1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: I go to the production, I'll be like, Yo, I 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: got this idea, I got this great name. 3 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 2: Then they're like, oh, that name will never work. 4 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: So me being like on some Larry David, Moka Joe Shit, 5 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: was like, all right, we're gonna show these motherfuckers how 6 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: this get on Gaso Shit Rock. 7 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:17,959 Speaker 2: So we just started doing our own things. 8 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 3: Welcome to Idea Generations All Angles, a podcast about culture's 9 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 3: most influential brands and the teams that built them. If 10 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 3: you're an entrepreneur, creative, or anyone interested in harnessing the 11 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 3: power of collaboration, join me Yoah Callahan Bever each week 12 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 3: as we dissect the most dynamic companies in culture, because 13 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 3: the only way to truly understand success is to look 14 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 3: at it from all angles. Idea Generations All Angles is 15 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 3: a will Pator Media podcast. In twenty twelve, a group 16 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 3: of friends in New York City formed Ghetto Gastro, a 17 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 3: collective of chefs and food enthusiasts with a mission to 18 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 3: bring their culinary culture to the masses. In a decade 19 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 3: that's followed, Ghetto Gastro has grown from weekly house parties 20 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 3: in Long Island City into a full blown global brand, 21 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 3: offering large scale events, their own food products, kitchen appliances, cookbooks, 22 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 3: and much more. On this week's episode of All Angles, 23 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 3: we talked to founders John Gray, Lester Walker, and Pierre 24 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 3: Sirot to get the full story behind Ghetto Gastro and 25 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 3: hear how a few chefs and hustlers came together to 26 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 3: form one of the most unique brands in food and media. 27 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 3: But before any of that happened, years before the Sneaker 28 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 3: collabed with Brand Jordan or throwing parties at Rick Owens House, 29 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 3: John Gray was just a kid running around the Bronx, 30 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 3: giving menu advice to strangers. 31 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: Born in nineteen eighty six, All Lady Emrcity Hospital on 32 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: two thirty third White Planes is now like in Manta 33 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: Ferry Hospital. 34 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 3: This is John Gray, bounder of Ghetto Gastro, bounced. 35 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,519 Speaker 1: Around a little bit, wasn't Yonkers, Harlem, and that ended 36 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: up landing in co Op City when I was about 37 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: eight years old. I come from raised by black women. 38 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 1: My pops wasn't in a picture, so it was my mother, 39 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: my grandmother, my grandmother's sisters and then my mother's sister. 40 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: And it's interesting because all of the women in my 41 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: family are like educators and super well educated, so having 42 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:43,959 Speaker 1: that foundation was really significant. Food has been my main 43 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: thing since I was five years old, six years old, 44 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: like living in El Barrio with my mom, was going 45 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: to First Whack on eighty eighth and third Avenue, hit 46 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: in the Indian. 47 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 2: Spots, and like just going out to you with my mom. 48 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: Because she was in school and worked, didn't always have 49 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: time to cook, so we would go on dates and 50 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: have dinner together. And I remember just being very analytical 51 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: with the menus and thinking about how flavors go together, 52 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: almost like. 53 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 2: Some Rainman type shit, you know what I mean. 54 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: So I remember the woman that was a regular at 55 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: First Way right now known as WAK eighty eight on 56 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: eighty eighth and third Avenue. 57 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 2: She was a regular too. 58 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: We used to see it like a few times a week, 59 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: and I knew I was always a talkative, like charming 60 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 1: young boy. And I was like, hey, what are you ordering? 61 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 1: Like what do you always order the same thing? She's like, oh, 62 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: I get the lemon chicken. And I was like I 63 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: tried the lemon chicken once and I was like, Nah. 64 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 2: This ain't it. 65 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:34,839 Speaker 1: And then I told her, I was like, yo, look 66 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 1: you need to order the orange chicken or the sessame chicken, 67 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: because you'll get the citrus flavors. It comes with the broccoli, 68 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: which is good for you nutrition, and it has the 69 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: fried garlic, which gives it a beautiful flavor. And then 70 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: she ordered it that night, right, And I remember believing, 71 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: a spot older Jewish woman, probably in her eighties, right, 72 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: just eating alone, and she stopped me in my mom 73 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: She's like, yo, your son is a remarkable boy. 74 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 2: And I just remember his saying that. 75 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: She repeated it like three times, and it just resonated 76 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: with me and gave me such a level of confidence 77 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: that always stuck with me. 78 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 3: While John showed early indications that he had a gift 79 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 3: for the culinary yards, he had less success in the classroom. 80 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: I think my neurology set up a little bit different. 81 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 1: So I had difficulties in school in terms of behave 82 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: what they called behavior issue. But the books, the book 83 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: smarts were always there. But I always was social and 84 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: like to turn up and you know, be a little 85 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 1: bit of a menacine, mischievous kid. 86 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 3: John became the neighborhood's newest troublemaker, following in the footsteps 87 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 3: of another eventual partner in Ghetto Gastro. 88 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 4: We grew up in co Op City, Section five, northeast, 89 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 4: part of the Bronx. 90 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 3: This is Lester Walker, co founder of Ghetto Gastro. 91 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 4: I lost my father at the age of three. You know, 92 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 4: my mom did her best to keep me out of 93 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,919 Speaker 4: harm's way. She was a very strong woman. All of 94 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 4: my characteristics and my attributes to my mom. 95 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 5: My brother and I grew up in a single family home. 96 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,919 Speaker 4: Unfortunately, but not really unfortunately because she, you know, she 97 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 4: raised us. As I got a little bit older and 98 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 4: I was able to, you know, reach the stove. That 99 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 4: was one of the ways that I contributed. That's what 100 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 4: I owe to my success of being a being an entrepreneur, 101 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 4: being being an artist, and being a chef, and being 102 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 4: a storyteller. 103 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:30,799 Speaker 5: My mother used to do hair in the house. 104 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:32,719 Speaker 4: She was in the house a lot, and she would 105 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 4: have customers come to the house. 106 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 5: They would be in the hall way where she come head, 107 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 5: talking shit, you know, doing. 108 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,239 Speaker 4: What they do, gossiping or whatever, hanging out, having fun, laughing. 109 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 2: You know. 110 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 4: I used to make breakfast in the kitchen. I'll make 111 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:47,600 Speaker 4: like pancakes, I'll make like wild foods, and I would 112 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 4: have some left over, and they being they'd be out 113 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 4: there like, damn, that smells good what you're making. That's 114 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 4: that's your son. And so you know, I would come 115 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 4: out there and hope the pretty ladies up with you know, 116 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 4: some plates. You know, they would be like, wow, this 117 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:02,919 Speaker 4: is good. 118 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 5: You made this. Oh, these eggs are perfect. 119 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 4: So that's kind of when that was like one of 120 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:10,239 Speaker 4: the times that I've realized that I had a skill, 121 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 4: you know, And I was like very young. I probably 122 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,160 Speaker 4: was like I don't know, man, eight nine, I didn't 123 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 4: get no recipes. 