August 26, 2025 • 49 mins
Wesley and Steven reconnect after 24 days apart to discuss recent business trips and cultural observations. Their candid conversation covers everything from mysterious car WiFi systems to McDonald's price-cutting strategy and the trending LaBooBoo collectibles. Oh! All with no internet and faulty equipment.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're here, take four .
I think this is take five.
Yeah, we're having.
We're in the um uh hoopty,we're in the ditch.
We're in the damn ditch.
The random driver is fallingoff the road, but it's time for
another episode of who's Driving.
(00:20):
Welcome to who's Driving.
I'm Wesley Turner.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
And I'm Stephen Merck .
We're two best friends andentrepreneurs.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Who's Driving is an entertaining look into the
behind the scenes of our lives,friendship and business.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
These are the stories we share and topics we discuss,
as two best friends would on along road trip.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Along the way, we'll check in with friends and offer
a wide range of informativetopics centered around running
small businesses, social mediaand all things home and garden.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
You never know who's driving,or?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
where we're headed.
All we know is it's always afun ride.
So let's try this.
Start again.
It's either our fourth or fifthtime.
We have no internet.
The microphones aren't working,the camera keeps cutting off.
We don't know why.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
We are so soft as a society now cutting off?
We don't know why.
We are so soft as a society now.
I mean no internet, no Wi-Fi,and we are just falling apart.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Well, I mean all of the stuff that works, I know.
I'm just saying I hope it comesback on tonight because when
I'm editing this, laying in bedat 2 am and trying to upload it,
well I have a crazy question.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
You can make fun of me.
Yeah, you're so good at it.
How does my car have Wi-Fi?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
I don't know, does your car have Wi-Fi?
Mm-hmm, do you pay a bill?
Mm-mm, a bill?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
A bail.
I don't pay a bail.
No, it has Wi-Fi.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I mean, I know certain cars do, but I figured
it was like a cellular serviceand Dylan didn't know either.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
And Dylan's like really smart with this stuff.
He's like what is it?
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I was like this car has Wi-Fi, can you tap into it
like a hotspot?
It connects to my phone, but Iknow, but is it just using your
phone's Wi-Fi?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Like is it pulling the Wi-Fi from your phone to run
your car?
Speaker 1 (02:17):
I don't know that, but it has like it shows up on
Wi-Fi.
Oh as this.
Yeah, it's like LLR, somethingLike Lane Rover.
I don't know.
I'm like, where does this come?
from it's like LLR, somethingLike Lane Rover, something I
don't know.
I don't know.
I'm like where does this comefrom?
I know, well, I know some carshave that, but I always thought
they were like you know how youriPad can have its own cellular
(02:38):
service?
I mean, I don't pay anything.
I thought maybe it was likethat.
I don't know, I don't know, Idon't know.
I mean, I may be paying, you'reprobably paying and you just
don't know.
Back to our story that we've nowtold three or four times.
I don't even want to hear itanymore.
(03:00):
So Stephen and I didn't seeeach other for 24 days until
like today's Monday.
Last night we saw each otherfor a live sale at the warehouse
.
I was on vacation, then youwere in Hawaii and then you—I'm
glad you scheduled it.
This is the part where it turnsoff every time, because you had
scheduled before you went toHawaii that when you got back on
(03:23):
Tuesday, did you go on Mondayor Tuesday?
Tuesday, tuesday morning youwould get up and go to the
Atlanta market to do live sales.
And I didn't realize youscheduled that was like a long.
You did a Tuesday, wednesday,thursday, friday, I thought you
know sometimes you'll schedulethem.
He has loved doing these marketlives.
(03:44):
I love them.
He just loves them.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
It's my favorite thing, in fact.
In fact, I'm seriouslycontemplating buying a condo.
Yeah, just because it wouldwork for us it would work.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And it's funny that you found your little like.
I've always been the Instagramlive sale person and really like
the Instagram promotingproducts for our business.
But you and Dylan have taken onthis little niche Niche, it's
fun, niche, it's fun Live sale,like going to Atlanta and y'all
do the jewelry and bags andwhatever.
(04:22):
Yeah, jewelry and bags andwhatever.
But normally he will just sayto me hey, dylan and I are
scheduled to go to Atlanta nextweek or this week.
We'll be there for a couple ofdays.
I'm like, okay, that's good, Iget to do work at the warehouse.
I might do a lot.
I was doing fall decorating,but it kept going last week four
days.
I was like you really setyourself up.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Well, I had it planned out and see, I have this
disease and it's called.
I think I'm 28, but I'mactually 52.
Right, and this disease, justit, rears its ugly head often
these days.
So that came into play.
(05:07):
But I was so jet lagged.
I don't think I have ever feltso bad in my— I don't think I
have ever felt that bad of a jetlag, no matter— it's the worst
I've ever felt.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Well, you had to fly like completely overnight on a
red eye 17 hours, which isuncomfortable and it was long.
And then it was like you gotback but you said you're glad
you scheduled Atlanta because itmade you.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Okay.
Monday I was like whoa?
I was like this is bad.
I was like I might be callingthe Marriott saying, hello, I
ain't coming.
And I was like, no, I need, Ihad stuff scheduled so I don't
(06:06):
mess with the live sale people.
Yeah, I will mess with him.
I will mess with MarriottDaniel, I don't care, dylan, I
don't care about anything, butI'm not messing with those live
people.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Because it took us a long time to get them to let us
do these live sales.
So I said hell, I'm doing it.
It took us a long time to getthem to let us do these live
sales and all this other things.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
So I said, hell, I'm doing it.
And it was the smartest thing Iever did because it
jump-started me Like I hadenergy.
It got me immediately back onmy schedule.
We got up and had breakfast andit just was good.
It was really good.
(06:49):
And the other thing that Ireally liked that I've never
done in Atlanta, evenmarket-wise at all, and that I
want to do more of market livesat all and that I want to do
more of even when you and I arethere, is we left for a day at
(07:10):
market and went to a warehouseoutside.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
So you got a different view.
It was almost re-energizing.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yeah, because we got out, we were in, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
It's easy to get stuck in the market building and
right there in that bubble andwe've even talked about we have
to do that like even getting outto go eat when we're at market
makes a big difference, Justlike get out from there.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Like that evening we got out and we were in the car
and I was like what do we do,where are we going?
I was like what do we do, whereare we going?
I was like what are we doing?
I was like where do you want togo eat?
And he was like well, I'mexhausted, let's just go to the
hotel.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
I said hell no, we got to do something.
Did y'all eat somewhere?
Good?
Speaker 2 (08:01):
No, we weren't, we didn't decide and I was like,
okay, I wanted to go to the mallto try on something that I had
seen a lot.
You went to Lenox or Phipps.
We went to Lenox, but you knowI was wanting kind of California
pizza kitchen.
So Lenox was there and I wantedto go buy a Prada to try
(08:21):
something, and so we went bythere, I tried that on and then
by the time they closed at 8.
Who, california Pizza Kitchen.
California Pizza Kitchen At themall.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
But you know it's If you go to the one out by Ikea
there later.
That's where I always order oursalad.
That's where I should have gone.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
But so I was like, well, hellfire, I don't want to
drive around, I don't want toleave here now without eating.
So we went To the food court.
No, we went to CheesecakeFactory and they have a new
skinny menu.
Because I'm trying to, I thinkthey've had that for a while.
Yeah, they've had it forseveral years.
(09:04):
I've been eating it for severalyears.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
How's that going for you?
It was good, it is really good.
I've had it for work and it'sjust like— Let me tell you how
it is.
It's good portions, though it'sthe portion control.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
That's what it is.
It's not the food.
No, because I got a whole wheatpasta, which I love whole wheat
pasta, I don't have a problemwith that and marinara and
grilled chicken.
But it would fit in the palm ofyour hand and you know that's
what we should be eating, right?
But I want two and a half handsand you know when.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
So you didn't get full on that.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
And so you got you a big old slice of cheesecake.
You know, I actually one of myfavorite things there is their
skinny cheesecake which is like400 and some calories.
So I got that.
Okay, and you know, any girl,it was actually really good,
mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Okay, and so I ate that A fewdays.
(10:05):
We ate breakfast, breakfast.
So I just had eggs, yeah.
And then on days where we werelike I overslept one day I never
overslept.
That was funny.
Yeah, ever, ever.
I don't even have to set analarm.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
That was funny.
You called me.
You were like, I overslept yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I'm like I'm just going to sleep.
We were getting, we were goinglive.
We were supposed to be live atnoon.
I woke up at like 10.50.
No, I didn't even wake up.
Dylan did and said oh my God,we've overslept.
Woke me up, I was like he'slike you never.
I was like welcome to the new.
(10:49):
Yes, and so we at Starbucks.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
That was part of your jet lag.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Possibly the turkey bacon.
They have a egg white andturkey bacon muffins.
Mm-hmm, they kind of knocked itoff from McDonald's.
The Egg McMuffin is really good.
Oh, I don't even.
I hate turkey.
Yeah, I hate turkey and I hatethe bacon at Starbucks because
(11:18):
it's gross and chewy.
It was really tasty.
So if you want a tasty,healthier sandwich on the go,
get the Starbucks with the eggwhite, with turkey bacon.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
It was really good.
You know I ain't eat that meat,but it was good, good to know.
So funny thing, when y'all wentto market.
