees a scholarship, a full
(50:23):
right four year scholarship toa kid, that is an opportunity
that I said.
I want to be part of thatbecause I want to ensure that
the student has the resourcesand tools they need to be
successful and all they have todo is make sure that they stay
out of trouble.
Maintain a 2.0 GPA, that's it.
(50:45):
That's it 2.0 GPA and no drugs.
That is all they ask of thestudent.
Tim Shoop (50:51):
And they get a full ride.
Geo Zelaya (50:52):
They get a full ride .
Tim Shoop (50:55):
I've heard of Tech, stock and Children.
I think it was through aprogram I was involved with
called GrowFL, which is aprogram out of Tampa Florida
that recognizes fast growbusinesses in the state of
Florida, and we ended upbecoming alumni of that, I think
starting back in like 2017 or2018, we they called us and they
(51:20):
said you're in, and I wasreally excited.
But I know that they invest inTech, stock and Children and
that's where I first saw it.
So when I saw it on your entryform for Nerds on Tap, I was
pretty excited that you get tocome on here and talk about it.
Geo Zelaya (51:38):
So yeah, it's an amazing program and it's
throughout the entire state ofFlorida and they are always
looking for mentors, because ifthere's no mentors, then they.
You know, these kids are comingfrom homes where the simple
words like hey, I believe in you.
You got this.
(51:59):
It's life changing because theydon't have that.
Tim Shoop (52:03):
They don't hear it.
Geo Zelaya (52:03):
They don't hear it.
Tim Shoop (52:04):
Yeah, see, and that you know, I see that and I'd
never experienced that.
I mean, I came from a lowermiddle class to middle class
family.
I was the baby of six childrenand you know my dad just said
(52:26):
you know he was that oldmentality.
He passed away a few years agoand I remember him telling me
just work hard and good thingswill come.
And I didn't want to burdenthem with college tuition and
bills and everything.
So I went in the Navy because Ididn't want to put.
I just didn't want to.
Besides, I was the baby of six.
(52:48):
None of my brothers and sistershad the opportunities that I had
and I didn't want it beingrubbed in my face either.
So I chose to go in the Navy.
But I will tell you that it'svery hard for me, from a
personal experience, tounderstand what a lot of these
kids go through in theirpersonal lives growing up as a
(53:11):
teenager or a tween and finallyunderstanding.
Wait a minute, I wasn't dealtthe same cards as you know, tim
Shoe or whoever, and but theydon't.
You know, it's all they know.
Geo Zelaya (53:26):
Absolutely.
For me it was the same, eventhough we didn't have the
resources to go to school.
But I never came home to a oh,you can't do this because we
didn't do it.
It was totally the opposite.
My mom it's because your mom mygrandparents hey, you work hard,
(53:48):
anything is possible, you putGod in front of you and you can
do anything, and the tamalesthat we have in front of you.
So growing up, my mom had.
She was.
She had two jobs and one of herjobs was every other weekend we
(54:10):
would make tamales and this,our tamales recipe, has been in
our family for a while and I washer little salesman and the
tamales would get us out of alot of okay, but now we have
enough to cover our water billand our electricity.
Tim Schaffer (54:27):
Wow.
Geo Zelaya (54:28):
But it was never a.
We're poor, so, and I don'teven.
Tim Shoop (54:33):
You were solving a problem with resources you had.
Geo Zelaya (54:36):
And even using the term poor is just not.
I've never felt poor.
But you know, I look back nowand I'm like, yeah, we were
challenged with difficulties,but I had a family that, hey,
everything is possible.
Hey, we just got to work, work,work, work, work, work and
(54:58):
we're going to come out of thisand that's how it's always been.
Tim Schaffer (55:01):
So I was a single parent home as well and
definitely lots of struggles,barely having any funds, Mom
working three jobs, hardly beinghome because of that kind of
life.
So I understand.
On that front it waschallenging.
Tim Shoop (55:20):
Well, it's going to be hard to change the subject or
change the topic after talkingabout all this, so I kind of
want to stay on it for just aminute, but I do want to change
the angle of it.
Let's talk about the impact ofinvesting in the community.
Obviously, you know you workwith, take stock in children,
(55:43):
but investing in the communityand supporting local businesses
Always been true for me and mywife Kathleen.
You met her at Entracon.
Geo Zelaya (55:54):
I've ran into her a couple of times actually Since
then.
Yeah, she's been.
So I actually just moved toPensacola I lived in Pace and I
ran into her and she I wastelling her how I was having
issues finding furniture withinmy budget and she sent me pretty
, pretty great recommendationsand yeah, she's pretty awesome.
Tim Shoop (56:16):
Yeah, kathleen is awesome.
I definitely married above mypay grade that right now.
She keeps me in line and youknow we did a, and this is off
topic, but I'm going to put thisout there because she listens
to every one of these shows.
Geo Zelaya (56:33):
Really.
Tim Shoop (56:33):
And I know she's excited about this one because
she knew you were coming on.
But she, what was I going tosay?
She keeps me in line and weinterviewed.
It was her 10 year roast forworking at Digital Boardwalk
(56:56):
this year at the Christmas party.
So I took my camera andinterviewed everybody at Digital
Boardwalk and gave them aseries of questions.
And one of the questions was ifKathleen was the boss for a day
, what would she change?
And you know what most peoplesaid I thought she was the boss.
(57:18):
Oh, so, just like I think yourmom's the boss that talk is so
fluffy.
I don't know.
Geo Zelaya (57:31):
I guess we'll never know.
Tim Shoop (57:32):
You know why I'm doing this right?
Because I know she's going tolisten to this show.
She's going to get a kick outof it and I can't wait to meet
her.
Absolutely, because she's raisedan amazing human being.
Thank you so much.
So I want to thank you forbeing the way you are and for
giving back, because it's reallyimportant.
So, getting back on thecommunity, what would you change
(57:53):
?
What tell me your take oninvesting in local businesses?
Because obviously, if I spendmoney at your restaurant, you
might go down to Bubba's sweetspot and buy a piece of candy or
a bag of candy there You'reputting money over there and
(58:13):
then Bubba Watson might go downto a jewelry store and buy a
ring and so on and so forth.
So my take is keep the moneylocal.
The money will keep turning.
What is your take?
Along the lines of what is yourtake?
Geo Zelaya (58:26):
Along the lines of what you just mentioned as well,
being in the entrepreneurialspace of seeing how supportive
other small businesses are witheach other.
It has been fascinating and aplace I never really saw myself
(58:48):
being in, but I can 100% agreewith what you're saying.
Yes, two days ago I was at aWolfgang was having their party
draw meetup, meeting up to theevent and just being in the room
with 60 other individuals thatare invested in the community
(59:11):
and growing.
All of that attracts tourism,which we all end up benefiting
from, because if someone goes toLamontes gelato shop, that I
just mentioned earlier.
What do they do?
Oh, are you looking for anytacos in town?
(59:31):
This is tacos of fluffiest.
Where do you?
Tim Shoop (59:33):
think I'm going to send people.
Geo Zelaya (59:35):
Exactly so.
Is this, this idea of sincebeing in the space, it's never
felt just like the taco shop youwere mentioning earlier tacos
Mexicanos, I mean.
The owner gave anotherincredible individual.
It's never felt like it's beena competition of who like it's
(59:57):
me, me, me, me.
I can only have people.
There's 8 billion people in theworld.
If I get caught up in the ohwell, they're doing this, I got
to do this, it's a competition,then I'll lose sleep over it and
it's just.
It's annoying, it's boring,it's a little pathetic really.
Tim Shoop (01:00:17):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (01:00:17):
When I talk.
Tim Shoop (01:00:18):
Sorry, you have to focus on somebody.
A mentor once told me this hegoes quit focusing on
competition, quit focusing onwhat the others are doing, and
focus on you and what you'redoing, and focus on your
evolution and your growth.
And in the future you'll betalking about where they go
(01:00:44):
because you have overcome thechallenges, whereas they were
too focused on copying you ordoing what you want, and so on
and so forth.
So it's just a great thing.
Sorry, tim, I didn't mean tocut you off.
I.
We're getting close to the endof the show and I kind of want
to wrap.