124 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 5: I'm making it up on a fly. 125 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:18,720 Speaker 2: Man. 126 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,359 Speaker 5: I was reading the back of the box. It was pancakes, 127 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 5: you know. 128 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 4: Add water, add eggs, add milk, grits whatever, add you know, 129 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 4: read the back of the packages. But you know I 130 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 4: would add a little bit more butter. I would add 131 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 4: you know, sugar to my grits. I was being creative 132 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 4: in that aspect at a very young age, Like I 133 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,919 Speaker 4: knew the basics or how to make something. If my 134 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 4: grits were coming out too thick, I would add more water. 135 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 4: It's like, you know, just your science, just common sense. 136 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 4: But I guess it's not that common. If you know, 137 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 4: to a lot of people, because a lot of people 138 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 4: could fuck up with all the grits, you know what 139 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 4: I mean. Like, I guess it wasn't common sense. I 140 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 4: guess that was a skill that I had. 141 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,720 Speaker 3: Leicester found his calling in the kitchen, but John still 142 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 3: struggled to figure out his own path. 143 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: Wanted to be an athlete, played ball, but didn't have 144 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: the discipline and really like do the extra work it 145 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: took to reach the level to get to the league 146 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: and all of those things. 147 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 2: I played in school, but I got kicked out of 148 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 2: the high school that. 149 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: I went to to play ball like three months into 150 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 1: my freshman year. So then I went from Ohillos to 151 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: Truman High School, which is my zone school in the 152 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: North Bronx and carp City, and it was just a 153 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: whole different story. 154 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 2: It's like you go from. 155 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: Like if I didn't do my homework at Ohillows at 156 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 1: the Catholic school, they had a thing called homework Clinic 157 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: right where you would basically go to detention, do the 158 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: homework that you didn't do, and then not. 159 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 2: Get credit for it, you know what I'm saying. 160 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: So the work was always getting done. Him ain't going 161 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: to Truman where it's like every man and every woman 162 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: for themselves. It's like you could go to class who 163 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: could not go to class. Going to school was like 164 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: going to the Guardia airport with metal detectives. There was 165 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 1: a precint inside the school. The time that I went 166 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: there was like the time that Truman was the worst 167 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: school in New York City in terms of ranking. 168 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 2: There was just like a big culture shock. 169 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: And one of the things that also changes is when 170 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: you go to Catholic school, you got a uniform, so 171 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: you might switch up, get fitted hat, get a fly 172 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: book bag, a fly jacket for the winner, and then 173 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: switch up the footwear. You know, get some wild beans, 174 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: some East Lands or whatever, some Thames, you know what 175 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: I'm saying. But in public school you got to be 176 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: fresh every day. You can't wear the same shit, you know. 177 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: So that led to external pressure having to like get 178 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: some money. You want to get fly for the honeys. 179 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: And you know what I'm saying, it's a whole different 180 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: type of vibe because I was going to schoolhere. I 181 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:39,959 Speaker 1: was going it's like it's hustlings in there too. It's 182 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: like people that get money, people that a ged up. 183 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: It's a whole it's a whole different atmosphere. I remember 184 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 1: asking my mother and my grandmother some money and like, yo, 185 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: get a job. And then I went to apply every 186 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: store in the mall in my neighborhood because it's the 187 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: mall over there, big plaza, and everybody was like, you 188 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: got your working papers, but you don't got. 189 00:08:58,080 --> 00:08:59,719 Speaker 2: No work experience. I'm like, how can I get work 190 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:01,199 Speaker 2: experience without you hiring me? 191 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 1: So that's when I made up my mind, like yea, 192 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to hit the streets and get this paper. 193 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 1: And I ended up doing that, excelling in that field 194 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: at a very young age. I started selling weed at first, 195 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: and then I graduated to the snow after high school. 196 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: I think I was probably when I was eighteen or nineteen. 197 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: This girl had said she was pregnant by me. She 198 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 1: ended up not being pregnant by me. But I had 199 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: made up my mind like damn, if I'm gonna be 200 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 1: a father, I don't want to be selling drugs into 201 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: my twenties. 202 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 2: So I was like, let me just The. 203 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 1: Logic I had was like, all right, let me just 204 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 1: go hard and get a lot of money right now 205 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:37,959 Speaker 1: and start this new game. 206 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 3: Desperate for any kind of income, John resorted to hustling 207 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 3: in the streets to make some bread. Meanwhile, Lester continued 208 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 3: to sharpen his cooking skills. 209 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 4: So I'm gonna say the summer of like my two 210 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 4: last years in high school, like junior year, you know, 211 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 4: eleventh grade, twelfth grade, that's when I started, you know, 212 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 4: having girls come over the house when my mom's wasn't 213 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 4: home all right, and then you know that would be 214 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 4: my way to get him to come up stairs, y'all. 215 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 4: Made some shrimp with some with some linguini. I made 216 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 4: a little pasta come through. We watch a movie I This, 217 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 4: that and the third. So I would do that. But 218 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 4: I wasn't even thinking about becoming a chef, like at 219 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 4: this point, I was just you know, I was just macing, 220 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 4: like figuring it out, like you know, having something to 221 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 4: bring to the table, like have a date. I ain't 222 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,319 Speaker 4: have no money to take him out to go to 223 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 4: go out, Like I didn't have money, but you know, 224 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 4: if moms was out of town, I was taking advantage 225 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:38,839 Speaker 4: of that and I would cook. 226 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 2: That was my thing. 227 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:43,239 Speaker 5: I like, you know, shrimp, pasta, mostly pastas. 228 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 4: At this point, I'm just like going crazy with pastas, shrimp, 229 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 4: Primavera Linguini with the Alfredo garlic butter. YadA, YadA, YadA. 230 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 4: Then I had a little problem with authority. So I 231 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 4: wasn't really lasting in my high schools for that long. 232 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 4: Like every high school, I was pretty much like getting 233 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 4: kicked out of these high schools. 234 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 5: You know. 235 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:06,079 Speaker 4: I had a problem with authority. I didn't like to listen. 236 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 4: I knew I wanted to do my own thing. In hindsight, 237 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 4: I kind of knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. 238 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 4: I didn't want to take orders from anybody. I wanted 239 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 4: to do my own thing. I wanted to be my 240 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 4: own boss. My last year of high school, my mom's like, yo, 241 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 4: you gotta figure something out. And it was a school 242 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 4: called Park West downtown Manhattan on West fiftieth Street, and 243 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 4: I'm looking through the book of high school. So when 244 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 4: my mom was just like, YO, just pick out a 245 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 4: high school. You're gonna finish up, you're gonna graduate, and 246 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 4: this is what's gonna happen. 247 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:34,679 Speaker 5: So I found Park West. They had a cooking. 