El Mariachi Marko

More to come

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi everybody, this is SoFlo dining and today we are at Mariachi restaurant and we have the

(00:11):
owner here and his name is Marco and we have Chef Dan at the table and we're gonna have
a conversation.
So how long have you been in business?
Well first of all hi guys my name is Marco Molano I am the owner of El Marachelang with
my family which we currently have my mom and sister still involved as well.

(00:32):
We've been in business for 30 years and in a few weeks it will be 31 years so we're really
excited about these achievements that we've been reaching every year.
That is awesome.
You said you have two locations.
You said you have two locations?
Yeah.
So 31 years so that puts us back our very first location opened up in Cold Springs in October

(00:54):
and the end of October of 1993 so this October right at the end of the month will be 31 so
our very first location was off of University of Atlantic where the Coast Square Mall is.
Yes I know where the Mall is.
So that was the very first mariachi I was 3 years old when I was open right.
I was a customer back then when he was 3 years old.

(01:15):
It was 3 years old but it did start with my mom and dad you know in a very small restaurant
nothing like it is now.
It was a little hole in the wall, 8 tables if that and it was a very small operation.
My dad was in the kitchen along with some family members as well and it was a very small
operation.
I mean obviously now we're a big operation but the way we started was just a little hole
in the wall with you know everything being word of mouth right.

(01:36):
That's the only way we use marketing.
I love it.
I love it.
Bye for riding high.
Good food, good service definitely has been forever our biggest core value.
But you know then we opened up that one in 1993 and the second location I opened up is
the one that we currently have off of Wiles Road so it's University in Wiles Road.

(01:59):
That one opened up in 1994 so that will make it a 30 year old location that we currently
still have.
Wow.
30 year old restaurant.
That's we've been in the same building.
Same spot.
Same original floor.
Wow.
You've been same employees.
Same employees are day one employees.
I was going to bring that because you said about dedication and the staff and all.
I know recently one of your employees here was in the haters for working here 20 something

(02:24):
years.
Mr. Hugo.
Yeah we have a few employees.
You.
Yes.
Let go.
I mean we have Hugo.
We have Ines.
We have William.
Those are like the top four that have been with us for a long time but we're very grateful
for them.
You know we're a team.
You know and when they put that article out that you just mentioned.

(02:45):
It was amazing to see what they personally have been to the community as well.
It just hasn't been about Mariachi but it's also been about the staff that works for us
because I mean some of these employees have connected with other customers throughout
these 30 years of business that we've been in and they've moved people or they've helped
people like you know be inspired because I mean they're like wow this guy I've seen

(03:09):
with your company for 30 years in the same position and he seems happy.
I've seen his daughters grow up you know and I see his wife like getting a job and his
daughters now have graduated or they're in high school.
It's at a center.
Wow like the same guy in the same position.
Seem Ration is able to do this.
Why can't I do it.
So I believe he's been able to inspire people also touch people and it's also good for us

(03:34):
and it's good for the community when you can see the same employee for so many years in
the same restaurant.
So I think it's pretty cool.
How long have you been in this location?
This location will be 13 years.
13 years.
We opened up in November of 2012 so that would be 13 years.
Coming up next year.
Now this question is not on the list of things but I do know that I heard that when there

(03:54):
was a hurricane your dad did something that was absolutely extraordinary for the community
and he has never been forgotten for that.
You want to tell people about that.
Well when it comes to hurricanes we by the grace of God hope and pray that we have power
the next day or the same day but we've never tried to close as long as the Russian has

(04:16):
power so what my dad has done in the past.
Our family because we've all chipped in because when there is a hurricane and there is like
a very big tragic event when it comes to the city not everybody can go to work.
So you know if we can stay open you can guarantee in which we've done in the past for sure that
my dad would chip in with my mom, myself, my sisters as a family we are here for the

(04:40):
community and we know the importance of being open for the community.
So as a family we know the importance of coming in helping out the community get food, right
employees get food, if you need beef.
Luckily we've had some lock with hurricanes in one of the two locations or both locations

(05:00):
have gone power and we've opened up no matter how dirty the roads are, how dangerous they
are we've opened up and whoever can make it can make it for the most part my family all
of us have chipped in and until we run out of food we continue to serve food for everybody,
for everybody, for everybody and that's one big thing we've been able to help out with
in the community for sure.
Yeah, yeah and the word of mouth on that must be absolutely priceless.

(05:23):
That's what makes you guys a color of the community.
Whenever we mention El Mariachi to people and they know who this place is they know who
you are you know and that's a good thing you know I mean that's a good thing.
Well being there for the community is big for us, one thing that I learned as a child
from my dad growing up I remember in the old location right the old flagship Mariachi which

(05:45):
was located off of Rambo Wooden University was the very first big Mariachi as you would
say was we would have this little waiting area in the entrance right and there was a
wall full of teams that my dad sponsored, non-Mariachi sponsors right, teams needing money for to
go on trips or like equipment or jerseys we'd make sure to sponsor them and it was amazing

(06:12):
see there was a wall full of just how many soccer teams, baseball teams, basketball teams,
football teams, high schools, middle schools that he'd sponsored and seeing that as a kid
and I was an athlete growing up was amazing and so now what I try to do is to continue
with Dad's legacy is continue to give back to the community and we still continue to

(06:33):
do so with high schools, travel, sports teams, even charities I love to give back because
we're nothing without community I believe that like you know we need the community support
just as much as they need us is what I'm trying to say.
It's why we do what we do.
Right it's not all take.
Yeah.

(06:53):
Yeah.
So I love giving back listen I love it I mean if anybody out there ever has a charity
or fundraiser a team needing help reach out to me personally I can give them my email you
guys can link it below just send me what the need is and we'd love to help because that's
what we've always been here for is to help out.
Tell me when I read that story and I said you know we've been what over 200 restaurants

(07:16):
we've done and I only heard something similar to that and one other place that was in the
Keys it was a place in the Keys that same thing they had electricity they served food
until they ran out.
You should take a run out.
That's it.
I mean I would hold the restaurants around here to help everybody.
Yeah.
Yeah my dad was already on the phone the same day as I can.
Hey can you bring a truck tomorrow you know if not then like you know we try to find food

(07:39):
somewhere but it's just I think that's important to be there for the community.
I mean if it meant just giving water or whatever we had you know toilet paper napkins whatever
whatever you can give I know for a fact my dad would have given whatever he could have
to people in need of hardship at that time.
Absolutely.
Yeah and you're known for it.

(07:59):
Another big thing that we did too I mean I don't know if they told you know how you guys
heard was when the tragedy happened at Marjou's someone died last year.
Oh yeah.
We were one of the first to donate food to victims of the family members obviously or
people that needed to that were grieving and needed just comfort.
We were the first ones to say we're sending you food here's food on us right.