So what I want you to do, Geo,is tell our audience again where
(01:01:09):
they need to go to get the mostfascinating tamales and tacos
and fresh ingredients Breakfasttoo.
And oh my goodness, somebodyasked me that today Do they have
breakfast?
Tim Schaffer (01:01:21):
We have breakfast, so describe the breakfast, if
you can.
Geo Zelaya (01:01:25):
Yes, Breakfast, oh our breakfast.
We have breakfast tacos,breakfast burritos, which are
like what's a breakfast taco?
Tim Shoop (01:01:33):
I'm swigging by.
Geo Zelaya (01:01:36):
They come on flour, tortilla with beans, and then
you can get eggs, potatoes,chorizo that we make in house.
It's not greasy, it's not salty.
We also have pork skin, someother, and green sauce.
So again, we're a very in inhouse gourmet kitchen.
So we're buying the port butand out of the port but we make
(01:01:56):
the al pastor, which it wasn'tone of the tacos.
We make the al pastor, Then wemake the chorizo out of it and
then the belly, the pork belly.
We turned that into pork skinsand the pork skins will smother
them in green sauce or red sauce.
And the byproduct of makingpork skin is large and we use
the large to make tamales.
Tim Shoop (01:02:17):
Wow, it's a whole process Full circle.
Geo Zelaya (01:02:20):
Full circle.
We don't waste anything.
Tim Shoop (01:02:23):
So tell our audience what kind of special they can
get.
Let's repeat that again Tellthem where they need to go or
where where they can go onlineto find you, and maybe if you
have some social tags and thenyou have a discount.
So tell them what they need tohear.
Geo Zelaya (01:02:44):
We are tacos of fluffy and we specialize in
serving quality, authentic Latinfood and we're open Tuesday
through Sundays.
We do breakfast from 8 am to 1030 pm On the weekdays and on
weekends we do it from nine toabout 11 ish and we're located
off of a North Pace Boulevard.
Our address is 707 North PaceBoulevard, pensacola, florida,
(01:03:07):
32505.
And you know what, tim, if youcome to tacos of fluffy and you
mentioned nerds on tab, 25% off25.
I thought it was 15.
I thought it was 15.
I did say 15, but if they stayon and watch the four show they
can mention 25.
Tim Shoop (01:03:26):
All right, 25.
I will make sure it happensthat way too, and that we don't
give any teasers at thebeginning of the show.
Exactly so we'll see how manypeople.
Geo Zelaya (01:03:36):
How many people come in and mention 15 and how many
people come in and mention 25?
Tim Shoop (01:03:41):
So let's wrap.
We're going to drink one morebeer.
You're not even done with yourcoffee.
Chocolate beer.
He's going to down that salute.
We're going to wrap the show.
We're going to go ahead anddrink one more beer and then
we're going to have a couplemore words with Geo and wrap it
(01:04:03):
up.
So the next beer is Bell'sBrewery.
It's a Bell's Too Hard atAmerican IPA.
This is a good one.
Have you ever had this?
Geo Zelaya (01:04:11):
No, but IPAs are my favorite.
Tim Shoop (01:04:13):
I think you're going to enjoy this.
This is a very good IPA, rightafter Fishing Waters in
Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Too Harded is an American IPAbrewed and dry hop with 100%
centennial hops Beloved by longtime and new craft beer drinkers
.
Too Harded is an iconic alethat's perfect for any occasion.
(01:04:33):
So we will wrap up the show bycheers.
Geo Zelaya (01:04:42):
Cheers and I just wanted to say thank you so much
for having me on Again.
It's one of those things Smallbusinesses supporting each other
.
This is huge for us.
We're 10 months in and we'restill.
We can't believe what we'vegotten ourselves into.
But thank you so much for thisbecause it means a lot.
Tim Shoop (01:05:03):
Thank you for coming on, and I will definitely send
people your way, and you got tocome in too.
Oh, I'm coming, so I'll bethere.
Do you have a website?
Geo Zelaya (01:05:15):
Coming soon.
Tim Shoop (01:05:16):
Coming soon.
All right, Stay tuned, and whenyou do get a website, let me
know and I'll get it out on mysocial feeds.
Okay, Thanks everyone.
Have a good day.
Let's try this.
Beer Cheers my fellow nerds andbeer lovers.
Stay tuned for more Nerds onTap.
Oh, and one more thing Help usspread the nerdy love and the
(01:05:42):
love for grape brews by sharingthis podcast with your friends,
colleagues and fellow beerenthusiasts.
Let's build a community thatembraces curiosity, innovation
and the enjoyment of a cold one.
Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of Nerds On
Tap, where we love to bring inspecial guests that like to get
nerdy for an hour, and I hopeyou're ready to get nerdy too
Today.
The name of our show is TechSavvy Tacos with our special
guest, Geo Zelaya.
How you doing, Geo?
Geo Zelaya (00:21):
I'm doing fantastic, tim, how are you?
Tim Shoop (00:23):
Awesome man, awesome.
So Geo is going to be talkingabout food and technology and
how he has incorporated it inhis business.
So, Geo Zelaya, you're 26 yearsold, right?
26.
Man, you're old, come on.
26 years old, and from a youngage, he has been a fan of
(00:48):
cooking, farming and livestock,so I'm excited to hear about a
lot of that, because I'm just atech guy, right.
He was raised in Dayton, texas,served in the Navy as a
firefighter and an air trafficcontroller from 2016 to 2023.
And after transitioning out ofthe Navy, you had your mindset
(01:11):
on moving to Europe.
I did yes.
To pursue culinary arts?
Yes, but what happened?
Geo Zelaya (01:21):
I decided to skip school and open up a restaurant
instead.
No, I didn't exactly go thatway, but the opportunity of
opening up a restaurantpresented itself.
And I've talked it over with myfamily and they kind of looked
at me and just didn't reallybelieve me because they knew I
was already set on Europe.
Yeah, I was like I'm 20, then Iwas 25.
(01:43):
I was like I'm going to move toEurope, I'm still young, I'm
going to go to school and thenjust party and nope.
Tim Shoop (01:51):
So the school when you were going to move to Europe
, you were going to get aculinary arts school.
Geo Zelaya (01:55):
No, I was actually going to be going to an
international school inBarcelona and I was going to be
going for an MBA and on the side, I was planning on getting a
job at a Michelin starrestaurant or a fancy restaurant
and work my way up until I wasbeing mentored by the head chef
(02:16):
or the sous chef.
Tim Shoop (02:17):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (02:18):
And that's what he was going to be doing for the
culinary arts.
I've been following Chef Ramsayfor a while and that's what he
did.
He moved to Paris and hestarted his journey in the fine
dining space, just like that.
Tim Shoop (02:32):
So I would say kids watch this show, but Geo's
saying skip school.
No, I'm kidding.
I'm kidding.
This is an entrepreneurial showand exactly what you did a lot
of people do when they want tostart a business.
They, I mean, look at some ofthe famous people like Bill
(02:53):
Gates and Zuckerberg and some ofthe others they drop out and
start a big tech company andtake off With you.
You were inspired by food yes,food, and making food, and the
process of going through thatand making new foods for people
(03:16):
to enjoy.
Geo Zelaya (03:17):
Yes, and the process of sharing and getting together
with people of differentbackgrounds and different
mindsets and just having onething in unison, which is food.
And growing up.
We didn't really have a wholelot, but we had the key elements
(03:39):
to a very happy childhood,which was a loving family and
amazing food, and from theyoungest, from a very young age,
I can remember always havingphenomenal food, and when I
joined the military the shipsare not known for having good
(04:02):
food.
Tim Shoop (04:04):
I was in the Navy stationed on an Air Force base
and when I first arrived thereand went to the galley which I
think they call it the food hallor something and somebody tried
to grab the tray off my out, Iwas like what are you doing?
He goes oh, I thought you weredone.
And I go oh, you're going totake my tray.
What is this place?
I felt like I was at the fourseasons.
Geo Zelaya (04:25):
Yeah, the Air Force has it made.
Tim Shoop (04:29):
Well, let's talk about you.
This show is about you today.
So you started Tacos El Fluffyand we're going to get really
into that in the first segmentof the show.
But you did it because youwanted to serve quality,
authentic, fresh Latin food,sourcing a lot of your produce
(04:50):
locally and making everythingin-house from scratch.
