Speaker 1: Hey, guys, welcome to another episode of Eating While Broke.
Speaker 1: I'm your host, Colleen Witt, and today we have very
Speaker 1: special guests, entrepreneur of Wang's in Things, a tray you
Speaker 1: Rothman is in the building. Here we go, There we go.
Speaker 2: I got it right right. We had to cut that
Speaker 2: last one.
Speaker 1: We had to cut. We had to get a tray.
Speaker 1: You Rothman is in the building. And just for just
Speaker 1: a little backstory before we get into the interview, guys,
Speaker 1: he's the owner of Wangs and Things in Venice Beach.
Speaker 1: This is one of my favorite go to spots. If
Speaker 1: you know me, you know that the weekends are solely
Speaker 1: dedicated to living like a four year old. But we
Speaker 1: got to add some adulting fun into it, so WANs
Speaker 1: and Things is a part of that. I come there
Speaker 1: very often. I have a punch guard, you know, and
Speaker 1: I bring a lot of people. I usually introduce somebody
Speaker 1: to the spot. Even though the guy that hands out
Speaker 1: the samples he does an amazing job at thank you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's awesome.
Speaker 3: He does a great job. And we don't even use
Speaker 3: the punch card anymore. We have we're all digital now,
Speaker 3: so you put you putting a number and it's like
Speaker 3: using the punch cards, so it keeps track of your orders.
Speaker 1: And yeah, and just so you guys know, my favorite
Speaker 1: thing to order is the well it's it's pretty much everything.
Speaker 1: The secret I think to what makes wings and things
Speaker 1: so special for all y'all wondering what kind of food
Speaker 1: it is, Like wings, it's potato, It's shrimp.
Speaker 2: Shrimp sha it pole Boys.
Speaker 3: I'm from the South, so a lot of the food
Speaker 3: is originated from the South, so the Pole Boys. There's
Speaker 3: a lot of vegans and vegetarians in this area, so
Speaker 3: we had to create some foods that cater to them,
Speaker 3: like the mushroom sandwich, califlower sandwich.
Speaker 2: You haven't seen that yet.
Speaker 1: I feel like I need to do a review of
Speaker 1: all the different I stick to what I know, like
Speaker 1: the potato. You know what it is. It's whatever he
Speaker 1: hands out in the samples. Yes, that's what I get.
Speaker 2: Okay, So maybe.
Speaker 1: I need to explore outside there it is there.
Speaker 3: It is people when they typically see this, get the
Speaker 3: samples outside. That's what they want. Oh, let me get
Speaker 3: what I had out there. But when you get to
Speaker 3: then when you get to the front of our establishment,
Speaker 3: you know, our whole menu is out in the front.
Speaker 2: So there's so many other options for people to choose.
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I see them too. I don't know why
Speaker 1: that so. So just so you guys know, what makes
Speaker 1: I think makes it special is the sauce is finger
Speaker 1: looking good? And then I have never met someone that
Speaker 1: has mastered frying as well as you.
Speaker 2: Oh wow, because that's big. I think that I haven't.
Speaker 3: Been doing this for two years now. Really keep in
Speaker 3: mind that they never really cooked ever, so not at all.
Speaker 1: I think the way he fries is simply fantastic. I
Speaker 1: think about it sometimes I'm like, damn, how does he
Speaker 1: master it so well? I don't know if you've timed
Speaker 1: it how you got it to weigh three? Interesting?
Speaker 3: My friars stay at three for all of my foods,
Speaker 3: and when I see it has that right Chris, That
Speaker 3: just it's side of there.
Speaker 1: Oh you know, yeah, all right, So just and I
Speaker 1: wanted you guys just to hear from me, you know
Speaker 1: what it is I like about the restaurant. But I
Speaker 1: was very excited when Atrey you hit me up in
Speaker 1: the DMS because we had talked. I said, man, you know,
Speaker 1: should come on the show. And the follow up game
Speaker 1: was real and yes, I'm very excited to have you
Speaker 1: and know your backstory. Did not know two years. But
Speaker 1: we're about to get into it. But before we get
Speaker 1: into your story, I need to know what you are
Speaker 1: going to have me eating today as your broke dish.
Speaker 2: M okay, my broke dish.
Speaker 3: When she was like, what did you eat while you
Speaker 3: were broke, had to think of the time when I
Speaker 3: was broke and on the struggle and I was in jail,
Speaker 3: you know, and when you're in jail, you don't have
Speaker 3: too many options when it comes to food, you know.
Speaker 3: You know, I was eating typically what they what they
Speaker 3: served at lunch, you know. But then when you get
Speaker 3: that commentsary list and you get to pick out what
Speaker 3: you want. I never dabbled with rice paper.
Speaker 2: I'm like, what is up with this? You know, so
Speaker 2: you know you're in jail, you have a lot of time,
Speaker 2: so let's figure this out.
Speaker 3: So I came up with this rice paper startine veggie roll.
Speaker 1: Okay.
Speaker 3: I made it for myself. First, people walk by, what
Speaker 3: are you making?
Speaker 2: Hey?
Speaker 3: Sit down, see if you like it. And then it
Speaker 3: turned into a every Thursday a tray. You's making the
Speaker 3: rice paper meal.
Speaker 1: Oh so did you start to like cooking when you
Speaker 1: were in jail, well, being creative.
Speaker 3: Well, I've always been into, you know, just putting a
Speaker 3: meal together, typically for myself or my guest. You know,
Speaker 3: being in you know, being locked away, you know, it
Speaker 3: only heightens, you know, your creativeness, especially when you're so
Speaker 3: limited to Hey, what can I put together? I would
Speaker 3: make my meals for myself and when you know, friends
Speaker 3: walked by, what are you making? I don't even know.
Speaker 3: I'm just putting it together, you know. That was really
Speaker 3: my answer. But it tasted very good, you know. So
Speaker 3: it turned out with me to a whole group of
Speaker 3: ten people every Thursday. You know, they would all bring
Speaker 3: their own ingredients.
Speaker 2: Oh oh, and it was.
Speaker 3: Like a like a little potluck, you know for the
Speaker 3: sardines and veggie roll.
Speaker 1: Now, when people think of jail, I e me, guys,
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I'm not. I've only been to jail for
Speaker 1: like twenty four hours, so my experience is very limited.
Speaker 1: But you don't think of jail as a place where
Speaker 1: you can like pick rice paper as well.
Speaker 3: I was at a camp. I was at a camp.
Speaker 3: A camp is where they typically send like if the.
Speaker 2: Mayor goes to jail.
Speaker 1: Oh, is it like like a yeah, the FED, that's
Speaker 1: like the nice jail, right.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they had pool tables there. I learned how to
Speaker 3: shoot pul Oh. I'm a pull shark now, you know,
Speaker 3: because where you have nothing but time, you know, hey,
Speaker 3: let me perfect this, you know. So it was a
Speaker 3: place where, you know, it was kind of like bunk style,
Speaker 3: you know, open area. If you cause any type of
Speaker 3: ruckus in there, they'll send you to a different level
Speaker 3: to where you won't have as much leniency. You know,
Speaker 3: there was there was it like you could walk off
Speaker 3: and leave the whole facility. It wasn't it wasn't gated.