(08:23):
It was a very I mean not only are they a restaurant but they are a first responder.
Yeah but that's awesome because right in a moment like that your last thing is cooking.
Yeah.
You know the last thing is cooking where we're going to eat you know you forget to eat.
Yes.
You know and here it is someone's giving you.
I never forget that I never forget that of any of that I remember it was like it was
this at it but that was one of the things too where we really stood out and people they

(08:45):
would reach out to us like you know hey what's going on like no take this this is on us.
Yeah.
Right here's rice here's beans here's picadillo plantains take it I know you guys need it to
the first responders the family members to the firefighters to anybody that needed help
at that time grieving we were honestly we were there to help them out we were even donations

(09:05):
that needed to be for the school and whatnot we were there.
And people don't realize that something like that is worth more than the money that it
costs.
100 percent.
You know it's worth more than that.
100 percent.
People don't you know raw people raw people and means something to somebody.
Yeah.
More than the cost.
Yeah.
You know that's true.
Yeah and that kind of food.
What kind of food do you serve here for those people who don't know.

(09:27):
Oh my God.
Yeah.
There may be people who don't know.
All right.
So the type of food that we serve here is Mexican Cuban and Latin food.
So what I mean by Latin is we don't just have Mexican and Cuban food here right.
So we have a ceviche that is not Mexican Cuban.
Right.
It's a Peruvian style ceviche.
Right.

(09:48):
Right.
So that's one another thing that we have that is not Mexican Cuban or the empanadas.
Right.
The empanadas are actually Colombian style empanadas.
So it's not your typical Cuban one.
Okay.
Which is a different dough.
Right.
Different inside stuff.
And over here is like a different crust.
It's more of a corn versus like a flour dough.

(10:08):
Right.
Which is Cuban style right.
Right.
And we do it with the potatoes inside and meat.
Like shredded meat.
And the most important difference is probably the shell of the empanada.
That's like the biggest difference you can see.
The baked or fried.
It's fried.
You know some.
Some are.
The healthier version is baked.
Yes.
Some South American ones are baked.
That was like what?

(10:29):
Yeah.
My favorite empanada is actually a Peruvian.
I like Peruvian empanadas a lot.
Yeah.
But that is just meat.
They're good.
No, no.
They're baked.
They're baked.
They're baked.
They're baked.
They're baked.
But the ours are delicious.
Very delicious.
I eat them all the time.
But for health reasons I got to lean the mortars.
So yeah.
We have Mexican Cuban food and some Latin plates as well.
What is your most popular dish?

(10:52):
It's a tough one.
I would say what we're known for the most is gotta be on our Mexican side is fajitas.
For sure.
Because they smell so good on the way in.
So they're in a dining room.
It smells so good.
It's a nice presentation too.
They come out smooth and everything's beautiful.
They come with every possible thing on the side.

(11:12):
Juacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, you name it.
Tortillas.
It's a big a fiesta coming out too.
That's amazing.
I love it.
It's a happy time.
I love it.
I love selling dish by a volume.
It's gotta be the chimichanga.
I mean you can't go around the chimichanga.
It's a deep fried burrito.
Do you know I had my first chimichanga here?
Yeah.
Yes.
I couldn't believe she never had a chimichanga.
How good is it?

(11:33):
It was delicious.
That goes to show you that everything fried is better.
And actually we came back with a chimichanga.
It really is.
We came back with our group from Winmore and we said I don't eat them.
I know what I want.
I'm like what?
I want the chimichanga.
The chimichanga.
It's our number one selling plate here.
And not just, I mean it's just so, it really is delicious.

(11:56):
It's so good.
So that's our probably most popular, I mean you can go down the list of what's popular
from one through ten right?
But those are the top two popular dishes here.
And on the Cuban side we're very famous for two things as well.
Like I said the top two that people eat the most is gonna be the lechonazal.
That's my favorite.
The lechonazal.
I mean which is pretty typical Cuban.

(12:16):
That's my mother.
She comes here.
And then he says that the recipe's an evolved so no we won't tell you what the recipe is.
But it's also the longest cooked plate here.
So from the minute we prep it to the minute it's actually ready to be served it's probably
a 12 hour process.
Yeah, of course.
So you're doing a lechon right then?

(12:37):
Lechon right.
We do it good.
Slow cooked.
Perfectly marinated.
Perfectly seasoned.
Cooked with love.
Oh my God yes.
You can taste the love in it.
Oh so that's right.
Probably the most flavorful dish we have here.
When I do mine at home she's like is that done yet?
I'm like no.
It takes time.
It takes time.
It takes time.
It takes time.
It's an all day.
If you want it right you gotta do it right.
And it's a big hit.

(12:58):
It's a big hit.
We're now coming up into the holidays.
It's gonna be a big hit.
Christmas come around.
People love their lechonazal.
We love our lechonazal.
Oh my God.
I wish I could eat everything here every day.
But I wouldn't be healthy.
So that's our top ones with the pechuga de pollo.
The pechuga de pollo is a very simple yet flavorful Cuban chicken filet.

(13:23):
Try the Americanos.
That is chicken breast.
Chicken breast.
It's a no chicken breast that is we normally get it in a lobe right.
But we fillet it open and we make it very thin.
And I think when it's nice and thin it's actually more tender.
Yeah.
Super and you can eat it.
And tasty.
And we use typical Cuban seasoning for that.

(13:45):
We put usually like a mojo sauce that we have here.
That's homemade right.
We make that in house or mojo sauce.
We can't tell you what that is either.
But it's ours.
And we serve it every Cuban dish with white rice, black beans and plantains.
Can you go wrong with that?
No.
Sweet plantains.
So we also offer tostón.

(14:06):
Tostón.
Tostón.
Tostón.
Tostón.
Frieduca.
Bodouca.
All the goodies.
Those are the good ones.
And we can once in a while make you congri or arroz moro.
Which is pretty Caribbean style rice as well.
Yes.
Lately we've been into that.
Arroz moro.
Yeah.

(14:26):
We can definitely, I mean if you guys need a special order for arroz moro, anybody.
You guys or anybody listening out there.
We can cater to you whenever you need it.
Good to know.
Oh yeah.
We can make it.
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
My question.
That is.
What is your favorite comfort food to go to?
It doesn't even have to be on the menu.
What's your go-to?
Okay.

(14:46):
I'm going to hear my go-to right now.
We've had hot dogs.
We've had peanut butter and jelly.
Lately what I've been feeling.
It's very good.
It's good.
I love it.
I can eat 15 of them.
It's nigiri.
I love nigiri.
Oh nigiri.
Nigiri.
What is it?
Nigiri.
You know what nigiri is right?
Nigiri.
Yeah but you gotta tell everybody.
So nigiri is a type of raw fish served over Japanese white rice.

(15:09):
Steam white rice right?
So my favorite nigiri rolls have been so far is tuna, salmon, hamachi and trout.
Wow.
That's a nice little fillet.
Raw fish right?
Yeah.
Served over like a little patty of white rice.
We actually made that.
But we made it with shrimp a couple weeks ago.

(15:32):
I love it.
It's like one thing.
Yeah we were in a sushi restaurant.
We were in a sushi restaurant.
It's so good.
Yeah we learned how to roll sushi.
That's probably what I want to do next.
I want to learn how to make sushi.
It's fun.
It looks fun.
Especially with a few glasses of wine on the side.
It could probably be really fun right?
Well that's the only thing we didn't do.
But it was still fun.
It was sake.
It was sake.
It was shop knife.
Shop knife was involved.
So it's like.
So no sake.
A little bit.