You know we're always lookingfor whatever we find, the latest
things.
You go to market a lot of timesand you know, like you said,
you've reached out to vendors,we're going to meet this one or
(11:53):
that, but you also find thingsyou never know.
You never know.
So this surprise was theLabubus.
Mm-hmm, y'all found someLabBooBoo dupes, known as the
LaFooFoos.
Do y'all know what LaBooBoosare?
If you haven't heard aboutLaBooBoos yet?
Daniel actually turned me.
(12:14):
I had not heard of them.
He turned me on to them monthsago, like it was just the thing.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Billy did at Market months ago and I was like what
the hell is that?
He was like months ago, right,and he said I think we should
sell these.
I said you are crazy.
This is what I said, and Ithink I said it to you.
I said you're crazy as hell.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Well, I'm not doing that.
Dillon had turned me on to them.
And then you and I were inDallas at the market and we saw
some and I was like you know, wegot to do these things.
And I was like, have you seenthe Laboobies yet?
And you were like Dylan hadjust told me about these is what
you said.
We're like, yeah, we're goingto have to do those.
If you don't know aboutLaboobies, they're by Pop Mart
(12:58):
and they started, which is aChinese company, and there's
only a few of these places inthe US, but it's these little
monster things and everyone isclipping them onto their bags,
backpacks.
Kids are collecting them, butit's not just kids, it's adults
too that are putting them, evenon their high end.
A lot of celebrities have them,it's the Beanie Babies of 2025.
(13:20):
Yeah, and they're called La BooBoo's.
Well, and if you get the, youknow not Pop Mart.
Well, first of all, you can'tget it.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
You can't get them.
You can't get the real Labubusat all.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
I mean people can.
They're reselling them for alot.
They're like $180.
Stand in line and you can blah,blah, blah, blah, blah.
But if you get a dupe one, theycall them LaFooFoos, which I
think is funny.
So you found some LaFooFoos.
Some very good qualityLaFooFoos I might add, when
y'all were at market.
(13:55):
And I just think it's so funnybecause the amount of those that
y'all sold we were looking andthey're still selling today of
those that y'all sold.
We were looking and they'restill selling today, and then
you weren't able to call todayand get some more.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
It's the most ridiculous, but they are cute
they are and I hated it, Iresisted it, I hated it.
I was like, oh, and you know itwas Amanda Live Girl.
She was like I found someLaBooBoos or LaFooFoos or
whatever they are and I was likeokay.
And I was like I don't want todo this in my mind, but you know
(14:33):
the little assholes are.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
You know it's addictive.
They are.
It is addictive.
You don't find one there in thepast.
Yeah, part of the fun behindthem if you don't know about the
boo-boos yet is they're blindboxes.
So you can buy cases orindividual.
Like a case will have maybelike six in it or so.
And then there's individualboxes but you don't know like
(14:56):
which style or color.
So it's not like with theBeanie Babies.
Back in the day everyone wasdriving to different stores Like
I need this specific beaniebaby and they were trying to
hunt them down.
These are boxes and you don'tknow what kind you're getting.
You can get a style.
You can know there's differentstyles, varieties, you can know
(15:18):
that part, but you don't knowwhich color.
And then there's some that aremystery.
It is fun, it is fun, it is funand I love that.
Now Dylan is torturing you bylike hiding them around.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
I'm very damn aware I will go home.
He's at the warehouse right now, but he will make it home
before me and they'll probablybe some in my shoes.
I mean it is and I'm likehere's my thing.
They're really cute, but Idon't like stuff strewn about
(15:54):
like put it in a basket.
If he wants those corny littlethings, that's fine, but they're
everywhere because he keepsopening them.
And it is fun.
I've opened them.
They are addictive.
I'm going to have you open one.
Am I going to open one?
You're opening one tomorrow.
(16:15):
You've got to.
It's fun.
It is fun.
Here's what I suggested to thecustomers.
This is what I'm going to dowith them.
So we have.
We spent Christmas morning withDylan's parents.
(16:37):
You know we go with Dylan'ssister and their parents and
everything and have Christmas.
So I'm taking a case forChristmas morning.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
That'll be it.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
And I'm attaching a prize.
There's going to be a prize foreach color.
Yeah, and get oh, that's fun.
Make a little game out of it,making a game out of it.
So I'm going to attach a prizeto each color and then everybody
(17:09):
picks one and you see what youwin, kind of like, you know,
opening an Easter egg orsomething I don't know.
And the other thing I thinkwould be super, super cute is
like, if you have a children'sbirthday party, have that as
your birthday party, have thatas your theme and have every kid
get one.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Yeah, that would be cute, so that would be really
fun, I think.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
you know, I think they're really cute.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
But I was just shocked by how many y'all sold
and the response on our level,with our audience.
So it's been really fun.
And speaking of opening one, ifyou are current on our episodes
and you're listening, this oneis dropping on Tuesday, august
(17:58):
26th.
This week, on Tuesday,wednesday and Thursday, we're
having a fall celebration insidethe Nested Fig app.
We're going to be live at 1 pm,4 pm, 8 pm Eastern-ish times.
We're going to do some fungames, some giveaways, special
deals.
We got new fall that's arriving.
We'll do stylings.
(18:18):
It's going to be a lot of fun.
So make sure you join us insidethe Nested Fig app.
If you don't have our app yet,you can go to the comments below
the little description of thisit's always linked there.
Or just go to your app storephone, tablet, android or Apple
search the Nested Fig and you'llfind our app there and you can
grab that.
So join us this week.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
And these silly little things we're talking
about are on there as monster,monster dolls.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Monster dolls yeah, so you'll have to get them, but
I don't know, there's not verymany left.
Well, I don't know which, I'llcall, I just restocked.
Oh, you did.
Okay, I saw Dylan say we gotthem in.
I knew you were calling thevendor today.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Yeah, I called and I was like nothing easy, you know,
he said I almost cried.
I was like, because usually youdeal with them, he was like I
need you to set up this accountand we're almost in your bills,
Just forget it.
No, it wasn't like that.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
All right.
Well, moving on from that, it'sbeen in the headlines and I
wanted to get your take, and Idon't even know, because you've
been on the move, if you've seenthis, but McDonald's has been
in the news, since you love totalk about McDonald's, that they
are working to lower someprices on some of their food,
(19:40):
which you know we've talkedabout.
That is really set by thefranchise owner when I was an
owner.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I don't know how it is now.
That was in the franchiseagreement.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
McDonald's had no met with restaurant operators and
offered to provide financialassistance to franchise owners
if they lowered prices.
Okay, this is what I so how doyou interpret what's going on
behind the scenes?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Well, I'm texting an owner right now to find out,
okay.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
While you're doing that, so I just texted an
anonymous owner.
Okay, while you're doing that,let me tell you some of the
other points in here.
So they are working.
Eight of McDonald's combosmeals will soon cost 15% less
than the total value of the mealitems purchased separately.
That's significant.
So, for instance, $10 mealcould cost $8.50 if you're
(20:53):
buying the combo.
They can expect the starting inSeptember on the Big Mac,
chicken, mcnuggets, mcchrispy,quarter Pounder with Cheese, egg
, mcmuffin, the core productyeah, so the core products and
discounts in place through atleast the beginning of 2026.
Well, first of all, when isthat doing?
(21:14):
I guess luring you back, maybetrying to get you back there?
So McDonald's says it'sfighting back against consumer
perceptions that it's becomeunaffordable.
Well, first of all, that's nota perception, it is.
That's a fact.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
That's a fact.
When I feel like me as aconsumer, I'm going not
McDonald's, any restaurant andI'm like this shit is high,
right, it's a problem yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I agree, when was I?
Because I haven't eatenhonestly at McDonald's in so so
long, except for Daniel, and Idid stop one day and get some
fries.
We were on the way somewhere,but somewhere, and it's just the
price of these meals.
I'm trying to think where itwas, because it was not a
(22:09):
McDonald's, but it would besomething similar if I speak,
and it was for me like literally$12 or more and it wasn't.
I don't even get like a softdrink sort of situation and I
was like if you're a family offour and you're going through
like a drive-thru, that used tobe that's how you were saving
(22:30):
the day, Like well, at least Ican go through and get a 99 cent
burger.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Or a $2.99 Happy Meal for your kid.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Right, and now if you go and it's going to be like
$60 for family of four.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
So, anyway, that's what they're saying.
It's embarrassing, okay, here'smy thing.
But what they're saying it'sembarrassing, okay, here's my
thing.
Okay.
What they're also saying,though, which I find interesting
, is they're saying places likeApplebee's and stuff are taking
advantage of this because youcan now get, like their meals
are less than the fast foodwhich the casual dining it's
(23:10):
kind of flipping, because for awhile it had flipped from the
casual dining of, like chilies,apple bees, that sort of thing,
because they were perceived asthe expensive ones for what the
value was.
So, anyway, that's kind of thewhole report, so you can tell me
what you think about it.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
So well, there's several things.
First of all, the franchiseagreement that I had.
I do know that they changed thenational franchise agreement
right after I retired.
Yeah, so I don't.
I'm not privy to it and it'slike this thick before I
wouldn't even waste my timereading it Hell, I didn't read
(23:50):
it the first time before.
I wouldn't even waste my timereading it Hell, I didn't read
it the first time.
But it is in there that eachowner determines their prices.