Speaker 3: So at a camp like literally you have they call
Speaker 3: them walk offs, you know, and they they broadcast them
Speaker 3: on the news at night. Hey, this inmate has walked off,
Speaker 3: you know, like yeah, you know it's but you don't
Speaker 3: want to mess up here because if you go there,
Speaker 3: then you're typically you only have at least like three
Speaker 3: five to five years and under left on your sentence.
Speaker 3: So some people were there for twenty years and then
Speaker 3: they're praying that they could get to a camp, because
Speaker 3: you get to a camp, it's just you know, an easy,
Speaker 3: easy glide through for the rest of your sentence.
Speaker 1: So and I'd imagine it's a good semi transition back
Speaker 1: to life.
Speaker 3: Right, Yeah, absolutely, because you have opportunities to have a
Speaker 3: job outside of jail, you know, so like you.
Speaker 1: Can go and then come back and you just sleep
Speaker 1: there and.
Speaker 3: If you go come back, get a furlough and you know,
Speaker 3: go see your family, that type of thing. I was
Speaker 3: sentenced to a year and a half. Excuse me, a
Speaker 3: year and a day.
Speaker 2: A year and a day.
Speaker 1: Did it feel like a year and a day?
Speaker 3: It felt like a year and a day because when
Speaker 3: when they sentenced you to a year and a day,
Speaker 3: You're you're supposed to go home in like six months.
Speaker 3: But when the six month hit, I was supposed to
Speaker 3: go and go to my father's for the rest of
Speaker 3: my term in Mississippi.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 3: And then when they called me in for that six
Speaker 3: that six month hit, they called me into the office
Speaker 3: and said that my dad denied me from going out there.
Speaker 3: Then it felt like a year and a day because
Speaker 3: I had to stay the whole year and a day.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So yeah, that year in a day was an
Speaker 2: actual year in a day.
Speaker 1: Okay, now, and now I'm just curious.
Speaker 2: Yes, well, I got denied no, what what did you do?
Speaker 2: What I do? You know?
Speaker 3: So I used to model back in the day, like
Speaker 3: in my twenties, you know. And this was all in
Speaker 3: my twenties, you know. And I had this gig in
Speaker 3: New York and it was the next day gig. And
Speaker 3: I had a friend that was always flying this guy everywhere.
Speaker 2: I'm on playing them all bro like I need to
Speaker 2: fly to New York tomorrow for this gig. And he
Speaker 2: connects me with this.
Speaker 3: Guy and he books me on a flight first class
Speaker 3: all the way to New York next day.
Speaker 2: Like literally, I was clutch. It was super clutch. It was.
Speaker 2: It was so clutch.
Speaker 3: When I got back, I was like, hey, like give me,
Speaker 3: like is it okay? If I use him? Like can
Speaker 3: I call him for you know, my next flight? And
Speaker 3: my friends like to fly to you know. So I
Speaker 3: turned into like a travel agent, you know, because I
Speaker 3: would let my friends know, hey, if you want to fly,
Speaker 3: And his price was amazing. It was like to me,
Speaker 3: it was like one hundred dollars round trip.
Speaker 2: For it was right. So so I was charging people.
Speaker 3: I would look up their flight information and be like, oh,
Speaker 3: your flight is five hundred Okay, it's gonna be two
Speaker 3: fifty for you whatever, it's gonna be half, you know.
Speaker 1: And where was I was?
Speaker 3: I was you could call me green, right, because I'm
Speaker 3: just thinking this guy is just booking, because he would
Speaker 3: just send me the flight information.
Speaker 2: I send it to my people and they go on
Speaker 2: their way.
Speaker 1: Only only a little bit.
Speaker 3: I was at my top until until right one of
Speaker 3: my friends called me booked them a flight and he's like, hey,
Speaker 3: they said the credit card didn't go through with this flight.
Speaker 3: And I'm like, hold on, let me call this guy
Speaker 3: and tell them, Hey, what's happening.
Speaker 2: I called him.
Speaker 3: I'm like, hey, my friend is stuck at the airport.
Speaker 3: They said the credit card didn't go through. He's I
Speaker 3: don't worry, I'll rebook him. Rebooked them, and he was
Speaker 3: on the next flight out right. But at that point,
Speaker 3: I'm like, Okay, this guy is using credit cards to
Speaker 3: book people on flights, you know. And I knew at
Speaker 3: that point this this is like three months into I'm so.
Speaker 1: Dumb because it took me a minute to catch up. Yeah,
Speaker 1: so basically he was paying for.
Speaker 3: He was paying for the flight, but with other people's
Speaker 3: credit cards. Yes, So I figured this out, and I
Speaker 3: remember It's funny how God works really in your life
Speaker 3: and he gives you your decisions and you got to
Speaker 3: make him. Right then, i was sitting on the curb
Speaker 3: outside and I'm like, wow, okay, so he's using people's
Speaker 3: credit cards to book people's flights. I'm like something like this.
Speaker 3: I feel like I could get like five years for
Speaker 3: doing something like this. Like this was a thought in
Speaker 3: my head right and I'm like, I have my decision
Speaker 3: to stop right then, or you know, keep going and
Speaker 3: taking mind like I'm modeling at this time, like I'm
Speaker 3: in front of people's.
Speaker 2: Faces, I'm behind it can.
Speaker 3: Yeah, And I was booking modeling gigs, but those gigs
Speaker 3: were just paying my cell phone bill, you know what
Speaker 3: I'm saying. But I'm a flight I'm a flight agent
Speaker 3: right now. Like I'm like I'm getting I mean hints.
Speaker 3: Like as soon as I was like five years for
Speaker 3: something like this, I got a text message from one
Speaker 3: of my people that wanted to fly.
Speaker 2: I'm like, this is the test. This is the test.
Speaker 3: I'm looking at like three hundred dollars right here or
Speaker 3: just completely stop. And I was like I'm taking this
Speaker 3: three hundred, you know, And I kept going and I
Speaker 3: did it for like two more years. I'm telling you,
Speaker 3: like that.
Speaker 2: Where was where was the look that they were hitting me?
Speaker 2: And I'm like, look, I got you.
Speaker 3: I'm hitting up this other guy because I'm not really
Speaker 3: I'm not booking, I'm never I'm never touching anything.
Speaker 1: You're like a degree away from separation. Yes, I'm just
Speaker 1: curious how your brain just magically thought like, hey, I
Speaker 1: could get five years. Well did you google?
Speaker 2: Well? No, it was just a feeling. It was just
Speaker 2: a feeling.