(15:53):
It might make your cut a little bit more accurate.
You work a little bit better with a little bit of sake.
You like that.
Cause now your hands are not tingling.
Yeah you're right.
It's more fluid.
More fillet exactly.
We'll just cut straight through.
So nigiri.
So I've really been feeling nigiri.
Nigiri.
It's good.
I mean I grew up on Spanish food my whole entire life.
So I love it.
I can eat it to every day.
But my go-to when I'm not here.
When I do have time to eat outside of this restaurant has been Japanese.

(16:18):
Like Japanese.
Yeah.
Nogiri.
Sushi.
You know some soups as well.
Some more soups.
And that's a big trend out there now.
Yeah.
Plenty of places.
I love it.
I mean and it's not so heavy either.
No it's so good for you.
Yeah you can eat it and you feel good.
And enjoy a few glasses of wine.
And enjoy a few glasses of wine.
Yeah.
Yeah.
No.
Yeah for sure.
Yeah the sake is not bad either.

(16:40):
I like sake.
Cold sake.
You too.
I drink hot sake.
I only like the sake hot when I'm not feeling well.
Like if I have a cold or something I will do the sake.
And do it hot.
And I just feel like oh I'm instantly better.
It could be all in the mind.
Yeah we had it somewhere.
No it's good.
Definitely clear up to throw it a little bit.
I could definitely see.
It's hot.
When they serve it to you it's hot.

(17:01):
Oh no.
It's like wow.
I remember that.
And I thought it was going to be cold.
It was like it was like it was like a soup.
And I'm like this is like a weird soup.
So my head is going like soup.
It's like a big stop sign for you.
So it could all be cold sake.
But if you had done with it that was.
After a few steps you're feeling pretty good right.

(17:22):
Oh you was fine.
It was good soup then.
It was one of the better soups.
I agree.
Oh man.
I like that other stuff too.
The apricot wine is it?
Or the apricot wine.
It's sweet.
Yeah plum wine.
That's it.
My wife likes it.
I like that.
But that's usually the sake too.
People don't know that.

(17:43):
No it is.
It is.
It's a sake.
People don't know that.
They're like oh it's a one.
Read it.
But it's actually a wine.
So yeah.
I like it.
It's usually my wife and I have lately been trying to do it.
It's like that style of restaurant.
Japanese and for those exact reasons I guess I mentioned sake.
Some plum wine.
Yeah just relax.
And kind of like unwind.
And if they play that nice little music in the background.

(18:04):
You know you gotta relax.
You're like in a zen garden.
I was just saying a zen.
Exactly.
Like a zen garden.
Does that sound familiar?
We recently took a zen vacation.
And then you gotta get a koi tank.
Oh man koi is beautiful.
You gotta get a koi tank.
So even you know it's kind of like Japanese style cuisine too.
With the lime touches.
Peruvian food.
You're right.
We have done that.

(18:25):
I like Peruvian food a lot too.
There's a place down the street.
I'm sure you know.
Oh yeah.
There's one that's a chain but it's good.
Embarcadero.
It's good.
Brablin's good.
Embarcadero is one of our favorites.
Yeah that's one of our favorites.
And then when I walked in I wanted Peruvian food.
And I'm looking at the menu and I'm like this is sushi.
Yeah.
Oh this is awesome sushi.
You know if you actually go to Peru too you'll see a lot more Japanese people there too.

(18:49):
Yeah.
It's like a very big Asian country too.
Because I know we fell in love with that place.
As soon as we walked in and we started seeing like the food and how everything was handled.
Plus they use a different.
And the freshness.
But they use different filler.
Like with traditional sushi you're looking at your raw fishes.
That's it.
You go there with the Peruvians you're getting like grilled octopus.
Yeah.

(19:10):
They put their touch on it.
Wrapped in avocado.
You know like fun fact I don't know if you guys know this or not.
But Peruvians I believe in Peru have over 100 different species of potatoes.
Wow.
And then you can Google this.
You can Google this.
Anyway yeah they have 100 different species of potatoes.
Wow.
It's like the only country in the world that I've ever sat.
Yeah that gives them versatility.

(19:32):
Yes.
I'm talking Peru.
Along with Mexican but I think Peru.
I mean it's some of the most highest rated cuisine in the world.
The world.
Mexican improving.
I'm like we're right up there but Peruvian is up there.
Well my mind was there.
That corn.
Oh yeah.
I'm not trying to contact corn.
Yeah and I'm saying this looks like corn.
It tastes like corn but maybe it's a lime of B.

(19:54):
You know I mean I never see a corn of B.
So we just have each of here we put the corn.
You do?
Yeah we do.
It's called Cancha.
Yeah we do Cancha.
And then some improving restaurants will also offer you like sweet potato chips.
Oh I love those.
Sweet potato chips.
Yes.
They're very good at this.
Yes.
Love them.
Now here's a, here's a, well I would say here's usually a good question but we know

(20:16):
the answer is so for us this is a dumb question for us.
How did you get into the business?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well I can tell you like so I was born.
So you were born in the restaurant?
I was born in the restaurant right?
I'm having right there you know in the kitchen.
No but I was, I within weeks was probably brought into the restaurant.
Within weeks.
And I was pregnant, my mom was pregnant with me and we had restaurants in time.

(20:40):
But at no point in my childhood nor my teens nor growing up was I ever forced to continue
doing what I'm doing now.
And my parents never said you have to be in the restaurant and this is what you're going
to do now.
No, never.
I did graduate with a bachelor's degree in business from FAU right?
I did work a little bit in corporate America as well and saw that type of industry.

(21:06):
But you know there was something that I found talking with my dad that I really loved this
industry.
And it's not for everybody.
It requires a lot of long days, a lot of long hours.
People moving parts not just with employees, with customers or something breaking down
here.
It's a very tough industry.

(21:27):
So yes I was born in this industry right?
Raised by it.
It provided a lot for us as a kid, as a teenager, as an adult.
But I was never forced to continue doing what I'm doing.
But you obviously loved it because they loved it.
Yeah.
I mean even now there's days that are hard and you know and you want to just, you know.

(21:48):
You want to let go, you want to let go.
Close the door.
When that day's over you know it's…
Exactly.
I mean it's love.
You got to really love doing it.
It's not for everybody.
It's for everybody.
I mean sometimes on the front of the book, of this book, the restaurant industry is it
looks all fun.
You have to walk around, talking.

(22:08):
If you have a bar, sometimes you have a cocktail or two.
You look like it's all fun and games.
And in reality, I mean there's a whole operational side that you have to realize and it's being
understated in the kitchen.
I mean I joke now, I tell people, you know and I'm not saying I'm old but I'm older.
And when I came up in this industry there was no Gordon Ramsay.
There was no Emerald.

(22:29):
You know and people watch that on TV and they think that's a real kitchen.
And that's not a real kitchen.
Yeah.
Yeah and everyone dressed perfectly.
Yeah perfect.
And they don't even have a stain on their chef's suits and clothes.
I mean you know and I've worked with people and we've shared this.
I've worked with people from around the world.

(22:50):
I've had people that didn't speak English, only spoke Polish, only spoke German, a deaf
mute.
Yeah.
You know, Mexican, I had a Mexican man from Oaxaca which is up in the mountains and they
don't speak Mexican.
They don't speak Spanish.
They speak Indian.
Yeah, Indian.