Yeah, period.
(24:11):
I just heard back from thisowner, so I will share that in a
minute.
In the past, what McDonald's didwhen I was an owner, they would
manipulate you.
They would dangle a carrot andsay, if you do this, we'll give
you this Like for breakfast allday.
(24:31):
I was adamantly opposed.
Right, you talked about it.
I was very vocal about it too.
The co-op-wide you know, whenI'm passionate about something,
it kind of comes out yeah, and Ihad to eat the crow because
then they came back and said butif you'll do breakfast all day,
(24:54):
we will pay for your digitalmenu boards.
I had three restaurants.
That was like a couple hundredthousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
You're like breakfast all day.
It is Get some biscuits outy'all 24-7.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
That's what they did in the past.
I just asked a currentanonymous owner.
Yeah, so what they're doing isthey're manipulating the owners
now, and I say manipulating.
This needs to happen.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Yeah, and they're persuading.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
They're persuading.
I mean, this is something Ifeel strongly about.
If I were in McDonald's and Iwere still in leadership, I
would be talking about come on,guys, we've got to do better.
This is embarrassing.
I'm embarrassed at McDonald'sprices and I'm not even an owner
anymore.
So what they're doing is theyare price-pointing advertising
(25:53):
and then once you vote on it,then they can enforce it.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
So I knew there was a legal, so tell us what that
means.
They're price-pointingadvertising.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Price-point advertising.
So what that means is eachco-op and I don't know how many
co-ops there are now in theUnited States because that's
changed.
But what I was in wasGreenville, spartanburg,
asheville.
It went from Western NorthCarolina to Northern Georgia, so
it's a large area.
Now they're even larger.
(26:26):
The co-ops are larger.
Fewer owners, larger co-ops, sothey can manipulate you.
So each co-op— that's notnegative, but I'm not negative.
I mean it's the facts, it'stheir plan and it's fine.
So what they're going to do iseach co-op will go in and they
(26:51):
will vote oh, we're going topromote this egg McMuffin meal.
Are these three or fourbreakfast value meals for
breakfast?
And listen, I don't know shit.
I'm just telling youTheoretically.
I'm thinking this is how it'sgoing to go.
So then we go in and say we'regoing to pick our top four core
(27:14):
menu bacon, egg and cheese, eggMcMuffin, sausage, mcmuffin
sausage, biscuit meals and we'regoing to have these at this
price and promote that, yeah.
And then they'll do the samething for lunch and dinner menu
yeah.
So it's kind of.
And then the co-op gets on thesame thing.
So once you vote it in as aco-op and it's just a majority
(27:38):
vote, it's not all.
It's a two-thirds vote withfinancial things, I think.
Hell, I can't remember mymiddle name.
I'm not sure what's telling youthat, but something like that.
My middle name, mitchell, let'stell you that, but something
like that.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
And they once you do that, then you got to stick to
them.
Yeah, but they'll do it for atime period Like.
This is going to be ourmonth-long promotion for
September, this might be the onefor October, or they might do
it for a quarter.
Here's the problem.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
And I would say this even if I was an owner today.
Here is the problem and here'sthe problem with McDonald's.
This is the problem with us,this is the problem with
everybody.
Once you have raised yourprices to that level, once you
(28:38):
have raised your prices to thatlevel, you have really changed
the whole level of the wayyou're operating your business,
like payroll, your labor costs,your food costs everything and
to go back, that's really hard,and to go back for just a
promotional time.
It's a lot of money.
Yeah, it is a lot of money.
So the thing is is, if they dothis and they do not really
(29:05):
really increase their customercount their transactions per
store, they have really justthrown money down the drain.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
And I think that's part of what happens.
If you're like analyzingMcDonald's as a business owner,
Because they have reported, like, I think, good earnings and
stuff, but it's good because theprice went up this much, so of
course you've got more.
But if you know the facts,they're and I'm not privy to
(29:40):
that Because the murder count isdown, so that's what they're
trying to.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I do not know this.
No one has told me this.
I'm making the assumption andI'm sure if I wanted it I could
find out in five minutes, butI'm not going to put anybody in
that position by them doing thisand it being in the media.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
their transactions are down the number of
transactions.
So they might be putting on agood front that their earnings
are good.
Sales are up.
Sales are up because thepercentage of what things cost.
But behind the scenes, whatthey're worried about, without
you saying this, is theirtransactions are declining.
When your transactions aredeclining, your business is
eroding.
(30:22):
Yeah, and that's not where youwant to pay.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
So your business is eroding.
So your business is eroding andwhen you go to sell your
business, your business is worthless, because I mean, if
somebody's buying it that hasseen it, they're going to go.
Holy shit, you've been losingtransactions for three years,
yeah well, we've been growingsince then.
(30:46):
Well, hell, if a meal is $30,right, yeah, it catches up.
Eventually it catches up.
It always catches up.
It's kind of like I feel likethe restaurant business is just
now.
The backlash of COVID is justhitting them the way it hit
(31:09):
retail about two years ago.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Yeah, there's been a delay in that.
Well, I think what's reallyhitting them if you're looking
at the big picture, it's therewas this period with the COVID
and everything was through theroof in sales, but then that
also put in a lot of changes asfar as look what using
(31:31):
McDonald's since we're on thetopic, look what a restaurant
looked like and how it operatedthen versus how it operates now,
and I think it's allsnowballing and catching up.
Where there is no, there's likeno customer.
If you go into a new one,there's a window and you order
yourself.
(31:52):
Well, it's funny, it's nocustomer service.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Okay, it's funny that you bring all this up.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
They're having to pay one person what they probably
used to pay three people, and sothey're dwindling down as much
as they can to have just onefront person.
That you don't see.
They have the boards that youorder from.
If you've gone into a new oneand it's as generic as you can
(32:18):
get, because they're, I don'tknow?
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Well, look at it.
This morning, this is what Iwoke up to.
What?
Speaker 1 (32:26):
is this I ate at your old McDonald's Saturday and you
would be very disappointed andI said which one?
Speaker 2 (32:34):
And he said which one .
Yeah, that's crazy.
And he said this was my dad.
So I've told you all about mydad.
Love my dad.
My dad's a man of few words.
Love my dad.
My dad's a man of few words andthe few words can be either
really funny, really bitchy, andthere's really not a lot in
(32:56):
between.
That's just how he is.
And usually when I get, when hetexts me about McDonald's,
listen y'all, my whole family.
Once you're a McDonald's owner,you're an owner for the rest of
your damn life.
Well, you're still this fear.
It is, it is, it is and youknow what.
(33:18):
It's kind of helpful.
And I told a friend of minetoday after my dad texts me this
and I'm going through it withhim and I'm like, I feel, and
I'm like, and I'm still like,I'm sorry and I'm like what is
wrong with me?
It ain't my problem.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
It ain't your problem .
Speaker 2 (33:35):
But it still affects it, like I'm still like I'm
going to pick up the phone andcall yes, and it was the whole.
It was the service aspect and Iwas like what happened with the
service?
There was none.
He said I stood there for fiveminutes.
I timed it.
(33:56):
Well, first of all, I can'tbelieve he stood there for five
minutes.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Well, that's because they were trying to make him
order on the board on the kiosk.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
Yeah, and he's older and he doesn't like stuff like
that.
Yeah, they were trying.
He will refuse that.
So that is true, the managerwas on the phone and just having
a conversation.
It just ignored him.
And then he got his food and itwas old fish and you know that
old fish is like cardboard nasty.
(34:27):
They forget to fish atMcDonald's.
Then you break them back.
So you know I hate hearing that.
And I'll tell you another thingthat since you brought all this
up that we have to talk aboutMcDonald's, Well, here's
something there's in therestaurant industry not
McDonald's in the restaurantindustry, especially with quick
(34:50):
service well, all therestaurants.
One thing that I used to alwayslook at is there are national
statistics on food away fromhome for your given area, for
your demographic area, and youalways want to keep your menu
(35:16):
prices within a certainpercentage of the food away from
home.
So basically, you don't want toget too far above what it costs
for you to make a soppy joe athome versus getting a big mac
Right, and I can tell you rightnow that is out of whack.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
It is out of control Because it is great, like you
said.
You know I don't.
I'm fortunate enough that likeI'll just whip it, honestly, I
don't eat out that much.
But, like I said, I wentsomewhere.
I don't know.
I'm fortunate enough that likeI'll just whip in, honestly, I
don't eat out that much.
But, like I said, I wentsomewhere.
I don't know where it was, butI don't think about it.
So I just ordered what I wantedand it wasn't even complicated.
But when I got the price and Ifeel like for me, when it was
(36:00):
just me in the car for myselfand I was like, damn, that's
expensive, like I didn't evenneed it, you know it wasn't like
I was like when you have thatfeeling, just as the general,
I'm like that's a problem, butanyway, so that was.
I was just wondering yourthought on that and how the
(36:21):
manipulating was coming.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
Well, and I hope they correct it.
And I hate it for the ownersbecause you know we've all
fallen into that pothole.
Well, the McDonald's down thestreet, their price is this.
So I'm going to go up to this.
Yeah, I mean, even I fell intothat at times.
(36:49):
You know, I was like well, Imean, my restaurants were
typically, but here's kind ofwhat's happened.
Mine were kind of on an island.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
But you, when I knew you and you were in there.