248 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 4: Program in the school, right, So I said, all right, 249 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 4: I've been cooking these past two summers. They really jacking 250 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 4: my food. So let me see what it's heding for 251 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 4: went to the school. Then a kicker to that was 252 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 4: they were like, we go out off campus after school 253 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 4: to cater events. I said, okay, cool, and we make 254 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,680 Speaker 4: money too, straight cash. At the end of the event, 255 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 4: samet word like say, let's I'm in there. So I 256 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 4: started to do these k re in events with my 257 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 4: school making money. My teacher caught a liking to me 258 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 4: because the things that I would make, you know, regular 259 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:10,959 Speaker 4: recipes in class, double baked potatoes, you know, pasta, making 260 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 4: little pastries or whatever. I was good at, like my 261 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 4: food tasted good. And I used to watch cooking shows 262 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 4: on Food Network, but my mother would put me on 263 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 4: punishment a lot, and I would stay in the room 264 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 4: and I would just watch Food Network all day and 265 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 4: I'd figure out how to like make plates look cool. 266 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 4: So my teacher was like, oh shit, you kind of 267 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 4: you know, you got a little bit of skill. Why 268 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 4: don't you enter this omelet making competition. The winner of 269 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 4: the competition gets a scholarship to go to culinary school. 270 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 5: I said, okay, sounds good, boom, sign me up. 271 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 4: So I was going up against kids that were in 272 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 4: like a culinary foundational school for I would say at 273 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 4: least four years. This is my first year, and I 274 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 4: came in third place, and they gave me ten thousand 275 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 4: dollars to go to a cooking school. They gave me 276 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 4: ten thousand dollars a Good in New York school, and 277 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 4: I spoke to my mom about it and were like, 278 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 4: all right, cool, We're gonna do the culinary school thing. 279 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:07,719 Speaker 5: But then I started to get like. 280 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,479 Speaker 4: Letters from like Johnson and Wills Culinary Institute of America. 281 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 4: They said that, you know, I could have applied my 282 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 4: scholarship to good to one of these schools. 283 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 5: So I said, We're gonna check out. I'm Johnson and Wills. 284 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 4: Johnson Wells had a University of Rhode Island, that's the 285 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 4: main campus in Providence. But then another kick, I found 286 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 4: out that there was a campus in Miami, So you 287 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 4: already know, I. 288 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 5: Was like, we going to Miami. 289 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 4: We're taking this show on the road to Miami. So 290 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 4: I ended up in Miami, got a scholarship, got financial 291 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 4: a lester, took. 292 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 3: His talents to South Beach to pursue his dreams of 293 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 3: being a chef. Meanwhile, John's career in the streets had 294 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 3: resulted in some harsh lessons, including multiple arrests. As he 295 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 3: searched for other hustles, he stumbled on the up and 296 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:53,079 Speaker 3: coming world of streetwear. 297 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: So I go to the funk Master Flex car Show 298 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 1: and this is the first year they had the sneaker 299 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 1: show in the streetwear show. To be honest, I see 300 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,080 Speaker 1: all of these kids that look very suburban doing this 301 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: thing called streetwell, and I'm like, hold on, I'm really 302 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 1: in these streets, so like for real, like I think 303 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: I got something I co offer bring to the table here, 304 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. That's kind of when I 305 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: was like, I think the pivot's going to be into 306 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: like doing streetwear, doing something in the power space because 307 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: I've always been created, Like I thought I was flying, 308 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: you know, And I'm like, all right, we can figure 309 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 1: this out. 310 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 2: So I just went full full throut. 311 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 1: It was just a store called Fashion Decks, right, and 312 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: they sold all of these fashion books like styling, how 313 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: to merchandise online, how to think about cogs and price. 314 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: This is before YouTube tutorials in and I just signed 315 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 1: up for FT and take night courses, I think a 316 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: bunch of courses from the Learning Ax. So I just 317 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: went full emerging into like soaking up game, right, And 318 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: I'm the type, like even with Ghetto gash Or, I 319 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: have an idea or interest. I'm not necessarily going to 320 00:14:57,720 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: learn how to design the shit or to make the shit, 321 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna find the best people to put it 322 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: together and just direct them. So that's kind of what 323 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: I did with Fashionable. 324 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 3: While John dove headfirst into the world of fashion, another 325 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 3: crucial member of the Ghetto Gastro ensemble was about to 326 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 3: enter the mint. 327 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 1: Well. 328 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 6: Unlike John the Less, I wasn't born in the Bronx. 329 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 3: This is Pierre Siro, co founder of Ghetto Gastro. 330 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 7: I was born at Hartford, Connecticut, and I was raised 331 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 7: between Harford. My mom's from Harford, my dad's from Barbados, 332 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 7: and I was raised between the two growing up as 333 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 7: a child, mainly going to school up in CT and 334 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 7: then summers and like long vacations in the winter and 335 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 7: stuff we would spend down in the islands from a 336 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 7: young age. My father's always had that and sale in 337 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 7: myself and my siblings. You know, wake up, brush your teeth, exercise, 338 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 7: you know, iron your clothes, make. 339 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 6: Sure you leave the house look in a certain way. 340 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 6: All the things. 341 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 7: And my mom is more of a hustler in a 342 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 7: sense where I've always known her to always have like 343 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 7: a steady job, but also have like a side hustle 344 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 7: more along the lines of doing things creatively. She used 345 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 7: to hustle like cakes and stuff were like that when 346 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:09,760 Speaker 7: I was a child. 347 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 6: She used to move cakes. 348 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 7: And then she also had an events company called Party 349 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 7: Your Way. She had a pink band and she used 350 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 7: to drive around like a Scooby Doo band, but as 351 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 7: she was pink and said party your Way on the side. 352 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 7: And I remember that was my mom's first real sort 353 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 7: of events company, and that was like my first job 354 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 7: and basically ad an events company. And when I think 355 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 7: about it, because I was working with my mom, but 356 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 7: I was real young. 357 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 6: At that time, but I always saw my mom. 358 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 7: Like dibbling and dabbling into the space using food and 359 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 7: or like an event to try to create business and 360 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 7: like a sense of entrepreneurship. As I got older, that 361 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 7: kind of all came together and like a mix of 362 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 7: my mom's hustle and my father's work ethic kind of 363 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 7: just got me literally to the place where. 364 00:16:52,920 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 6: I am right now. I always used food as like 365 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 6: a sort of a hustle tactic. 366 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 7: So when I was in high school, I used to 367 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 7: hustle like breakfast sandwiches or like deli sandwiches and subs 368 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 7: and shit like that. I used to hustle to the 369 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 7: kids in between class basically, like the day before you 370 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 7: would put your order in. My man Demetrius Lazarritas, his 371 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 7: pops had a deli, So we used to take the 372 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 7: orders from the kids the night before and then pull 373 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 7: up with the fresh sandwiches and the chips and all 374 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 7: that and like put them into kids lockers. Kids would 375 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 7: give us their locker combinations, so then in between class 376 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 7: we would just go in drop their sandwiches in their lockers, 377 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:34,880 Speaker 7: being bong. When they come out, they got their lunch. 