I love a good scratch tortilla.
Geo Zelaya (04:56):
Absolutely.
Tim Shoop (04:57):
Mm Tortillas, tamales , desserts and juices.
Yes, that's awesome.
So before we get into you,we're going to do two things.
I'm going to let you look atthe audience, tell them about
any specials that you might havegoing on.
Geo Zelaya (05:19):
To every taco lover quesadillas and tamales.
If you come to Tacos El Fluffyon Northpace Boulevard and you
mention Nerds on Tab, come onpeople, 15% off.
Tim Shoop (05:31):
Wow, that's a good deal.
Geo Zelaya (05:34):
Our food is priced beyond a fair for the type of
quality of cuisine that we'recooking.
It's a very gourmet cuisine.
We're making everything fromscratch.
Like you mentioned, the tamales, we make them in-house every
morning.
They get steamed.
Tim Shoop (05:51):
Oh, my goodness, I'm getting hungry.
I mean shoot, I could eat oneof those right now.
Geo Zelaya (05:57):
Why Just talk about it when we can actually enjoy
them?
Tim Shoop (06:01):
right now.
Geo Zelaya (06:02):
No way, I can't wait to see.
Tim Shoop (06:04):
Wait, what do we got?
Geo Zelaya (06:06):
Oh my.
Tim Shoop (06:06):
God.
And this is the first time,ladies and gentlemen, that I'm
going to get to try one of thesefantastic tacos, and what
better way than to pair it witha beer.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcometo Nerds on Tab.
I'm your host, tim Schu, and Icouldn't be more excited to
(06:29):
embark on this nerdy adventurewith all of you.
So grab your favorite brew,because things are about to get
exciting.
Tim Schaffer (06:40):
Three, two, one go .
Tim Shoop (06:46):
So while he's setting up, he's setting up his tacos
here.
I'm going to go ahead andintroduce the first beer of the
day.
We have a China brewery foundedin 1909 in China, texas.
We've got the China box.
Ladies and gentlemen, all thisis going to be so good, brewed
(07:09):
with rich toasted barley maltand German specialty hops.
This lightly hopped Americanstyle dark logger always goes
down easy.
I've had a bunch of these.
They're so good.
Only a seasonal beer.
Fans have demanded it yearround since 1973.
So I am staring at for youlisteners out there not seeing
(07:34):
this on video I am staring atsome amazing looking tacos and I
can't wait to try one of these.
Give me a toast.
Geo Zelaya (07:43):
Absolutely we're we tearing one of those tacos.
Tim Shoop (07:46):
I can't wait.
Geo Zelaya (07:47):
Salute.
Tim Shoop (07:48):
Salute.
We got a China box.
We'll eat as we go along,because I want to keep this
moving along.
We're going to get into ourfirst segment, which is
entrepreneurship and starting abusiness for Mr Geo.
All right, so I want to hearabout your decision on your
transition from the Navy tobecoming an entrepreneur.
(08:10):
What was going on in that brainof yours?
Geo Zelaya (08:16):
I can say that I've been an entrepreneur from a very
young age.
I was that kid in school thatwould bring a duffel bag full of
chocolates, Hershey's, KitKats,Skittles, M&Ms.
Tim Shoop (08:34):
You were selling chocolates at school.
Geo Zelaya (08:37):
Mexican candy.
I was that kid in sixth grade,seventh grade and eighth grade
this was back in 2010 and sixthgrade I made $6,000 off of
selling candy at school, dang.
Tim Schaffer (08:56):
Yeah, so has this always been food related as well
, because you sayentrepreneurship, but it sounds
to me like entrepreneurship withfood.
Geo Zelaya (09:05):
For me, yes, it's always been around, something
you can consume.
It's always either been justthe joy in people's face.
Really, that is my tip.
Whenever I can make someone'sday through something they
genuinely enjoy and brings themsome sort of happier, gives them
(09:27):
that euphoric feeling, that iswhat just does it for me.
Tim Shoop (09:34):
That's amazing.
So at your restaurants, whenyou, when somebody is is
chomping in to a tamale or ataco, especially for the first
time, and you probably know whoyour first time visitors are,
are you watching them?
Geo Zelaya (09:50):
I am, you are, I am, especially whenever is, like
you mentioned, people that areeating out of their comfort zone
and the food that we'reproviding.
In Pensacola, it's not reallyrevolutionary for us, being from
the Houston area.
We are accustomed to findingplaces where you know a taco.
(10:14):
Even the shell the tortilla hasplays a huge, important role in
the end result.
So whenever we came into thespace, we said if we're going to
do something, we got to dosomething that will add to it.
So, having people that havenever had a homemade flour
tortilla or corn tortilla, Ialways try to peek out and see
(10:38):
their reaction.
Tim Shoop (10:39):
So these, these are all.
These are all made from scratchtortillas that these tacos are
in.
Absolutely.
Tell me a little bit about thesauces and how, because I heard
a little birdie told me becauseI have not tried this yet and I
have a feeling after todayyou're going to have a regular
customer, so that's good.
(10:59):
I hope I get 15% off formentioning I'm kidding.
So someone was telling me thatthe sauces are part of what you
guys are about.
Geo Zelaya (11:11):
Yes, our, especially our, salsa verde are usually.
It's a tomato base sauce.
This is, I mean.
People literally drink this,like they at the shop.
We have the bottles and peoplewill get to go containers just
(11:33):
so they can drink it with theirfood.
Tim Shoop (11:35):
Really.
Geo Zelaya (11:36):
And it was never something that it was
intentional for us to to do thatintentionally, but they are
really good.
And all the the peppers forthese I work with a couple of
different farmers in town andthe jalapenos for this sauce
they're all coming from othersmall businesses.
(11:56):
From the beginning I said, if Iget into the space, I want to
be able to do something that weare growing together as a
community and uplifting eachother.
And same with the red sauce.
I mean, most of the ingredientsare coming from other
businesses that are sourcingthem out, bringing them to the
(12:17):
area, and then I'm one of theregular customers.
Tim Shoop (12:20):
Wow, that's amazing.
So I've heard I've heard corevalues here a few times.
I keep hearing community and Ikeep hearing happiness and
togetherness.
And so what, what are?
What are the core values ofTaco's El Fluffy?
What, what are?
Do you have a core value thatyou really try to express?
Geo Zelaya (12:44):
I you know the more, the more I thought about that
because I've been asked a coupleof times and our core values
are bringing quality, authentic,fresh food to the area and
putting smiles on people's face.
I mean that is just priceless.
Just to hear, you know, parentssay things like oh my kid is a
(13:09):
picky eater and he demolishesquesadilla, that's just beyond
exciting for me.
That's awesome.
Tim Shoop (13:16):
Yeah, so there's a slogan idea, we make you smile.
Geo Zelaya (13:21):
I hope it's not taken.
It sounds pretty good.
Tim Shoop (13:24):
I'm going to grab one of these in a second, but I'm
going to keep you talking andthen, while you're talking, I've
got to tear in one of these,because now, while I use this
sauce, is that okay?
Geo Zelaya (13:33):
use both of them.
Actually, do you like spicystuff?
Oh yes, absolutely Both of them.
We have another sauce that Idid not bring because it's that
we're out of it at the momentand I'm waiting for my supplier
to bring me more chocolate ghostpeppers, but it's a chocolate
ghost pepper sauce, and that onemixed with the green one.
(13:55):
I mean heaven.
Tim Shoop (13:58):
So you guys are constantly experimenting.
Geo Zelaya (14:00):
We are, yes, I'm very adventurous when it comes
to food and just being in thisspace.
I love being challenged, and itwent from you know, hey, you
should have you thought aboutdoing this.
No, and then just that ongoing,just people, hey, this and that
, and I was like, let's do it.
So we have a range of saucesthat have kind of we've
(14:26):
developed through the last 10months we opened back in
February and very experimental,and I mean to this day we're
still experimenting with a lotof things that we're like, ah,
we don't know if this is goingto do good or what the outcome
of it is going to be, and it'susually we're okay, we blew it
out of the water.
(14:48):
We got to find other ways tokind of keep up with the demand.