Here's what I feel like fromobserving what I know about you.
Here's what I feel like fromobserving what I know about you.
If COVID and all of this wouldhave happened where prices were
going up, the cost of labor wasgoing up or whatever instead of
raising your prices to theextreme which I feel like people
(37:20):
would have done you would havefocused on how can I get more
transactions, how can I get morepennies to the bottom I always
did that Instead of how can Iget this, and that's where they
lost touch.
They should have been focusingon the promos to get their
volume and you want yourtransaction count and your sales
(37:42):
to be like this.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
Not like I don't think.
Yes, not like I don't think.
And sometimes you know, if youhad, I can remember like I might
do a price increase, a bigprice increase, once every.
I don't know what did I do?
Maybe two or three years?
No, never more than two.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
But a big price increase was like a quarter.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
No, ten cents.
But I mean you do it oneverything.
But I would see I didn't do itjust on everything because that
would have been too easy.
No, my dumb ass which I wasn'tdumb, I was smart I printed a
product mix.
I went through item by itemwith my red pen and said, okay,
(38:27):
am I going up on egg biscuit?
Does this make sense for abiscuit and a fried egg?
Yeah, and I looked at it pieceby piece and then I looked at it
as if customers were buildingtheir own.
Does the price get stupid?
Yeah, so I looked at it likethat.
(38:48):
So at times, once you did that,it would be nice because that
first month you might see, forthat first month you might see
your sales increase jump hereand your transactions only go up
here, but then it closes inover the next month.
You know when you start seeingit separating.
Yeah, but then it closes inover the next month, you know
(39:10):
when you start seeing itseparating.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Right, and that's what I feel like they're saying
You're doing your business.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
They focused on the wrong thing and in McDonald's
it's not as busy Like I'm I knowwhen I drive by McDonald's.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
You would have been all focused on getting the
number of transactions so thatyou could increase the overall
pennies that fall to the bottom.
They focused on the individualto try to get that up.
And then you can tell when youdrive by McDonald's and there's
(39:47):
two cars in the drop-through,when you used to be like, oh,
we're trying to put through Xnumber of cars in an hour, they
ain't worried about that becausethey don't have that problem.
They don't have that backupproblem at least and I operated
my business.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
One of my best friends he's an old man now.
He was a McDonald's owner andhe told me years ago and it was
such a great piece of advice hecalls me Young Stevie.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Young Stevie, young Stevie.
Speaker 2 (40:25):
Well, I was the youngest at the time, I know,
but you based that on me he saidlook at your business like
you're selling it every year.
Yeah, sit down really quiettime over several days.
Look at your whole businesslike you're selling it.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
That's a good advice and I said why?
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Why do I look at that ?
And he said you want to look atall of the moving part.
You have to look at who ispresident.
I'm not getting into politics,you just have to look at who's
president, because you have tolook at the tax implications.
You have to look at all ofthose, the economy, and you have
(41:17):
to look at how many prospectiveowners are there out there that
can actually buy your stores.
You have to look at your lifeon your leases, because you're
screwed if you sell.
If you go to sell, oh I want tosell my McDonald's, I've got 24
months left on my lease, on my20-year lease.
(41:39):
Well, hello, mcdonald's maymake you rebuild.
Yeah, so you're going to begiving that McDonald's away.
Yeah, so you really like, whenyou sell your McDonald's
business or you sell even anindividual store, there are so
many moving parts that you haveto consider that affect what you
(42:04):
walk with.
And that's why I moved mine up,because it Fell into place.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
That's what you were either having to sell or commit
for another million years.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
Well, I was going to be buying 10 more stores, so
that would have been about 22and a half million, and then I
was going to spend about 3million on my existing, so I
would have been spending 25million.
So once you put that 25 millionin, I would have had to stay in
the business 10 to 15 moreyears, you know you said you
(42:41):
wouldn't willingly really getback into it.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
But if they run it down enough, you might could buy
them at a good deal, build themback up and sell them all over
again.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
I'm never going to say never.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
Y'all going to see me managing a McDonald's.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
You know I mean crazier things.
I could point to McDonald's, Icould point to restaurants and
you're going to.
I'm not going to call people'sbusiness out.
I know—and listen, I never gota damn McDonald's for this, but
I know a McDonald's, I knowseveral, but I know one right
(43:21):
now in my head that sold for—no,there's two—$160,000.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
That's crazy.
They'd run it in the groundthat much.
Speaker 2 (43:30):
So I'm just saying, I'm just putting it out there,
if I were to get a phone, callBecause that's crazy, like if
you don't know, that's free.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
Yeah, they're usually millions.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Yeah, that's free.
That's crazy.
If they called me tomorrow andsaid I have two shitholes, then
it would be yeah, and you canget them for $160,000 a piece.
I would be like, girl, I willsee you at the grill area.
I traded you because you'rerunning this.
(44:04):
We're doing this for sevenyears.
Oh my God, that would be crazyand I, you know I'm never going
to say never.
It would be like it wouldhappen.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
We got to get the live sale at 8.
So we got to get this dinnerrush done and we got to be like
Wesley, you are late again.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
I told you about this .
Sorry, no, I mean, there arecircumstances.
Again, I told you about this.
Sorry, no, I mean, there arecircumstances, I would go back.
Speaker 1 (44:34):
But it would be very difficult.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
It would be very difficult, meaning I'm so old
school McDonald's, I mean Iwould be a rogue.
I mean I was a rogue when I wasin there, but now I would be
like my letters from legal wouldbe.
I mean it would be miles.
(44:58):
They'd be like you can't saythat, you can't do that.
I'd be like, oh my gosh, that'sfunny.
So Southernism.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
Oh, you got a Southernism.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
This is a food thing.
So I've had two people becauseyou know it's called my
Southernisms have caught on.
So I have had two random peopleask me did y'all do this when
you were growing up?
Hell, yeah, we did.
And guess what?
If it was on the table now, Iwould do it today.
(45:34):
And I don't know if y'all didthis in Tennessee, but I can't
imagine that you didn't.
But this is definitely a SouthCarolina thing is did y'all ever
take?
It didn't matter if it wasbreakfast, lunch or dinner, or
breakfast, lunch and supper, itdidn't matter.
(45:56):
You would take molasses and wenever had molasses.
Molasses, honey or syrup, anyof the three, okay.
And then you would take butterand put that on your plate and
pour that molasses one of those,either molasses, honey or syrup
and you would take your forkand you would mash it together
(46:20):
and you would create thiswhipped butter and then you
would put that on your biscuit.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
No, we didn't do that .
But I mean, it's kind of likemaking honey butter it is, but
we were just having toself-serve right there at the no
Mm-hmm.
Hmm, I know there were a lot ofthings I wanted to get through,
so we'll do that next weekbecause we got off on the
McDonald's thing.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
On the McDonald's thing.
I know, but it is a good topic.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
And it affects.
But there's Some people havebeen texting our hotline and
some other things, but we'll getinto that.
Yeah, you found out.
Speaker 2 (46:58):
You found out that cantaloupe and gravy is a thing.
Yeah, there's multiple.
Speaker 1 (47:05):
Makes me we gotta have it.
We should try it.
It's so good, but I hadsomething from TikTok that I
found interesting.
I meant to show you this.
It was a mom on TikTok and herkids are Generation Alpha.
So that is what the hell?
(47:26):
Well, I just looked it up.
That is like 2010 through 2024,maybe, yeah, 2010 to 2024.
But so I guess the younger ones10, are in school or whatever.
But she was saying she justlearned from her kids that are
(47:46):
this generation.
And then a lot of people in thecomments were saying it was
true.
So I'll bring it up that forthis new generation, farts,
farting farts aren't funnyanymore.
Like if someone farts in theclassroom they don't laugh at it
.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
That's so sad.
Speaker 1 (48:05):
I know, right, where have we gone, I mean, but her
kids, so she had them there,like asking like well, why don't
we like we always found thatfunny or whatever?
And they're like why that'slike laughing at someone
sneezing or laughing at someonewith hiccups.
It's not funny and I'm like, soI want to know it makes me want
(48:26):
to fart.
Speaker 2 (48:26):
Right, so I want to know it makes me want to fart.
Speaker 1 (48:30):
Right.
So now I want to know if you'relistening and have younger kids
, do you ask your kids like doyou find this to be true?
Like if someone oh hell, thewhole funnel went down.
We don't rain out of gas.
I don't even know what we weretalking about, except for farts,
aren't funny anymore.
So what?
I really I don't know out ofgas, I don't even know what we
were talking about, except forfarts aren't funny anymore.
So what?
I really I don't know if youpicked it up or not, but I
(48:52):
wanted to know.
If you're listening and youhave younger kids, do you find
this to be true?
Let us know in the comments ortext us on our hotline
864-982-5029.
And with that we are going towrap this up, because I can't
take it anymore.
We just wrecked up today.
(49:12):
Remember to join our onlinecommunity if you want to watch
the train wreck there.
Even more of a train wreck.
Yeah, you can watch the trainwreck by going to
whosedrivingpodcastcom.
Or, of course, you can listenanywhere for free Apple Podcasts
, spotify, all the otherservices too, all the places.
(49:33):
Remember to leave us a reviewwherever you're listening to me,
if it's fine, if it's the bestOpen the door and just push me
out.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
If it's not a good review, don't leave.