(23:10):
And I remember the first day I got there, the guy says, do you speak Spanish?
I said, yeah.
He says, good.
This man's from Mexico.
I need you to talk to him.
So I go to talk to him and I'm like, what is he saying?
So you know, I had an improvise as you know and you have to show them what you want and
they do what you want.
That's it.
That's it.

(23:30):
I mean the kitchen, the fire man.
That's it.
If you can get through the fire, you can do anything in life.
I believe you.
It's true.
You can do anything in the kitchen, which you have done in the kitchen and if you can survive
that, you can survive anything.
Yeah.
Communication, very important.
That's the fire.
My thing is you probably noticed you have to be an adrenaline chunky.
You have to be.
Because if not, it's going to crush you.

(23:51):
No.
You know, you sit there, you get them, you know, 15, 20 covers that come right up on
the machine.
Get ready to go.
You get them out.
You got to ride that wave.
When you get them out, it's like, ah.
It's tough.
I give every cook, every kitchen, any staff member in the kitchen.
It doesn't matter if you're the dishwasher.
I give them the most respect out of any position in this industry.

(24:14):
It's the hardest, most challenging position in the restaurant.
Yeah, and I respect them.
I was like, thank the Lord.
We have long, tenured, kitchen staff members that have been with us for many years.
People who are dedicated.
Oh, yeah.
One of the weird things for me coming from Jersey is in New York and New Jersey, we

(24:36):
don't have air conditioning in our kitchens.
When I came to Florida, I was like, ooh.
Yeah.
Air conditioning in the kitchen.
Air conditioning doesn't really exist while at like 7pm on a Friday when you're serving
up 200, 300 covers.
Yeah, yeah, that air conditioning is good.
I mean, it's good to have it when it's there sometimes.
I've had it, like, I've had it at the moment in the kitchen.
I'm watching it going at 105, 110.

(24:56):
Oh, man.
I'm dying.
It's crazy.
I've never had a drink of water.
Have you ever worked the flat top before?
Yeah.
I mean, dude, that alone right there, right, is you got to probably be at like 160.
It's right there and you got multiple dishes going on.
Think of the facials.
It's crazy.
It's crazy.
I give the kitchen so much respect.

(25:18):
I had one time I had flu.
I came in and I worked the grill, the flame grill.
And they had a, what is it called?
They had a Porter House special that night.
So I had like 10, 12 steaks lined up and I'm sitting with a fever.
Like 40 on steak, 60 on steak.
But I'm sitting with a fever.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Okay.
And I'm like hallucinating and then my manager comes over and says, I need you to go to the

(25:40):
medic because we were in a race track.
So they had stuff.
I need you to go to the medic.
I don't want to go to the medic.
He goes, you're either going home or you're going to the medic.
So I go to the medic.
103.5.
Yeah.
So then he says, well, he said to me, you're going home.
I'm like, I'm not going home.
I got to get this done.
I'm going security.
Fine.
I'm going home.
But I was doing it.

(26:01):
Yeah.
And it's, you know, it's in you.
Like you said, you've been in his whole life.
So you know that it's in you.
You got to love it.
It's not, I said, not everybody can do it.
No, not everybody can do it.
It really is.
Even yourself.
You guys for so many years, you, you still have the passion for you in the Russian industry.
Yeah.
Just to show you what type of person you are.

(26:21):
I mean, listen, I've seen many people come in and come out.
Yeah.
I mean, we saw it was happening in 2020, after March, when everything was shut down and we
just, we had to do something.
We didn't know what to do.
We didn't know how we were going to do it.
We had no clue.
Only thing we knew was that we had to help our fellow man who's been in there, knows

(26:44):
to the grindstone, working hard, saving money, setting up a business.
I mean, it takes so much.
And then to see them so downtrodden, so pushed into walking away, that we said, no, that's
not fair.
There has to be a way.
God has to give us a way to make this happen.

(27:05):
And that's why we're here.
COVID was a very tough time for everybody.
It was the unknown.
Yeah.
So I think that's what I took out of it.
My family took out of it.
It was the unknown.
It was like, we had no idea what was going to happen.
If we were going to make it, we weren't going to make it.
But we knew we had to do something.
That's how it was working for nursing home chain.
So I was in a nursing home.
Yeah.

(27:26):
And I'm sure all PPE'd up.
PPE.
Yes.
Yeah.
PPE.
Yeah, PPE.
PPE'd up.
Oh, yeah.
That's tough.
I remember, hey, it looks funny that we just talked about how to get.
Can you imagine working with a mask on?
Yeah.
And you have to have a protective of that.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, I can't imagine.
So that's why you got to, I mean, listen to the kitchen.

(27:46):
Yeah, they had our kitchen.
They endured.
Okay, they work a lot.
They've endured COVID like champs.
Yeah.
So yeah.
You guys in the back here.
Kudos to you guys.
I love them.
I love them.
I love them.
I tell you, these are of all the money in the world.
You're better.
That's a brighter subject.
Yes.
Future events?
Huh?
Oh, no.
What do you have in mind?
I was going to say events, but how mariachi is more than events.

(28:08):
There's always events here.
There is always.
There's a party going on here.
I mean, right now, we're in a party room.
It's always single amount.
It's always single amount.
Yes.
A party room.
Right?
A party.
Right.
So then you have the restaurant seating, restaurant seating out front.
patio seating.
patio seating.
Correct.
Which you see.
You have entertainment up here.

(28:29):
Correct.
That goes outside.
And then we have bar seating as well.
And then we have in here where we currently are now, we have room for events to be for
20 to 30 people, right?
Like a bridal showers, baby showers, wedding rehearsals we've done.
You know, we've done, we do currently right now meetings for the Chamber of Commerce for
our book Parkland.
So I had known.

(28:50):
And I'm marrying my boys.
Yeah.
We've actually had a few wedding rehearsals in here.
They've gone pretty well.
But it's good.
It's one of the break-in places in Cold Springs that actually has this type of setup.
You think about our not many restaurants in this area.
You got the room.
You got a great setup.
And an office secluded space.
And like you were saying about a big restaurant.
This is a very big restaurant.
It's very big.
5600 square feet.

(29:10):
But what happened?
How big does it get?
May 5th?
Oh.
Oh, I guess.
How big does it get?
So we pushed it into the parking lot.
We do a single-mile semi-block party.
So we don't overtake the entire parking lot, but we take over some of the parking lot.
And it's a big party.
It's a big fiesta.
It's celebrating Mexican independence day kind of.

(29:31):
But we do a big party here.
And it's a very big American holiday that we love to celebrate with our local community.
We bring them on in.
We make shirts every year.
From Mariachi.
We have a Mariachi band.
We have a DJ.
We have a drink specials, grape food.
We can go all night long.
And it's time for us to celebrate and have one big party here.
It's all about the freedom.

(29:51):
Every single mile.
About the freedom, baby.
Every single mile.
Huge.
The main.
The main.
The best parties out on Mariachi.
I was here, yes.
Oh, no party.
Hands down.
Absolutely.
No doubt.
Full stop.
Where do you find us to go to Mariachi?
Mariachi.
And if you get into Barcrawl, which is, now we're in a nice little area of Barcrawl in

(30:13):
New York.
You can head up a couple Mexican joints, but make sure to hit the support on the way to
wherever you're going.
Cause I promise you we have the best margaritas.
Here.
Here.
Yes.
I don't care what they say.
This is the best margaritas.
I'll get in trouble for saying this, but my mother loves the pictures of margaritas.
Yup.
And I have many pictures of mama.
She sits down and she says, Lechonasal.

