The Build Episode 3

[OPENING MUSIC]

00:00:00 Alex VO: The build is presented by Square. Opening your first restaurant is a one of a kind challenge. Building the systems, team and infrastructure to grow beyond is another. This season we're going beyond the basics and into Restaurant 201, following what it really takes to scale a restaurant concept without losing the hospitality, culture and food that made it special in the first place. Square supports businesses at every stage with connected tools designed to help restaurant owners run their operations, understand their business, and keep growing. This is The Build: Season Three, presented by Square.

00:00:46 Jenny VO: You’re listening to The Build: A show about what it really takes to open a restaurant.

[THEME MUSIC]

00:00:54 Jenny VO: Gio and Tania struck a chord with New York diners at Taqueria Ramirez, and the success is hard to deny. So when they found a space in the West Village, the natural inclination could have been to just open a third taqueria. Instead, they chose to let the space speak to them and allow a different, exciting idea to take root. Today, we'll hear about how that choice is shaping up as we walk through the space and its progress.

00:01:18 Alex: Okay, we are back in the recording studio, AKA Tania and Gio's office. It's Tuesday, June twenty third. We are fresh off of a New York Knicks title last week and madness in the city. FIFA World Cup is going bonkers. Messi just became increased his status as the Goat by being the most goals ever in World Cup history. Right?

00:01:46 Carlos: Wow.

00:01:46 Alex: At like seventeen I think, which is pretty insane. And there is a lot of stuff happening in food. So James Beard was last week and so was Aspen Food and Wine, which Jen was at. So you can tell us a little bit about what that experience is.

00:02:01 Alex: I'm tired. It was great.

00:02:06 Alex: Great. Thanks for the wrap up. Very in depth,

00:02:07 Carlos: Great. Thank you Jenny.

00:02:09 Alex: very informative. So if anyone was curious about what Aspen is like, there you go. And you guys were at James Beard. So can you give us a little bit of like what your first... was that your first experience there? No.

00:02:18 Tania: Um, for James Beard, yes, it was the first one. It was fun and busy because in the one hand, you and me and Carrie and Ivan from carnitas were in the ceremony. But we also got hired to do tacos for the after party, let's say. So that's when Carlos stepped up to help us out with Uma and Julio, who live in Texas. So it was a good group of people partying at the same time.

00:02:51 Alex: Amazing.

00:02:52 Alex: We didn't take home the award,

00:02:53 Tania: We didn't, no.

00:02:55 Alex: But it was a huge honor to be nominated.

00:02:56 Tania: Yes, it was really inspiring. I mean, the ceremony was a mix of different, obviously, people from all over, but the speeches were really inspiring. You know, a lot of immigrant people. So that was really nice

00:03:11 Jenny: Big year for texas.

00:03:11 Tania: Yeah, exactly.

00:03:12 Jenny: Like Houston. Yeah. Like really swept. Yeah.

00:03:15 Tania: Yeah, it was really very inspiring. Very nice.

00:03:19 Alex: Oh, and we're also. So today we're going to get into the meat a little bit of El Camaron Pluto. So we've gotten, you know, basically your founding story and how you guys went from creatives and photography to restaurants. And so we've got Tanya in the studio today, and we've also got Carlos in the studio. Gio has been called in as people have called out, which is what being a restaurant owner is all about. I haven't seen the space since we did some photos there. Give us like a little bit of an update on your building process, and then we'll go into more of the our formal questions about Pluto.

00:03:56 Carlos: Yeah. I mean, um, building is going. We just got the marble installed last week. I think it's like kind of like eighty percent done the space.

00:04:05 Tania: Yeah.

00:04:05 Alex: Marble for the bar. For the bathrooms for.

00:04:07 Carlos: Bar is done. Uh, so we built this bar. It's beautiful. It's kind of like curvy

00:04:14 Tania: Yeah.

00:04:14 Carlos: and like.

00:04:15 Tania: So the space is narrow and long. So we decided to make a bar that would go all around the space pretty much. So most of it is just, um, like bar seating in a way. There's like room for four tiny tables in the back, but everything is really organic and.

00:04:34 Alex: Everything else is bar seats?

00:04:35 Tania: Yeah, exactly.

00:04:36 Alex: Okay.

00:04:36 Alex: How many seats are you aiming to have?

00:04:38 Tania: Uh, we're aiming for twenty five.

00:04:40 Alex: For twenty five?

00:04:40 Tania: Yes.

00:04:40 Alex: And that's like as max as you can get.

00:04:42 Tania: Yes.

00:04:43 Alex: What was the planning like for the space? Because right, in New York you have to optimize, especially

00:04:47 Tania: Yeah, exactly.

00:04:48 Alex: when the space is small, you have to optimize every single square inch. So I'm curious, you know, when you were building the bar and you were thinking about it when you're thinking about the curves.

00:04:56 Tania: Mhm.

00:04:56 Alex: Were there things that you sacrificed in order to like give up seats or make more room for more seats? How was that from like a revenue planning perspective?

00:05:03 Tania: Yeah. I mean, the space initially had a bar there at the entrance, which is the bar

00:05:10 Carlos: The bar there.

00:05:10 Alex: Yeah.

00:05:10 Tania: that we have here. We brought it here to the studio and and then it had like six tables as well in the back. So it's kind of like half and half. But we were thinking also kind of like on the floor. How would it be if it's only tables for people? It would possibly make the like less turnaround of tables. If it was just tables. And thinking about the bar in our minds was a little more like, okay, people come more casually, maybe like they come, they can just have a couple glasses of wine and a appetizer and then move now. Or they can have, you know, enough time, enough room to get a full meal, no? So that was a little bit of the decision into getting a little more bar seats than tables. We also have a patio, which we initially thought we could use, and it's like a little outdoor area that you go, but you have to pass through a common hallway. So neighbors from the building come outside from that hallway. And they actually used that hallway to get into that same patio area where they leave their trash, no? So apparently that was the whole thing, especially for the community, the people from the West Village. What do they call again?

00:06:33 Jenny: Community Board

00:06:34 Alex: Community Board.

00:06:35 Tania: I mean, but there's like the, you know…

00:06:39 Carlos: it's like the street. Like.

00:06:40 Tania: Yeah. The group of people that…

00:06:41 Jenny: The block association.

00:06:42 Tania: the block association!

00:06:42 Carlos: Oh, yeah.

00:06:43 Jenny: Yeah. The block association. Okay. Mhm.

00:06:46 Tania: Those were the first to flag it. No. Like oh, but can you really operate in the back? And we were like, I mean, all the other restaurants before us have operated in the back.

00:06:55 Alex: So the one that was literally there right before you had used the patio.

00:06:59 Tania: Yeah, exactly.

00:06:59 Alex: How long has that space been empty before you guys took the lease?

00:07:02 Tania: It probably was like six months, no?

00:07:04 Alex: Oh, so recent

00:07:04 Tania: Because.

00:07:04 Carlos: Yeah.

00:07:05 Tania: Yeah. Mhm.

00:07:06 Alex: So they flagged it and said, can you operate? And then what?

00:07:09 Tania: And then we're like, yeah, because everybody else before us have used it. No. But then talking with the lawyers, apparently that area is not included in the occupancy floor plan, let's say.

00:07:22 Alex: Ah.

00:07:22 Tania: So they had been operating it, but illegally

00:07:25 Alex: Illegally.

00:07:26 Tania: illegally.

00:07:26 Carlos: Yeah.