Speaker 1 (49:44):
So that's all we got this week.
Hopefully next week we'll haveour shit together.
We're here, take four .
I think this is take five.
Yeah, we're having.
We're in the um uh hoopty,we're in the ditch.
We're in the damn ditch.
The random driver is fallingoff the road, but it's time for
another episode of who's Driving.
(00:20):
Welcome to who's Driving.
I'm Wesley Turner.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
And I'm Stephen Merck .
We're two best friends andentrepreneurs.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Who's Driving is an entertaining look into the
behind the scenes of our lives,friendship and business.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
These are the stories we share and topics we discuss,
as two best friends would on along road trip.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Along the way, we'll check in with friends and offer
a wide range of informativetopics centered around running
small businesses, social mediaand all things home and garden.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
You never know who's driving,or?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
where we're headed.
All we know is it's always afun ride.
So let's try this.
Start again.
It's either our fourth or fifthtime.
We have no internet.
The microphones aren't working,the camera keeps cutting off.
We don't know why.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
We are so soft as a society now cutting off?
We don't know why.
We are so soft as a society now.
I mean no internet, no Wi-Fi,and we are just falling apart.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Well, I mean all of the stuff that works, I know.
I'm just saying I hope it comesback on tonight because when
I'm editing this, laying in bedat 2 am and trying to upload it,
well I have a crazy question.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
You can make fun of me.
Yeah, you're so good at it.
How does my car have Wi-Fi?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
I don't know, does your car have Wi-Fi?
Mm-hmm, do you pay a bill?
Mm-mm, a bill?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
A bail.
I don't pay a bail.
No, it has Wi-Fi.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I mean, I know certain cars do, but I figured
it was like a cellular serviceand Dylan didn't know either.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
And Dylan's like really smart with this stuff.
He's like what is it?
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I was like this car has Wi-Fi, can you tap into it
like a hotspot?
It connects to my phone, but Iknow, but is it just using your
phone's Wi-Fi?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Like is it pulling the Wi-Fi from your phone to run
your car?
Speaker 1 (02:17):
I don't know that, but it has like it shows up on
Wi-Fi.
Oh as this.
Yeah, it's like LLR, somethingLike Lane Rover.
I don't know.
I'm like, where does this come?
from it's like LLR, somethingLike Lane Rover, something I
don't know.
I don't know.
I'm like where does this comefrom?
I know, well, I know some carshave that, but I always thought
they were like you know how youriPad can have its own cellular
(02:38):
service?
I mean, I don't pay anything.
I thought maybe it was likethat.
I don't know, I don't know, Idon't know.
I mean, I may be paying, you'reprobably paying and you just
don't know.
Back to our story that we've nowtold three or four times.
I don't even want to hear itanymore.
(03:00):
So Stephen and I didn't seeeach other for 24 days until
like today's Monday.
Last night we saw each otherfor a live sale at the warehouse
.
I was on vacation, then youwere in Hawaii and then you—I'm
glad you scheduled it.
This is the part where it turnsoff every time, because you had
scheduled before you went toHawaii that when you got back on
(03:23):
Tuesday, did you go on Mondayor Tuesday?
Tuesday, tuesday morning youwould get up and go to the
Atlanta market to do live sales.
And I didn't realize youscheduled that was like a long.
You did a Tuesday, wednesday,thursday, friday, I thought you
know sometimes you'll schedulethem.
He has loved doing these marketlives.
(03:44):
I love them.
He just loves them.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
It's my favorite thing, in fact.
In fact, I'm seriouslycontemplating buying a condo.
Yeah, just because it wouldwork for us it would work.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And it's funny that you found your little like.
I've always been the Instagramlive sale person and really like
the Instagram promotingproducts for our business.
But you and Dylan have taken onthis little niche Niche, it's
fun, niche, it's fun Live sale,like going to Atlanta and y'all
do the jewelry and bags andwhatever.
(04:22):
Yeah, jewelry and bags andwhatever.
But normally he will just sayto me hey, dylan and I are
scheduled to go to Atlanta nextweek or this week.
We'll be there for a couple ofdays.
I'm like, okay, that's good, Iget to do work at the warehouse.
I might do a lot.
I was doing fall decorating,but it kept going last week four
days.
I was like you really setyourself up.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Well, I had it planned out and see, I have this
disease and it's called.
I think I'm 28, but I'mactually 52.
Right, and this disease, justit, rears its ugly head often
these days.
So that came into play.
(05:07):
But I was so jet lagged.
I don't think I have ever feltso bad in my— I don't think I
have ever felt that bad of a jetlag, no matter— it's the worst
I've ever felt.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Well, you had to fly like completely overnight on a
red eye 17 hours, which isuncomfortable and it was long.
And then it was like you gotback but you said you're glad
you scheduled Atlanta because itmade you.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Okay.
Monday I was like whoa?
I was like this is bad.
I was like I might be callingthe Marriott saying, hello, I
ain't coming.
And I was like, no, I need, Ihad stuff scheduled so I don't
(06:06):
mess with the live sale people.
Yeah, I will mess with him.
I will mess with MarriottDaniel, I don't care, dylan, I
don't care about anything, butI'm not messing with those live
people.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Because it took us a long time to get them to let us
do these live sales.
So I said hell, I'm doing it.
It took us a long time to getthem to let us do these live
sales and all this other things.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
So I said, hell, I'm doing it.
And it was the smartest thing Iever did because it
jump-started me Like I hadenergy.
It got me immediately back onmy schedule.
We got up and had breakfast andit just was good.
It was really good.
(06:49):
And the other thing that Ireally liked that I've never
done in Atlanta, evenmarket-wise at all, and that I
want to do more of market livesat all and that I want to do
more of even when you and I arethere, is we left for a day at
(07:10):
market and went to a warehouseoutside.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
So you got a different view.
It was almost re-energizing.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yeah, because we got out, we were in, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
It's easy to get stuck in the market building and
right there in that bubble andwe've even talked about we have
to do that like even getting outto go eat when we're at market
makes a big difference, Justlike get out from there.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Like that evening we got out and we were in the car
and I was like what do we do,where are we going?
I was like what do we do, whereare we going?
I was like what are we doing?
I was like where do you want togo eat?
And he was like well, I'mexhausted, let's just go to the
hotel.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
I said hell no, we got to do something.
Did y'all eat somewhere?
Good?
Speaker 2 (08:01):
No, we weren't, we didn't decide and I was like,
okay, I wanted to go to the mallto try on something that I had
seen a lot.
You went to Lenox or Phipps.
We went to Lenox, but you knowI was wanting kind of California
pizza kitchen.
So Lenox was there and I wantedto go buy a Prada to try
(08:21):
something, and so we went bythere, I tried that on and then
by the time they closed at 8.
Who, california Pizza Kitchen.
California Pizza Kitchen At themall.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
But you know it's If you go to the one out by Ikea
there later.
That's where I always order oursalad.
That's where I should have gone.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
But so I was like, well, hellfire, I don't want to
drive around, I don't want toleave here now without eating.
So we went To the food court.
No, we went to CheesecakeFactory and they have a new
skinny menu.
Because I'm trying to, I thinkthey've had that for a while.
Yeah, they've had it forseveral years.
(09:04):
I've been eating it for severalyears.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
How's that going for you?
It was good, it is really good.
I've had it for work and it'sjust like— Let me tell you how
it is.
It's good portions, though it'sthe portion control.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
That's what it is.
It's not the food.
No, because I got a whole wheatpasta, which I love whole wheat
pasta, I don't have a problemwith that and marinara and
grilled chicken.
But it would fit in the palm ofyour hand and you know that's
what we should be eating, right?
But I want two and a half handsand you know when.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
So you didn't get full on that.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
And so you got you a big old slice of cheesecake.
You know, I actually one of myfavorite things there is their
skinny cheesecake which is like400 and some calories.
So I got that.
Okay, and you know, any girl,it was actually really good,
mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Okay, and so I ate that A fewdays.
(10:05):
We ate breakfast, breakfast.
So I just had eggs, yeah.
And then on days where we werelike I overslept one day I never
overslept.
That was funny.
Yeah, ever, ever.
I don't even have to set analarm.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
That was funny.
You called me.
You were like, I overslept yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I'm like I'm just going to sleep.
We were getting, we were goinglive.
We were supposed to be live atnoon.
I woke up at like 10.50.
No, I didn't even wake up.
Dylan did and said oh my God,we've overslept.
Woke me up, I was like he'slike you never.
I was like welcome to the new.
(10:49):
Yes, and so we at Starbucks.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
That was part of your jet lag.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Possibly the turkey bacon.
They have a egg white andturkey bacon muffins.
Mm-hmm, they kind of knocked itoff from McDonald's.
The Egg McMuffin is really good.
Oh, I don't even.
I hate turkey.
Yeah, I hate turkey and I hatethe bacon at Starbucks because
(11:18):
it's gross and chewy.
It was really tasty.
So if you want a tasty,healthier sandwich on the go,
get the Starbucks with the eggwhite, with turkey bacon.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
It was really good.
You know I ain't eat that meat,but it was good, good to know.
So funny thing, when y'all wentto market.
You know we're always lookingfor whatever we find, the latest
things.
You go to market a lot of timesand you know, like you said,
you've reached out to vendors,we're going to meet this one or
(11:53):
that, but you also find thingsyou never know.