378 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 7: It's perfect. Honestly, it was such a good operation. And 379 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 7: when the school found out about that, they try to 380 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 7: suspend us and all this shit. They should have really 381 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 7: just invested into the young entrepreneurs that we were as 382 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 7: opposed to like trying to you know, trying to punish 383 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:50,920 Speaker 7: us for taking Basically, they saw it as us taking 384 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:52,639 Speaker 7: money out of their pockets and they're like, oh, you're 385 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 7: not a licensed to sell food and this and that 386 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 7: all sorts of shit. Anyways, they were just mad that 387 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 7: we was getting to the bag and I got the 388 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 7: last laugh. 389 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 6: Because I'm you know what I'm saying. I got my 390 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:04,200 Speaker 6: food products and stores and shit now. 391 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:09,439 Speaker 3: So after high school, Pierre headed to Barbados to pursue 392 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 3: a more legitimate career in food. 393 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:12,600 Speaker 6: Moved to Barbados. 394 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 7: For like three and a half years, I was working 395 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:17,959 Speaker 7: in like in a couple of hotels, doing some private 396 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 7: work with some celebrities and shit. Every time like some 397 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,200 Speaker 7: celebrities would come into the island, basically they would call 398 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 7: me to do the work because I had an international experience. Honestly, 399 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 7: those are my least favorite days of my life because 400 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:34,359 Speaker 7: I didn't like working for people and being on hand 401 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 7: and foot and they tell you like I want this, 402 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:37,360 Speaker 7: I want this. 403 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 6: I don't like it like this. 404 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 7: And as a chef, you know, you're an artist and 405 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 7: you want to create and be able to cook your 406 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 7: own shit. Some of the people I was cooking for 407 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 7: they were really picky and finicky and didn't like certain things. 408 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 6: And I don't do that shit. 409 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:50,639 Speaker 7: I'm pulling up to cook what I'm cooking and like 410 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 7: y'all gonna eat what I'm cooking is going to be 411 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 7: super tasty. But like these people just misguided and haven't 412 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 7: been introduced. A lot of people haven't really been introduced 413 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:00,440 Speaker 7: to food, I'm saying. 414 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:04,280 Speaker 6: And then I opened. 415 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 7: Up this spot in this lifestyle center and it was 416 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 7: like an epicario shop. 417 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 6: Basically, I was like nineteen years old in nineteen twenty. 418 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 6: It was really dope. 419 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 7: It was like a grocery store slash retail food store, 420 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:17,679 Speaker 7: almost like an Italy sort of vibe, but like in 421 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 7: the Highlands. 422 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:20,000 Speaker 6: But then I had a fallen out. 423 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 7: With the woman who owned the company, and that's when 424 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:27,880 Speaker 7: I had my first lesson on getting finesse out of 425 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 7: your IP, out of your. 426 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 6: Basically like your sweat equity and like your working shit. 427 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 7: And because I had a contract, I didn't go over 428 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 7: the contract properly. 429 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 6: I didn't have a lawyer look at that shit. And 430 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:42,119 Speaker 6: basically that lady. 431 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 7: Didn't end up paying me the money that she owed 432 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 7: me and was able to build like three or four 433 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 7: more locations off of the IP that I had created. 434 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 6: So that was like a really eye opening experience for me. 435 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 7: And that's also one of the things that drove me 436 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 7: to move back up north to to the City because 437 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 7: I was done with it. 438 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 6: I was done with that bullshit. 439 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 7: I was like, all right, fuck, I gotta get out 440 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 7: of here, and so left Barbados moved up to New York. 441 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 3: Pierre left Barbados for New York City. I began working 442 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 3: in different restaurants around the same time. Lester, still in 443 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 3: Miami at culinary school, decided he'd rather be back in 444 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 3: New York as well. 445 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 4: I did two years of culinary school and I was 446 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:26,920 Speaker 4: just like, you know, I'm not doing this four year shit. 447 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:27,439 Speaker 2: It's not me. 448 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 5: School's not me. I jumped into working in restaurants. 449 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 4: First kitchen was Marriot, Marquee, Downtown, forty second Street, Times Square, 450 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 4: forty Dukes. I was on forty Dukes man Light's cameras 451 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,880 Speaker 4: in action. It was destined for me to live this life. 452 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,640 Speaker 4: It's like I was taking my show to Broadway. Went 453 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:48,679 Speaker 4: from Miami to Broadway, you know what I mean. Worked 454 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 4: on Broadway, New York, Marriot, mal Keuye for about a 455 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 4: year and some change, and I'm just working at restaurants 456 00:20:57,080 --> 00:20:59,439 Speaker 4: at this point. Then I finally get a job with 457 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 4: John Jor George Spice Market, so I leveled up. I'm 458 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 4: in Spice market working with Gean George. This is where 459 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 4: I met my mentor, Anthony Rico still to this day 460 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:13,239 Speaker 4: keeps in contact with me, you know, still to this 461 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 4: day has my back. So I was working at three 462 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:19,360 Speaker 4: restaurants at the time with Jean George. Like I'm gonna say, 463 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 4: like two years, two and a half years. During this 464 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:25,160 Speaker 4: time I lost I had a kid, had a daughter, 465 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 4: and they was Jay. During this time, Jay was born, 466 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:33,879 Speaker 4: she passed away from SID sudden infant death. Like I said, 467 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 4: these traumatic things that happened to me in my life, 468 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 4: they all happen for a reason, you know, And I 469 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 4: don't regret any of it. It's like there's nothing I 470 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 4: could do about it. If it's if it's something that's 471 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 4: out of my control, out of my hands, what can 472 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 4: I do but just keep pushing, keep being better. But 473 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,360 Speaker 4: the only thing I regret about that is not healing right, 474 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 4: not you know, doing up taking the proper steps for morning, 475 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 4: because like I just jump right back into work. I 476 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 4: didn't take off, like I didn't get any type of therapy, 477 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 4: like which was a very traumatic and you know, a 478 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 4: life changing event that happened to me, you know, So 479 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,360 Speaker 4: due to that, due to not functioning correctly mentally due 480 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 4: to the traumatic instances. I lost the job at Jean George. 481 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 4: You know, I got into a little squabble with somebody there. 482 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 4: It was on camera, and I got you know, they 483 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,880 Speaker 4: had to let me go. But Anthony Rico, I loved 484 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 4: his brother man, my Italian brother man. 485 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 5: He was like, yo, I gotta let you go. 486 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 4: But we always kept in contact and I ended up 487 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:38,920 Speaker 4: like getting another job. 488 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 2: Well. 489 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,200 Speaker 3: Lester grieved over the passing of his daughter and search 490 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:49,919 Speaker 3: for a new job. John's foray in the fashion was 491 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 3: flaming out. 492 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: Nobody was taking a chance for new brands. Burned through 493 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:57,439 Speaker 1: all my trap capital, you know what I'm saying. And 494 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:00,159 Speaker 1: Bill try to hustle it and figure it out for 495 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 1: like another two three years, just through the grindstone, but 496 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 1: that shit just wasn't working out. And then I realized, like, yeah, 497 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:09,400 Speaker 1: fashion is I'm really my calling. Making things and being 498 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 1: creative is my calling. But you quickly get into the 499 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: SMATs of business to fashion business and realize. 500 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:16,639 Speaker 2: It's not that much of a creative business. 501 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:21,440 Speaker 1: It's really about margins, operations, logistics. And I didn't have 502 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,000 Speaker 1: that counterpart. That's why I realized, like I'm a creative. 