Tim Shoop (14:53):
So every I've started numerous businesses and every
time I start a business thereare a ton of challenges
presented.
I mean, we wouldn't be doingthis if we weren't trying to
solve a problem, right, right.
And so I want to explore thesteps and challenges with you of
starting a business, especiallya restaurant, the restaurant
(15:18):
industry and I heard it's supertough.
You know, I was talking tosomeone that was in the PEO or
the payroll industry one timeand they said most restaurants,
I think, fail within the firstyear or two and it's usually
either due to bad management orbad food.
(15:38):
I have a feeling that is mostdefinitely not the case here.
But what were your challengesand what do you think your
challenges are going to bemoving forward as you try to
develop and scale the business?
Geo Zelaya (15:57):
My biggest challenge was coming from the air traffic
controlling military communityto this restaurant space.
So, to put things into context,I've never I worked at
McDonald's back in my highschool year.
Tim Shoop (16:17):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (16:18):
And it was a fun job .
I loved working there, but Inever really cared how old were
you.
I was 17.
17 16.
Tim Shoop (16:27):
I was the fry guy at Burger King.
Geo Zelaya (16:29):
Hey, wasn't it fun though?
Yeah, I had a blast.
I had a blast working there,and all my friends from high
school work there, but I never.
So last year, whenever Itransitioned out of the military
, I had no intentions on openingup a restaurant.
You're okay, you got to take asip.
Oh my God, that's good.
Tim Shoop (16:48):
I wasn't expecting the bite.
Geo Zelaya (16:53):
Yeah, Wow, It'll creep up on you.
That is good, and you know.
The thing about the green oneis that we it's hard for us to
actually control the heat level,because the jalapenos some of
them will be spicy one week andthe following week they'll be
not spicy at all.
Tim Shoop (17:10):
This is perfect for the show.
We need to bring more beer inhere.
Let me tell you, ladies andgentlemen I just tried that I
was not expecting the heat.
I mean, I was expecting alittle bit, yeah, but not what
came after.
And oh my God, that is amazing.
I told you.
Geo Zelaya (17:30):
I told you it was good.
But yeah, biggest challenge wasnot knowing how to run a
restaurant, not having.
I went on Google and how to runa restaurant and usually what
pops up was a sign up for thiscourse or this and that, or pay
this or pay that, but therereally wasn't a.
(17:50):
There's not a structure outthere that I found to, where
I've been kind of following stepby step.
Every day has brings newchallenges and just the running
of a business, you know paying.
For the first two months Ididn't pay sales taxes.
I was collecting sales taxes.
Tim Shoop (18:13):
Then you got a pay Right.
Geo Zelaya (18:16):
So I get a call from the state of Florida and I'm
like state of Florida, that'sstrange.
So I pick up.
I love it and they're like, hey,is this asking for me?
And I'm like, yes, like you runtacos at fluffy.
Yes, they're like, yeah, wehaven't received your state
(18:37):
taxes for the last two months.
I was like, what do you meanstate taxes?
They were like, yes, your salestaxes seven, 7.5%, 6% goes to
the state and 1.5 local.
Yeah and yeah.
So that was a huge learningcurve.
Unemployment tax is another onewhich I get, not knowing that
(19:05):
I'm supposed to be paying allthese things.
Tim Shoop (19:06):
So when I was I started my first business
actually started it at 27,launched it professionally at 29
when I incorporated and, justlike you, I had no idea till,
you know, till I started gettingphone calls.
And now, as we scale, a lot ofcompanies still do it all in
(19:33):
house.
They pay their unemploymenttaxes, their food, their suda,
their sales tax all in house.
But when you get bigger and youdon't have to be bigger to do
this you can hire a third partyPEO, which is basically they
take care of paying all yourtech not your sales tax, but all
your other taxes.
(19:53):
They pay all your taxes, theydo all your 1099s, they build
your handbook, they manage yourHR and do your payroll every two
weeks or every week, dependingon how you're set up.
We've been using one since westarted.
Well, about three years in adigital boardwalk, Once it
(20:14):
started to scale, we had to geta PEO and at a certain point in
someone's business you might dothat, because then you can focus
on other things, and I alwayslook at time, I compare time to
money and you know if you cansave time in certain ways by
either automating or outsourcing.
(20:35):
You can focus all of your timeon making badass tacos, which
these are.
I can't wait to promote thisbecause these are amazing and I
hope we drive a little bit oftraffic into your restaurant.
So how do you source your food?
I want to know.
You talked about local produce,I remember in the bio, and you
(21:01):
make everything from scratch, soyou have to be sourcing a lot
of stuff.
Do you source it locally?
Geo Zelaya (21:08):
A lot of it, and then you know again, we are in a
for-profit business.
Some of it it just makes sensethrough through, get through our
wholesaler, which is Cisco.
But every Saturday there is alady, her name is Donia Grisela
(21:30):
and she brings a lot of ourtomatoes, our cilantro, our
onions, our jalapenos, a lot ofour actually all of our peppers,
and what we do is we are buyingeverything in bulk, so we buy
the masa.
So masa is what you use to maketortillas.
And it's also what we use tomake tamales.
(21:52):
We're buying the flour andwe're making our own dough
in-house.
Coming into the restaurantspace, we didn't have a big
budget.
We were.
I was leaving my full-time job,my mom was also leaving her
full-time job and we yes, we hadsavings, but we didn't have
this crazy funding from someinvestor.
And to this day, we now wedon't have the space.
(22:18):
We have the funds to get amixer, but we don't have the
space to place a mixer.
So we're the flour tortillas,the dough, we're making it from
scratch.
So every two days we're havingto make a batch of close to 300
grams of flour that we turn itinto tortillas.
Tim Shoop (22:42):
Wow, that's crazy.
So your mom.
So it's a family business.
Geo Zelaya (22:46):
It's a family business.
Tim Shoop (22:48):
Who else does that do any of your siblings my?
Geo Zelaya (22:50):
sister.
I have two sisters.
One of them works therefull-time.
She's essentially my GM.
That's why I'm able to be here.
She is the one that's runningthe show whenever I'm not there.
Tim Shoop (23:01):
Do you work for your mom or does your mom work for
you?
I hope she's gonna tune intothe show, right?
Geo Zelaya (23:06):
She will.
Tim Shoop (23:08):
Say you better answer the right way GM.
Geo Zelaya (23:11):
We work for each other.
We work for each other.
We're partners.
Yeah, we're partners.
Intentions are the same.
We are very intentional and wewant to share the wealth with
Pensacola of what we've had ourentire life.
Tim Shoop (23:32):
Well, I can't wait to come over there and meet your
mom and I will and talk to herand see who the real boss is.
Geo Zelaya (23:45):
Yeah, it's her.
You see what I'm doing here,don't you?
Tim Shoop (23:48):
So that brings me to my next question.
Tell me about the role oftechnology in restaurant
operations and in datacollection and things like that,
anything that can tie in towhat you know in regards to what
you had to do to get this thingoff the ground and get it
rolling the right way.
Geo Zelaya (24:09):
Yeah, I mean, technology has been crucial to
us.
When we started off, we weredoing our inventory like the old
caveman ways where we wouldwrite everything down and then
we would turn it into an Excelspreadsheet and then that was
just getting really confusing.
And then we switched over toGoogle Sheets to be able to have
(24:32):
access and it just wasn'tworking.
And just through reading andresearching I came up with a,
came across a website that it'sessentially it's using AI to
track your inventory and then italso talks to your.
For us, we use Cisco, so ittalks to our system in Cisco and
(24:54):
, as we're running out of things, all I got to do is go on my
phone and just hey, say hey,we're one bag left or this and
that, and that automaticallygoes to the cart over on Cisco
and it tells me what I need toorder.
So when Thursday comes aroundfor us to place our orders, it's
all there and there's not likeI can do inventory from here and
(25:19):
the restaurant being 10 minutesaway.
Tim Shoop (25:22):
So is that you're pulling that up on your phone or
your device?
Geo Zelaya (25:27):
It's yeah, my phone's off.
Tim Shoop (25:29):
Okay, well, you would pull it up on your phone, right
, and then you would scan.
Are you scanning the inventory?
Is it a rise on your phone orare you just keying it in?
Geo Zelaya (25:39):
You have different ways to do it.