You never know.
So this surprise was theLabubus.
Mm-hmm, y'all found someLabBooBoo dupes, known as the
LaFooFoos.
Do y'all know what LaBooBoosare?
If you haven't heard aboutLaBooBoos yet?
Daniel actually turned me.
(12:14):
I had not heard of them.
He turned me on to them monthsago, like it was just the thing.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Billy did at Market months ago and I was like what
the hell is that?
He was like months ago, right,and he said I think we should
sell these.
I said you are crazy.
This is what I said, and Ithink I said it to you.
I said you're crazy as hell.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Well, I'm not doing that.
Dillon had turned me on to them.
And then you and I were inDallas at the market and we saw
some and I was like you know, wegot to do these things.
And I was like, have you seenthe Laboobies yet?
And you were like Dylan hadjust told me about these is what
you said.
We're like, yeah, we're goingto have to do those.
If you don't know aboutLaboobies, they're by Pop Mart
(12:58):
and they started, which is aChinese company, and there's
only a few of these places inthe US, but it's these little
monster things and everyone isclipping them onto their bags,
backpacks.
Kids are collecting them, butit's not just kids, it's adults
too that are putting them, evenon their high end.
A lot of celebrities have them,it's the Beanie Babies of 2025.
(13:20):
Yeah, and they're called La BooBoo's.
Well, and if you get the, youknow not Pop Mart.
Well, first of all, you can'tget it.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
You can't get them.
You can't get the real Labubusat all.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
I mean people can.
They're reselling them for alot.
They're like $180.
Stand in line and you can blah,blah, blah, blah, blah.
But if you get a dupe one, theycall them LaFooFoos, which I
think is funny.
So you found some LaFooFoos.
Some very good qualityLaFooFoos I might add, when
y'all were at market.
(13:55):
And I just think it's so funnybecause the amount of those that
y'all sold we were looking andthey're still selling today of
those that y'all sold.
We were looking and they'restill selling today, and then
you weren't able to call todayand get some more.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
It's the most ridiculous, but they are cute
they are and I hated it, Iresisted it, I hated it.
I was like, oh, and you know itwas Amanda Live Girl.
She was like I found someLaBooBoos or LaFooFoos or
whatever they are and I was likeokay.
And I was like I don't want todo this in my mind, but you know
(14:33):
the little assholes are.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
You know it's addictive.
They are.
It is addictive.
You don't find one there in thepast.
Yeah, part of the fun behindthem if you don't know about the
boo-boos yet is they're blindboxes.
So you can buy cases orindividual.
Like a case will have maybelike six in it or so.
And then there's individualboxes but you don't know like
(14:56):
which style or color.
So it's not like with theBeanie Babies.
Back in the day everyone wasdriving to different stores Like
I need this specific beaniebaby and they were trying to
hunt them down.
These are boxes and you don'tknow what kind you're getting.
You can get a style.
You can know there's differentstyles, varieties, you can know
(15:18):
that part, but you don't knowwhich color.
And then there's some that aremystery.
It is fun, it is fun, it is funand I love that.
Now Dylan is torturing you bylike hiding them around.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
I'm very damn aware I will go home.
He's at the warehouse right now, but he will make it home
before me and they'll probablybe some in my shoes.
I mean it is and I'm likehere's my thing.
They're really cute, but Idon't like stuff strewn about
(15:54):
like put it in a basket.
If he wants those corny littlethings, that's fine, but they're
everywhere because he keepsopening them.
And it is fun.
I've opened them.
They are addictive.
I'm going to have you open one.
Am I going to open one?
You're opening one tomorrow.
(16:15):
You've got to.
It's fun.
It is fun.
Here's what I suggested to thecustomers.
This is what I'm going to dowith them.
So we have.
We spent Christmas morning withDylan's parents.
(16:37):
You know we go with Dylan'ssister and their parents and
everything and have Christmas.
So I'm taking a case forChristmas morning.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
That'll be it.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
And I'm attaching a prize.
There's going to be a prize foreach color.
Yeah, and get oh, that's fun.
Make a little game out of it,making a game out of it.
So I'm going to attach a prizeto each color and then everybody
(17:09):
picks one and you see what youwin, kind of like, you know,
opening an Easter egg orsomething I don't know.
And the other thing I thinkwould be super, super cute is
like, if you have a children'sbirthday party, have that as
your birthday party, have thatas your theme and have every kid
get one.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Yeah, that would be cute, so that would be really
fun, I think.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
you know, I think they're really cute.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
But I was just shocked by how many y'all sold
and the response on our level,with our audience.
So it's been really fun.
And speaking of opening one, ifyou are current on our episodes
and you're listening, this oneis dropping on Tuesday, august
(17:58):
26th.
This week, on Tuesday,wednesday and Thursday, we're
having a fall celebration insidethe Nested Fig app.
We're going to be live at 1 pm,4 pm, 8 pm Eastern-ish times.
We're going to do some fungames, some giveaways, special
deals.
We got new fall that's arriving.
We'll do stylings.
(18:18):
It's going to be a lot of fun.
So make sure you join us insidethe Nested Fig app.
If you don't have our app yet,you can go to the comments below
the little description of thisit's always linked there.
Or just go to your app storephone, tablet, android or Apple
search the Nested Fig and you'llfind our app there and you can
grab that.
So join us this week.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
And these silly little things we're talking
about are on there as monster,monster dolls.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Monster dolls yeah, so you'll have to get them, but
I don't know, there's not verymany left.
Well, I don't know which, I'llcall, I just restocked.
Oh, you did.
Okay, I saw Dylan say we gotthem in.
I knew you were calling thevendor today.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Yeah, I called and I was like nothing easy, you know,
he said I almost cried.
I was like, because usually youdeal with them, he was like I
need you to set up this accountand we're almost in your bills,
Just forget it.
No, it wasn't like that.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
All right.
Well, moving on from that, it'sbeen in the headlines and I
wanted to get your take, and Idon't even know, because you've
been on the move, if you've seenthis, but McDonald's has been
in the news, since you love totalk about McDonald's, that they
are working to lower someprices on some of their food,
(19:40):
which you know we've talkedabout.
That is really set by thefranchise owner when I was an
owner.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I don't know how it is now.
That was in the franchiseagreement.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
McDonald's had no met with restaurant operators and
offered to provide financialassistance to franchise owners
if they lowered prices.
Okay, this is what I so how doyou interpret what's going on
behind the scenes?
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Well, I'm texting an owner right now to find out,
okay.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
While you're doing that, so I just texted an
anonymous owner.
Okay, while you're doing that,let me tell you some of the
other points in here.
So they are working.
Eight of McDonald's combosmeals will soon cost 15% less
than the total value of the mealitems purchased separately.
That's significant.
So, for instance, $10 mealcould cost $8.50 if you're
(20:53):
buying the combo.
They can expect the starting inSeptember on the Big Mac,
chicken, mcnuggets, mcchrispy,quarter Pounder with Cheese, egg
, mcmuffin, the core productyeah, so the core products and
discounts in place through atleast the beginning of 2026.
Well, first of all, when isthat doing?
(21:14):
I guess luring you back, maybetrying to get you back there?
So McDonald's says it'sfighting back against consumer
perceptions that it's becomeunaffordable.
Well, first of all, that's nota perception, it is.
That's a fact.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
That's a fact.
When I feel like me as aconsumer, I'm going not
McDonald's, any restaurant andI'm like this shit is high,
right, it's a problem yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I agree, when was I?
Because I haven't eatenhonestly at McDonald's in so so
long, except for Daniel, and Idid stop one day and get some
fries.
We were on the way somewhere,but somewhere, and it's just the
price of these meals.
I'm trying to think where itwas, because it was not a
(22:09):
McDonald's, but it would besomething similar if I speak,
and it was for me like literally$12 or more and it wasn't.
I don't even get like a softdrink sort of situation and I
was like if you're a family offour and you're going through
like a drive-thru, that used tobe that's how you were saving
(22:30):
the day, Like well, at least Ican go through and get a 99 cent
burger.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Or a $2.99 Happy Meal for your kid.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Right, and now if you go and it's going to be like
$60 for family of four.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
So, anyway, that's what they're saying.
It's embarrassing, okay, here'smy thing.
But what they're saying it'sembarrassing, okay, here's my
thing.
Okay.
What they're also saying,though, which I find interesting
, is they're saying places likeApplebee's and stuff are taking
advantage of this because youcan now get, like their meals
are less than the fast foodwhich the casual dining it's
(23:10):
kind of flipping, because for awhile it had flipped from the
casual dining of, like chilies,apple bees, that sort of thing,
because they were perceived asthe expensive ones for what the
value was.
So, anyway, that's kind of thewhole report, so you can tell me
what you think about it.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
So well, there's several things.
First of all, the franchiseagreement that I had.
I do know that they changed thenational franchise agreement
right after I retired.
Yeah, so I don't.
I'm not privy to it and it'slike this thick before I
wouldn't even waste my timereading it Hell, I didn't read
(23:50):
it the first time before.
I wouldn't even waste my timereading it Hell, I didn't read
it the first time.
But it is in there that eachowner determines their prices.
Yeah, period.
(24:11):
I just heard back from thisowner, so I will share that in a
minute.
In the past, what McDonald's didwhen I was an owner, they would
manipulate you.