(30:34):
Margarita.
No better combo.
I mean, yeah.
No better combo.
Yeah.
All we need for her is a hat.
We provide those for her birthday.
We provide those for her birthdays.
We get the los sombreros going on.
Don't encourage her.
So, in regards to events, so we do have every single mile, right?
It's a big party here.

(30:54):
And starting last year, and what we're going to do this year is we're going to be celebrating
an anniversary party every year until God allows us to celebrate an anniversary party.
Why?
Because you know what?
You should be proud of another year, especially after what we discussed, what we went through,
right?
Maybe a couple of recessions, you know, some COVID.
Yeah.
And we're going to celebrate that time, but every year should be a celebration because
you're able to celebrate one year with the community again.

(31:15):
It's not a poison.
It should be a big celebration.
So, this November 1st, right, Friday at 5 p.m.
Elmer actually will be celebrating 31 years of business.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen to that.
So, we're just going to continue doing what we have been doing.
91 more.
Hopefully.
Hopefully.
Maybe my sons can take over one day.
I'm not going to force them, but hopefully we can make this a maybe 100-year-old business.

(31:38):
We'll see.
I can see it.
I can probably get 60 out of me.
I can probably make it to 60.
And then maybe my kids will, you know, or somebody in the family will push it to 100.
Absolutely.
But we're doing that.
So, the biggest events of the year will be for a single amount and then around, end of
October and November, depending on the day it falls on, right?

(31:59):
We will have an anniversary party.
So, which is a very good...
Which falls on El Dia de los Muertos.
The Los Muertos.
So, this year it actually falls on the El Los Muertos.
So November 2nd is the end of El Dia de los Muertos, but I believe it starts on the 28th
of October, 29th.
So, we're going to be in the midst of it.
So, it's going to be a big combination of anniversary and El Dia de los Muertos.

(32:22):
So, we will have El Dia de los Muertos decorations up.
We might even do face painting.
We might do some face painting with the skulls.
I might call a lady.
Yeah, that's pretty big.
We did it last year at one of our locations.
We did face painting.
Kids love it.
Yeah, it's cool.
I did it one year.
I like it too.
It's awesome.
El Dia de los Muertos is probably, I think one of the coolest artists that we don't celebrate

(32:42):
enough here.
I mean, it celebrates the afterlife.
I think it...
No, we should.
Now, I was going to ask you.
Catering.
Do you do all premise?
So, we cater, right?
It's more of like a custom catering.
We cater to your needs.
We'll guide you in like stuff.
A, you want to cater.
Because not everything Mexican is catered for, especially for us, because we take pride

(33:05):
in what we serve to, right?
So, there's certain things that taste much better when it's served right here on the
table.
And there's things that do not travel well after 20, 30 minutes, right?
And they'll get dry, they'll get soggy.
There's going to be the same quality.
So, we guide you, but we do have like a catering menu.
Once you do email us, and I can provide you with that as well, right?
As long as you take my email.

(33:28):
Yeah.
And you, hey, catering.
We also have a catering form on our website, which is www.almeranchomexican.com.
And you just go to the catering tab, you click it, you submit the info.
You're just going to ask us simple questions, your name, your number, the event, how many
people, you get submitted to me.
Get right back to them.
Yeah.
And then we'll reach back out to them.
So, we can, we do that.

(33:48):
And I highly recommend it because our food is very diverse.
Yeah.
As you know, you can make a taco bar, you can make up a heater bar, you know rice, beans,
Mexican corn, guacamole.
It's going to be fun.
I'm thinking, like I said, my pick, you know?
Taco bars are really awesome.
Yeah, they are.
And I'm thinking about something like that, like corporate stuff.
Because, you know, I was a little bit in a corporate world and I know it's always the

(34:09):
same thing.
Pizza, subs, pizza, subs, pizza, subs.
I mean, this food travels well.
They'll guide you on what travels well.
Right.
It's not everything, but taco bars are awesome.
Yeah.
So, if you guys are interested in catering, please reach out to me or go on our website
and you will have somebody get in touch with you for sure.

(34:31):
Awesome.
So, come on guys, mini drop.
Invite me to the taco bar.
Yeah, or fajita bar.
Hey, the fajita bar is good.
I might not want to invite me to that one.
It might not have anything to do with it.
It's so diverse because you don't have to make tortillas.
You can make a rice bowl, you can make a lettuce bowl, you can make a vegetable bowl.

(34:52):
You can do so much stuff with Mexican food.
It's a...
We have a salad here.
Yes, we have a salad.
We have a feta explosion salad.
That's actually probably our top salad.
Long with the taco salad.
Wait, wait, popular.
Very popular.
That is my most order thing when I come.
We were joking a couple days ago when I said about pictures of the food and I said I got
hundreds of pictures.

(35:13):
Probably about 70 of those pictures are the fajita explosion.
I mean, it's that good?
I get it with shrimp.
It's that good.
Oh.
Yeah, it is that good.
I actually had some shrimp tacos today.
So, I'm a big shrimp guy.
Oh, nice.
We seasoned them.
So, you know how it looks.
Very nice.
One of my other favorites is the Mexican pizza appetizer.
Now, I know people talk about the Taco Bell Mexican pizza, how they love that.

(35:37):
And I do love that.
But when you have this...
It's good.
It's good.
You don't want to go back.
First of all, it has meat.
It has meat.
It has real meat on it.
It has actual good quality meat on it.
Real good quality meat.
And it's an appetizer, but...
It's a really big appetizer.
Along with the Mexican pizza, I would say the nachos is probably another filling appetizer

(35:58):
that you can maybe have even as an entree, which some people do have here as an entree.
You can see ahead the nachos.
Yeah, it's so big.
But the Mexican pizza, come on.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
I think it's good to share.
If you eat that by yourself, I mean, yeah.
And you get the flag.
And you get the flag.
You get the flag to take home.
I know we didn't talk about this, but now it's a good time to bring this up.
But hey, I think we have the best chips and salsa in town.

(36:19):
In town.
Actually, everything.
I'm not going to even challenge that.
No.
I'm not going to go everywhere.
I'm not even going to challenge that.
Can we make this maybe in the state?
I think we might have the best chips.
No, no, no.
But we even go out of the country.
Out of the country, too.
Yeah.
And I know.
We're just saying yes.
Anyway, and I'll be honest, and you know this, when we get it, we usually have to get
more.
Yes.

(36:39):
We usually have to get more.
And they're nice and hotter.
Every time they come to the table.
People come.
People come.
Just for chips and salsa.
I'm sure they do.
Oh, my.
Yes.
But we use, I mean, we do, none of it's canned.
That type of people are like, this is not canned salsa.
Now you get a public sense.
Tostino's none of it.
This is real salsa.
We go through about 900 pounds of tomato a week.
Yeah, I was going to say how many tomatoes?

(37:00):
Like around 900 pounds.
Wow.
Close.
I'm on like a very good week.
Busy peak season, 900 pounds.
And yeah, we make our salsa daily.
Fresh, fresh onion, fresh cilantro, fresh jalapeno, fresh tomatillo, fresh tomato, fresh salt.
You name it, everything.
And we chop it up.
Are you listening?
I'm talking to my Mexican family.
I'm talking to my Mexican family.