00:07:26 Alex: I can't believe they got away with that in the West Village, because

00:07:29 Tania: Right?

00:07:29 Alex: West Village is notorious for being.

00:07:31 Tania: One hundred percent.

00:07:32 Alex: Yeah.

00:07:32 Tania: I also thought like how.

00:07:33 Alex: Is it something you could like refile the C of O and try and do later, or is it just not worth the expense?

00:07:39 Tania: I mean, yeah.

00:07:39 Carlos: I think it will be worth it,

00:07:41 Tania: Yeah.

00:07:41 Carlos: but, like, I think he's gonna take a long time.

00:07:43 Alex: Time and money. Right.

00:07:44 Carlos: So we're gonna save it for next year.

00:07:46 Tania: Yeah, I think, I mean, we went through something similar here at taqueria and it took like a whole year. It can be less time, but we just might start operating and then getting obviously some money into the bank account and then start that process. Yeah.

00:08:04 Alex: Does that change the economics of the space for you?

00:08:06 Tania: A little bit. But you know, we're gonna just have to make it work

00:08:10 Alex: And did you go back to the landlord with any sort of. Because the landlord. I prob, I assume at least alleged that you could use it. So do you go back to the landlord and say, hey, this is.

00:08:20 Tania: Yeah. Um, I haven't done it personally.

00:08:23 Alex: Yeah.

00:08:23 Tania: That's, that's more Gio type

00:08:25 Alex: Okay.

00:08:25 Tania: of communication,

00:08:26 Alex: Right.

00:08:27 Tania: which he, yeah, he should, and he probably did.

00:08:30 Alex: He will. Yeah.

00:08:31 Alex: Is this good? You guys play good cop, bad cop? Is that...?

00:08:33 Tania: Yeah. One hundred percent.

00:08:34 Alex: Yeah.

00:08:34 Tania: He's like, I'll take care of that for you. Okay. But then I also have to remind him, you know,

00:08:40 Alex: Yeah.

00:08:42 Tania: but yeah, I think, I mean, that's the first challenge we have faced recently.

00:08:46 Alex: You just found that out recently about the backyard?

00:08:48 Tania: Yeah. Right when we were with the process of the liquor license.

00:08:52 Carlos: And it's maybe like sixteen, twenty seats...

00:08:55 Tania: Yeah.

00:08:55 Carlos: back there?

00:08:56 Alex: That's significant.

00:08:56 Carlos: It really cut us for like forty percent capacity.

00:08:59 Tania: Yeah.

00:09:00 Alex: Wow.

00:09:00 Tania: But, yeah, you you have to move on.

00:09:04 Alex: You're so calm about it.

00:09:06 Carlos: Giovanni wants to put up a hamaca in the back. He's like...

00:09:09 Tania: Yeah. Like a hammock.

00:09:09 Carlos: I'm going to put like,

00:09:10 Alex: Oh, yeah?

00:09:11 Tania: At least to to use it for...

00:09:13 Alex: Just for him or for like...?t

00:09:14 Carlos: Just for him.

00:09:15 Alex: That's his nap spot?

00:09:16 Alex: Yeah.

00:09:16 Tania: Exactly.

00:09:16 Alex: I mean, you're gonna need a nap after running five restaurants, I think. Um, and one hosting World Cup

00:09:21 Tania: I napped in the plane from Chicago to New York.

00:09:25 Alex: Perfect. Okay, so twenty five seats inside. So after redesigning it, are you getting more seats than the previous occupant had?

00:09:33 Tania: Yes, I'm pretty sure. Yeah.

00:09:33 Carlos: Yeah.

00:09:35 Alex: I think people are used to this style of dining. I'm curious if there's other seafood bars in town like Penny, right...

00:09:39 Tania: Mhm.

00:09:39 Alex: is from, um,

00:09:40 Tania: Exactly.

00:09:41 Alex: from Chase and from the folks who have Claud

00:09:44 Alex: Claud.

00:09:45 Alex: Thank You and Stars Wine Bar and they've gotten a lot of accolades. I'm curious, like what other, you know, seafood bars and things that you've taken inspiration from while you're concepting and coming up with what the design is like.

00:09:56 Tania: Yeah I mean, I guess Quique Crudo is a very good example because not only is also super tiny, but yeah, it's just super tiny and

00:10:06 Carlos: And you see everyone, like every single seat.

00:10:09 Tania: yeah.

00:10:09 Carlos: It's like, I don't know if you guys have been there. It's really like a room and it's all surrounded by seats.

00:10:15 Tania: Yeah.

00:10:15 Alex: It's here in New York?

00:10:16 Carlos: So it’s like all around. Yeah, it's in West Village.

00:10:17 Jenny: What's it called?

00:10:19 Carlos: Quique Crudo. It's from the chef Cosme from Cassandra's?

00:10:24 Tania: Yeah.

00:10:24 Carlos: Yeah. Um, this raw bar.

00:10:27 Tania: Is definitely there. Um, I mean, they have like exposed, um, kitchen in a way. And they do have liquor though, right?

00:10:37 Carlos: They have, like, a full bar…

00:10:38 Tania: Yeah.

00:10:38 Carlos: there. Um.

00:10:38 Tania: but yeah, the servers just walk like, like super tight. But yeah, it's a good example of how, you know, like a seafood bar Operates.

00:10:47 Alex: Mhm.

00:10:48 Tania: They're busy all the time. So we expect

00:10:49 Alex: I know you guys did some like, um, research in Mexico City and other

00:10:53 Tania: Mhm.

00:10:53 Alex: places. Anything there that inspired the size and the style of Peludo?

00:11:00 Carlos: I think definitely like the bar, especially to me, and I think to Gio feels very like... we went to Europe and

00:11:09 Tania: Yeah. More. More Eur...

00:11:10 Carlos: yeah, like

00:11:11 Tania: I feel like Mexico is a little more.

00:11:13 Carlos: …classic, you know?

00:11:14 Carlos: like space.

00:11:15 Tania: like big…

00:11:15 Alex: Bigger?

00:11:15 Tania: space and different approaches.

00:11:16 Carlos: Yeah.

00:11:18 Alex: But you were Europe… You were in Spain, too, or something, right?

00:11:21 Carlos: Yeah. And like…

00:11:21 Alex: Looking at…

00:11:22 Carlos: Gio and me love Madrid. So we went to Madrid and check some bars there. And we love like that, like bar interaction, you know, like, uh, and I think a lot of the inspiration for the flow comes from there. Even last week, you and me were talking about maybe we'll do an area of the bar standing because

00:11:39 Tania: Mhm.

00:11:39 Carlos: we like that like energy

00:11:41 Alex: Mhm.

00:11:42 Carlos: that the bars have there. That's more casual, quick,

00:11:45 Tania: Yeah.

00:11:46 Carlos: but really good food, really good wine, really good drinks. And but it's very quick. Like people go for like a snack and they just leave. So I think a lot of inspiration for the flow on the menu comes from that style of restaurant.

00:12:01 Alex: Do you feel like that's going to be hard to communicate to a New York customer that maybe is not used to standing

00:12:08 Carlos: I...

00:12:08 Alex: to have their langoustines and then or whatever it is, right.

00:12:11 Carlos: I feel like, I mean, something that Gio has like kind of like mentioned to me a few times. Like I feel like people underestimate customers in New York. I think people are really in general, like excited to try new experiences. So I definitely see in Peludo, we're bringing like, I mean, it's a seafood bar, but I feel like the concept will come out like something that at least I don't know anywhere in the city is doing. I think people hopefully will get it. You know, like, and we're also like down to adjust like we'll be flexible.