Speaker 3: And then let's let's just fast forward to the Feds
Speaker 3: coming to my place of residence and I wasn't there,
Speaker 3: and one of my friends was like, Hey, some people
Speaker 3: from the post Office are here to see you. And
Speaker 3: I'm like, put them on the phone, because I know
Speaker 3: I have no business with the post office. And that
Speaker 3: guy gets on the phone. He's like, yeah, we're here
Speaker 3: with the post Office. Want to talk about a package
Speaker 3: that you I'm like, look, let's just let's just cut it, Like,
Speaker 3: tell me exactly what you're here for. I'm on the
Speaker 3: phone with them, you know, they're like, well, we're here
Speaker 3: for some flights that you've been you know, booking people
Speaker 3: and things like that.
Speaker 2: Oh my god, I'm like, my heart, my heart sunk.
Speaker 3: I'm with my girlfriend at the time, and I do
Speaker 3: one of those sit ups in the bed.
Speaker 2: Like she's like, what's wrong. I'm like, oh my god, it's.
Speaker 3: Happening, right. But what was happening was something that I
Speaker 3: knew two years ago. When I told you I was
Speaker 3: sitting at the I'm like, Okay, this is supposed to
Speaker 3: be happening.
Speaker 2: You know. I was on the run for like two days,
Speaker 2: and then yeah, I was.
Speaker 3: I was getting as much information as I could about
Speaker 3: the situation from.
Speaker 2: Office. Look, no, I was not calling that nigga.
Speaker 3: He was the last person I wanted to talk to
Speaker 3: because I'm like they listening to his phone calls.
Speaker 2: I was listen this guy.
Speaker 1: I'm so bad because I would have been.
Speaker 3: Calling him like you you would you you would think that,
Speaker 3: but at the time, you're like, he's the person that's
Speaker 3: doing the bookies and stuff, like they're already like super
Speaker 3: on him, so don't even want to contact him, right,
Speaker 3: But however, there were he was, as I guess, I
Speaker 3: was like a pawn in a sense because he had
Speaker 3: like thirty other people that were sending him flights and stuff.
Speaker 3: So I got word that those other you know ten
Speaker 3: people that were in LA you know, they got out
Speaker 3: as soon as they turned their self in, that type
Speaker 3: of thing.
Speaker 2: So I turned myself in.
Speaker 3: I was on pre trial for a year, for about
Speaker 3: a year, you know, basically just going through the whole process. Yeah,
Speaker 3: I turned myself in, like hey, I'm who you're looking for,
Speaker 3: you know.
Speaker 2: And it was a little process.
Speaker 3: I think I did like one day in jail and
Speaker 3: then they just released me because I was on pre
Speaker 3: trial release. Pre trial is where you go through the
Speaker 3: whole process until you're sentenced.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: I didn't have anything else on my record. It's my
Speaker 3: very first thing. So they let me out on pre trial.
Speaker 3: And at that time, I got busy on my modeling situation,
Speaker 3: you know, because I'm like, okay, no more flight man, like.
Speaker 2: Me, let me get out there and let me. Let
Speaker 2: me go back to it.
Speaker 3: And you know what, when I when I did go
Speaker 3: back to it, I booked like one of the biggest
Speaker 3: gigs that I've ever done in my life. I did
Speaker 3: a video called super Base with Nicki Minaj and I
Speaker 3: was the main guy. Yeah, I was the main guy
Speaker 3: on that video that they was throwing like the stuff
Speaker 3: in the pool. It was, Yeah, it was, it was.
Speaker 3: It was a fun experience, you know. But I was
Speaker 3: doing what I should have already been doing all these
Speaker 3: years ago, you know. And but everything does happen for
Speaker 3: a reason, because you know, when I when I ended
Speaker 3: up getting sentenced to the camp, you know, I'm now
Speaker 3: in a facility with people that have been locked up
Speaker 3: for years, people that have been business owners that have
Speaker 3: made millions of dollars.
Speaker 1: I was going to say, because the FED prison, I
Speaker 1: would feel like it's almost like the how do I
Speaker 1: word this without was making it glorified? But like you
Speaker 1: have people was some astounding.
Speaker 3: Oh amazing, Like I was literally playing cards with a
Speaker 3: millionaire billionaires, you know what I'm saying. Like these guys,
Speaker 3: you know, obviously money doesn't matter right now, but they're
Speaker 3: just them, you know. And I knew when I when
Speaker 3: I was to get out that I didn't want to
Speaker 3: model anymore. I wanted to be an entrepreneur, Like I
Speaker 3: wanted to do something that was going to bring in
Speaker 3: that bread, you know, and to where I could live
Speaker 3: the life that I was faking when I was modeling,
Speaker 3: you know what I'm saying. So you know, when I
Speaker 3: when I got released. It was just I knew I
Speaker 3: wasn't gonna, you know, get into anything that was going
Speaker 3: to put me back in jail, of course.
Speaker 2: You know, and.
Speaker 3: You know it was it was definitely a journey because
Speaker 3: I was in my thirties, you know, and I was
Speaker 3: told by somebody, you know, when you hit your thirties
Speaker 3: as a man, you know you're going to be faced
Speaker 3: with either looking real forward, going forward, or stepping back
Speaker 3: and acting like you're in your twenties and not really
Speaker 3: you know.
Speaker 2: Grow you know.
Speaker 1: Oh, I didn't know that. I never heard that.
Speaker 2: I was told that by somebody. You know.
Speaker 1: That's interesting because I do think that people either go
Speaker 1: with and I'm guessing it's either you break out of
Speaker 1: your comfort zone in your thirties you say okay, that's it,
Speaker 1: or you backside and say you don't want this is
Speaker 1: where I'm comfortable at and that would be when you go.
Speaker 2: Back to I guess playing exactly exactly. And I was
Speaker 2: a father. I had two kids at the tenn before
Speaker 2: or after after.
Speaker 3: Well before I had a daughter before I got locked up.
Speaker 3: I was twenty one when I had my first child.
Speaker 2: But I'm more.
Speaker 3: Of a father now because when I got out, I
Speaker 3: had another child. So now it's like I'm thirty thirty one, Like, okay,
Speaker 3: I have a family now, you know, are you and.
Speaker 1: The child's moms together? Is it two different or one? Look,
Speaker 1: I'm all of them?
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, you in it. This I'm mad is the part.
Speaker 3: I'm mad because okay, baby mama's no I got I
Speaker 3: have five, five baby mothers.
Speaker 1: You're hilarious.
Speaker 2: Yes, I do six, six kids, you know.
Speaker 1: Okay, so you got just still got to.
Speaker 2: I didn't want my kids all looking the same, you know.
Speaker 1: That's what We're gonna cut all that out out.
Speaker 2: I'm joking.
Speaker 3: No, I'm a I'm a sucker for love, you know,
Speaker 3: like each each each.
Speaker 2: One of my kids.
Speaker 3: Like I really thought like I was gonna be with
Speaker 3: her for the rest of my life, you know what
Speaker 3: I'm saying.
Speaker 2: So we have a baby. We having a baby like.