You can either scan it or itgives you the option to just
plus minus.
It's very, it's a nap.
Tim Shoop (25:49):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (25:50):
So in a way it feels like you're playing a game, so
it doesn't even feel like you'redoing inventory.
It's just crazy.
Tim Shoop (25:56):
So this is a good lesson for anybody out there
starting a business.
And so when we started digitalboardwalk, we had a primary
professional services automationplatform that we use, and when
we needed to start adding toolsor dashboards and data and you
know, in marketing, instead ofjust going out and buying
(26:20):
anything, always go to your coreline of business application
that you use and go to theirwebsite or call them and go, hey
, I'm looking for integrationsto your software.
And that sounds like what youdid.
You went to Cisco and youcontacted them and you said, hey
, I want to do this.
How do I solve it?
(26:40):
Well, there's a third partytool that does the integration
correct, absolutely, all right,yes, so, and basically what it
does is it uses an APIintegration.
That developer usually there'sa developer tool set and the
developers of these softwarecompanies go out and they grab
(27:02):
it and then they develop on thatplatform and then they can
market to Cisco customers.
So in that case, that's howthey did it, but it solved your
problem, didn't it?
Geo Zelaya (27:13):
Yeah, and you're speaking foreign to me, because
I don't.
I'm so not.
I'm technologically challenged.
Tim Shoop (27:20):
Well, I'll be the nerd on the show because you
look to.
You look like some cool, likeEuropean soccer player.
Geo Zelaya (27:26):
That's the vibe that I was going for, but even our
point of sale system now thatI'm, I know that I got to pay
taxes and this and that ourpoint of sale system tracks are
hours that everybody's worked.
Tim Schaffer (27:43):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (27:44):
So at the end of the payroll week, all I got to do
is I got to go on QuickBooks andrun payroll and I have all the
numbers.
It also runs my monthly salestaxes.
So I know exactly what I needto do and it's just, it's made
it.
I mean, it cuts down the timethat you would have to take to
(28:09):
count this, count that and addthis, add that.
It's simple math, but it addsup on time.
Tim Shoop (28:14):
I used technology.
You mentioned AI.
I use AI, or our marketing teamuses AI, to develop the
episodes for the show.
So when you sign up for nerdson tap, we take the data that
you keyed in and we let AI takethat data and go.
(28:36):
This is what we're going totalk about.
So it takes us about 15 secondsto develop the entire episode.
Geo Zelaya (28:49):
That is crazy.
Tim Shoop (28:51):
It's amazing, isn't it?
Down that beer because we'regoing into the second beer
before we get into foodtechnology and innovation a
little bit more.
I'm going to go ahead and talkabout our second beer and while
I'm doing that, tim our producer.
If you want to grab a taco,feel free.
Otherwise we can wait till theend of the show.
Tim Schaffer (29:13):
No, I have to try it.
So the sauce the fact thatpeople drink the sauce proves it
must be amazing.
Tim Shoop (29:20):
Oh, it's got jalapenos in it.
It does.
Yeah, I didn't know that.
I mean, I should have known itwas green, yeah, but I'm like it
definitely has jalapenos in it.
So we're going to talk aboutour next beer.
This is from Goat IslandBrewery, founded in 2015 in
Kalman, alabama.
This is called the Sipsy RiverRed Ale.
(29:42):
It's an amber to red ale withthe perfect balance between malt
and European hops.
It's smooth, flavorful andcolorful.
The aroma will remind you ofwalking through the Sipsy River
Wilderness area in thespringtime.
So let's discuss, let's getinto the next segment.
(30:02):
Let's discuss the intersectionof food and technology,
including modern farmingtechniques.
Is that anything that you canlend a voice to?
Geo Zelaya (30:15):
You know, I find it extremely discouraging at times
the fact that as Americans,there's really a loss of
understanding where things comefrom.
If you ask someone, if you aska majority of millennials or it
(30:36):
grows in the grocery store.
Tim Shoop (30:38):
Right it grows in Right.
Doesn't it just appear on theshelves?
Geo Zelaya (30:43):
It just drives me insane.
The lack of appreciation forsimple things as a tomato.
The number of hours and thework that goes into being able
to develop this plant, to get itright, to be able to bear this
(31:04):
amazing fruit, is just insane.
And you ask people and theydon't know where things are
coming from.
They don't know and it's just.
It's crazy because we haveaccess to free this, free that
YouTube, and people still don'tcare and it's just like this
lack of ignorance that justbothers me a lot.
Tim Shoop (31:25):
Yeah, I know there's kind of a lack of perception on
where these foods come from to alot of younger people in my
knowledge, because I mean backin the day with boomers.
I hate that word, by the way,I'm not a boomer, no, I'm a Gen
(31:48):
Xer.
We were the last of the coolgeneration.
Geo Zelaya (31:50):
You're not a millennial.
Tim Shoop (31:52):
No, I'm a Gen Xer.
Geo Zelaya (31:54):
How do you word like 35?
Tim Shoop (31:55):
Yeah, I'm 54.
What?
Tim Schaffer (31:57):
Yeah, wow yeah.
Tim Shoop (32:00):
I got a great plastic surgeon.
I can tell I do not haveplastic.
No, no, I'm actually 54.
I've been running businessessince I was 27-ish.
So I have been an entrepreneurfor what?
Almost 35 years, doing it foralmost 25, 35 years.
(32:24):
I'm not in math mode becauseI'm in beer and taco mode right
now, but yeah, no, farming it'sa big part of it.
Right, and back in the day itwas all about our farmlands and
everything, and all that haschanged over time and farmers
(32:48):
have made things more efficient.
I mean, with you've got dronetechnology that can fly out over
and scan for different variantsin the field, and the time that
they save now doing things, itbrings the food faster to your
table, I would imagine.
Geo Zelaya (33:09):
But Absolutely it does.
I you know there's this.
oh, you know technology,witchcraft, this and that, but
in reality, if you're in theweeds and you're the one that is
having to wake up at 3 am, toget to the field to ensure that
(33:30):
you know, by 8 am you don't havecrows eating your crops and
then having to go to bed at 11because you had to.
You know, go get the cows, putthem in the field to get them
ready for the morning to milkthem.
It makes a difference andusually what I've noticed is
that a lot of people that arecomplaining between this
(33:51):
integration of technology andfarming are people that have
never farmed so they don'tunderstand what it actually
takes and the manpower and how,how labor-intensive and how
difficult it is.
Tim Shoop (34:06):
You know, think about the old movies that, the movies
that you watch that come fromthe era of the horse and plow.
I mean, think about that for aminute, think about what those
people had to do.
And even today, farmers dealwith weather events.
I mean a weather event canreally set a farmer back right,
(34:29):
absolutely so back in the day.
Geo Zelaya (34:30):
Yeah, I mean not even so my.
I have family that lives inHonduras and a lot of my family
they're farmers.
They, my family, we, they'vebeen farmers.
I don't say we because it's alot of work and I haven't really
put in the time to be able tocall myself a farmer but my
family, they're farmers andthey've been farming for
(34:52):
generations.
And even now, last time I wasin Honduras was back in 2019 and
, just seeing, I have friendsfrom Ocase, from Oklahoma, so
I've been to Ocase a couple oftimes, up to Tulsa.
Tim Shoop (35:06):
Oh yeah, yeah, I was stationed in Oklahoma.
Geo Zelaya (35:10):
Oh, I'm sorry, Tinker Air.
Tim Shoop (35:11):
Force.
I'm so sorry, that's the AirForce base I mentioned earlier
in the show.
Geo Zelaya (35:14):
Okay, so I'm a little assed out there.
Yeah, I know it's a, it's notbad so my first tornado.
How was?
Tim Shoop (35:20):
that it was in the distance and I just pressed the
accelerator and went the otherway.
Geo Zelaya (35:27):
No, I've.
I'm from the Houston area, soit's it's really green and not
dry like Oklahoma.
But yeah, even back in 2019,last time I was in Honduras just
seeing some of the farmingpractices that were being
conducted over there just beingway behind times I mean, I'm
talking about 50 years, 60 yearsand then just coming to the
(35:48):
States.