They would dangle a carrot andsay, if you do this, we'll give
you this Like for breakfast allday.
(24:31):
I was adamantly opposed.
Right, you talked about it.
I was very vocal about it too.
The co-op-wide you know, whenI'm passionate about something,
it kind of comes out yeah, and Ihad to eat the crow because
then they came back and said butif you'll do breakfast all day,
(24:54):
we will pay for your digitalmenu boards.
I had three restaurants.
That was like a couple hundredthousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
You're like breakfast all day.
It is Get some biscuits outy'all 24-7.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
That's what they did in the past.
I just asked a currentanonymous owner.
Yeah, so what they're doing isthey're manipulating the owners
now, and I say manipulating.
This needs to happen.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Yeah, and they're persuading.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
They're persuading.
I mean, this is something Ifeel strongly about.
If I were in McDonald's and Iwere still in leadership, I
would be talking about come on,guys, we've got to do better.
This is embarrassing.
I'm embarrassed at McDonald'sprices and I'm not even an owner
anymore.
So what they're doing is theyare price-pointing advertising
(25:53):
and then once you vote on it,then they can enforce it.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
So I knew there was a legal, so tell us what that
means.
They're price-pointingadvertising.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Price-point advertising.
So what that means is eachco-op and I don't know how many
co-ops there are now in theUnited States because that's
changed.
But what I was in wasGreenville, spartanburg,
asheville.
It went from Western NorthCarolina to Northern Georgia, so
it's a large area.
Now they're even larger.
(26:26):
The co-ops are larger.
Fewer owners, larger co-ops, sothey can manipulate you.
So each co-op— that's notnegative, but I'm not negative.
I mean it's the facts, it'stheir plan and it's fine.
So what they're going to do iseach co-op will go in and they
(26:51):
will vote oh, we're going topromote this egg McMuffin meal.
Are these three or fourbreakfast value meals for
breakfast?
And listen, I don't know shit.
I'm just telling youTheoretically.
I'm thinking this is how it'sgoing to go.
So then we go in and say we'regoing to pick our top four core
(27:14):
menu bacon, egg and cheese, eggMcMuffin, sausage, mcmuffin
sausage, biscuit meals and we'regoing to have these at this
price and promote that, yeah.
And then they'll do the samething for lunch and dinner menu
yeah.
So it's kind of.
And then the co-op gets on thesame thing.
So once you vote it in as aco-op and it's just a majority
(27:38):
vote, it's not all.
It's a two-thirds vote withfinancial things, I think.
Hell, I can't remember mymiddle name.
I'm not sure what's telling youthat, but something like that.
My middle name, mitchell, let'stell you that, but something
like that.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
And they once you do that, then you got to stick to
them.
Yeah, but they'll do it for atime period Like.
This is going to be ourmonth-long promotion for
September, this might be the onefor October, or they might do
it for a quarter.
Here's the problem.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
And I would say this even if I was an owner today.
Here is the problem and here'sthe problem with McDonald's.
This is the problem with us,this is the problem with
everybody.
Once you have raised yourprices to that level, once you
(28:38):
have raised your prices to thatlevel, you have really changed
the whole level of the wayyou're operating your business,
like payroll, your labor costs,your food costs everything and
to go back, that's really hard,and to go back for just a
promotional time.
It's a lot of money.
Yeah, it is a lot of money.
So the thing is is, if they dothis and they do not really
(29:05):
really increase their customercount their transactions per
store, they have really justthrown money down the drain.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
And I think that's part of what happens.
If you're like analyzingMcDonald's as a business owner,
Because they have reported, like, I think, good earnings and
stuff, but it's good because theprice went up this much, so of
course you've got more.
But if you know the facts,they're and I'm not privy to
(29:40):
that Because the murder count isdown, so that's what they're
trying to.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I do not know this.
No one has told me this.
I'm making the assumption andI'm sure if I wanted it I could
find out in five minutes, butI'm not going to put anybody in
that position by them doing thisand it being in the media.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
their transactions are down the number of
transactions.
So they might be putting on agood front that their earnings
are good.
Sales are up.
Sales are up because thepercentage of what things cost.
But behind the scenes, whatthey're worried about, without
you saying this, is theirtransactions are declining.
When your transactions aredeclining, your business is
eroding.
(30:22):
Yeah, and that's not where youwant to pay.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
So your business is eroding.
So your business is eroding andwhen you go to sell your
business, your business is worthless, because I mean, if
somebody's buying it that hasseen it, they're going to go.
Holy shit, you've been losingtransactions for three years,
yeah well, we've been growingsince then.
(30:46):
Well, hell, if a meal is $30,right, yeah, it catches up.
Eventually it catches up.
It always catches up.
It's kind of like I feel likethe restaurant business is just
now.
The backlash of COVID is justhitting them the way it hit
(31:09):
retail about two years ago.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Yeah, there's been a delay in that.
Well, I think what's reallyhitting them if you're looking
at the big picture, it's therewas this period with the COVID
and everything was through theroof in sales, but then that
also put in a lot of changes asfar as look what using
(31:31):
McDonald's since we're on thetopic, look what a restaurant
looked like and how it operatedthen versus how it operates now,
and I think it's allsnowballing and catching up.
Where there is no, there's likeno customer.
If you go into a new one,there's a window and you order
yourself.
(31:52):
Well, it's funny, it's nocustomer service.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Okay, it's funny that you bring all this up.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
They're having to pay one person what they probably
used to pay three people, and sothey're dwindling down as much
as they can to have just onefront person.
That you don't see.
They have the boards that youorder from.
If you've gone into a new oneand it's as generic as you can
(32:18):
get, because they're, I don'tknow?
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Well, look at it.
This morning, this is what Iwoke up to.
What?
Speaker 1 (32:26):
is this I ate at your old McDonald's Saturday and you
would be very disappointed andI said which one?
Speaker 2 (32:34):
And he said which one .
Yeah, that's crazy.
And he said this was my dad.
So I've told you all about mydad.
Love my dad.
My dad's a man of few words.
Love my dad.
My dad's a man of few words andthe few words can be either
really funny, really bitchy, andthere's really not a lot in
(32:56):
between.
That's just how he is.
And usually when I get, when hetexts me about McDonald's,
listen y'all, my whole family.
Once you're a McDonald's owner,you're an owner for the rest of
your damn life.
Well, you're still this fear.
It is, it is, it is and youknow what.
(33:18):
It's kind of helpful.
And I told a friend of minetoday after my dad texts me this
and I'm going through it withhim and I'm like, I feel, and
I'm like, and I'm still like,I'm sorry and I'm like what is
wrong with me?
It ain't my problem.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
It ain't your problem .
Speaker 2 (33:35):
But it still affects it, like I'm still like I'm
going to pick up the phone andcall yes, and it was the whole.
It was the service aspect and Iwas like what happened with the
service?
There was none.
He said I stood there for fiveminutes.
I timed it.
(33:56):
Well, first of all, I can'tbelieve he stood there for five
minutes.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Well, that's because they were trying to make him
order on the board on the kiosk.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
Yeah, and he's older and he doesn't like stuff like
that.
Yeah, they were trying.
He will refuse that.
So that is true, the managerwas on the phone and just having
a conversation.
It just ignored him.
And then he got his food and itwas old fish and you know that
old fish is like cardboard nasty.
(34:27):
They forget to fish atMcDonald's.
Then you break them back.
So you know I hate hearing that.
And I'll tell you another thingthat since you brought all this
up that we have to talk aboutMcDonald's, Well, here's
something there's in therestaurant industry not
McDonald's in the restaurantindustry, especially with quick
(34:50):
service well, all therestaurants.
One thing that I used to alwayslook at is there are national
statistics on food away fromhome for your given area, for
your demographic area, and youalways want to keep your menu
(35:16):
prices within a certainpercentage of the food away from
home.
So basically, you don't want toget too far above what it costs
for you to make a soppy joe athome versus getting a big mac
Right, and I can tell you rightnow that is out of whack.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
It is out of control Because it is great, like you
said.
You know I don't.
I'm fortunate enough that likeI'll just whip it, honestly, I
don't eat out that much.
But, like I said, I wentsomewhere.
I don't know.
I'm fortunate enough that likeI'll just whip in, honestly, I
don't eat out that much.
But, like I said, I wentsomewhere.
I don't know where it was, butI don't think about it.
So I just ordered what I wantedand it wasn't even complicated.
But when I got the price and Ifeel like for me, when it was
(36:00):
just me in the car for myselfand I was like, damn, that's
expensive, like I didn't evenneed it, you know it wasn't like
I was like when you have thatfeeling, just as the general,
I'm like that's a problem, butanyway, so that was.
I was just wondering yourthought on that and how the
(36:21):
manipulating was coming.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
Well, and I hope they correct it.
And I hate it for the ownersbecause you know we've all
fallen into that pothole.
Well, the McDonald's down thestreet, their price is this.
So I'm going to go up to this.
Yeah, I mean, even I fell intothat at times.
(36:49):
You know, I was like well, Imean, my restaurants were
typically, but here's kind ofwhat's happened.
Mine were kind of on an island.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
But you, when I knew you and you were in there.
Here's what I feel like fromobserving what I know about you.
Here's what I feel like fromobserving what I know about you.