00:12:46 Tania: Yeah,

00:12:46 Carlos: We want people to be happy too.

00:12:48 Tania: yeah. I feel like I mean, when we were creating the concept, we also one of the things that we really wanted to the space to become is like a place that our friends would want to go know, like something that actually connects with us and our community. So I'm pretty sure our friends will get it,

00:13:09 Carlos: I think our friends will love it.

00:13:10 Tania: You know? so I think it's just going to happen naturally like that, you know, little by little, obviously, like I think I told this before, educating people is a big part of what we've been doing since the beginning, you know, with the use of lard, with standing, eating, standing, eating your tacos. And Carnitas, like, oh, you really are eating snout in your

00:13:32 Alex: Mhm.

00:13:33 Tania: taco. Yeah, like a little bit of that always. It comes from these concepts. But yeah, we feel really good and inspiring that people will get will get it.

00:13:43 Alex: People will get it.

00:13:44 Alex: Speaking of the concept and like in the idea in the beginning, take us back a little bit. And I know we touched on it a little, but why not just another Taqueria Ramirez West Village?

00:13:56 Tania: Yeah. I mean, I feel like you and me, we have had this conversation so many times of how we are growing the brand. And there's been thoughts of Taqueria Ramirez 2.0 in the city since we opened. And that's always been the first thought in our minds when we see a space. But also the space always defines the concept in a way for us. Like that happened with Carnitas. We thought that initially we were looking for another location for Taqueria Ramirez, and when we saw the space, it just didn't click that it was going to be the flow. But we really liked the space, the neighborhood, the rent was pretty good. So we readapt and we were like, okay, actually, this is a great opportunity to do something else, no? Do something connected with the taqueria Mexican food, but just different concept. And with Peludo, it kind of happened the same way because, um, brokers can approach us every time. And me and Gio, we have seen a lot of places and when they show us that space, it was initially proposed to be a Taqueria Ramirez. But it was just also very, like I said, very narrow kitchen in the back, no gas. So for us, that was just a deal breaker. Like, no, we're not gonna do a Taqueria Ramirez here. But at the same time, we had already been seen other places with Carlos, mostly here in Brooklyn and in Williamsburg. And yeah, when we, you know, reconnected about what Cameron Peludo was gonna look like. Yeah, we just kind of like fell in love with the space and how we were going to be able to do something else there. You know, at the beginning it was also meant to be a bigger space, like in Mexico, like a seafood place would just be tables and offer enough room to have a bucket of beers in your table.

00:15:56 Alex: MM.

00:15:56 Tania: And this is definitely not the case. So it's all a matter of readapting, you know, like the concept starts in one way, but then at the end, it's fun to change also. And it makes sense to.

00:16:11 Alex: And Carlos, how do you feel about like... when you came on to work with them, was it already established that this would be like a seafood bar? Or did were you part of that? Were you excited by that or were you nervous about that? Or is it something you have experience with?

00:16:26 Carlos: I feel like. So the way that felt to me, I mean, I've been like a huge fan of Gio and Tania since pretty much they open Taqueria. So when I this, this idea really came up from like, one night. I mean, I think Gio and me love seafood. One night, Tania was away in Mexico, and Gio and me were hanging out, and we just made some aguachile, and I was like, we should open something like this. And Gio was like, I've been wanting to do this. And then I just, I think for me, it made sense because obviously I've been looking into like opening something and I've been considering partners and like, I never saw... like it's so hard to pick a partner. I feel like it was like the past year or so, I was like talking to many of my friends that have business that want to do something. And I was really interested in different concepts and nothing really like made sense to me until obviously I started talking to Gio and Tanya were from Mexico. I'm admire a lot what they're doing and it just seems like the perfect match to me. It also kind of like just flow, you know, like we obviously, I push it, I, I have a little pitch in my apartment. I cook for them. I feel

00:17:52 Tania: Oh, yeah.

00:17:52 Carlos: that was when I kind of like was like, okay, I'm gonna go for trying to open this seafood place with them. So I invite over, I cook seafood for them in my tiny two person bar.

00:18:04 Alex: You're like, wooing them a little bit.

00:18:06 Tania: Yeah. It worked.

00:18:08 Alex: It worked.

00:18:10 Carlos: Um, yeah. I mean, it just like happens, we start looking for spaces. But I also know that Gio and Tania were looking. I feel like you always look in spaces like...

00:18:19 Tania: Yeah yeah,

00:18:20 Carlos: you guys are always like,

00:18:20 Tania: I'm like. Stop!

00:18:21 Alex: You need to take the, Yeah.

00:18:23 Carlos: So it didn't feel like real until it was like, actually, like... It's been such a long process for me. It's like I thought it would be faster in a way, but it's been a really... We look at this space in November and

00:18:40 Alex: Right.

00:18:40 Carlos: it's June and we still haven't opened. We made an offer at the end of November. We got in in February or March? So it's been a really long process, but it's been amazing to be part of like already like work with Gio and Tania. I think we just really understand each other very well. I think for Gio especially, Gio became kind of like super, super close to me super quick. He's like, definitely one of my best friends, I love him. We are both from Mexico City, so I think we have a really like similar perspective of many things. And that's just super cool. You know, it's like we grew up kind of like in the same area of Mexico. We have a lot of like very similar things from growing up. So it's been amazing. And like building this space has been super fun to like learn the whole curve, like how it's been changing and it's been changing so many times. Like really like...

00:19:42 Alex: Tell us a little bit about that because, you know, we wanted to focus a little bit on like, how is it actually going with construction? So I'm curious to hear what have been the pivots and the tough choices you've had to make?

00:19:52 Tania: I mean, I feel like the whole bar thing, it took a while to decide on just optimizing the space, I would say. I went to school for interior architecture actually.

00:20:05 Alex: Oh.

00:20:05 Tania: So I know AutoCAD.

00:20:07 Alex: Way to bury that lead.

00:20:08 Tania: No, I mean like it has helped a lot to kind of like design, you know, the space, the flow.

00:20:17 Alex: So you did the design of the flow yourself for this project

00:20:20 Tania: I mean

00:20:21 Alex: and for all of the restaurants or... yeah.

00:20:22 Tania: Yeah, guess it was just it's been obviously collaborative, you know, like what goes where and how the flow works in the best way possible. But because it's all like a bar, obviously there's a challenge of where to put the fridge, where to put the cold station, and do we have enough room for wine or all of that, no? So I think that's been the the most challenging part, just kind of deciding, you know, even like the measurement of the bar. It went from sixteen inches to twenty four inches.

00:20:56 Alex: Why?

00:20:57 Tania: because we realized when they were actually building it out that we, it was fine. It was fine to extend a little bit more.

00:21:04 Alex: And you wanted the guest to have more space to eat.

00:21:05 Tania: Exactly. Yeah. But that literally happened when the bar was already built. Like, oh no, you have room to actually make twenty four like, great, let's do it. No. So definitely that, I guess the space had already a beautiful, you know, organic shapes all over. So that was really not, I mean, we decided to keep it like that. But also, you know, the seating that we proposed initially was going to be... we said like, fuck it, let's just do bar all throughout the space, no? But then we were like, okay, but maybe we want a little like Booth here for our friends. And at the end, we decided because there was a storage part in that area already, we're like, no, we need storage, so let's keep this. So it's been just been like back and forth into seating versus storage versus what actually the space allows us to do in terms of space, literally. The bathroom, I wanted to change it entirely, but Gio and Carlos are like, no, we don't need to, we don't need to get into that. The bathroom is fine already. I think we might still paint it somehow, but that's... yeah, that's kind of like there already

00:22:16 Alex: Why did you want to change it?