(37:21):
Listen, it's, it's a, I think an item, right?
That's complimentary when you're done here.
That has really brought people in.
You know, I'm into chips and salsa.
Let's just go to my atchoo tonight.
It really brings people in.
It really draws people in.
So for the past 30 years, I remember one time, I think tomato had an issue with Salmonella.
Like McDonald's, we call it.

(37:43):
It was a big tomato recall.
Yes, I remember that.
I kid you not.
You didn't have any of those, did you?
Yeah, we couldn't serve, it was just too expensive, number one, to even get a bunch.
Yeah, they were crazy.
It was crazy.
And you can't serve it because people were scared of it, number one.
But when we told people that there was no salsa, they said, okay, we'll come back when
it's normally.

(38:04):
They didn't, they didn't eat it.
There were some people that just said, listen, say we're not eating, we'll come back.
Just let us know when you have it.
That's it.
So there was people that actually do, that's what I learned very quickly.
People do come here just for something.
I mean, not to just eat that and nothing else, they'll come.
I could have had it with guacamole.
I wouldn't stay.
I know, but there's some salsa connoisseurs.
I've even seen people eat the salsa out of a salsa cup with a spoon.

(38:26):
That's when they'll eat the salsa raw.
They do.
They really do.
Some of them, some of them go.
I tell you.
Just saying.
I tell you.
Guilty is charged.
I don't want to divert, but you see, this is an example of like why you're in business
years, the salsa is free, the chips are free, and you put that much work into what's free.

(38:53):
Yeah.
I mean, we don't put a cap on you either.
You can have six, five, two of the salsa.
But I'm saying this is, this is an example of why you're successful.
This is like why you're successful.
This is, I never want to change who we are.
I never want to change who we are.
And you know what?
It's funny because I remember going to the one down by the mall and it's the same.
The food, I eat the food, taste the same.

(39:15):
It's the same.
Yeah.
And that's what's awesome.
Some people in business, they change, they diss, and then you lose people.
Yeah.
You know, where you have a steady following, you got great food, and that's, you know,
and it's a test match.
That's what you're at 30 years.
That's why the community loves you.
One of the things I learned the most from my father, and I'll never forget it, you know,
passed away four years ago coming up, but he told me one thing that he said, no matter

(39:40):
what he says, you order the best and the freshest and it doesn't matter in the type of world
we're in where prices fluctuate, you continue to order the best and you do not cut portions.
There you go.
And to this day, yeah, we, I mean, as tough as it was during post COVID and the way things
are now, we will not, and we have not cut our portions.

(40:04):
I've stopped ordering the freshest and highest quality ingredients at all.
And it's good to hear that because there will be people that say, wow, the food is still
the same, or you get online reviews that say great size portions, good price food for the
portions, you know, that's good to hear.
Cause I mean, I do all the work that I can to satisfy obviously the end person, right?

(40:28):
So to hear that back, you know, that we haven't changed a single thing and that that's paying
us back, right?
Or paying back is a great thing to hear.
It never gets old.
And that's, we'll never change, never not changing our food quality, right?
Cause you can change it.
You can order different quality ground beef.
You can order a different quality of chicken.
You know, you don't have to order eight ounce fillets.
You can order randoms that are very chewy and very random.

(40:51):
Yeah.
Right.
Some might be turkey.
Some might be turkey.
Yeah.
You see them turkey.
Yeah.
They're huge.
They're huge.
They don't even know how chicken gets up there.
Right.
Sorry about that.
And you can definitely change the quality of food.
And change it.
People will not come back, right?
You'll get bad reviews and then right before you know it, that's it.

(41:12):
But right now that's your blessing.
That was your father's legacy.
And that's one of our core values.
That's why that's it.
That's in our mission statement.
Mission statement.
It should be.
Yes.
That's it.
Yeah.
Do what dad did.
The way dad did it, no matter what.
We serve the freshest and highest quality ingredients while providing exceptional service.
There you go.
And that's not a secret.

(41:33):
No.
That's not a secret.
That is a mission statement.
That's who we are.
That's what we do.
We will continue to do so.
And like I said, I've said this a hundred times.
You know my mother loves the place.
She's in Jersey.
And every time she's getting ready to come here to Florida.
It's one of the first things.
Which day are we going to New York?
Normally she likes to stop here first.

(41:54):
She used to like to go from the airport to come here first to start her trip.
You know?
And it's like, I mean, can we go another day?
No, I want to go.
First day I want to go.
But no, but that's again, because the quality, the portion, you know, the customer service.
Everything.
And I think the food tasted good.
I mean, she had a...
Oh, you know, and I ended up taking everything home because I don't eat that much, but you

(42:16):
know, hey.
No, there was a gentleman that worked at the other place that used to, I guess he worked
the lunches.
I think that you guys said he meant to work at Runway or something after.
But he was with you guys forever at the other place.
And she had his name in her watch.
I forgot the name, but she's like, you know, oh, I'm going to go see so-and-so.
And I'm like, who is it?
Over the time, we've definitely had some employees that have, like I said, just touched people.

(42:37):
And I mean, if you're here for so long and you come to a restaurant that you feel like
home, I mean, we cheat you like home.
It's comforting.
It's comforting knowing that, well, you will remember the waiters and you're going to be,
I want that waiter which is next time I come.
So luckily we've had over the course of 31 years, we even blessed to have some really
good employees, right?
So that all starts with how you receive them though and how you teach them and how you

(43:01):
train them.
And that all starts with the culture that my father put in this restaurant.
He's the one who imprinted that kind of feeling in here.
Like my dad was the type of person that would hug you at the door, shake your hand, give
you a kiss in the cheek, right?
He'd receive you like family because I mean, we won.
You guys feel like family.
I mean, I think that's like a dying art in the industry where, you know, where people,

(43:22):
you barely have managers that come up and ask, well, how's your food?
How's it going?
How's your experience?
How's it going today?
No, it's just, well, how are you?
What would you like to eat?
What would you like to drink?
Are you done?
Okay.
Have a nice day.
No, it's not like, hey guys, what brings you in?
You know, start conversation.
And we have some employees that have been working for many years and I say, you have people
that have been working here or dining here 20 years, 15, 10.

(43:46):
You don't receive them.
They're just, hi, what would you like to drink?
What can you have to drink?
Buy, see you later.
No, it's, how are you guys?
Welcome back.
What's going on?
Where were you guys?
Were you guys on vacation?
We were on vacation for a couple of weeks.
How's your dog doing?
How's that doing?
Because it creates a personal touch and that's something both our restaurants have been known
for and you can even see it on the reviews and how we treat you.
They're very personal.