But it's the lack of resourcesand it's the lack of investing
from the government intoactually ensuring that these
people that are ensuring thatthe economy is spinning, because
if you don't have food, that'sjust really one way of working.
What are you going to do?
Tim Shoop (36:05):
Yeah, it stops right, right, Wow, well, how do you
stay updated?
Kind of reeling you back intothe restaurant.
How do you stay updated on thetech trends?
Do you stay updated on the techtrends?
You obviously do.
(36:26):
If you incorporated anAI-driven inventory system and
you figured out your point ofsale, you figured out taxes.
Geo Zelaya (36:33):
We have fair taxes, otherwise they can call Uncle
Sam, comes for you.
Tim Shoop (36:37):
Yes, sir.
How do you stay up to date onthe restaurant tech trends?
Because I mean tech drivesefficiency in restaurants.
Geo Zelaya (36:47):
Absolutely Social media.
I mean you can scroll throughmy Instagram and mostly Facebook
.
I still love Facebook becausethe things that you're able to
post on Facebook sometimes youcan't post them on Instagram.
I follow people that have beenin the industry for a while.
I had a pretty great militarycareer and it was because I had
(37:11):
really great mentors.
I had people that were tellingme hey, don't do this, because I
did it when I came in and thiswas the outcome and I want
something better for you.
It's always following someoneand the fact that there's so
many people that are willing toshare and educate others.
To me, that's just fascinating.
And again, it just comes downto how are you devoting your
(37:34):
time To me?
I love restaurant space.
I love food.
I love catering to peoplethrough food and showing my love
.
The last thing I would want todo is have to close my doors
because I'm not keeping up, I'mnot updating myself.
Just like your phone has to beupdated every so often, we also
(37:55):
have to update ourselves.
Tim Shoop (37:57):
We have to change Evolve Evolution.
Geo Zelaya (38:00):
Exactly.
Tim Shoop (38:03):
Just like a business has to evolve to scale.
You can't just set it andforget it in a business and you
can't set it and forget it inyour life.
For instance, a few years ago Inever worked out.
I ate horribly, I drank a lotof beer.
(38:24):
Still do that.
Geo Zelaya (38:27):
That's good though.
Tim Shoop (38:28):
But the reason I started working out and getting
into fitness and understandingnutrition and understanding all
of that was really to offset mybeer drinking.
I'm making a joke here, no,I've.
(38:49):
Yeah, no, it was to offset mybeer drinking so I wouldn't get
huge, but that's not true.
But you're into fitness and yousee where I'm segueing to
Absolutely You're into fitnessand tell me how it complimented,
(39:09):
or how fitness complements,because I know it does with me
your entrepreneurial journey.
I get up in the morning.
This morning I did mypre-workout drink.
I went up, worked out like abeast, drank my protein, worked
like a craze Crazy person.
(39:29):
All morning, meeting aftermeeting, after meeting, and then
I drove up here to meet you anddo the show and then I've got
calls all the way till sixo'clock tonight.
I'm just nonstop and fitnesshelps me with that, because when
I first get up in the morning,I have to have a cup of coffee.
That's just.
(39:50):
It's been that way since I wasa teenager.
To be honest with you, I haveto have that one cup of coffee
in the morning.
I read my emails, I catch upand if you haven't seen it,
there's life, a day in the lifeof an IT CEO.
It's on our YouTube page.
I filmed my daily routine andyou'll watch it and you'll go.
(40:11):
That is crazy.
Tell me about your routine.
Tell me how fitness integratesinto your daily life to help you
drive your energy towards foodpassion.
Geo Zelaya (40:26):
I mean, you kind of already covered it and, like you
said, I work out to be able toeat what I want.
Tim Shoop (40:33):
So I wasn't joking, you weren't joking.
I said I was joking.
Geo Zelaya (40:37):
But no, it's facts.
To me, fitness has never reallybeen something that I've seen
myself pursuing as a career, andthere's a lot of people out
there that are doing it and Ithink that's fantastic.
You know, through them we'regetting all these new
innovations, but for me, fitnesshas always been a way to be
(41:02):
able to eat what I want and tobe able to release.
I usually I'm usually prettystressed out and whenever I go
to the gym or if running wouldgive the same results as going
to the gym, I would never workout, but it's really difficult
for me to even keep on anyway.
I joined the Navy and I was 126pounds and I was six foot tall.
Tim Shoop (41:28):
That's funny.
I was 149 pounds and I was 510.
Geo Zelaya (41:34):
510.
Tim Shoop (41:35):
10.
Tim Schaffer (41:35):
510.
So last year I weighed 240.
Now I weigh 203.
And why is?
Because all I did is cutburgers, greasy food, all that,
and have reduced myself plentyenough to tacos, this taco truck
right at the road.
I've been dropping a lot ofweight because of that.
Tim Shoop (41:58):
But now you're going to go to tacos fluffy right?
Exactly that's what I'm saying.
You're going to drop that tacotruck and you're going to go to
this place.
Geo Zelaya (42:06):
And you're going to be dropping even more weight,
because our stuff is made fromscratch on the spot no additives
or anything, I can tell theshell alone, like I was saying,
yeah, now the quality is there.
Tim Shoop (42:17):
I tasted the quality and I tasted the heat, but I
love the heat chicken, turkey,leaner meats.
Tim Schaffer (42:23):
It's basically I made that huge shift and because
of that it's helped a ton withme right.
And then, instead of drinkingsodas and stuff, cut all that
out a lot of sugar.
But the big part is I love meattoo much and so instead of a
fat burger, I'm eating tons oftacos.
As funny as that is, that justis the reality of my life
recently and I've been droppinga lot of weight because of it.
(42:45):
So I'm very excited because itgoes so hand in hand with the
show here of that taco isdefinitely better than the taco
taco.
Tim Shoop (42:52):
Tim, that's great and wonderful and all this fitness
talk is wonderful, but it'smaking me want another beer, so
I can go work out and work thatoff, absolutely.
So let's talk about beer numberthree Bell's Brewery, founded
in 1985 in Kalamazoo, michigan.
Oh, this is gonna be a good one.
It's a Kalamazoo stout, I thinkI read you like stouts, right?
(43:16):
Yeah, I thought so.
So a smooth, full bodied stoutthat offers a blend of aromas
and flavors of dark chocolateand freshly roasted coffee,
balanced with a significant hoppresence.
So let's see what this thing'sall about.
(43:37):
Definitely has a look and theConsistency.
Well, the legs of a Guinnessalmost close to it on the walls
of the glass, but tasting it'sgonna be the only way we can
figure that out.
Geo Zelaya (43:55):
So pros Salud.
Tim Shoop (44:00):
Tastes the coffee and the chocolate and the chocolate
.
There's a heavy chocolatecoffee in that one.
It's good though.
Yeah, you like it I do.
Geo Zelaya (44:07):
Yeah, I'm not unlike you.
I'm not really a coffee personLike I'll drink coffee for the
aesthetics of it.
Tim Shoop (44:15):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (44:15):
Yeah, but caffeine doesn't affect my body Like this
was about a year ago.
I had 10 shots of espresso inone sitting.
Tim Shoop (44:26):
No, you did, I did.
I can't do that.
I wouldn't sleep for three days.
Geo Zelaya (44:30):
Nothing happened.
Tim Schaffer (44:32):
That's dangerous.
Geo Zelaya (44:33):
Nothing happened.
And whenever I was getting outof in the military I always had
issues with my EKGs and theysaid it was normal for me.
Tim Shoop (44:44):
Yeah, I'm finding this really hard to believe.
Geo Zelaya (44:48):
I promise I can.
Next episode.
Tim Shoop (44:51):
I have an espresso machine at my house.
Geo Zelaya (44:54):
When am I coming over?
Tim Shoop (44:55):
Yeah, you're gonna have to come over.
We're gonna feed you 20 shotsof espresso to see what happens,
and then we're gonna drink beer.
Geo Zelaya (45:01):
Absolutely.
I'll make some tacos at thehouse.
Tim Shoop (45:05):
I love cooking.
I'll have you over.
Geo Zelaya (45:06):
Absolutely, you need to come over.
I love using other people'skitchens.
Yeah, I bring my whole toolbox.
Tim Shoop (45:12):
That's funny.
So that was a pretty good beerthough.