503 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: I thought I was super business because I got money 504 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:31,360 Speaker 1: in the streets, but I definitely skew towards the right 505 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: side of the brain more. 506 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 2: So than the left side. 507 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: I was just super depressed because I was kind of broke, 508 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: Like I started selling weheed a little bit again, and 509 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,399 Speaker 1: I had promised myself after I beat my case, I 510 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: made a promise to the universe I wouldn't sell no drugs. 511 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 1: I rationalized it by saying weed is not a drug. 512 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: And I'm just like, yeah, what the fuck am I 513 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:51,399 Speaker 1: doing with my life? And I just had to do 514 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:54,399 Speaker 1: do some soul session, like what would I do if 515 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: it wasn't about money? Because I had to release the 516 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 1: attachment to being defined by having money. So but then 517 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 1: I was like, damn, food is what I love. I 518 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:06,520 Speaker 1: was a part of this business program that Allen Houston 519 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,600 Speaker 1: had done with City Bank called the Allen Houston Foundation, 520 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 1: and it was a business plan and competition and teaching course. 521 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:14,879 Speaker 2: And I was going there to learn how to put. 522 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,719 Speaker 1: Together a business plan, et cetera, et cetera, to get 523 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 1: into it. 524 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:23,359 Speaker 2: And I would take those plans and I'd run in 525 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:24,320 Speaker 2: the less on the block. 526 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:26,480 Speaker 1: And this is after he's done school, he's back in 527 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: New York and I'd be like, yo, I'm in this class. 528 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: I ain't fucking with this with the streets no more. 529 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 1: And this is what I'm doing. And he was like, damn, 530 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 1: I want to do this food thing. And I'm like, 531 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:39,719 Speaker 1: all right, I'm gonna give you the lesson plans. I'm 532 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: gonna tell you what to do, how to think about 533 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 1: the plan. 534 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:44,719 Speaker 4: He was doing his thing with the street where I 535 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:47,120 Speaker 4: was doing my thing, working in high end kitchens all 536 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 4: around New York City and where we would connect you 537 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,160 Speaker 4: with like, yo, less what are you working at now? 538 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:51,920 Speaker 5: And I would tell him. 539 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:53,880 Speaker 4: I'd be like, Yo, I'm at John George, I'm at 540 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:54,720 Speaker 4: Spice Market. 541 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 5: You know, I'm at toad La Yo. Pull up, like 542 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 5: come through. 543 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 4: And he you know, he used to like to go 544 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:01,439 Speaker 4: to Nice Rest, So he would pull up to the 545 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,479 Speaker 4: establishments that I was working in and we connected and 546 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 4: were from the same block. He like hanging out with me, 547 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 4: you know, just like everybody else does, because I have that. 548 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,439 Speaker 5: Energy, you know. 549 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 4: And then we just started talking about, you know, opening 550 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:17,680 Speaker 4: some shit up, like because he was at the time 551 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,199 Speaker 4: he was going to Alan Houston's School for Business and 552 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 4: he was learning how to write business plans and that 553 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 4: intrigued me. And we would just hang out right around, 554 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:28,359 Speaker 4: go to different spots downtown, good at parties, you know, 555 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:31,240 Speaker 4: cop gear because we was fresh. We always been fresh, 556 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 4: and you know, that's how we was building, That's how 557 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 4: we was bonding. 558 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 3: John and Lester began planning a business together. It wasn't 559 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 3: clear exactly what it would be, but then an appearance 560 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:44,200 Speaker 3: by Lester on a popular cooking show would change everything. 561 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,359 Speaker 4: So I was a chef in his restaurant. It's not 562 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:51,880 Speaker 4: even a restaurant actually, and my manor Anthony Rico, got 563 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 4: me the job because it was straight a thousand dollars 564 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 4: cash every week. I was guaranteed to get paid. And 565 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:00,879 Speaker 4: it was like this nightclub kind of thing. And they 566 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 4: wanted to do a restaurant during the day, nightclub at night, 567 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 4: and they hired me to do that. 568 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 5: I did a tasting for him, blew them away. 569 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:14,160 Speaker 4: One day, a scout from Chopped from Food Network Chop 570 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 4: came into the restaurant and I was running a special. 571 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 5: It was coconut lemongrass seafood soup. 572 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:23,159 Speaker 4: Was really delightful obviously because the girl that had the dish, 573 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 4: came to the back, came to the kitchen where I 574 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,280 Speaker 4: was at, and she said, did you make this dish? 575 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,160 Speaker 4: I said, yes, it's amazing. Would you like to audition 576 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:33,960 Speaker 4: for Chops? So I'm like, I'm like, okay, but what 577 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 4: is Chop? So she tells me it's a show on 578 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 4: the Food Network. So I went, I auditioned, I made 579 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 4: it to the show. Next thing, you know, like a 580 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 4: month or so later on, I had this show and 581 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 4: I won. And so from that point on it was like, Yo, 582 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:54,800 Speaker 4: I really started to believe in myself even more once 583 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 4: that happened. 584 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:02,880 Speaker 3: Leicesterre's victory Chopped brought new attention and credibility to the chef. 585 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 3: Looking to keep the momentum going, John pitched the idea 586 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:08,360 Speaker 3: that would eventually turn into Ghetto Gastro. 587 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,160 Speaker 1: My initial idea was the ghetto gas shows like Yo, 588 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:14,440 Speaker 1: me and Les. We could do some fly recipes, talk 589 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 1: shit like how we talk, bring that street credibility, bring 590 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,680 Speaker 1: that vibe, and make content. You know, we make make 591 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: videos on some epic meal top ship and shit that's 592 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,160 Speaker 1: actually delicious and not just ridiculous. 593 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 2: You know. I come up with the name ghetto gas 594 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 2: Show during the nap. You know. 595 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:33,480 Speaker 1: My shout out to my homie and Larry Menza because 596 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: I was like, yo, we think about ghetto astronomy. She 597 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: was like, what about getto gas And I'm like, oh, 598 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: that's a good one. That's I like the I like 599 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: the symmetry, I like the alliteration. It was the production 600 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:47,479 Speaker 1: company that I wanted to do like a docu follow 601 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 1: based on what I was doing in the fashion game 602 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,199 Speaker 1: and what I had going on. And I go to 603 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:55,439 Speaker 1: the to the production company like, yo, I got this idea, 604 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 1: I got this great name. 605 00:27:57,119 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 2: Fuck with us. And they're like, oh, that name will 606 00:27:59,080 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 2: never work. 607 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: This and that. So me, being like on some Larry David, 608 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: Moka Joe shit, was like, all right, we're gonna show 609 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: these motherfuckers how this get a gaso shit rock. So 610 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 1: we just started doing our own thing, doing a house parties, 611 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: making his name, making a high on these streets, and turning. 612 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 3: Up having his media brand turned down by the production company. 613 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 3: John focused on building ghetto Gastro from the ground up. 614 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:26,159 Speaker 3: This included throwing dinner parties at his house with great food, 615 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 3: important guests, and immaculate vibes. Lester now working at a 616 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 3: high end restaurant inside Madison Square Garden, found that his 617 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:37,200 Speaker 3: job had some added benefits that would help keep John's 618 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 3: partygoers fed. 619 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 4: I'm mad Madison Square Garden. At Madison Square Garden, we 620 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:45,040 Speaker 4: have this huge budget. We get to utilize all different 621 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,479 Speaker 4: type of you know, exotic ingredients, high end ingredients. I'm 622 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 4: talking caviar, sturgeon, caviar, beluga. We're getting like the best 623 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 4: of the best, like edible golds, wag you beef, Kobe beef, 624 00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 4: you name it. 625 00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 5: We didn't have a budget. It's like whatever we wanted. 