(44:07):
It's a great experience, very family friendly, right?
Because that's how I believe society over the past 30 years has been and we're forgetting,
I think.
And I know I'm sidetracking here, but it's something, I think that's something that's dying.
And I think we got to continue to change that.
I think managers and foremanagers and GMs and everything should be more on hands with

(44:32):
their customers because now we're getting sidetracked by this.
This is, that's it, right?
So this is that that.
We, and you can check our reviews and all, we do our things and I preach this and she's
going to roll her eyes because she hears it so many times.
But it's the personal touch.
And I always say, I could look at you and there's about five or six other restaurants in Broward

(44:53):
that I could look at and name and people will know who they are and they're very successful
and they all have one thing in common.
Owner slash manager involvement.
The owner's there.
The manager's there at the door.
You know, there's a restaurant and again, I don't want to name names or anything, but
there's a restaurant that we know that the owner, very successful restaurant, sits at

(45:16):
the door.
He's the major dig.
Before he seats a table, we see him go and check the table to make sure it's set correctly
and then go to the door.
Ten minutes later, the people come for the reservation and seats them.
Yep.
Now think about this.
This is someone that's been in business over 30 years.
Okay.
He's the owner of places, what paid, very upscale.

(45:37):
He doesn't have to do that.
No.
But he does and that's what makes the place successful.
Right.
I love it.
You're here.
You're here.
It's the owner of Bob and a lot of people think, let me open a restaurant, put someone
there, and I've gone through this 100 times where I call it the chilly moment.

(45:58):
You walk in and you got the two young girls at the front desk and it gave you the look
because you just interrupted the conversation.
Then they take the three menus and they throw it on the table and they tell you, your waiter
be with you in a minute.
They got a Bible of drinks here that you have to go through to figure out what drink you want
But you don't got a chance because the waiter comes over and says what do you have to drink?

(46:20):
Mm-hmm. You didn't even like sit. See what do you have to drink? Yeah, not know when you're blowing your tip, but that's
Another conversation altogether. Yes
We have a series we did call the pet peeves my biggest pet peeve is the house everything
How's everything to me is like that's the obligatory BS
I've been in corporate. This isn't corporate. So you haven't seen this. I've seen it where they have it on the door of

(46:45):
The kitchen and it says check table in five minutes. Yeah
What if they didn't start their food? Correct, you know, it's like or like, you know
We've had issues where like her food went back and I'm sitting here with a plate and the guy comes in how's everything?
Well, her food went back
You know sitting here waiting for her food to come out. Yeah, so I mean if we'd like to eat together

(47:08):
There's a whole process of that and you know, again, I've seen it places and then they come by
After the house has everything and you said this they come back. Here's your check
Yeah, so it's kind of like I want you to come in sit down eat and get the hell out. I hate that
It's all about turning table turning table. This is like

(47:28):
Where's my dessert? Yeah, where's where's where's my interaction check without dessert? Yeah, they didn't even know
Yes, no, that's the number one question. Do I look too fat? Is that what the problem?
Here we come here. We get the quadrilateral. Yeah
Oh that in the lava cake now
You have lava cake. I haven't had lava cake

(47:51):
No, the quadrilateral is this what I come with girls now to the truth is very good
Churros are very good. That's a big headache. Yeah, I can imagine. Yeah
Oh my god, what ledger with my ice cream churros. I was gonna say but the churros you serve them with hot chocolate
We do actually Nutella chocolate. We have to be chocolate
You don't like it
Some people don't like the hazelnut so they'll go doptin for the chocolate which we have her she's chocolate syrup here, right?

(48:14):
And we also offered to say that you that's how it's done. Yes. Are you listening?
It's very good, but you know to go back to where you're saying I think
Small mom and pop businesses are becoming fewer and fewer so the people that do go out to them. I
I think as advice, you know to go to support them because now we're seeing more corporate

(48:37):
Level restaurant or management owned restaurants that are owned by multiple investors, right?
So and they don't have the same touch like in mom and pops
No, so the reason why we're able to do what we are doing right now is because we're a small mom and pop
You know, I am able to be here. My mom is able to be in the other location other locations as well
Family is allowed to be here because we have the opportunity to do so right now

(48:58):
But sometimes people look at this solely as in profit, you know, I
Know my family myself don't take this justice in profit. We actually care about
the name and the customers and the customers here like the community
So I think that's what does make a big difference
with mom and pops and
Management restaurants is that we will go the extra mile to ask how is your day going?

(49:22):
You know, where have you guys been? It's been a few weeks since I've ever seen what's going on, you know
I remember coming in and the girl had just started. Oh, our server had just started like that week. Oh, Jamie
I remember Jamie. Yes, and she told us all about where she came from and what she's doing and what she plans to do and
And how much she enjoys this that me up. Oh my god. She was amazing

(49:44):
What a doll. Yeah, she hugged us on the way in she hugged us on the way out
We exchanged
I'm going to the camera. See that's called a memorable experience. Yeah, that's not yeah
And especially for me, I don't remember anything. I can't remember what I ate yesterday
I can't remember what I had for breakfast
But I remember Jamie and I remember that experience because it was so loving so kind so sweet and so just

(50:08):
Ex-temperaneous it was just flowing and I think you'll find that more in family-owned business small mom and pop ones
Yeah, because we actually care it's not just about going through the flow
Clocking in and clocking out and that's right through management. See I believe and again this this what we're doing here is
Part of what I call my battle. I

(50:30):
We don't we don't do corporate. We don't do corporate
And I firmly believe that all this stuff you see corporate wise they're gonna lose
Yeah, because they are profit
Dribbing their profit driven and when prices go up, what do they do cut?
Where do they do it labor cut where they do with everything cut and people are smart and

(50:54):
Money work is hard money is hard to come by and we got a choice to give the money to a local family
That's gonna take care of you and be there or do you go to a I'm just making a name up?
Tony's fast food place with tomorrow. We'll have a new manager next week. We'll have six new people in the kitchen
You know every time you go there's gonna be somebody different and take in mind to a lot of the staff members here are local

(51:21):
People that are also being supported
By this restaurant, exactly that's the whole thing
It's a circle and that's why I said I don't I don't think I think this corporate fad and they're killing each other you see
I know you see the chains
They're they're swallowing each other closing up everywhere
You know and it's against because they're profit driven well their margins are getting tighter and tighter

(51:44):
Yeah, and they're making decisions based by their count not their real life decisions. I mean if we close our doors
That's it. You know are not life's not done, but you know, that's what we made a living
That's this is what we make living right is this is it so we count on every little thing
Well, that's that's the other problem. I always I see a lot

(52:07):
You guys your family has the right mold. It's a living. This is your life
You have your home you have your house you have your family, but this is your living a lot of people go into this and
And are like I want to open the restaurant be a millionaire. Yeah
Well, good luck
Good luck with that steps you got to take before you

(52:27):
First of all to do that. There's so many intricate things location is warm clientele is another
You know and we've seen it up be Frank right here in Los Olas
Los Olas outpriced themselves. Was it last month? I think seven restaurants close. Yeah, that's a tough industry to be in
I'm so they're killing each other though. They're there. I mean one restaurant. We saw they had a check average

(52:50):
$600. Hmm. Wow. How do you maintain that?
You can't that's a lot of ball players, but you can't maintain that. I mean, that's why they say 98% of businesses that open
They close in the first year. Oh, that's it 90. I think it's like the highest failing industry. Yeah, in the world
but I believe it's

(53:11):
The people it's not the industry. It's the people because I see no, I've seen it
And we've talked this to other people is I've seen an Italian restaurant go out of business
Two months later an Italian restaurant opens and I'll say here. What do you oh no one's had my sauce?
Okay, they close what opens next another time, right? I'm like, yeah, that'll be closed. Yeah