Speaker 1: The gym class he wrote song where he was like
Speaker 1: this is the one or something. But all right, all right,
Speaker 1: before we get into all that, let's get you started
Speaker 1: on the meal because I am hungry. Okay, So go
Speaker 1: ahead and name the ingredients of your dish.
Speaker 2: You ready for this jail house meal?
Speaker 1: Yes, I'm hungry.
Speaker 2: Okay, so we have a rice paper in case you're
Speaker 2: not familiar with rice paper. This is a nce paper right.
Speaker 3: Here, and we can already just and this has water, yes,
Speaker 3: so we could already just toss that in the water
Speaker 3: right there. And this is a very simple meal, quick,
Speaker 3: very tasteful as well too.
Speaker 2: Let's see this pilot. We're gonna turn this on and.
Speaker 3: Open up these sardines, right they don't need to be special.
Speaker 1: Just so some of them are in water and some
Speaker 1: are in oil, just so you know, okay, and then
Speaker 1: you brought your special sauce, so we will be eating
Speaker 1: very very good today. So I love it when someone
Speaker 1: brings out a dish that we've never had on the show.
Speaker 1: But I also love it when it's really affordable, and
Speaker 1: your dish is, guys, it's very affordable.
Speaker 3: And it's impressive too, especially when you get the rolling
Speaker 3: aspect going on, because you know, you could be on
Speaker 3: a date.
Speaker 2: And just you're hilarious.
Speaker 3: I'm serious, baby, number seven point, you're hilarious, and you.
Speaker 2: Know it's a fun thing that you could both do together.
Speaker 1: You know, when you were at the camp is, do
Speaker 1: you feel like at the camp is where you kind
Speaker 1: of really started to get into entrepreneurship because of the
Speaker 1: people you were around.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I was learning a lot from them because a
Speaker 3: lot of them had you know, different businesses, you know,
Speaker 3: and when they leave, you know, from the camp, there're
Speaker 3: still millionaires, you know, just because they're in the phase
Speaker 3: of me, and they took all their money, you know.
Speaker 3: So it was very inspiring. I was in a situation
Speaker 3: where you know, it's either you you grow or you don't.
Speaker 3: You know, It's like, why are these people in my
Speaker 3: life right now? That's how I look at life. You know.
Speaker 3: We had a I was in a program when I
Speaker 3: was there where you know, once you complete the program,
Speaker 3: you know, you get achievements and things like that. And
Speaker 3: we were all asked a question like in a big circle,
Speaker 3: like where are you going to take from this aspect
Speaker 3: of your life?
Speaker 2: And one gentleman in the circle.
Speaker 3: He's like, he was like, oh, this part of my
Speaker 3: life never happened, Like God, I'm just going to delete
Speaker 3: this part of my life out.
Speaker 2: And I get that. You know, the average person is gonna,
Speaker 2: you know, feel that way. Jail Hell.
Speaker 1: I got to remember he probably was experiencing an amazing
Speaker 1: life before.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he was he was done with it. But I'm
Speaker 3: listening to him, and I'm like, there's zero way how
Speaker 3: I could take this away from my life.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: I I have kids, you know, I have to teach
Speaker 3: them about, you know, the rights and wrongs and repercussions,
Speaker 3: you know, and like, this is definitely an experience that
Speaker 3: I'll speak of proudly, you know, not that it happened,
Speaker 3: but you know, I'm able to talk about something that,
Speaker 3: you know, that could potentially.
Speaker 2: Happen to you.
Speaker 3: You know, you never know in life, you know, and
Speaker 3: the positives that came from it. Because if it wasn't
Speaker 3: for that, I don't think I would have been as
Speaker 3: ambitious to thrive to you know, want to have my
Speaker 3: own business as much.
Speaker 2: You know. But yeah, now.
Speaker 1: You said that in this year you were going to
Speaker 1: do six months. Yeah it smells like Seraine, does the
Speaker 1: fire need to be turned up? It's very low, all right,
Speaker 1: And you gotta name your you gotta name your seasonings.
Speaker 2: Okay, So this seasoning right here is slap your mama. Yeah,
Speaker 2: slap your mama.
Speaker 3: I'm all about like some Cajun stuff growing from Mississippi,
Speaker 3: New Orleans, you know, like it's got to have that kick.
Speaker 2: If it doesn't have that kick, it's like why we
Speaker 2: eating this? You know? So the slap your mama is awesome,
Speaker 2: and some.
Speaker 3: Garlic herb from dads, right so, and plus the the
Speaker 3: sardines already has some flavor.
Speaker 2: Yeah, already the flavor in it too, so you don't
Speaker 2: need too much.
Speaker 3: And we're just gonna let this heat up and cook
Speaker 3: for about seven minutes and we're going to come back
Speaker 3: to that because the rest. As a matter of fact,
Speaker 3: like we can already start with this right.
Speaker 1: Now. Do you think that you would have walked away
Speaker 1: with so much impact had your dad not turned you
Speaker 1: down for the for the six months, Like, do you
Speaker 1: think you would have? Because if I'm staying somewhere short term,
Speaker 1: I'm thinking, man, I just want to do my time
Speaker 1: to get out. But do you think that the extension
Speaker 1: made you really look at things a little differently?
Speaker 3: Well, it absolutely did, you know, because my dad's situation
Speaker 3: was kind of a support situation. You know, I had
Speaker 3: plans on going out there and helping my father as
Speaker 3: much as I could because he was getting older and
Speaker 3: he was working just as much as he's always have.
Speaker 3: He's always been an entrepreneur, hisself always would say I'm
Speaker 3: self sufficient and independent.
Speaker 2: That was his thing. You know.
Speaker 3: He worked in New Orleans at the French Quarters, and
Speaker 3: I wanted to go out there and help him and
Speaker 3: so where he didn't have to, you know, work too hard,
Speaker 3: you know. But being that the turn was, you know,
Speaker 3: I didn't go out there, and it's like, okay, it's
Speaker 3: just me, Like this venture in life is just.
Speaker 2: Me right now?
Speaker 1: Were you mad at him when he did that?
Speaker 3: Initially till I figured out why he did it. And
Speaker 3: it was my sister that told him to say no
Speaker 3: because she felt like he would be enabling me, and
Speaker 3: because he was ready, like, son, you come in, we're
Speaker 3: about to be about to and all of a sudden
Speaker 3: it's like no, you know, and my sister enabled to.
Speaker 2: Well, my sister told him to say no. And that
Speaker 2: was a situation that you know, I'm like.
Speaker 4: Okay, I was mad at I was mad at the
Speaker 4: sister because literally, like two years later, my dad ended
Speaker 4: up in the hospice, the hospice, I'm like, what is
Speaker 4: he in the hospice for?
Speaker 2: Sister?
Speaker 3: Well, he had cancer and he told me not to
Speaker 3: say anything about it.
Speaker 2: Well, okay, because.