00:22:18 Tania: because it's a little ugly, you know, it's like a weird purple. It's literally just that because everything else, furniture wise, it's fine. It actually has a bidet. You know, it came with a bidet. So that's actually cool. But yeah, I just wanted to make it nice, you know, different. I feel like always it's important to also change the space was like that already, but I like to change it, give it personality in a way. But I know it will happen naturally with all the choices we're doing with decoration and all of that. And we have a great connection. Molly. Molly, she's helping us design... We're doing like this mosaic, beautiful mosaic with, um, crabs and shrimps and, you know, all seafood inspired. And she's really been like a great person, you know? she's also a designer and she's also a chef. So yeah, she's been a great support into like more details of decoration and interior design.

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00:23:56 Alex: Is there any work you have to do to the kitchen? And did you have to pull permits for anything, or are you guys there? No.

00:24:00 Carlos: I mean, also, that was why we loved this place too. The kitchen is beautiful. It's like full build out. We have two beautiful ovens. It's all like custom made for the space. So we have, like, everything we need. We're really not moving anything there.

00:24:17 Alex: So kitchen stays. HVAC was there. Storefront is fine. Bathroom is fine.

00:24:23 Tania: Yeah.

00:24:23 Alex: So you got pretty turnkey space. What about the basement?

00:24:26 Carlos: We have the prep area. There was also like

00:24:28 Alex: That was finished?

00:24:29 Carlos: the second…

00:24:29 Alex: Or you're fixing?

00:24:30 Carlos: …Rational in the basement.

00:24:31 Tania: It’s pretty big. The basement.

00:24:33 Alex: But you had to do some repairs there, right?

00:24:34 Tania: Yeah.

00:24:34 Carlos: Yeah.

00:24:35 Tania: mostly like covering the walls, cleaning it, filling out holes, that type of thing. But nothing major, really.

00:24:42 Alex: Flooring stays?

00:24:45 Tania: Stays the same.

00:24:45 Alex: And I saw you guys did some like custom banquette in the back, right? I feel like

00:24:48 Tania: Yeah.

00:24:48 Alex: I saw a plaster guy there when

00:24:49 Carlos: Yeah.

00:24:49 Alex: we were there before I was doing. Yeah,

00:24:52 Tania: El ninja.

00:24:52 Alex: Yeah.

00:24:53 Tania: Yeah. He's pn that

00:24:53 Alex: And then I guess I was one of my thoughts that popped in my head with bar only was like, I feel like it's hard to go to a bar only spot with more than three people,

00:25:01 Tania: Mhm.

00:25:01 Alex: because then it gets uncomfortable. You're not really like talking from person one to person four. So is that sort of why those booths in the back became

00:25:10 Tania: Yeah, exactly.

00:25:11 Alex: a piece to solve that?

00:25:12 Tania: Yeah.

00:25:12 Alex: Right.

00:25:12 Tania: Yeah yeah yeah. I mean, people have to adapt to the space, too. I mean, I've been to places like three people sit in the bar, just kind of have to move around and just move yourself.

00:25:24 Alex VO: The El Camaron Peludo space is taking shape and the clock is ticking on rent concessions. We asked the team about the opening date and when rent becomes a reality.

00:25:33 Tania: That's in July right?

00:25:33 Carlos: Yeah.

00:25:34 Tania: Yeah. Okay.

00:25:34 Carlos: That's right.

00:25:35 Tania: So that has to open in July.

00:25:35 Carlos: We're gonna start paying rent next week.

00:25:36 Tania: Yeah.

00:25:37 Alex: And so it sounds like there's cosmetic things that we're

00:25:41 Tania: Mhm.

00:25:41 Alex: still doing. We don't have any furniture ordered yet.

00:25:44 Tania: Some.

00:25:46 Alex: Some.

00:25:46 Tania: you know, like the tiny tables. I don't think we have decided on the stools, but that's not too hard. Honestly, like I have a vision already a couple of fridges already there, so yeah. I mean, the space is it has some warmth, but also it's a little bit like there's like brushed steel in the bar. The marble is kind of like it's beautiful.

00:26:11 Alex: What color is the marble?

00:26:12 Tania: It's like a little...

00:26:14 Carlos: Like green...

00:26:14 Tania: ...green.

00:26:15 Carlos: ...and pink.

00:26:16 Tania: Yeah. Green. Green with pink,

00:26:18 Alex: Okay.

00:26:18 Tania: but it's still like cold in a way.

00:26:20 Alex: What are the walls?

00:26:21 Tania: The walls is going to be just like lime wash.

00:26:24 Alex: I'm beautiful. Carlos has shown me a picture of the marble right now.

00:26:26 Tania: It's so beautiful.

00:26:26 Alex: Gorgeous.

00:26:28 Alex: Oh, wow. It is beautiful.

00:26:29 Tania: Yeah.

00:26:30 Alex: And that. Sorry. Tell me the walls again.

00:26:32 Tania: It's like a lime wash. Kind of neutral.

00:26:33 Alex: Okay. Natural

00:26:35 Tania: Mhm.

00:26:35 Alex: color. Okay.

00:26:36 Tania: So...

00:26:37 Alex: And then the mosaic is in the front by the window, right?

00:26:39 Carlos: Yeah.

00:26:39 Tania: Yes, exactly.

00:26:40 Alex: Yeah. And that's colorful? Or that's monochrome.

00:26:40 Tania: The motifs, seafood motifs are colors, but

00:26:47 Alex: Right.

00:26:47 Tania: the mosaic surrounding is just neutral, like off white. So everything is like, I think the warmth will come from the lighting mostly and some details, but it's more neutral, like the floor is wood, but we're gonna paint it white. So it just gives you the feeling also like to be in and out quick. It's not super cozy, let's say, no? So I envision like the stools being maybe wood, but not like cushiony, you know? Yeah.

00:27:22 Alex: There was also like, weren'y you going to do some sort of, like, plaster

00:27:25 Tania: Yeah.

00:27:25 Alex: sculpture in the wall? In the back. Something like that?

00:27:29 Tania: So we actually decided it's going to be like more like, um, mural type of thing. But now we're gonna do with the help of Molly, you know, there's like a, some sort of mirror in there and there's a two shrimp guys having a glass of wine that's kind of like the what the mural was going to be, but now it's going to be crushed with like a light over there.

00:27:57 Alex: Very interesting.

00:27:57 Tania: Yeah. So it's very pretty, honestly, it's super pretty. And there's a piece of furniture for like the service station that's wood. So that gives it a little more warmth in the space, but there's no more like stucco mural.

00:28:14 Alex: Much more feminine than your other spaces.

00:28:15 Tania: Yeah. Yeah. Definitely yes.

00:28:16 Alex: What have you ordered? Like plateware, glassware. All those things too.

00:28:19 Tania: Yes.

00:28:19 Carlos: We got the plates actually, a couple of weeks ago from your friend.

00:28:24 Alex: From felt and fat.. Oh,

00:28:25 Carlos: Yeah.

00:28:25 Alex: fantastic!

00:28:26 Jenny: Oh, wow,

00:28:26 Alex: Yeah.

00:28:27 Carlos: I.

00:28:27 Jenny: A uTILITy cute meet… meet cute!

00:28:29 Tania: Yes!