(53:33):
It's like how do you open something in a place where there's exact same thing and it's getting tougher and tougher
And you'd have to think yeah, you know what maybe change it up
You know, I mean, but some people they have their ego driven. Mm-hmm. You know, no one's had my whatever
It's getting tougher and tougher. I'm telling you as

(53:54):
The I know I was like people moving in people come to Florida as the more business pop up and pop up and pop up
I think it's harder and harder to
Stay open with the restaurant because there's so much
Saturation to mark yeah, I mean it really is I mean there's so much now
I think you guys can see from the city. Yeah, there's a lot of Mexican
There's a lot of Asian fusion now. There's a lot of talent. Yeah, so it's like unless you have a name

(54:20):
right
Some will make it and some will not
Unfortunately, I think it's I think it's tough for the surviving decision not stopping you from doing it
I think you should pursue your dream. It's one open to do it
Right, but know what you're doing, right?
So I think I don't necessarily need a name to be in this industry. You just kind of want to be

(54:42):
Yeah, right you got to serve the people who are going to come in you have to know what they want
What they mean, right how they want it correct?
Because if you don't have those little things and I know they're little things
But they make the business flow. They make everything happen for you and the only reason you know how to do it

(55:02):
Yeah, you got it
You got to be in it even with me like you know like I was kind of when my dad passed away unexpectedly, right?
So I could have either
Sancta ship
Continue sailing with ship. Yeah, right. Yeah, you know your mind. Yeah, yeah, I could have easily driven this place down the drain
Yeah, I could have yeah, oh you could have closed the door and said dad's not here

(55:22):
It's not the same thing I could have you know, just half fast at it. Yeah, let employees take over and collect
But I didn't know thanks. So you got her really I think the biggest most important thing you got to take in this
Uh, and soon she's wanted to be in it because when you're in it, you'll hear feedback
You know your rhythm, you know the movement, you know the heartbeat
You'll know the pulse and always listen take advice

(55:45):
From anybody out there and learn adjust correct
You go far as a restaurant, but as a rule far listen, learn adjust correct and you'll go far
Yeah, yeah, my favorite word pivot
Yeah, that's my favorite word got adjust the other one that that's one of my favorite is

(56:06):
When you grow something you have to do it organically it has to happen naturally you can't just boost it
No, no, you can't throw money at it. No, that doesn't work
Yeah, we've seen that we've seen that with places where they just put money at it
And I'm I mean we were what place they're out of business now, but they're throwing money
Yes, and I'm like sitting here like what you have six people at your grave

(56:30):
Or they'll be beautiful looking restaurants
Sub part and this food sub part
Because the course grape you would have invested in like a good food quality
Or if you had known what the people in this area actually wanted to eat exactly, you know that that would help a little before I've seen
That's the that's the beauty of it. It's what keeps me going

(56:50):
Yeah, so I mean you see people come in come out you see your competition come in
How can you adjust? How can you work together? How can you not keeps me going? I love the challenge of this industry?
That's what makes me keep going. It's the challenges
It is it's a daily challenge
And you never know what the challenge is going to be. It's always a surprise

(57:10):
And sometimes a little bit of a shock. Yeah
But it also brings you back to
Wait a minute basics. Yeah
That's that's not working
I have to fix it. I don't know how to fix it. Hang on. Let me step back
Let's see if anybody here knows what's going on. Has anybody faced this problem. You'll be surprised

(57:32):
And that's what it's all about. The Colesbriggs is a tough city to stay open
Yeah, I mean a lot of people are very like, you know judgmental critics
We have very good, uh
Food critics that live in the city too, and they'll let you know right away. They'll let you know right away if you're not doing good
Yeah, so oh, yeah, they'll pop it there. So, you know darn well, you're doing the right thing

(57:52):
We're so happy for you. Really. Thank you. Really
And I love you guys over the course of now like two years. I'm seeing you guys more frequently
I love it. You guys have been coming here, but I've become more personable with you guys
I know you guys died back with my father and everything. Yes. Yes
Getting to know you a little bit more has been a pleasure. Thank you. And you know, I mean like just
For us, we don't ever ask for anything. No, no, no

(58:12):
I just want it to be known. Yeah, you don't yeah, I mean ask me for a single pen
Ever ever ever love you guys
No, we just want to give you love. Yeah, so
Let's go back to where can you be found? Oh, yeah, the two locations. Okay, so we're located in cold springs
Uh, which is about
20 minutes south of bokeh rattan

(58:35):
And about 15 minutes north of like saugrass mall that area. Okay. Yeah, so we're pretty uh, we're off the turnpike
So if you get down to university off saugrass
You'll find us, right? And we have two locations one on 21 53 north university drive
Right cold springs, florida another one off of wiles, which is 46 25 north university drive

(58:55):
But you can find all that information on our website
Which is
www.elmerachemexican.com and you do have
Two instagrams too that will keep you updated on the latest events and the latest happy hours
And the latest food specials our lunch specials dinner specials, whatever we have which we have two we operate them on two different
Pages you'll find us a here this location will be elmer. Actually restaurant at royal palm, right?

(59:22):
And the other one will be america restaurant at wiles road and i'll put that on the bottom of all the video links
So you find this thing and we're open seven days a week from
11 to when god tells us to close
All right
That works. Yeah
Anything now you want to add or
I do appreciate your guys time for for coming here and taking time with me

(59:42):
And helping us out too because all this does help up 100 to the viewers out there. Thank you for tuning in
Do best people ever love them
Continue to follow them like subscribe do whatever you got to do because
This is a movement that I believe they're creating to be very big and they have bigger and better things in store for you
And thank you for helping us because every time we ask you for advice, you're always there

(01:00:06):
Oh, we do appreciate it. Yes
advice
We started our newsletter. Yes, October 1st was the first. Yes. So November 1st the next one's coming out
And my actions was the inspiration
You were the inspiration for that. Thank you. It was a conversation that we had

(01:00:26):
And you mentioned you had said you just throw it out there said something to me. You said to me. Why don't you just do this yourself?
Yes, yes in my head. I said, you know what I've been doing this for everybody. Yeah, it was a seed
Let me do this for myself. So it was a seed you threw out you threw it out
And you watered it. It's gonna be bigger and better. Yes anything you've ever done
I know it

(01:00:47):
I can feel it ready what uh
200 people signed up in the first one. I mean just a couple of days. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's incredible. I think uh
I think this movement you guys are starting is incredible. I really do. I just want to get everybody closer
Exciting everybody you're nighting. That's what I want. Well, nobody really knows
Uh, the inside sometimes of a certain restaurant. You guys always eat but then never get to see the person behind it, right?

(01:01:11):
That's the purpose of I know you guys got some have had some special guests
And I have a couple special guests lined up. So I'm interested in seeing those myself
So because I mean it's always I think it's always always a cool thing to see
What uh goes on behind? Yeah
closed doors. Yeah
Very important
So anyway, so I'm gonna say goodbye and thank you so much. Don't forget to like share and subscribe

(01:01:35):
And don't forget to share share share
Because that's what helps the out. Please share. Please share. Cinco de mayo will be here. Cinco de drinko
And and it's Cinco de drinko
Cinco de drinko. So as always enjoy and we'll see you there. Have a great one. Bye. Bye.

(01:02:17):
upstairs