Speaker 3: I could have been out there with him all these years,
Speaker 3: you know, while he had cancer and helping him even
Speaker 3: fight the cancer.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: So you know that's a whole ya know, whole nother
Speaker 3: thing too. But everything does happen for a reason. Because
Speaker 3: my dad in the hospice, I went to go see
Speaker 3: him broken all. I had my probation officer that I
Speaker 3: had at the time, I only had like three hundred
Speaker 3: dollars in my pocket.
Speaker 2: And I wasn't supposed to leave.
Speaker 3: Without permission, and I wasn't about to ask for permission
Speaker 3: because my dad's in the hospice.
Speaker 2: I just got my flight.
Speaker 3: And went out to Mississippi and stay with my dad,
Speaker 3: you know, throughout the whole duration until he passed away.
Speaker 2: Which was probably like a week or so. But it
Speaker 2: was the best.
Speaker 3: It was the best time I ever spent with my dad,
Speaker 3: you know, like, and I've had some great moments with him,
Speaker 3: but in passing, like, oh my god, like it was
Speaker 3: we had a ball, you know, so and yeah, my daddy,
Speaker 3: I love you, daddy.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Okay, all right, so now that let's go back to Okay,
Speaker 1: you're in jail, you're hooking up millionaires with meals. But
Speaker 1: the good thing is I'm guessing at these potlucks, they're
Speaker 1: bringing you some different things to to test your skill set.
Speaker 1: Are any of these guys saying, man, your food so good? Man,
Speaker 1: you should you could cheorge for this.
Speaker 2: I mean a jail. They try to big you up
Speaker 2: on everything that you do, like, oh, man, you're gonna.
Speaker 3: Do this good when you get out, Like yeah, yeah,
Speaker 3: you know, we all try to pick each other up.
Speaker 3: But I guess this was just one of those dishes
Speaker 3: where it was like when I left, they were like, man, like.
Speaker 2: We shure gonna miss that. That that those roles that
Speaker 2: you was making.
Speaker 1: You got me hungry, by the way, guys, in the roles,
Speaker 1: there's the rice paper, the onions, the peppers, pasta and
Speaker 1: sardines and seasoning. So because I know he didn't get
Speaker 1: a chance because I got right into his.
Speaker 2: Story, So let's let's get this on your on your tray.
Speaker 3: A matter of fact, we're gonna toss this one right
Speaker 3: here because we got into a conversation.
Speaker 2: It sat so long you can put it right there
Speaker 2: and start a new one.
Speaker 1: So I googled this. It's supposed to be in water
Speaker 1: for like ten seconds.
Speaker 3: Yes, So I want you to do what I'm doing
Speaker 3: because this is gonna be mine and then.
Speaker 2: You got it.
Speaker 1: Oh I'm touching too, sorry, Oh mine is a little rippy.
Speaker 1: It's okay, whatever, I had two?
Speaker 2: That was two on there. Okay, cool?
Speaker 1: All right, So we do we wet the whole paper?
Speaker 2: Yeah, you at the whole paper.
Speaker 1: We're gonna need some more water. Does it have to
Speaker 1: be warm water?
Speaker 3: Warm water is preferred because it activates a lot faster.
Speaker 3: But as long as it's wet, we should be.
Speaker 1: Okay. I licked the rice paper just so you guys
Speaker 1: know it's a little salte. Okay, So back to your
Speaker 1: story before we try this. What happens after you get
Speaker 1: out of the camp and kind of start leading me
Speaker 1: in the direction of wings?
Speaker 2: Okay?
Speaker 3: So so when I got out, still feed me. I
Speaker 3: started working with my uncle.
Speaker 2: My uncle had this invention called easy out weave, and
Speaker 2: just you're going to take some bunch, but enough to.
Speaker 1: Got some noodles on the paper.
Speaker 3: On the paper you want to get your These are
Speaker 3: bell peppers, raw onions, raw bell peppers. And you know
Speaker 3: this is really just for the I mean the taste,
Speaker 3: of course, but I picked the different colors because you know,
Speaker 3: you want your.
Speaker 1: Food spoken like a true shift. Okay, so I got
Speaker 1: the red and green peppers. I'm not I'm a huge
Speaker 1: fan of onions, so I'm so thankful that I cut
Speaker 1: these paper thin because if you're anything like me, you know,
Speaker 1: just in case someone tries to set you up with
Speaker 1: a raw onion, you gotta go think.
Speaker 3: And I'm gonna hook you up, hook you up with
Speaker 3: a bunch of meat, all right, dam.
Speaker 1: Want to.
Speaker 2: I want to keep talking to you right now. But
Speaker 2: it's a level of concentration.
Speaker 3: I'm hungry, and so we are gonna use some everything sauce.
Speaker 2: Everything sauce, right. This sauce is a honey, garlic, buffalo
Speaker 2: and barbecue mix. Right.
Speaker 3: It's one of our most popular flavors that we have
Speaker 3: at Wings and things. And you're gonna put that on there.
Speaker 2: Okay. This is where it gets a little fun, right now.
Speaker 3: Okay, Okay, So you're just gonna lift up the side, well,
Speaker 3: I usually use that for the dipping aspect. So you
Speaker 3: want to fold it over the corners each corner.
Speaker 2: Did you get the fold?
Speaker 3: Man?
Speaker 1: This is easy to do, guys.
Speaker 2: It's not it's not.
Speaker 1: Okay, okay, it's looking like.
Speaker 3: A little bit yeah, yes, it does, and then you
Speaker 3: just roll. It's kind of a roll. Once you get
Speaker 3: the fold, then you just start rolling.
Speaker 1: Okay, just so you know, mine was falling apart from jump.
Speaker 2: It's all good.
Speaker 3: So if you if you overlap the the rice paper
Speaker 3: on top of the rice paper, I.
Speaker 2: Only have one just you know, it's been a while
Speaker 2: since I've been in jail, you know. But we're going
Speaker 2: to do another one. But let's get the taste.
Speaker 1: Do you want to put sauce in this part?
Speaker 2: Yes, I want to.
Speaker 1: I want to. I want to master this. I'm never
Speaker 1: I I thought when rice paper, I thought it's refrigerated,
Speaker 1: but apparently it's not frigerated. Okay, so I'm gonna put it.
Speaker 1: Oh I don't think this is melted enough. All right,
Speaker 1: I'm just gonna scoop it and eat it.
Speaker 2: Oh you're putting it. You're using another rice paper on that.
Speaker 1: I was, but it's like not rice paper.
Speaker 2: Yes, in like fifteen seconds, it will be that way.
Speaker 2: But however, you.
Speaker 3: Want to get your other your role out of the
Speaker 3: way of that rice paper because it'll stick to it.
Speaker 1: And then oh, okay, let me just try I'm gonna
Speaker 1: try it.
Speaker 2: Guys.
Speaker 1: Mmmm, No, I ain't gonna lie. This is a hit.
Speaker 2: And it's simple, right, No, who's that money? It's simple.
Speaker 2: Your role looks so much better than mine. You've been
Speaker 2: here before. M hmm mm hmm.
Speaker 1: The other parts fell apart. Yo, I ain't gonna lie.