00:28:29 Jenny: Cute, I love it. I love a uTILITy meet cute.

00:28:31 Alex: Yes.

00:28:31 Tania: We have, we, we saw him in…

00:28:33 Alex: Did you go colorful? Did you go? What did you do?

00:28:36 Tania: It's like, uh,

00:28:37 Carlos: it's a mix. We have some, like, colors. We have some, like more neutral.

00:28:42 Tania: But it's muted. Definitely.

00:28:45 Alex: Did you mood board vision board this out or it seems like you just sort of are free flowing. Tell me what your process looks like.

00:28:53 Tania: No, there was definitely some mood boards, but it just has changed. At the beginning it was a little more like Mexican, kind of like Oaxacan. Nice house with a lot of sculptures in there. But then when we switch into a little more European, when Carlos and Gio went to Madrid, over there is a little more basic. You know, it's like a house, but nothing fancy.

00:29:21 Alex: Mhm.

00:29:21 Tania: So we kind of wanted to have that into the mix. And now it's pretty much a mix of both. Like there's all these like limewash nice little parts, but also more European, like the mosaic. that's very common in at least in Madrid, you know, like old paints with mosaic and also like more just basic tile in the mix? The old... the marble. I think it's a little a more like old house, no, in Madrid.

00:29:54 Carlos: Yeah.

00:29:55 Tania: So yeah, it's been like a little mix of that, but it started with a mud bar and it has changed. That has changed.

00:30:01 Alex: How do you draw a through line between your spaces? Or maybe you don't want to? I'm

00:30:05 Tania: Mhm.

00:30:05 Alex: curious for you, how do you connect like vision and brand throughout the spaces, but still give them a unique identity? Or maybe you want them to each have a unique identity that are not connected? I'm curious about like

00:30:16 Tania: Yeah.

00:30:16 Alex: your thoughts.

00:30:17 Tania: It all... I feel like the common denominator is just like authentic in a way? Not trying to make it extra beautiful, extra polished. It has a part of it that is just like a house in either Mexico or in Madrid or something like that. But we don't really think about them being connected in a way with the design. Each one of them has its own personality, and we're fine with that. Yeah.

00:30:50 Alex VO: As TILIT founders, we are big believers in the power of brand. TILIT partner Legacy Motor Club is headed by seven time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, a legend on the track who has built an exceptional hospitality experience on the track sidelines. We sat down with Jimmie to hear his takes on what makes a great brand.

00:31:08 Jenny: Tell us a little bit about how you think about personal brand and then being a brand architect of other brands as well.

00:31:14 Jimmie: Yeah, I would say that the architect piece is somewhat new. You know I an incredible career driving and drove for incredible OEM, incredible teams and in the racing space more specific to the US. You know, the teams really carry out the initiative of the partners that grace the side of the cars. And I think Formula One, you know, sports in general, stick and ball here in the States... Yes, they honor that. But at the same time, they're building a larger brand. You think the Dallas Cowboys, you think of a lot of these other entities that are out there that yes, core performance is key. There are partnerships that are there, but you just focus on a larger brand. And I wish I spent more building my brand as a driver, and maybe not just specific to the driving, but my other interests. But you know, it is what it is. I had to stay focused on driving and that served me very well. But since retiring from NASCAR at the end of the 2020 season, first and foremost, I had some brand awareness. I went and raced IndyCar for two years and hit the streets to find a sponsor and within eight days found Carvana. I was like, wow, this is pretty wild. So I leaned into that opportunity. My small office at the time managed and really, you know, helped deliver all the marketing needs that were there. Find my way into ownership, this incredible race team, Legacy Motor Club. And as we mature and grow and our sport continues to evolve and change, we now find ourselves with franchises. And the value of these franchises, I think, really garners a certain behavior. And I've had a vision before we were just a chartered system and now we have this franchise system... I just felt like there was a way to behave. There's a brand to build. Not only does it help tell a broader story, but I believe it brings different value to the partners that come on board and there's, you know, this incredible loop or cycle that can happen. And as we've continued to build this and stand out in our industry, a lot of incredible owners that are here, but they've built their businesses on a different business model. And this is kind of not necessarily a modern twist, but a more relevant twist to the way franchises are behaving globally. And we've had a lot of success doing it. It's been... and it's been a lot of fun and a great education for me.

00:33:46 Jenny: It's interesting because I think there's a lot of parallels between being a driver, building an independent brand to a chef who's building an independent brand, and then leverages that brand into hospitality, into restaurants and into restaurant groups. One of the things I think that sets legacy apart is that you really weave hospitality into the entire experience. And so how did that piece come about, and how have you helped that to set apart the brand?

00:34:10 Jimmie: Understanding our industry and the opportunities ahead... The global interest in auto and how different leagues are really monetizing and taking advantage of that. That awareness has been quite helpful. And, you know, for a chef or a race car driver who, you know, really does open a lot of doors. And along that journey, what you know and how you do your job certainly matters. And it's impossible to say which one is more important, because at times, it skews heavily one way than the other, and at times it's balanced. And I find myself in a position where my driving days built a great reputation. People truly understand my competitive spirit and my passion for this team to have the success on track. And we've spent a couple of years really building that infrastructure. And now there's this kind of next chapter where for us to scale and grow and to attract the right talent to serve core product, having a different mission, kind of modernizing these other elements are important. And sponsor retention is important. And that's a big reason why we pushed into hospitality. And in our landscape today currently, there isn't a team that offers it. Back in the 2000s, yes, it was prevalent and was around. But where we sit today, we're kind of first to market with this new, new vision. And so that's not only helped with retention, but it's helping bring new partners in. And ironically, we're now selling hospitality specific opportunities where they do not even want a sticker on the race car. So we're calling that off paint revenue. So, you know, it's interesting how our environment continues to change. And it's impossible, again, to put the priority in a certain area because you kind of need it all. And we're just trying to balance all that right now.

00:36:06 Jenny: I think there's some similarities also with racing and NASCAR and restaurants, because NASCAR and the teams depend on your fans. Restaurants depend on regulars. So as you're thinking about these other brand elements and scaling and venturing, dipping a toe into nighttime events, how do you evolve the brand but still bring those regulars and fans along with you?

00:36:28 Jimmie: I'm not sure it's foolproof, but the diverse group of resources that we have to activate with, I know at least we have a lot of optionality. It's also interesting because as you so well know, experiential is just a dynamic environment and consumers... trends... You know, there are all these factors that are impossible to predict, and we have to stay nimble enough to react to whatever it might be. But I feel we're in a good place. And I was very intentional with the name Legacy and also Motor Club, because if I just called it Jimmy Johnson Racing, I really think I pigeonhole myself. And with our name and our intentionality to really create a club and telling these stories of all these individuals and then building our own legacy, we can riff on so many different ideas. And you know, that common meeting point. Everybody involved loves cars, everybody involved loves music, everybody involved with food. So we can, you know, vibe off of those meeting points and I think keep up with consumers and trends and where they go.

00:37:38 Jenny: Yeah. And I'm curious, like, as you're scaling and thinking about like bringing in the hospitality and the sport, what other elements do you think are important to evolving the brand and how do you really nail that legacy, right? Like you want people there for the long haul. So what are you thinking? Like this looks like five, ten, fifteen years from now.