626 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:01,400 Speaker 4: To work with my Cassidy and I we would have 627 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 4: suit chefs at Delta Club. 628 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 5: Whatever we wanted we could get. 629 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 4: We can order to create a menu to cater to 630 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 4: our high end guests. So they have all of these 631 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 4: products and these ingredients. But at the end of the night, 632 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 4: if we don't use the product, we don't use the ingredient, 633 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 4: they would tell us like, don't even worry about it, 634 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 4: throw it out. Like would be like, it doesn't matter, 635 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:24,479 Speaker 4: just throw it out. So me being from the Bronx 636 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 4: and having a personality having the background of never letting 637 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 4: anything go to waste, zero waste. This starving people that 638 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 4: can eat this food. You know, my family, my neighbors 639 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 4: can have this food. I'm not throwing anything out. One 640 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 4: man's trash is the next man's treasure, and it was 641 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 4: definitely a treasure for me because we would hope we 642 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 4: would throw dinners at John's apartment that he had at 643 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 4: the time. 644 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:51,080 Speaker 5: In Long Island City. 645 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 4: We would throw dinners with these ingredients that were going 646 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 4: to trash, like we utilize them. We turn an active 647 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 4: service into an act of luxury, into something luxurious, into 648 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 4: something sustainable. With these ingredients that Madison Square Garden were 649 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,239 Speaker 4: put in the trash, we utilized it. These are the 650 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,720 Speaker 4: first parties. These are the hash house parties at this time. 651 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 4: We're throwing hash house parties. Were just inviting all of 652 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:20,480 Speaker 4: the fly people that we know to the crib. We're 653 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 4: doing a three course, five course dinner. All ingredients courtesy 654 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 4: of Madison Square Garden. Courtesy of fourteenth Street Union Square. 655 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 4: Farmers Market. 656 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,480 Speaker 1: They had so much overage, so like some wagu was 657 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:37,240 Speaker 1: going away, so some far growd caviard. We had the 658 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: food stamps rocking, so we go get some produce from 659 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 1: Whole Foods. With the food stamps that hit the farmers 660 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 1: Market and just put together exquisite meal for the homies. 661 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 3: The first official ghetto gastro parties were underway at John's 662 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:53,720 Speaker 3: apartment in Long Island City, became the epicenter of the 663 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 3: bread I was living. 664 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: In Long Island City at the time. My man k 665 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: from Kutian Cheek Created Control was out there. He's like, yo, 666 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 1: come fuck with Long Island City. 667 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:03,960 Speaker 2: I'll ember going. And I'm like, Yo, this sh is 668 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:04,440 Speaker 2: kind of hi. 669 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: So I got a spot in Long Island City created 670 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 1: community with Cheek. We used to hit the gym on 671 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: a regular Okay, We're working out and I overheard Pete 672 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: talking about tune of Tar Tar from Morimoto and shit 673 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 1: like that, and I'm like, you know, that's not usually 674 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,480 Speaker 1: Jim conversation or gym fighter. And I'm like, well, you 675 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 1: know about the Morimoto tartar. He's like yeah, I'm a chef. 676 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:28,240 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, what's your name. 677 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 3: Pierre, now, having returned to NYC from Barbados, ended up 678 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 3: living down the hall from John. 679 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 2: Yep. 680 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 7: Him and I were neighbors in Long Island City. Him 681 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 7: and I had met in the gym. We were cool, 682 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 7: kept on just building a friendship. I was selling weed 683 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:44,360 Speaker 7: I was hustling. 684 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 2: We just became great friends. 685 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:49,200 Speaker 1: Right, Like, he always had the weed and my girlfriend 686 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 1: used to always be stressed out, so when she was 687 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: acting up, I'd be like, yo, pee, can you just 688 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: come over and bring this girl to blunt, you know 689 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. And then we just bonded. He became 690 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:00,479 Speaker 1: like one of my closest road dogs. Me and him 691 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 1: cheek it. I was like the LC crew. 692 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 7: And I had another homie who lived in his building, 693 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 7: and he was actually John's neighbor at the time. 694 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 6: I used to go to my man's apartment. 695 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:13,440 Speaker 7: And I would see this orange extension cord running down 696 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 7: the hallway going all the way to the last door 697 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:19,560 Speaker 7: at the very end of the hallway on the left 698 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 7: hand side. This orange extension cord is running from the 699 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 7: hallway underneath the door into this apartment now, and I 700 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 7: used to wonder what the fuck was going on, and 701 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 7: then just to come and find out, like that was 702 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 7: John's apartment. He wasn't paying his electric bill and he 703 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 7: was just using the building's electric to run all of 704 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:40,720 Speaker 7: the electric in his apartment. So he had like this 705 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:43,080 Speaker 7: extension cord that was basically from the hallway that was 706 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 7: powering his entire apartment. Yo, incredible, man, Like that was 707 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 7: the sort of character that he was. 708 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,720 Speaker 3: John's apartment running on free electricity became the place to be, 709 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:55,880 Speaker 3: and soon the party started to build a real buzz 710 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 3: around the city. 711 00:32:57,200 --> 00:33:00,960 Speaker 4: Initially we wanted this shop ghetto gashow around as media corporation, 712 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:04,880 Speaker 4: as immedia platform. But I would get so many good 713 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 4: ingredients and I was cooking all the time, and we 714 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 4: were doing dinners that we just. 715 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 5: Said, Yo, listen, let's let's focus on like it was. 716 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:16,080 Speaker 4: Pop ups at the time were very popular, you know, 717 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,760 Speaker 4: so we focused on like doing pop up restaurants and 718 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 4: doing in the crib, supper clubs, things. 719 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:24,560 Speaker 5: Of that nature, inviting people over. 720 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 4: We had the liquor program, we had the cocktail program. 721 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,640 Speaker 4: We were somaliers, we were chefs, and we were just 722 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 4: getting it popping, man. 723 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:34,800 Speaker 5: We were getting it popping out of the apartment. 724 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 2: Man. 725 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:39,280 Speaker 4: We strategically planned everything from the guest list to the 726 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:43,719 Speaker 4: menu to the beverages. We invited certain people over that 727 00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 4: were maybe heads in the PR department of these brands, 728 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 4: or you know, just in general worked at these brands, 729 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 4: and we would invite them over and we would get 730 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:59,520 Speaker 4: the idea and it had that you need this, you 731 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,240 Speaker 4: need this type of vibe with your brand, we should 732 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 4: collaborate and that's how it happened. 733 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 2: It starts to grow. 734 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 5: The food was delicious. 735 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:08,839 Speaker 4: We were doing more than We started to do this 736 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:10,240 Speaker 4: thing called Free Style Friday. 737 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:11,080 Speaker 5: Every Friday. 738 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 4: We invited people over from the likes of Asad Ferg 739 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:18,680 Speaker 4: the whole Asad Mob and so many damn people Man 740 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:22,760 Speaker 4: Coodie and Cheek. They were getting everything on film, Ebro 741 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:27,400 Speaker 4: Low Styles. We went on the show to promote this 742 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:30,040 Speaker 4: pop up that we were doing Featherbed Lane with Scope 743 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:33,959 Speaker 4: at the time. That got even more people to come through. 744 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:36,920 Speaker 4: We were talking shit on the High ninety seven. That 745 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:40,800 Speaker 4: stirred up a buzz and we always were creating buzzes 746 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 4: and we had track. Also we had traction because I 747 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:46,840 Speaker 4: had just one chop too, so it was like chef Lester, Walker, 748 00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:51,719 Speaker 4: Chop Champion, Ghetto Gastro, Freestyle Friday, coming up with whimsical 749 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:56,600 Speaker 4: names Free Style Friday, Forties and Shorties, Waffles and Models. 