Speaker 1: I know they was happy in jail. I ain't had
Speaker 1: sardines in so long.
Speaker 3: Yo.
Speaker 1: This is great and it's a healthy and that everything
Speaker 1: that everything sauces.
Speaker 3: Mm hmmm brings it to another level. M So, wings
Speaker 3: and things. Wings and things didn't start until two years ago.
Speaker 1: I just want to talk about this, Okay, for all
Speaker 1: y'all listeners, simple ingredients, rice, paper, bell peppers, onions, everything
Speaker 1: sauce is necessary, pasta sardine. I have to address the
Speaker 1: fact that all these textures with the flavor is what
Speaker 1: makes it. I'm not a fan of raw onions, but
Speaker 1: the raw onion crisp really adds. The bell pepper crisp
Speaker 1: adds the soft noodles. The sardines are phenomenal. This is
Speaker 1: one hundred ten out of ten on this show. Okay,
Speaker 1: I will go home and eat this and people will
Speaker 1: probably be like, hey.
Speaker 2: I don't I'm listen to your episodes and see how
Speaker 2: many you give me?
Speaker 1: I don't, I don't, I don't. There are people that
Speaker 1: failed raw man on this show.
Speaker 2: Okay, all right, I've seen a couple of struggle man,
Speaker 2: I'm gonna.
Speaker 1: Make another one. Is this ready?
Speaker 2: It's over?
Speaker 3: It's literally it's over ready like the rice paper, now
Speaker 3: that I remember, like, you gotta be quick with the
Speaker 3: rice paper, you know, especially when we're you're using warm
Speaker 3: water before.
Speaker 1: You get into wings and things. I mean, I need
Speaker 1: to do another one. Look how easy this is, guys.
Speaker 1: You put the little pasta on. This is delicious. I'm
Speaker 1: gonna have Katie try one of these. You're gonna ever
Speaker 1: have your kids try one? This is really good. Okay,
Speaker 1: I got some red peppers. I'm gonna put my little onions.
Speaker 1: I'm excited about this.
Speaker 2: All right. My next one's gonna be perfect, I promise,
Speaker 2: all right.
Speaker 1: I got my rice paper, all right? What am I missing?
Speaker 1: These are so good? Okay? Oh I gotta finished roll
Speaker 1: of mine, all right? Catch up to you, all right?
Speaker 1: I so want to master this rice paper so bad?
Speaker 1: Yours better? This better? Oh wait? I forgot that everything sauce.
Speaker 2: Throw the whole thing anyway, No, I didn't put.
Speaker 1: It in yet.
Speaker 2: Okay, you're in time.
Speaker 1: Yeah, don't hate. Don't hate, guys, Just so you know,
Speaker 1: this sauce is everything. So if you haven't had it
Speaker 1: in person at Wings and things, you did, tell me
Speaker 1: you you are gonna have it where people can.
Speaker 3: Order it online online twenty twenty twenty six January.
Speaker 2: We're planning on being in stores and ordering online. So
Speaker 2: that's the goal right now.
Speaker 3: And it's amazing because that's the sauce I actually made
Speaker 3: on accident. We call it Everything Sauce because I took
Speaker 3: all of my sauces that I had and I poured
Speaker 3: them all together. And one of the key ingredients in
Speaker 3: that Everything sauce is ranch. You did perfect on that
Speaker 3: that crunch, that crunch. The mic had to pick that
Speaker 3: up real good.
Speaker 1: Let me just tell you, guys, I love them all right.
Speaker 1: Don't be telling all your sauce secrets, but just know
Speaker 1: out there, guys, it is one of a kind, delicious,
Speaker 1: finger licking good. My daughter loves it and she's for it,
Speaker 1: and I love it.
Speaker 2: There you go.
Speaker 1: My pop subs it. My friends love it.
Speaker 3: I can tell you the ingredients, but you'll never be
Speaker 3: able to remake it because there's.
Speaker 1: Levels level to the game. Absolutely, But before you get
Speaker 1: into how to, what's in the sauce? Tell me you
Speaker 1: get out of camp, start marching me towards wings and things.
Speaker 3: And so let's let's fast forward to going through a
Speaker 3: couple of businesses that that I ended up starting, and
Speaker 3: each one was very financially satisfying, right. I had a
Speaker 3: T shirt business that I started with my son's mother,
Speaker 3: and when we broke up, the company kind of fell apart.
Speaker 3: My other business venture was I got into cannabis. And
Speaker 3: I was totally against cannabis for my whole life until
Speaker 3: I sold a pound to somebody and they came back
Speaker 3: like two days later wanning another pound. I'm like, okay,
Speaker 3: that was like such a quick turnaround, and it was legal,
Speaker 3: and I'm like, okay, Like, let me get into the
Speaker 3: cannabis world. So I was in the cannabis world for
Speaker 3: about three years.
Speaker 2: And when the.
Speaker 3: Cannabis world kind of went down a little bit profit wise, probably.
Speaker 2: Like yeah, right after COVID, it was high. During Oh,
Speaker 2: it was like COVID was the best ever.
Speaker 1: Make it a lot of money.
Speaker 3: I was always into cars, so I had an opportunity
Speaker 3: to purchase a body shop and I did so, and
Speaker 3: with that company, it gave me a lot of free time,
Speaker 3: you know, much much like the cannabis world did as
Speaker 3: well too, And I enjoyed my free time that I had.
Speaker 1: Where did you get the money to buy cannabis? So
Speaker 1: the cannabis allowed you to buy a body shop cannabis,
Speaker 1: and the body shop because you weren't actually doing the work,
Speaker 1: you had more time because it was more profitable.
Speaker 3: It was what I say, more profitable, It was kind
Speaker 3: of the same. It was the same as with the cannabis.
Speaker 3: So it replaced the cannabis, but more time because you know,
Speaker 3: you a car, like I don't have to be in
Speaker 3: front of the car every day, you know, and it's
Speaker 3: just being worked on.
Speaker 2: So what else am I going to do? You know?
Speaker 3: So it gave me that free time and I loved
Speaker 3: my freedom that I had.
Speaker 1: So why did you not keep both going at the
Speaker 1: same time?
Speaker 3: Because the cannabis, well, the cannabis was down and I
Speaker 3: wasn't into the race of where everybody else trying to
Speaker 3: figure it out? Now, I just find something else to do,
Speaker 3: you know.
Speaker 1: So, so you know, pivoting to be able to master
Speaker 1: the pivot as an entrepreneur, is a huge thing because
Speaker 1: sometimes entrepreneurs they spend too much time on a business
Speaker 1: trying to rework it, reroute it versus just pivoting, especially
Speaker 1: when an industry switching hands. Like if you go from
Speaker 1: I don't know if you guys remember when print versus digital, right,
Speaker 1: some people will be like, I'm going to stay with
Speaker 1: me print, and it's like, no, at some point you
Speaker 1: have to recognize that there's a Blockbuster, red Box, Netflix.