00:38:01 Jimmie: First and foremost, we need to win races and championships. And at the root of all of this is my crazy desire to have a better career as an owner than I did as a driver. I'm just wired this way and want total domination on track. The business model I'm pursuing, again, because I don't have these assets that other team owners do, there is this overarching brand. There are these other ways to monetize, and I really am enjoying that aspect of it. But it's all to serve the core product and to make sure that we're at elite status, you know, on our five year plan. So the performance really does matter. My reputation in mission vision is only going to carry us so far. So we really have the bulk of our resources focused on core product and trying to scale and take smart steps forward within our industry to be different and stand out. And as we can prove those business cases, uh, start creating revenue on them, we can reinvest back into that and scale it at a faster rate. But being very measured, knowing that, you know, we're really here to race cars, but recognizing the access you have at a race and the opportunity to really captivate your partners, to bring in new partners, to share these experiences, there's, there's really something there.

00:39:28 Jenny: Any advice for somebody who's scaling a restaurant group or scaling their business about how they think about brand and building?

00:39:36 Jimmie: Yeah, one big takeaway I've had is, and I'm all about transparency, but I have run into some hurdles where I've found myself sharing the vision maybe too frequently and not showing the measured steps or my ability to have these measured steps in scaling in a respectful manner, in a smart manner. And so that's been an interesting takeaway and showing my own self restraint. I found my collective group thinking everything had to be gold plated. And I'm like, no, we need gold plated people and gold plated experience. Who cares if it's not the finest China or whatever it might be? You've got to share the vision, but also show the diligence and self-control to build at a safe rate.

00:40:24 Alex VO: That was NASCAR legend, seven time champion and creator at Legacy Motor Club, Jimmie Johnson. Now we're going to jump back into the conversation with Tanya and Carlos.

00:40:33 Alex: We haven't talked about budget yet.

00:40:35 Alex: Speaking of budget, I was going to ask. I was curious about like, and when you're thinking about the interiors, are there places where you like went heavy? Like you go heavy on the marble, so you go lighter on the tiles or the the stools or things like that. Is that the case or.

00:40:52 Tania: I feel like with um, contractor was the initial part where we were thinking about budget, you know, we quoted a different with different people and we did went with the more economic option.

00:41:06 Carlos: Affordable. Yeah.

00:41:08 Alex: For the contractor...

00:41:09 Tania: With a contractor...

00:41:09 Carlos: Yeah.

00:41:09 Alex: Himself.

00:41:10 Tania: Build out,

00:41:11 Alex: Okay.

00:41:11 Tania: which was mostly the bar, honestly, and fixing holes and all of that.

00:41:15 Alex: Right. So that left you more money for the

00:41:17 Tania: Yeah, like the marble.

00:41:19 Alex: for the marble

00:41:20 Tania: Yeah.

00:41:20 Alex: or the the art that sounds like Molly's doing for you?

00:41:22 Tania: Yeah.

00:41:22 Alex: And to Jenny's question, did you stay to what your initial budget was? Were you way over? Were you under.

00:41:29 Tania: I think we, we have stayed within the budget for sure. But, you know, Gio and me sometimes are like, yeah, fuck it. I mean, let's just pay with the taqueria.

00:41:39 Carlos: That's how he's been feeling. It's just like,

00:41:40 Jenny: Just fuck it?

00:41:41 Carlos: We're gonna get this. That's it.

00:41:42 Tania: Yeah. Like, I mean, we really want this, so let's just get it. You know?

00:41:45 Alex: But it's I assume it's within reason, right? It's not like.

00:41:46 Tania: Within reason for sure.

00:41:48 Alex: Yeah. Right.

00:41:48 Tania: Like we don't need to change the bathroom. So we leave extra budget for something else that

00:41:54 Alex: Right.

00:41:54 Tania: we really want to do more in the.

00:41:57 Alex: Well, paints can be affordable too, right? That's an easy fix.

00:41:58 Tania: Yeah, yeah

00:42:00 Alex: Do you mind sharing what you budgeted for this build out?

00:42:02 Tania: Um, I mean, it's kind of like... it's hard to say at this point, but What do you remember? What did we budget at the beginning? Like

00:42:14 Carlos: For the...?

00:42:15 Tania: We didn't want to spend more than two hundred thousand. That's what I remember.

00:42:19 Carlos: I think we're trying to standardize on that.

00:42:19 Alex: Contractor.

00:42:20 Tania: Yeah, yeah.

00:42:21 Alex: All the materials, everything.

00:42:22 Tania: Exactly.

00:42:23 Alex: Two hundred. Okay.

00:42:23 Alex: And how are we tracking to that so far?

00:42:25 Tania: I think it's...

00:42:26 Carlos: I think we're on, like I think we're going to be just like there

00:42:28 Tania: Yes, exactly.

00:42:29 Carlos: I think the rent this month might be the only thing that I was just

00:42:32 Tania: Mhm.

00:42:32 Carlos: like the unexpected expense. But I think we're on budget so far?

00:42:37 Tania: Yeah. I think so. For our build out,

00:42:39 Carlos: Yeah.

00:42:39 Tania: But once we start buying food...

00:42:41 Alex: What was unexpected, though? At the month of July, you thought you'd be ready by now?

00:42:45 Carlos: Uh, yes, I, I thought, but

00:42:46 Tania: Carlos thought.

00:42:48 Alex: So you have one month that you weren’t expecting?

00:42:49 Carlos: I think i was the only one who was like, we're gonna be open in June.

00:42:52 Alex: right. You knew.

00:42:54 Tania: I mean…

00:42:54 Jenny: I mean…

00:42:55 Carlos: I feel like Gio and Tania knew.

00:42:57 Tania: Yeah,

00:42:57 Carlos: They were like…

00:42:59 Tania: It's always ike that I never now I'm not like... obviously I don't want to spend spend too much time not opening, no, of course.

00:43:07 Alex: Mhm.

00:43:07 Tania: But I really thought that four months, it was going to be tight,

00:43:11 Alex: Mhm.

00:43:12 Tania: especially with the other restaurant opening.

00:43:14 Alex: Mhm.

00:43:15 Tania: So I expected at least a month extra that we were going to pay rent for sure.

00:43:20 Alex: And do you mind sharing what the rent is?

00:43:22 Tania: The rent is ten thousand.

00:43:24 Alex: It's ten thousand. So it's an extra 10K that you won't... Yeah.

00:43:27 Tania: Yeah,

00:43:28 Alex: That you go out of pocket for.

00:43:29 Tania: Exactly.

00:43:30 Alex: And the two 200K you guys are you're just self-funding it from the other restaurants basically.

00:43:35 Tania: Yeah.

00:43:35 Alex: Yeah.

00:43:35 Tania: Yeah. Pretty much. But like I said, I mean, that's more Gio, you know, like, let's pay with the taqueria. It's, it's our business anyway, you know?

00:43:43 Alex: Yeah.

00:43:44 Tania: like, but

00:43:45 Alex: Yeah.

00:43:46 Tania: honestly, we're, we're lucky to be able to fund all these projects only with the taqueria. So it just makes sense. You know, like if we want to go ahead and do it, we have the freedom to just say yes.

00:44:01 Alex: Mhm.

00:44:01 Tania: Mhm.

00:44:02 Alex: What's happening this week in the space, what needs to happen this week in the this space?

00:44:07 Carlos: So we're getting today the draft install. So that's kind of

00:44:12 Alex: The draft is beer or something else?

00:44:14 Carlos: Beer.

00:44:15 Tania: Beer.

00:44:15 Alex: Beer.

00:44:15 Carlos: We're gonna have two beers. And then today.