750 00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:59,160 Speaker 1: The big traction kind of came initially after we did 751 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 1: this party called w and Models like and we did 752 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:05,000 Speaker 1: that at le Beron. Shout out to Simon as forgetting 753 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:07,879 Speaker 1: us to space. We did it at Leboron during fashion week. 754 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:10,359 Speaker 1: It was definitely the best party of fashion week that year. 755 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:14,400 Speaker 1: We had exotic dancers this twenty thirteen. One of the 756 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:16,759 Speaker 1: dancers happened to be Cardi B who I had met 757 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: the night before in Long Island and she just had 758 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: the star quality and stage presence then. 759 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 2: And I after to come over and I spoke to him. 760 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:27,400 Speaker 1: I'm like, yo, come come fuck with me tomorrow. Get 761 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 1: some money, man. She was like all right, Like I'm 762 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:31,919 Speaker 1: would pull up and I remember her pulling up doing 763 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:32,359 Speaker 1: her things. 764 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:33,120 Speaker 2: She was so smart. 765 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:36,080 Speaker 1: We had these girls, Spider and Magic, who was like 766 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 1: Magic City legends, like when you talk about doing the 767 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,319 Speaker 1: tricks and going crazy and all that, and Cardi's like, yo, 768 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 1: I can't. I gotta go before them. She was like, 769 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: I can't go after them. If I go after but 770 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:47,960 Speaker 1: I ain't gonna make no money because all the money 771 00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:51,240 Speaker 1: go up be gone from them getting on the tips. 772 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:53,839 Speaker 1: So she always been being a hustling and to fly 773 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:59,440 Speaker 1: like being a sex DJ Mamay and Rufio, Brendan Fallis Vashti. 774 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:02,759 Speaker 2: It was as. 775 00:36:01,239 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 3: Ghetto Gastro grew. It was only a matter of time 776 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:06,920 Speaker 3: before Pierre, still living down the hall from John, brought 777 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:07,880 Speaker 3: something to the table. 778 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:11,680 Speaker 6: One day there was a Playboy party that there was happening. 779 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:15,000 Speaker 7: I could see his apartment from my window, so whenever 780 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:16,600 Speaker 7: there was some shit going on, I would just like 781 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:18,840 Speaker 7: look outside, pull up and come. 782 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:21,000 Speaker 6: Across, and he was like, Yo, bring your blades and 783 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:21,919 Speaker 6: break some food over. 784 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 1: Playboy came to my crib in Long Island City. We 785 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:28,000 Speaker 1: threw a party at the crib and Playboy film deals 786 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:29,520 Speaker 1: for they was giving us a cover story. 787 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 7: So I pulled up with a couple of dishes to 788 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 7: the party, and those two dishes that I brought were 789 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:40,000 Speaker 7: the first two things gone. And at that moment the 790 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 7: guys were like, okay, well we see that he's going 791 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 7: to bring something to the table that we're missing. 792 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 6: In a sense. 793 00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:48,920 Speaker 2: He brought like some dishes and people loved it. 794 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 6: I pulled up with a keen wat salad and the 795 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:51,400 Speaker 6: kale salad. 796 00:36:51,640 --> 00:36:53,400 Speaker 7: Those were the first two things gone at that function, 797 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:56,200 Speaker 7: and everybody was like all right, cool, and then I 798 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 7: got busy with everything else too. That was probably the 799 00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:01,960 Speaker 7: moment where every it was like all right, cool, pease, God, 800 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:04,280 Speaker 7: some shit that we missing because there was no salads 801 00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 7: and stuff like that on the table. 802 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 6: It was just like a bunch of burners and chicken 803 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:08,879 Speaker 6: wings and stuff like that. 804 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:12,279 Speaker 7: So bringing that balance to the team and being able 805 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:15,359 Speaker 7: to see the gaps was definitely one thing. 806 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:16,759 Speaker 2: I'm like, oh, you can fuck with us. 807 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:18,839 Speaker 1: You official And I had to taste this food over 808 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: the years and I'm like, yeah, like he solid, you 809 00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:21,520 Speaker 1: know what I mean. 810 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 2: And then then we just got an in it. It 811 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:25,360 Speaker 2: was a vibe. It was a vibe. 812 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 5: We had a lot of beautiful people there. 813 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:28,960 Speaker 2: It was just a vibe. 814 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 4: And we did the play Boy spread and then once 815 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:35,399 Speaker 4: we killed that and we saw that Peak hold his own, 816 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 4: he became a member of the team. I just think 817 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 4: that we were diligent, We were consistent, and every time 818 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:47,200 Speaker 4: we got a little bit of traction, we kept we 819 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:50,720 Speaker 4: kept going, We kept the momentum up. We worked hard, 820 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 4: we worked smart, we worked strategically with. 821 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:56,360 Speaker 3: The team complete, the events got bigger, the food got better, 822 00:37:56,680 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 3: and the brands looking to be affiliated with Ghetto Gastro 823 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:00,840 Speaker 3: started to call. 824 00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:06,399 Speaker 4: Jack Daniels, Microsoft, Apple, Ralph Lauren, Polo, Timberland. 825 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 7: Homies that work at these brands have been coming to 826 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:12,680 Speaker 7: our parties for years, you know, and we've just been 827 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:16,080 Speaker 7: building and not forcing anything and just letting the universe 828 00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:18,680 Speaker 7: be aligned when time is right. And when these brands 829 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 7: saw that and felt that energy at their functions, you know, 830 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,719 Speaker 7: it was something small, maybe you know, a little Timberland 831 00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:28,759 Speaker 7: dinner or something with Jack Daniels or the event in 832 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:31,960 Speaker 7: the South of France with Microsoft. It was really about 833 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:35,279 Speaker 7: us seeing the value and knowing that these companies will 834 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:38,120 Speaker 7: pay us big money to pull up and do our day. 835 00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:41,400 Speaker 7: But it's just about how you approach yourself, your food, 836 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:44,400 Speaker 7: the work that you do, how you speak about yourself, 837 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:47,920 Speaker 7: how you carry yourself. All those things really matter. So 838 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,000 Speaker 7: like people treat you, how they meet you. So if 839 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 7: somebody's gonna say that they're looking for a caterer, it's like, now, 840 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:57,359 Speaker 7: we're not caterers. You know, we provide culinary experiences. We're 841 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:00,120 Speaker 7: artists and storytellers, and you know, we'll pull up and 842 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:03,240 Speaker 7: we have this offering because food is only like cooking, 843 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:07,240 Speaker 7: food is really only one part of what we provide 844 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:09,759 Speaker 7: at Ghetto Gastro, you know what I'm saying, Like it's 845 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,680 Speaker 7: way more than just us putting some food on the plate. 846 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:16,640 Speaker 7: We curate the entire experience from the guest listen to 847 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:24,360 Speaker 7: the music, to the plate where to the ambiance, the 848 00:39:24,440 --> 00:39:28,400 Speaker 7: table settings, everything like we really design and curate the 849 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:31,680 Speaker 7: entire experience from soup to nuts, if people have the bag. 850 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:34,040 Speaker 7: And the fact that we were able to show improve 851 00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:36,399 Speaker 7: and be consistent as a brand and always show up 852 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:39,880 Speaker 7: and show out as opened the open the doors for 853 00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:42,160 Speaker 7: us to do collaborations with Beats by Dre and do 854 00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:45,319 Speaker 7: a set of headphones and you know, uh, our own 855 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:48,440 Speaker 7: line of Jordan's. We did the Jordan's One, the Fearless, 856 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:50,840 Speaker 7: the Fearless One, React the Lows. 857 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:52,200 Speaker 6: It was a new silhouette. 