Speaker 1: You know, at some point you have to be able
Speaker 1: to pivot fast. So that pivoting right there is just
Speaker 1: a skill by itself.
Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3: And I think it's more so me keeping my eyes
Speaker 3: open for knowing that this is going to die, so
Speaker 3: what's next, you know, and being that I was comfortable
Speaker 3: with cars already. I was always into cars. It was
Speaker 3: a fun thing for me as well too. Now having
Speaker 3: my body shop, I think it was like two years
Speaker 3: two years into it. I've never thought of having a
Speaker 3: restaurant ever, you know, Like the most I've cooked was,
Speaker 3: you know, when I was in jail, Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3: And the body shop situation, excuse me. The wings and
Speaker 3: things came about when I was at the beach like
Speaker 3: you one day, just kicking it, you know. And the
Speaker 3: location where we're at now used to be called hot
Speaker 3: Dog Supreme, all right, and it was the only place
Speaker 3: in the area where they had burgers at the time,
Speaker 3: you know. So I walk up to the window and
Speaker 3: nobody's in the front to serve me or anything, you know.
Speaker 3: And then this little white kid comes rolling up on
Speaker 3: a skateboard. Hey, I'll be there to serve you in
Speaker 3: a second, like behind me. He's outside of the establishment.
Speaker 3: I'm like, all right, Joey, it's all up in there,
Speaker 3: you know.
Speaker 2: So he's up in.
Speaker 3: There, and now you know, I got he took my order,
Speaker 3: and I'm just looking in like seeing what's happening up
Speaker 3: in there, you know. And I'm wondering how much is
Speaker 3: he paying for rent here? Because I literally see fifty
Speaker 3: one hundred people just walk by every second, you know.
Speaker 3: It's right there on the boardwalk, you know, and I'm
Speaker 3: the only person in line right here. I'm like, this
Speaker 3: is They looks like they have good food, but why
Speaker 3: aren't people over here in line? Everybody's hungry, you know.
Speaker 3: So I asked him how much rent was, and he
Speaker 3: told me that the owner was looking to sell his location,
Speaker 3: and I was like, okay, let me get his information,
Speaker 3: you know.
Speaker 2: So he gave me his information.
Speaker 3: At the time, I was on a vacation with my wife,
Speaker 3: and when I got back from the vacation, the guy
Speaker 3: called me, like.
Speaker 1: Business.
Speaker 3: We exchanged information like before. Then I kind of forgot
Speaker 3: about it a little bit, you know. But when he
Speaker 3: called me when I got back from vacation, I'm okay,
Speaker 3: this must be a sign. And this was like December
Speaker 3: twenty second, yeah, right, twenty twenty three, I think. And
Speaker 3: I linked up with him at his other location because
Speaker 3: he had like four other locations. It was just that
Speaker 3: Venice location. Yeah, yeah, he had like four other stores,
Speaker 3: four of the restaurants. I met him at one of
Speaker 3: his other restaurants and it was booming when I went there.
Speaker 2: I'm like, wow, all these people like he.
Speaker 3: Was really playing close attention to his other establishments, but
Speaker 3: the Venice one he kind of just wasn't ever there,
Speaker 3: didn't really care too much, you know, because you're at
Speaker 3: the Venice ocase. You got to have a game plan
Speaker 3: for this situation, you know. So the landlord linked up
Speaker 3: with us at his location and he was happy to
Speaker 3: get rid of him. Honestly, because he felt like his
Speaker 3: location could have done a lot better, you know. And
Speaker 3: I told this guy because he's like, how long have
Speaker 3: you been in the restaurant business?
Speaker 2: So I'm like never, Oh my god.
Speaker 3: I'm like, but look, I'll tell you this what I'm
Speaker 3: serious about doing something like.
Speaker 2: Like you said, like you got to know the pivot.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: I knew I could make food that people would like
Speaker 3: to eat, you know. Me and my lady, like we
Speaker 3: were like people like Wang's, you know, so wings, Wangs
Speaker 3: and other things.
Speaker 2: So we were like had the name of it, WANs
Speaker 2: and things. And I told the guy, I'm just.
Speaker 3: Give me the opportunity, like because I'm ready to go
Speaker 3: in because I want to feed all of these people
Speaker 3: that are walking down the sport walk, you know. Come
Speaker 3: to find out, we ended up being the first black
Speaker 3: restaurant on the whole strip ever on Venice Beach. Didn't
Speaker 3: even know that I figured there was.
Speaker 1: That was one of the things that they had said
Speaker 1: to me when I first tried it was like or
Speaker 1: I think maybe I asked, is it black owned?
Speaker 2: Yeah, So we were the first ones first restaurant.
Speaker 1: In all of Venice, in all of.
Speaker 3: Venice and we brought a flavor that was just different.
Speaker 3: Like I said, I'm from the South, so I'm used
Speaker 3: to seasonings. And you know, when you go on the boardwalk,
Speaker 3: you just kind of get like your generics.
Speaker 1: You're like, yeah, your hot dog.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean you're at the beach, so you just
Speaker 3: get those beach like little little things, you know. But
Speaker 3: we kind of stand out because of our food quality,
Speaker 3: the look of our food, and even like our staff.
Speaker 2: You know, our staff has.
Speaker 3: Like a Southern charm to us all, you know, to
Speaker 3: where we greet you and it's like, hey, why your food.
Speaker 2: Is being made? Like we're gonna you're gonna.
Speaker 3: Listen to this music that we had playing outside and
Speaker 3: it's gonna be a vibe for you.
Speaker 1: Now, you guys, isn't there a TV out?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 3: No, No, we have the TV out there when we
Speaker 3: do like certain events or games or that type of
Speaker 3: thing like that, you know, because we we had to
Speaker 3: do something that was going to captivate that audience that's
Speaker 3: walking down that boardwalk.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: That's why we do the samples.
Speaker 1: It's brilliant because honestly, without the samples, I don't know
Speaker 1: if the business would have.
Speaker 3: It wouldn't let me tell you. Our first month, We're
Speaker 3: sitting with our full menu out there ready to cook,
Speaker 3: and I'm just watching people just walk by, you know,
Speaker 3: and I was like, no, ain't no way, they're about
Speaker 3: to walk by and I try this good ass food
Speaker 3: that we have up in here. So I made a
Speaker 3: sample tray and walked out there, and then before I
Speaker 3: knew it, like probably every other person that I let
Speaker 3: try the sample, they were walking to our window. And
Speaker 3: so since then, since month one, that's been a standard
Speaker 3: for our company to continuously bring samples out there. Most
Speaker 3: people think about their loss that they would make by
Speaker 3: giving away so much food, you know.
Speaker 1: But yeah, and he'd be putting shrimps out.
Speaker 2: There, you know, a little little piece, maybe.
Speaker 1: Putting the whole pieces. But I really like the guy
Speaker 1: that hands out the samples because I feel like just
Speaker 1: having that even that personality of like talking to the people,
Speaker 1: making jokes whatever.