If COVID and all of this wouldhave happened where prices were
going up, the cost of labor wasgoing up or whatever instead of
raising your prices to theextreme which I feel like people
(37:20):
would have done you would havefocused on how can I get more
transactions, how can I get morepennies to the bottom I always
did that Instead of how can Iget this, and that's where they
lost touch.
They should have been focusingon the promos to get their
volume and you want yourtransaction count and your sales
(37:42):
to be like this.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
Not like I don't think.
Yes, not like I don't think.
And sometimes you know, if youhad, I can remember like I might
do a price increase, a bigprice increase, once every.
I don't know what did I do?
Maybe two or three years?
No, never more than two.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
But a big price increase was like a quarter.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
No, ten cents.
But I mean you do it oneverything.
But I would see I didn't do itjust on everything because that
would have been too easy.
No, my dumb ass which I wasn'tdumb, I was smart I printed a
product mix.
I went through item by itemwith my red pen and said, okay,
(38:27):
am I going up on egg biscuit?
Does this make sense for abiscuit and a fried egg?
Yeah, and I looked at it pieceby piece and then I looked at it
as if customers were buildingtheir own.
Does the price get stupid?
Yeah, so I looked at it likethat.
(38:48):
So at times, once you did that,it would be nice because that
first month you might see, forthat first month you might see
your sales increase jump hereand your transactions only go up
here, but then it closes inover the next month.
You know when you start seeingit separating.
Yeah, but then it closes inover the next month, you know
(39:10):
when you start seeing itseparating.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Right, and that's what I feel like they're saying
You're doing your business.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
They focused on the wrong thing and in McDonald's
it's not as busy Like I'm I knowwhen I drive by McDonald's.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
You would have been all focused on getting the
number of transactions so thatyou could increase the overall
pennies that fall to the bottom.
They focused on the individualto try to get that up.
And then you can tell when youdrive by McDonald's and there's
(39:47):
two cars in the drop-through,when you used to be like, oh,
we're trying to put through Xnumber of cars in an hour, they
ain't worried about that becausethey don't have that problem.
They don't have that backupproblem at least and I operated
my business.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
One of my best friends he's an old man now.
He was a McDonald's owner andhe told me years ago and it was
such a great piece of advice hecalls me Young Stevie.
Speaker 1 (40:21):
Young Stevie, young Stevie.
Speaker 2 (40:25):
Well, I was the youngest at the time, I know,
but you based that on me he saidlook at your business like
you're selling it every year.
Yeah, sit down really quiettime over several days.
Look at your whole businesslike you're selling it.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
That's a good advice and I said why?
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Why do I look at that ?
And he said you want to look atall of the moving part.
You have to look at who ispresident.
I'm not getting into politics,you just have to look at who's
president, because you have tolook at the tax implications.
You have to look at all ofthose, the economy, and you have
(41:17):
to look at how many prospectiveowners are there out there that
can actually buy your stores.
You have to look at your lifeon your leases, because you're
screwed if you sell.
If you go to sell, oh I want tosell my McDonald's, I've got 24
months left on my lease, on my20-year lease.
(41:39):
Well, hello, mcdonald's maymake you rebuild.
Yeah, so you're going to begiving that McDonald's away.
Yeah, so you really like, whenyou sell your McDonald's
business or you sell even anindividual store, there are so
many moving parts that you haveto consider that affect what you
(42:04):
walk with.
And that's why I moved mine up,because it Fell into place.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
That's what you were either having to sell or commit
for another million years.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
Well, I was going to be buying 10 more stores, so
that would have been about 22and a half million, and then I
was going to spend about 3million on my existing, so I
would have been spending 25million.
So once you put that 25 millionin, I would have had to stay in
the business 10 to 15 moreyears, you know you said you
(42:41):
wouldn't willingly really getback into it.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
But if they run it down enough, you might could buy
them at a good deal, build themback up and sell them all over
again.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
I'm never going to say never.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
Y'all going to see me managing a McDonald's.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
You know I mean crazier things.
I could point to McDonald's, Icould point to restaurants and
you're going to.
I'm not going to call people'sbusiness out.
I know—and listen, I never gota damn McDonald's for this, but
I know a McDonald's, I knowseveral, but I know one right
(43:21):
now in my head that sold for—no,there's two—$160,000.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
That's crazy.
They'd run it in the groundthat much.
Speaker 2 (43:30):
So I'm just saying, I'm just putting it out there,
if I were to get a phone, callBecause that's crazy, like if
you don't know, that's free.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
Yeah, they're usually millions.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Yeah, that's free.
That's crazy.
If they called me tomorrow andsaid I have two shitholes, then
it would be yeah, and you canget them for $160,000 a piece.
I would be like, girl, I willsee you at the grill area.
I traded you because you'rerunning this.
(44:04):
We're doing this for sevenyears.
Oh my God, that would be crazyand I, you know I'm never going
to say never.
It would be like it wouldhappen.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
We got to get the live sale at 8.
So we got to get this dinnerrush done and we got to be like
Wesley, you are late again.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
I told you about this .
Sorry, no, I mean, there arecircumstances.
Again, I told you about this.
Sorry, no, I mean, there arecircumstances, I would go back.
Speaker 1 (44:34):
But it would be very difficult.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
It would be very difficult, meaning I'm so old
school McDonald's, I mean Iwould be a rogue.
I mean I was a rogue when I wasin there, but now I would be
like my letters from legal wouldbe.
I mean it would be miles.
(44:58):
They'd be like you can't saythat, you can't do that.
I'd be like, oh my gosh, that'sfunny.
So Southernism.
Speaker 1 (45:11):
Oh, you got a Southernism.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
This is a food thing.
So I've had two people becauseyou know it's called my
Southernisms have caught on.
So I have had two random peopleask me did y'all do this when
you were growing up?
Hell, yeah, we did.
And guess what?
If it was on the table now, Iwould do it today.
(45:34):
And I don't know if y'all didthis in Tennessee, but I can't
imagine that you didn't.
But this is definitely a SouthCarolina thing is did y'all ever
take?
It didn't matter if it wasbreakfast, lunch or dinner, or
breakfast, lunch and supper, itdidn't matter.
(45:56):
You would take molasses and wenever had molasses.
Molasses, honey or syrup, anyof the three, okay.
And then you would take butterand put that on your plate and
pour that molasses one of those,either molasses, honey or syrup
and you would take your forkand you would mash it together
(46:20):
and you would create thiswhipped butter and then you
would put that on your biscuit.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
No, we didn't do that .
But I mean, it's kind of likemaking honey butter it is, but
we were just having toself-serve right there at the no
Mm-hmm.
Hmm, I know there were a lot ofthings I wanted to get through,
so we'll do that next weekbecause we got off on the
McDonald's thing.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
On the McDonald's thing.
I know, but it is a good topic.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
And it affects.
But there's Some people havebeen texting our hotline and
some other things, but we'll getinto that.
Yeah, you found out.
Speaker 2 (46:58):
You found out that cantaloupe and gravy is a thing.
Yeah, there's multiple.
Speaker 1 (47:05):
Makes me we gotta have it.
We should try it.
It's so good, but I hadsomething from TikTok that I
found interesting.
I meant to show you this.
It was a mom on TikTok and herkids are Generation Alpha.
So that is what the hell?
(47:26):
Well, I just looked it up.
That is like 2010 through 2024,maybe, yeah, 2010 to 2024.
But so I guess the younger ones10, are in school or whatever.
But she was saying she justlearned from her kids that are
(47:46):
this generation.
And then a lot of people in thecomments were saying it was
true.
So I'll bring it up that forthis new generation, farts,
farting farts aren't funnyanymore.
Like if someone farts in theclassroom they don't laugh at it
.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
That's so sad.
Speaker 1 (48:05):
I know, right, where have we gone, I mean, but her
kids, so she had them there,like asking like well, why don't
we like we always found thatfunny or whatever?
And they're like why that'slike laughing at someone
sneezing or laughing at someonewith hiccups.
It's not funny and I'm like, soI want to know it makes me want
(48:26):
to fart.
Speaker 2 (48:26):
Right, so I want to know it makes me want to fart.
Speaker 1 (48:30):
Right.
So now I want to know if you'relistening and have younger kids
, do you ask your kids like doyou find this to be true?
Like if someone oh hell, thewhole funnel went down.
We don't rain out of gas.
I don't even know what we weretalking about, except for farts,
aren't funny anymore.
So what?
I really I don't know out ofgas, I don't even know what we
were talking about, except forfarts aren't funny anymore.
So what?
I really I don't know if youpicked it up or not, but I
(48:52):
wanted to know.
If you're listening and youhave younger kids, do you find
this to be true?
Let us know in the comments ortext us on our hotline
864-982-5029.
And with that we are going towrap this up, because I can't
take it anymore.
We just wrecked up today.
(49:12):
Remember to join our onlinecommunity if you want to watch
the train wreck there.
Even more of a train wreck.
Yeah, you can watch the trainwreck by going to
whosedrivingpodcastcom.
Or, of course, you can listenanywhere for free Apple Podcasts
, spotify, all the otherservices too, all the places.
(49:33):
Remember to leave us a reviewwherever you're listening to me,
if it's fine, if it's the bestOpen the door and just push me
out.
Speaker 2 (49:40):
If it's not a good review, don't leave.
Speaker 1 (49:44):
So that's all we got this week.
Hopefully next week we'll haveour shit together.
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