Geo Zelaya (45:15):
It was really good.
Tim Shoop (45:16):
You know I'm not a big stout drinker.
I was back in my 20s.
When you get older it's likedrinking bread and when you get
older you tend to steer awayfrom bread because it adds to
your waistline.
But that beer I really like theway the chocolate and the
coffee blend in there I meanit's really.
It's kind of like a chocolateespresso.
(45:40):
Have you ever had like espressoice cream or something like it
has the same kind of consistencyit does.
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (45:50):
There's a really A flavor palette.
There's a good shop down theroad.
They have really great gelatoand they have a espresso gelato.
Tim Shoop (45:59):
Yeah, I probably know where you're talking about.
It's really good.
We're gonna get into a.
This is gonna be my favoritesegment because this is close to
my heart.
But community involvement andgiving back.
I read about your involvementand some of the things you've
done and I gotta say that's a.
(46:22):
It's pretty big for 20, 27,right, 26.
26,.
Okay, so let's talk about yourcommitment to the Pensacola
community and we're gonna getinto this I'm gonna leave the
audience hanging for a minuteand your involvement in
mentoring through the Take Stockand Children program.
(46:42):
So that's huge, you know, andtell me, go into it, Tell me
about it, you know growing upwith a single parent.
Geo Zelaya (46:56):
I was always really fortunate to have had guardian
angels around me, people thattook time out of their day to
ensure that I was getting theresources that I needed to be
able to be successful.
So from a very young age, I hadamazing teachers that to this
day, I owe them so much and Iprobably will never be able to
(47:22):
repay them, because it's theselfless act that they take on,
and they are like mothers andjoining the military.
I had the same experience withpeople that I joined at the age
I was 18 when I joined, and Ihad people that we had nothing
(47:43):
in common.
They were in their mid 30s,they had a family, they had a
career and they could haveeasily just focused on what do I
have to do to make the nextrank or the next pay grade, but
instead they took time out oftheir day to ensure that.
What does Zelaya need to ensurethat he gets to his next goal?
(48:07):
And that's meant a lot to meand just seeing how, if we take
the time to help those around usand ensure that people around
us are, they have the resourcesand the tools that they need to
(48:31):
be successful, and then they goout and they do that to someone
else.
It's a ripple effect.
Tim Shoop (48:38):
Yeah, pay it forward and you know you're the impact,
the impact they had on youthrough the years and you now
sitting down Now tell me aboutwho your.
Geo Zelaya (48:57):
Menti.
Tim Shoop (48:58):
Yeah, your mentee is.
Geo Zelaya (49:00):
I really want to give the program Take Stock and
Children kind of an exposure,because it's a program that not
a lot of people know about.
But Take Stock and Children is aprogram that is designated to
assist kids that come from homesthat the thought of going to
college is just non-existingbecause their parents never went
(49:20):
to school.
Their parents always worked lowincome jobs.
So that is kind of what isexpected out of you.
You're going to graduate highschool and you're going to go
get a job down the road whereyou're going to be collecting
minimum wage and living paycheckto paycheck.
Tim Shoop (49:34):
Where does that program originate?
Geo Zelaya (49:36):
It is a state of Florida program.
Tim Shoop (49:38):
Yeah, okay.
Geo Zelaya (49:38):
It's the entire state of Florida and the program
what it does.
It guarantees every studentthat is part of the program a
full right scholarship.
That's amazing A full rightscholarship to any public
university in the state ofFlorida.
So to me, that was the reasonwhy I joined the Navy was
(50:00):
because one of the reasons why Ijoined the Navy when I
graduated high school wasbecause I couldn't afford
college.
I had the grades, I had the SATscores to get in, but I did not
have the financial support togo to school.
And I joined the Navy for theeducation aspect of it.
But to have a program thatguarantees a scholarship, a full
(50:23):
right four year scholarship toa kid, that is an opportunity
that I said.
I want to be part of thatbecause I want to ensure that
the student has the resourcesand tools they need to be
successful and all they have todo is make sure that they stay
out of trouble.
Maintain a 2.0 GPA, that's it.
(50:45):
That's it 2.0 GPA and no drugs.
That is all they ask of thestudent.
Tim Shoop (50:51):
And they get a full ride.
Geo Zelaya (50:52):
They get a full ride .
Tim Shoop (50:55):
I've heard of Tech, stock and Children.
I think it was through aprogram I was involved with
called GrowFL, which is aprogram out of Tampa Florida
that recognizes fast growbusinesses in the state of
Florida, and we ended upbecoming alumni of that, I think
starting back in like 2017 or2018, we they called us and they
(51:20):
said you're in, and I wasreally excited.
But I know that they invest inTech, stock and Children and
that's where I first saw it.
So when I saw it on your entryform for Nerds on Tap, I was
pretty excited that you get tocome on here and talk about it.
Geo Zelaya (51:38):
So yeah, it's an amazing program and it's
throughout the entire state ofFlorida and they are always
looking for mentors, because ifthere's no mentors, then they.
You know, these kids are comingfrom homes where the simple
words like hey, I believe in you.
You got this.
(51:59):
It's life changing because theydon't have that.
Tim Shoop (52:03):
They don't hear it.
Geo Zelaya (52:03):
They don't hear it.
Tim Shoop (52:04):
Yeah, see, and that you know, I see that and I'd
never experienced that.
I mean, I came from a lowermiddle class to middle class
family.
I was the baby of six childrenand you know my dad just said
(52:26):
you know he was that oldmentality.
He passed away a few years agoand I remember him telling me
just work hard and good thingswill come.
And I didn't want to burdenthem with college tuition and
bills and everything.
So I went in the Navy because Ididn't want to put.
I just didn't want to.
Besides, I was the baby of six.
(52:48):
None of my brothers and sistershad the opportunities that I had
and I didn't want it beingrubbed in my face either.
So I chose to go in the Navy.
But I will tell you that it'svery hard for me, from a
personal experience, tounderstand what a lot of these
kids go through in theirpersonal lives growing up as a
(53:11):
teenager or a tween and finallyunderstanding.
Wait a minute, I wasn't dealtthe same cards as you know, tim
Shoe or whoever, and but theydon't.
You know, it's all they know.
Geo Zelaya (53:26):
Absolutely.
For me it was the same, eventhough we didn't have the
resources to go to school.
But I never came home to a oh,you can't do this because we
didn't do it.
It was totally the opposite.
My mom it's because your mom mygrandparents hey, you work hard,
(53:48):
anything is possible, you putGod in front of you and you can
do anything, and the tamalesthat we have in front of you.
So growing up, my mom had.
She was.
She had two jobs and one of herjobs was every other weekend we
(54:10):
would make tamales and this,our tamales recipe, has been in
our family for a while and I washer little salesman and the
tamales would get us out of alot of okay, but now we have
enough to cover our water billand our electricity.
Tim Schaffer (54:27):
Wow.
Geo Zelaya (54:28):
But it was never a.
We're poor, so, and I don'teven.
Tim Shoop (54:33):
You were solving a problem with resources you had.
Geo Zelaya (54:36):
And even using the term poor is just not.
I've never felt poor.
But you know, I look back nowand I'm like, yeah, we were
challenged with difficulties,but I had a family that, hey,
everything is possible.
Hey, we just got to work, work,work, work, work, work and
(54:58):
we're going to come out of thisand that's how it's always been.
Tim Schaffer (55:01):
So I was a single parent home as well and
definitely lots of struggles,barely having any funds, Mom
working three jobs, hardly beinghome because of that kind of
life.
So I understand.
On that front it waschallenging.
Tim Shoop (55:20):
Well, it's going to be hard to change the subject or
change the topic after talkingabout all this, so I kind of
want to stay on it for just aminute, but I do want to change
the angle of it.
Let's talk about the impact ofinvesting in the community.
Obviously, you know you workwith, take stock in children,
(55:43):
but investing in the communityand supporting local businesses
Always been true for me and mywife Kathleen.
You met her at Entracon.
Geo Zelaya (55:54):
I've ran into her a couple of times actually Since
then.
Yeah, she's been.
So I actually just moved toPensacola I lived in Pace and I
ran into her and she I wastelling her how I was having
issues finding furniture withinmy budget and she sent me pretty
, pretty great recommendationsand yeah, she's pretty awesome.