858 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:55,000 Speaker 7: It wasn't our first choice, but you know, we were 859 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:57,200 Speaker 7: glad to have the opportunity to be able to design 860 00:39:57,239 --> 00:40:00,320 Speaker 7: a sneaker with Jordan and to have you know, a 861 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:02,880 Speaker 7: national release with a sneaker like that. 862 00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:06,200 Speaker 3: In addition to the Jordan collab, the team started looking 863 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:09,359 Speaker 3: to other ways to reach new audiences. This includes throwing 864 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:12,480 Speaker 3: larger ghetto gastro events and putting their own products on 865 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 3: shelves and stores near you. 866 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:19,080 Speaker 7: One of my favorite events ever was Thanksgiving at Rick 867 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:22,279 Speaker 7: Owens and Michelle's house, and it ended up being like 868 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:25,160 Speaker 7: two hundred plus people in their house. We cooked off 869 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:28,120 Speaker 7: like I don't want to say eight or like ten 870 00:40:28,239 --> 00:40:31,279 Speaker 7: big ass turkeys. It was a vibe yo, and it 871 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:35,040 Speaker 7: was crazy because like that was a huge introduction for 872 00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:37,560 Speaker 7: us into the fashion world. And like when I say 873 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:39,960 Speaker 7: that you show up in disrupt spaces, it's like ghetto 874 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:42,719 Speaker 7: gastro showing up to do Michelle and Me and Rick 875 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,279 Speaker 7: Owens Thanksgiving meal. When we did that, it was just 876 00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:49,520 Speaker 7: a certain level of status that we had got because 877 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:52,719 Speaker 7: we killed that shit too. It was an incredible meal 878 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:56,080 Speaker 7: turned into a wavy ass party afterwards. 879 00:40:56,880 --> 00:40:59,879 Speaker 1: I'm the ABC and the XYZ right, So I love 880 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:04,040 Speaker 1: of the inception of an idea and I also love 881 00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:07,239 Speaker 1: being a closer, like drop me in a target and 882 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:11,280 Speaker 1: let me secure that three year partnership. So we're launching 883 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:14,600 Speaker 1: the edible packaging like we're at irawuon now, but like 884 00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:16,839 Speaker 1: on a big scale to make it accessible, you know, 885 00:41:17,239 --> 00:41:18,400 Speaker 1: we're bringing it to targets. 886 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:23,440 Speaker 4: We started to focus in on recipes for the waffle MiGs, 887 00:41:23,719 --> 00:41:27,760 Speaker 4: focusing on steasonings. We put out a season a blend 888 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:31,440 Speaker 4: of different spices and herbs. We put out collaboration with 889 00:41:31,560 --> 00:41:35,040 Speaker 4: Sky farms at the time to create a sovereign syrup. 890 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:40,320 Speaker 4: We were working as well on designing kitchen appliances with crucks. 891 00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:45,040 Speaker 4: We put out my waffle iron, a grill, a smokeless grill, 892 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:50,719 Speaker 4: air fryer, a toaster, a coffee machine. We put out 893 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:54,239 Speaker 4: all of these different products during the time of the pandemic, 894 00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:57,799 Speaker 4: and we turned it into a pandemic before. 895 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:00,520 Speaker 1: We were chefs or cuts with storytellers. Right, its food 896 00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:04,840 Speaker 1: is a metium. So approaching product development from the story, like, 897 00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:06,520 Speaker 1: all right, what's the story of this ingredient? 898 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:09,560 Speaker 2: How do we make something delicious. 899 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:12,640 Speaker 1: But that had that's layered right, and it's something different, 900 00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:16,120 Speaker 1: So thinking about how do we bring a certain consciousness 901 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:19,880 Speaker 1: and a level of flavor and vibe to it. Because 902 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:22,319 Speaker 1: I go to the grocery store, I don't necessarily see 903 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:24,759 Speaker 1: anything that is speaking to me. So wanting to be 904 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:27,319 Speaker 1: able to put that out in the world and be 905 00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:31,640 Speaker 1: able to take our privilege of being culturally relevant and 906 00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:35,400 Speaker 1: all of that, and hopefully making better products that can 907 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:39,239 Speaker 1: change health outcomes and communities, and figuring out how to 908 00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:41,840 Speaker 1: make it accessible because how many people can access The 909 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:44,759 Speaker 1: getto Gastro event with fifty seventy one hundred maybe two 910 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:48,279 Speaker 1: hundred tops. It's like the gospel needs to spread further, 911 00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:51,719 Speaker 1: so us dropping a book is a big part of that. 912 00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:52,840 Speaker 2: Black Power Kitchen. 913 00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:56,480 Speaker 4: The book is the book is in target right now 914 00:42:56,840 --> 00:43:00,880 Speaker 4: as we speak, being sold, many units being sold right now, 915 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:03,960 Speaker 4: thousands of unit of being sold, becoming a New York 916 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 4: Times bestseller with Black Pot Kitchen. 917 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:13,560 Speaker 3: With the best selling book, Black Power Kitchen, products on 918 00:43:13,600 --> 00:43:16,880 Speaker 3: shelves and live events on the regular, Ghetto Gastro has 919 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:19,560 Speaker 3: evolved from a popping house party into a full three 920 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:23,480 Speaker 3: sixty media brand. But it's no accident. It's evolved hard work, 921 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:25,799 Speaker 3: a unique vision and team chemistry. 922 00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:29,759 Speaker 7: Man, I think it's just an amazing sort of testimony 923 00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:31,880 Speaker 7: to the work that with John Less and myself have 924 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:34,160 Speaker 7: been doing, all the people around us have been putting 925 00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:38,080 Speaker 7: in over these past ten years. That's a great outlook 926 00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:41,840 Speaker 7: onto the places that we've been and how they've inspired 927 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:42,839 Speaker 7: the moves that we make. 928 00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:45,920 Speaker 6: And also that gives you like a little glimpse into. 929 00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:47,759 Speaker 7: The future when we're talking about the future of the 930 00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:51,400 Speaker 7: future of our community and where we really see the 931 00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:54,000 Speaker 7: world going, how we see food, how we see Ghetto 932 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:58,879 Speaker 7: Gastro in the next decade, and just also the importance 933 00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:02,800 Speaker 7: of the black and brown contribution to the cultural space 934 00:44:02,960 --> 00:44:06,600 Speaker 7: across the world since day one, from food to music, 935 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:10,560 Speaker 7: to the arts, to fashion to everything, you know. And 936 00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:13,960 Speaker 7: it's really just an ode to the community, to the 937 00:44:14,040 --> 00:44:17,800 Speaker 7: Bronx for being such a resilient place and a place 938 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:20,720 Speaker 7: that I like to call home and that I feel 939 00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:24,400 Speaker 7: has adopted me over the past, you know, ten years 940 00:44:24,400 --> 00:44:27,160 Speaker 7: that I've been working with the company and rocking with 941 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:29,000 Speaker 7: the guys and shit like that. 942 00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:32,359 Speaker 4: That's the true definition of success right there. When we 943 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:37,360 Speaker 4: inspire others and we're a catalyst for the next person's success. 944 00:44:37,920 --> 00:44:39,279 Speaker 4: That's what success is to me. 945 00:44:39,440 --> 00:44:42,400 Speaker 1: Man, It's just taking something that is in your mind 946 00:44:42,719 --> 00:44:47,200 Speaker 1: and manifesting it into the tangible asset or a femeral experience. 947 00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:51,400 Speaker 1: I find great pleasure in that, and just the community, 948 00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:54,080 Speaker 1: like just being able to be in the Cayman Islands 949 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:57,600 Speaker 1: with our families and working and hanging and. 950 00:44:57,520 --> 00:44:59,480 Speaker 2: Just being like, yo, look at what we've built, Like look, 951 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:01,040 Speaker 2: it's a beautiful light. 952 00:45:01,160 --> 00:45:03,960 Speaker 1: So being able to just build this with my brothers 953 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:07,840 Speaker 1: and have this bond and it's really a family. 954 00:45:07,719 --> 00:45:07,960 Speaker 2: You know. 955 00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:11,719 Speaker 7: I mean, I'm really just looking forward to everything else 956 00:45:11,760 --> 00:45:12,319 Speaker 7: that has to come. 957 00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:14,680 Speaker 6: But right now, Black Power Kitchen were on a mission. Man, 958 00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:16,560 Speaker 6: more nutrition to your kitchen. Let's get it. 959 00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:26,960 Speaker 3: The story of Ghetto Gastro is one of ingenuity, skill 960 00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:30,800 Speaker 3: and immaculate vibes. When John Gray wanted to be an entrepreneur, 961 00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:33,319 Speaker 3: there was never a shortage of business ideas for him 962 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:36,040 Speaker 3: to pursue. When Lester and Pierre showed signs that they 963 00:45:36,040 --> 00:45:38,960 Speaker 3: were gifted in the culinary yards, they pursued their passion 964 00:45:39,200 --> 00:45:42,440 Speaker 3: and they willed themselves into being master chefs. And when 965 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:45,759 Speaker 3: they all came together, the energy was undeniable and that 966 00:45:45,800 --> 00:46:00,680 Speaker 3: recipe could only lead to success for Ideas Generation. I'm 967 00:46:00,719 --> 00:46:03,400 Speaker 3: Noah Callahan Bever. Thanks for listening to The All Angles 968 00:46:03,440 --> 00:46:11,320 Speaker 3: Podcast presented by Will Packer Media. If you've enjoyed this episode, 969 00:46:11,480 --> 00:46:15,200 Speaker 3: please don't hesitate to like, comment DM or tell a 970 00:46:15,200 --> 00:46:17,719 Speaker 3: friend to tell a friend about Idea Generation and the 971 00:46:17,760 --> 00:46:20,680 Speaker 3: All Angles Podcast. We can't do any of this without 972 00:46:20,719 --> 00:46:23,960 Speaker 3: your help, and honestly, your support means everything. We do 973 00:46:24,040 --> 00:46:26,080 Speaker 3: this for you, and we can't do it without you. 974 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:31,640 Speaker 3: This episode was brought to you by Will Packer, Executive 975 00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:35,080 Speaker 3: produced by John Balachick and Helena Ox original music by 976 00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:38,920 Speaker 3: Valentine Fritz, edit and sound mixed by Nonsensible Production and 977 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:44,200 Speaker 3: hosted by me Idea Generation founder Noah Callahan bever Idea Generations. 978 00:46:44,239 --> 00:46:46,480 Speaker 3: All Angles is a will Packer media podcast