00:44:18 Alex: I know you had like a specific one that said Socceria, Jever. It's like your guys's favorite or something,

00:44:24 Tania: Yeah.

00:44:24 Alex: right? Yeah.

00:44:25 Tania: I mean, we have the freedom of changing, to be honest. Like it's not setting. That has to stay. But yeah, we like really like Estrella, which is from Barcelona. Mao is awesome. That's from Madrid. Jever is German. The Mexican beers... Honestly, like that's it has to be a Mexican beer. But we're not really. We don't love. It's just beers that come with more additives. They're not really like natural.

00:44:53 Alex: Like natural...

00:44:54 Tania: Aha.

00:44:54 Alex: craft.

00:44:54 Tania: Yeah, exactly.

00:44:54 Alex: Yeah.

00:44:55 Tania:

00:44:55 Alex: But there must be some craft beers happening in Mexico, right?

00:44:57 Tania: Yeah, there must be.

00:44:59 Carlos: I don't really drink beer, so I leaving that more to Gio and Tania

00:45:01 Alex: why do you have to have beer? Why don't you just have wine?

00:45:04 Tania: I mean those, there has to be beer.

00:45:06 Alex: Okay.

00:45:06 Tania: I feel like especially, you know, we like that aspect of your tiny beer, like

00:45:12 Alex: Yeah.

00:45:12 Tania: a caña, cañita

00:45:14 Carlos: Yeah.

00:45:14 Tania: is just like a literally a slim glass

00:45:16 Alex: Mhm. Mhm.

00:45:16 Tania: that you just chug.

00:45:17 Alex: Mhm.

00:45:18 Tania: So it definitely has to be crushable beers.

00:45:20 Alex: Has to be.

00:45:20 Alex: Crushable.

00:45:20 Tania: Crushable. Yeah.

00:45:21 Alex: So if anybody knows a crushable craft beer from Mexico,

00:45:24 Tania: Yeah.

00:45:24 Alex: holler at Tania.

00:45:25 Tania: I mean, Monopolio is actually pretty good. And, but yeah, more crafty. Yeah. It would be good to know other options.

00:45:35 Alex: So the drafts are going in this week. What else needs to happen before July twenty third?

00:45:41 Carlos: So contractor is finishing space also like kind of like prep area, changing some walls. Building this for...

00:45:49 Alex: Changing some walls?

00:45:50 Carlos: We just want to change everything to steel in the kitchen to make it very clean.

00:45:54 Alex: Oh I see. What's in. What's there now? Tile?

00:45:57 Carlos: Uh, no. We have the plastic,

00:45:58 Alex: Plastic?

00:45:58 Carlos: the FRP.

00:45:59 Alex: Oh I see.

00:46:00 Carlos: So we're switching to steel those kind of like, I really wanted steel.

00:46:05 Tania: Yeah I love stainless steel too.

00:46:06 Carlos: And we started with the plastic. And then I think right now we finally got to like, okay, we're gonna get the steel.

00:46:14 Tania: Yeah.

00:46:14 Carlos: So that's happening today too. And then, I mean, I think we're talking about the mosaic like maybe being next week, hopefully.

00:46:23 Tania: Yeah, Molly, who is out of town, she's in charge of that. So once she arrives, which she'll be probably the first week of July that's going to be installed. And then there's furniture that is the service station is like a shelving

00:46:39 Carlos: Oh yeah.

00:46:39 Alex: Okay.

00:46:40 Tania: that's also been made. I feel like that's mostly it. Like the mosaic...

00:46:45 Alex: Lighting is in.

00:46:46 Tania: lighting is there

00:46:46 Alex: your floors need to be painted or that's been done?

00:46:48 Tania: We just have to change some fixtures, but that's it. The ice machine is there.

00:46:54 Carlos: Yeah. We have like pretty much the equipment.

00:46:56 Tania: Mhm.

00:46:56 Carlos: Is there everything we were really like, the space is really almost done.

00:47:00 Tania: Almost ready.

00:47:01 Carlos: But all these little details

00:47:03 Tania: Paint the floor.

00:47:03 Carlos: is the... yeah.

00:47:04 Alex: You know, paint the name on the window.

00:47:05 Tania: It's just a little. Little details

00:47:06 Carlos: It's like the little things, you know.

00:47:08 Alex: Yeah.

00:47:08 Carlos: Oh, we have already the seafood, uh, display.

00:47:12 Tania: Mmm.

00:47:12 Carlos: Mhm. We just need to plug it in. I think that's happening today, too.

00:47:15 Tania: Yeah.

00:47:15 Carlos: Yeah. Uh, yeah. I mean, honestly, a lot of things happening this week. Next one.

00:47:19 Tania: Yeah, I think.

00:47:20 Carlos: But we're also we've been super busy with Socceria, too. Um, yeah.

00:47:25 Tania: Yeah. And

00:47:26 Carlos: Yeah.

00:47:26 Tania: with, uh, you know, two people at taqueria just quitting.

00:47:31 Alex: Right.

00:47:32 Alex: How are you managing that bandwidth with The Build, socceria just opened two weeks ago.

00:47:36 Tania: Mhm.

00:47:38 Alex: and now you're down two team members at Taqueria. So is it... where, where are you prioritizing?

00:47:45 Tania: I mean, things that take time, like things that need to be shipped into the space. That's something that I'm. At least I can be in the computer just doing all of that. Things on site... I mean, thankfully, Carlos has the mornings to go there and spend the mornings and early afternoon there, because then he goes to Socceria. But then now I'm getting more free in the afternoons as well, so I can go in the afternoons to Peludo and coordinate whatever needs to be done. Gio, I feel like now he's a little more tied into Taqueria, but he was also... he can delegate to Carlos and to Chef Luis from Socceria a little more now. So it's just a mix of that, you know, like coordinating timelines and our own schedules to see who can be there to receive things and to be around. But yeah, now that Socceria has been open two weeks, it seems like it's... we're able to be out of there a little more. Little by little.

00:48:44 Alex: Are there any big surprises that you've had during the build out so far?

00:48:48 Tania: Um, what do you think? Surprises... I feel like the biggest surprise was the patio thing.

00:48:56 Carlos: Yeah.

00:48:56 Alex: Yeah, that was a big surprise?

00:48:58 Carlos: That was like...

00:48:58 Tania: thing. Yeah, it was a bummer, But yeah, I think that that's the only thing so far. The marble guys were really quick. I was really surprised.

00:49:07 Carlos: There were surprisingly quick It's like, a week.

00:49:10 Tania: Yeah. SBC marble, I think that's the name of it

00:49:14 Alex: Oh, yeah. In Greenpoint. Yeah,

00:49:15 Tania: Yeah

00:49:15 Carlos: ABC.

00:49:16 Tania: Yeah yeah, they're great

00:49:16 Carlos: Yeah. Here in Greenpoint.

00:49:17 Alex: We used that for the office.

00:49:19 Tania: They're awesome.

00:49:21 Alex: What about the liquor license?

00:49:23 Tania: Thankfully, I feel like we started that on time, no? And...

00:49:26 Alex: And did you have you gotten approval yet?

00:49:27 Tania: We... no, we're waiting for the temp. I mean, they approve everything.

00:49:33 Alex: Mhm.

00:49:33 Tania: So we're just waiting for it at this point.

00:49:35 Alex: Will you open if you don't have it?

00:49:37 Tania: Umm... we are able to do the one day permits. We did that for socceria, actually. I don't think that's going to be the case. But if needed we will we will probably do that.