Tim Shoop (56:16):
Yeah, kathleen is awesome.
I definitely married above mypay grade that right now.
She keeps me in line and youknow we did a, and this is off
topic, but I'm going to put thisout there because she listens
to every one of these shows.
Geo Zelaya (56:33):
Really.
Tim Shoop (56:33):
And I know she's excited about this one because
she knew you were coming on.
But she, what was I going tosay?
She keeps me in line and weinterviewed.
It was her 10 year roast forworking at Digital Boardwalk
(56:56):
this year at the Christmas party.
So I took my camera andinterviewed everybody at Digital
Boardwalk and gave them aseries of questions.
And one of the questions was ifKathleen was the boss for a day
, what would she change?
And you know what most peoplesaid I thought she was the boss.
(57:18):
Oh, so, just like I think yourmom's the boss that talk is so
fluffy.
I don't know.
Geo Zelaya (57:31):
I guess we'll never know.
Tim Shoop (57:32):
You know why I'm doing this right?
Because I know she's going tolisten to this show.
She's going to get a kick outof it and I can't wait to meet
her.
Absolutely, because she's raisedan amazing human being.
Thank you so much.
So I want to thank you forbeing the way you are and for
giving back, because it's reallyimportant.
So, getting back on thecommunity, what would you change
(57:53):
?
What tell me your take oninvesting in local businesses?
Because obviously, if I spendmoney at your restaurant, you
might go down to Bubba's sweetspot and buy a piece of candy or
a bag of candy there You'reputting money over there and
(58:13):
then Bubba Watson might go downto a jewelry store and buy a
ring and so on and so forth.
So my take is keep the moneylocal.
The money will keep turning.
What is your take?
Along the lines of what is yourtake?
Geo Zelaya (58:26):
Along the lines of what you just mentioned as well,
being in the entrepreneurialspace of seeing how supportive
other small businesses are witheach other.
It has been fascinating and aplace I never really saw myself
(58:48):
being in, but I can 100% agreewith what you're saying.
Yes, two days ago I was at aWolfgang was having their party
draw meetup, meeting up to theevent and just being in the room
with 60 other individuals thatare invested in the community
(59:11):
and growing.
All of that attracts tourism,which we all end up benefiting
from, because if someone goes toLamontes gelato shop, that I
just mentioned earlier.
What do they do?
Oh, are you looking for anytacos in town?
(59:31):
This is tacos of fluffiest.
Where do you?
Tim Shoop (59:33):
think I'm going to send people.
Geo Zelaya (59:35):
Exactly so.
Is this, this idea of sincebeing in the space, it's never
felt just like the taco shop youwere mentioning earlier tacos
Mexicanos, I mean.
The owner gave anotherincredible individual.
It's never felt like it's beena competition of who like it's
(59:57):
me, me, me, me.
I can only have people.
There's 8 billion people in theworld.
If I get caught up in the ohwell, they're doing this, I got
to do this, it's a competition,then I'll lose sleep over it and
it's just.
It's annoying, it's boring,it's a little pathetic really.
Tim Shoop (01:00:17):
Yeah.
Geo Zelaya (01:00:17):
When I talk.
Tim Shoop (01:00:18):
Sorry, you have to focus on somebody.
A mentor once told me this hegoes quit focusing on
competition, quit focusing onwhat the others are doing, and
focus on you and what you'redoing, and focus on your
evolution and your growth.
And in the future you'll betalking about where they go
(01:00:44):
because you have overcome thechallenges, whereas they were
too focused on copying you ordoing what you want, and so on
and so forth.
So it's just a great thing.
Sorry, tim, I didn't mean tocut you off.
I.
We're getting close to the endof the show and I kind of want
to wrap.
So what I want you to do, Geo,is tell our audience again where
(01:01:09):
they need to go to get the mostfascinating tamales and tacos
and fresh ingredients Breakfasttoo.
And oh my goodness, somebodyasked me that today Do they have
breakfast?
Tim Schaffer (01:01:21):
We have breakfast, so describe the breakfast, if
you can.
Geo Zelaya (01:01:25):
Yes, Breakfast, oh our breakfast.
We have breakfast tacos,breakfast burritos, which are
like what's a breakfast taco?
Tim Shoop (01:01:33):
I'm swigging by.
Geo Zelaya (01:01:36):
They come on flour, tortilla with beans, and then
you can get eggs, potatoes,chorizo that we make in house.
It's not greasy, it's not salty.
We also have pork skin, someother, and green sauce.
So again, we're a very in inhouse gourmet kitchen.
So we're buying the port butand out of the port but we make
(01:01:56):
the al pastor, which it wasn'tone of the tacos.
We make the al pastor, Then wemake the chorizo out of it and
then the belly, the pork belly.
We turned that into pork skinsand the pork skins will smother
them in green sauce or red sauce.
And the byproduct of makingpork skin is large and we use
the large to make tamales.
Tim Shoop (01:02:17):
Wow, it's a whole process Full circle.
Geo Zelaya (01:02:20):
Full circle.
We don't waste anything.
Tim Shoop (01:02:23):
So tell our audience what kind of special they can
get.
Let's repeat that again Tellthem where they need to go or
where where they can go onlineto find you, and maybe if you
have some social tags and thenyou have a discount.
So tell them what they need tohear.
Geo Zelaya (01:02:44):
We are tacos of fluffy and we specialize in
serving quality, authentic Latinfood and we're open Tuesday
through Sundays.
We do breakfast from 8 am to 1030 pm On the weekdays and on
weekends we do it from nine toabout 11 ish and we're located
off of a North Pace Boulevard.
Our address is 707 North PaceBoulevard, pensacola, florida,
(01:03:07):
32505.
And you know what, tim, if youcome to tacos of fluffy and you
mentioned nerds on tab, 25% off25.
I thought it was 15.
I thought it was 15.
I did say 15, but if they stayon and watch the four show they
can mention 25.
Tim Shoop (01:03:26):
All right, 25.
I will make sure it happensthat way too, and that we don't
give any teasers at thebeginning of the show.
Exactly so we'll see how manypeople.
Geo Zelaya (01:03:36):
How many people come in and mention 15 and how many
people come in and mention 25?
Tim Shoop (01:03:41):
So let's wrap.
We're going to drink one morebeer.
You're not even done with yourcoffee.
Chocolate beer.
He's going to down that salute.
We're going to wrap the show.
We're going to go ahead anddrink one more beer and then
we're going to have a couplemore words with Geo and wrap it
(01:04:03):
up.
So the next beer is Bell'sBrewery.
It's a Bell's Too Hard atAmerican IPA.
This is a good one.
Have you ever had this?
Geo Zelaya (01:04:11):
No, but IPAs are my favorite.
Tim Shoop (01:04:13):
I think you're going to enjoy this.
This is a very good IPA, rightafter Fishing Waters in
Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Too Harded is an American IPAbrewed and dry hop with 100%
centennial hops Beloved by longtime and new craft beer drinkers
.
Too Harded is an iconic alethat's perfect for any occasion.
(01:04:33):
So we will wrap up the show bycheers.
Geo Zelaya (01:04:42):
Cheers and I just wanted to say thank you so much
for having me on Again.
It's one of those things Smallbusinesses supporting each other
.
This is huge for us.
We're 10 months in and we'restill.
We can't believe what we'vegotten ourselves into.
But thank you so much for thisbecause it means a lot.
Tim Shoop (01:05:03):
Thank you for coming on, and I will definitely send
people your way, and you got tocome in too.
Oh, I'm coming, so I'll bethere.
Do you have a website?
Geo Zelaya (01:05:15):
Coming soon.
Tim Shoop (01:05:16):
Coming soon.
All right, Stay tuned, and whenyou do get a website, let me
know and I'll get it out on mysocial feeds.
Okay, Thanks everyone.
Have a good day.
Let's try this.
Beer Cheers my fellow nerds andbeer lovers.
Stay tuned for more Nerds onTap.
Oh, and one more thing Help usspread the nerdy love and the
(01:05:42):
love for grape brews by sharingthis podcast with your friends,
colleagues and fellow beerenthusiasts.
Let's build a community thatembraces curiosity, innovation
and the enjoyment of a cold one.
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