00:49:50 Alex: So you have to pull a permit every single day

00:49:52 Tania: Mhm.

00:49:52 Alex: until you get your temp. And is there a limit on how many you can do?

00:49:56 Tania: Yeah. There's a limit. There's a limit. I don't know exactly the limit, but it's not that you can do like a month full of one day permits.

00:50:03 Alex: And did Socceria get its full liquor license yet?

00:50:05 Tania: Yes, we got the temp, which is the first. We got it like... we opened on June 11th, and I think we got it the day before.

00:50:13 Alex: Oh my gosh.

00:50:14 Tania: But you know why we we got it, because we had an event with the mayor's office.

00:50:19 Alex: Uh! Huh?

00:50:21 Alex: Come on.

00:50:21 Alex: Shoutout Mamdani!

00:50:25 Tania: And it involved, you know, serving obviously alcohol. So we wrote the lawyers a, we have this. Can you help us? And for some reason they made it happen,

00:50:35 Alex: Oh, for some reason!

00:50:36 Tania: For some reason, like, okay, yeah, we're calling and we're doing this and that, and we got it/

00:50:40 Alex: Can you event for Pluto?

00:50:42 Alex: I know.

00:50:43 Carlos: I hope so!

00:50:43 Alex: Sounds like you figured the loophole.

00:50:44 Tania: Yeah, yeah. Honestly, that I think that was that's why we got it really quick on time. Yeah.

00:50:51 Alex: Wow.

00:50:52 Alex: All politics are local folks.

00:50:54 Tania: Yeah. Exactly.

00:50:58 Alex: All right. So last question. We were just saying we're gonna open in a month. So we're throwing out the July 23rd date. But what is the actual date you guys have in your mind so far? Tania is pulling up her phone calendar. She's like, she's like,

00:51:10 Alex: You have a drop dead date in your calendar.

00:51:10 Jenny: Lady, I’m running four restaurants

00:51:12 Tania: Looking at the calendar!

00:51:13 Jenny: I have to actually call in for an assist.

00:51:16 Tania: Okay, so I think....

00:51:19 Carlos: I would love to hear that.

00:51:21 Tania: I think it can be July 29th.

00:51:24 Jenny: July 29th.

00:51:25 Tania: Mhm.

00:51:25 Jenny: So we're barely squeaking it into July.

00:51:27 Tania: Yeah, exactly.

00:51:28 Alex: when we had first started talking, it was the end of June, early July. So we're slip one month.

00:51:31 Tania: Yeah.

00:51:31 Alex: So what if it goes into August for opening? How are we feeling about that? What happens? What really changes for you guys?

00:51:37 Tania: I mean, as long as it's the first week, you know, like obviously paying rent, but it's gonna be probably not much more difference if we do the first week of August, which is we're gonna plan to open from Wednesday to Sunday?

00:51:52 Carlos: Sunday, yeah.

00:51:53 Tania: So if it's August five, it's also kind of like Obviously

00:51:57 Carlos: I'm getting married that week.

00:51:58 Tania: stretching it but. Huh?

00:51:59 Carlos: I'm getting married that week.

00:52:00 Tania: Oh shit.

00:52:02 Alex: Oh, wait, so even the even July 29th is the week before you're getting married!

00:52:06 Tania: Exactly.

00:52:07 Carlos: Yeah,I know, it’s been like that. I feel like that's why I've been pushing. Because I'm gonna be away for a few weeks and.

00:52:15 Tania: But...

00:52:16 Carlos: But... I mean.

00:52:17 Tania: I mean...

00:52:17 Alex: I love how Carlos is like, sweating over here and he's like, um, I'm getting married that week.

00:52:22 Carlos: I like... Yeah.

00:52:23 Tania: I mean the good thing is that obviously South Korea we the final is July nineteen, and then we're planning to take a week off for that. So I feel like...

00:52:33 Alex: You'll close the restaurant for a week.

00:52:36 Tania: Yes, because we need to make some repairs. Now that we've been open, we realized what do we need to repair? And then I think that matches perfectly with July twenty nine. Me and Gio have, um, our fourth wedding anniversary on July twenty second.

00:52:53 Alex: Aw.

00:52:54 Carlos: Aw.

00:52:54 Tania: So we're think of being away.

00:52:55 Alex: way.

00:52:57 Tania: It might just be a weekend, you know, and then ready for 29. I think that that could be the day.

00:53:03 Alex: Would you rather open a restaurant the week before your wedding? Or how does that work for you?

00:53:09 Carlos: I'm I think I will love to have it open before the wedding

00:53:11 Tania: Before, yeah.

00:53:11 Carlos: just to, like, get things going.

00:53:14 Tania: Yeah.

00:53:15 Carlos: Um, I.

00:53:16 Alex: Because otherwise you get delayed three, four weeks if

00:53:19 Tania: Yeah, exactly

00:53:19 Alex: they wait till you get back.Yeah.

00:53:20 Tania: But Gio is there. I mean obviously you are gonna be...

00:53:22 Carlos: You'll be there, but like, I mean, we'll also be away the last week of August.

00:53:28 Tania: Yeah. For uh Lavanquina. Yeah, we'll make it work.

00:53:34 Alex: Tania's motto in life is make it work, I think.

00:53:37 Tania: I know. You know, I mean, if they're opening two restaurants and stressing out, I know there's you know, we have a good team. We have a

00:53:45 Carlos: Yeah.

00:53:45 Tania: good support now that we have all these people in Soucceria also that we can move around, I feel like. Yeah.

00:53:52 Alex: True.

00:53:53 Alex: That's true.

00:53:53 Alex: That is one of the benefits of a restaurant group, is it? Then you have people...

00:53:56 Tania: Yes. exactly.

00:53:56 Alex: to move around.

00:53:57 Tania: Yes.

00:53:57 Carlos: we're really kind of like building a good team

00:53:59 Tania: Mhm.

00:54:00 Carlos: for Peludo. Even if it's small, it's going to be a really strong.

00:54:03 Alex: Is that part of the goal? To cross train everybody at all the restaurants to work in any of the spaces or...

00:54:07 Tania: I mean,

00:54:08 Alex: that's something we can talk about another time.

00:54:10 Tania: I feel like that's good... a good strategy right now. We're thinking, I mean, people were coming into Socceria and that's been the first connection I feel like. And it has also happened with carnitas. When we need someone to cover, you know, we're just like, oh, who's available to just jump into there, you know, so it's a good strategy for sure for when these type of things happen. We are not actively training people that way. But I think at some point that's gonna make our business more successful and easier.

00:54:42 Alex: It's a good place to put a pin in it. So we're going to open a restaurant before Carlos gets married. That's the plan. That's the plan. What will happen first? Only time will tell.

00:54:53 Alex VO: By the end of the conversation, we managed to work through the remaining steps to getting open the budget variants and their prospective opening date. Next week, find out what it takes to become a chef partner, including Chef Carlos's culinary journey from an early job at McDonald's to chef owner at El Camarón Peludo. See you then.

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00:55:14 Jenny VO: The Build is produced by me, Jenny Goodman, along with Alex McCrery and Sam Gerardi. Our audio engineer for this episode is Sam Gerardi. The show is produced in partnership with Square. You can learn more at Square.com. Be sure to subscribe to the build wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow along @TilitNYC for special behind the scenes moments and more from the show.

00:55:35 Alex VO: The Build is presented by Square. Supporting restaurant owners and small businesses with the tools they need to start, run and grow. To learn more, visit square dot com. And we'll see you next time on The Build.

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