Speaker 2: Yes, yes, he does a great job.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you gotta have that, you know, because most people
Speaker 3: are scared to talk to other people, you know, But
Speaker 3: if you have the personality and the food should one
Speaker 3: hundred percent speak for yourself. And I tell people that myself.
Speaker 3: I'm like I don't want to sell myself, Like I'll
Speaker 3: be out I'll be out there having them, they be
Speaker 3: having a good time, we'd be laughing, and so I'm like, look,
Speaker 3: I'm not here to sell you. Like the food that
Speaker 3: you just tasted, Like, does it make you want to
Speaker 3: buy it? You know, because if I try something and
Speaker 3: I don't like it, I'm not about.
Speaker 2: To Well, no, the nice day, yes, you know what
Speaker 2: I'm saying.
Speaker 1: So, and I like that. It's like you combine like
Speaker 1: sweet and salty. So it's really hard to pass up
Speaker 1: because you know, on any given day you're going for
Speaker 1: a vibe. Ya was the savory versus.
Speaker 3: Yes, Yes, you get all the options there, you know,
Speaker 3: and we're really happy and honor to be there at
Speaker 3: that location. And we just got a food trailer as
Speaker 3: well too, so we're able to pull up here. You
Speaker 3: know what I'm saying to Eaven while broke. You know
Speaker 3: what I'm saying, We could feed the whole crew.
Speaker 2: You know, I was I was.
Speaker 1: Going to ask them guys to bring in some wings
Speaker 1: and things, but I was like, don't be that person,
Speaker 1: don't be that verse, and you know, you got to
Speaker 1: save another episode after this.
Speaker 2: I would have been an honor too, but you know
Speaker 2: it's a cross.
Speaker 1: No, I'm going to come out there. I'm gonna do
Speaker 1: my little bike. You already know my little bike, my
Speaker 1: little four year old. That's what we do.
Speaker 2: Bring her through, you know.
Speaker 1: And I like that. It feels like a family business
Speaker 1: because sometimes you see your kids there and I like that.
Speaker 2: I would.
Speaker 1: I think it's very good for kids to be exposed
Speaker 1: to parents working and you know that whole thing. And
Speaker 1: I see them sometimes like actually do jobs in there.
Speaker 2: Yes.
Speaker 3: As a matter of fact, my daughter's journey, she's three
Speaker 3: years old. Every time I leave out the house, can
Speaker 3: I come to work with you, dad, I'm like, no,
Speaker 3: not today, Not because I knew I needed I needed
Speaker 3: her to be at an age where you know, she
Speaker 3: could at least greet the people like and this. She
Speaker 3: knows that's her job. And it's funny. This past Saturday,
Speaker 3: she asked me, and she asked me. The way how
Speaker 3: she asked me was so clear. She was like, can
Speaker 3: I come to work.
Speaker 2: With you today? I'm like, shit, I think she's DD.
Speaker 3: So she came and I told her her only job
Speaker 3: is when customers come up, is to say welcome to
Speaker 3: ways and things, with a smile, and she was practicing
Speaker 3: at the house before she left.
Speaker 2: She's like, welcome to ways and things.
Speaker 3: I would have smiled when we got there her first
Speaker 3: like five minutes, she was a little shy. But the
Speaker 3: second she did say it, and she saw the reaction
Speaker 3: from the customer, Oh my god. Oh I could get
Speaker 3: her to stop. She was saying welcome to ways and
Speaker 3: things for people that wasn't even walking by or.
Speaker 2: Established welcome to ways and things.
Speaker 3: I'm like, yes, you know, but she she's understanding, Like
Speaker 3: my son artists, he's just turned seven. Like if you
Speaker 3: come to the window with him, he's literally going to
Speaker 3: take your whole order. A seven year old, like you know,
Speaker 3: cash a card, you know, like and we got this,
Speaker 3: you want to try this?
Speaker 2: Like I'm like, yes, that's beautiful. You know.
Speaker 3: I have a feeling, like, you know, when when I'm
Speaker 3: no longer here, that I've left a imprint on them
Speaker 3: where it's like they like they know they want to
Speaker 3: be like you ask him, he's the boss, you know.
Speaker 3: I tell him he's the boss, you know, And he
Speaker 3: tells people that, hey, if you mess up, you're gonna
Speaker 3: get canned. Just clowning around. But you know, it's our
Speaker 3: candor that we have in there.
Speaker 1: You know, what are some of the I'd say lessons learned.
Speaker 1: Tough lessons learned in doing wings and things.
Speaker 2: Oh so.
Speaker 1: Owning a restaurant, by the way, that's like the one
Speaker 1: of the toughest.
Speaker 3: Well, you know, I told you I like my freedom. Yeah,
Speaker 3: like my other jobs like gave me a lot of freedom.
Speaker 3: Having a restaurant is people have to eat every single day,
Speaker 3: you know, not everybody has to get their car worked
Speaker 3: on every single day. So it's it's the hardest job
Speaker 3: that I've ever had, but it's the most rewarding job
Speaker 3: that I've ever had. Like there's nothing more like seeing
Speaker 3: people eat my food for the first time and say, shit,
Speaker 3: like this is the best stuff I've ever had. You know,
Speaker 3: at first I thought they was just like lying to me,
Speaker 3: but there was a consistence, Like with people trying our shrimp,
Speaker 3: trying out everything sauce on our wings, They're like, I've
Speaker 3: never tasting anything like this before. To be able to
Speaker 3: feed people is a great feeling. Every third Saturday of
Speaker 3: the month, we work with the nonprofit called the Trusted
Speaker 3: Angels and they come out and we feed anywhere between
Speaker 3: fifty to one hundred homeless. So they come hand out
Speaker 3: our wings and things, the cards, and we have a
Speaker 3: certain time where everybody comes three four o'clock, whatever time
Speaker 3: we decide, and they line up and we hand out
Speaker 3: the meals to them, and it's just such a great
Speaker 3: it's such a great feeling. And once again, like people like,
Speaker 3: how can you afford to feed these because I'm not
Speaker 3: working with anybody that's given me assistance, you know, I
Speaker 3: know that if in life, and this is a message
Speaker 3: for everybody, you know, if you're doing something that you
Speaker 3: truly enjoy doing from your heart, like God makes the
Speaker 3: way for you, you know, like he put me in
Speaker 3: the position or you know, if I buy two extra
Speaker 3: boxes of chicken for this Saturday and it's going to
Speaker 3: feed these fifty people, I don't have to think about
Speaker 3: the money that I have to spend for that because
Speaker 3: it's already there, you know. So God makes the way,
Speaker 3: you know, and hopefully we could continue.
Speaker 1: That's a big deal too. And I think also if
Speaker 1: you're in the position of being like I like to say,
Speaker 1: these financial situations hopefully are temporary. But I think it's
Speaker 1: nice that they get a really nice meal, like to
Speaker 1: be able to eat WANs and.
Speaker 2: Things is yeah, you know, yeah, yeah, and it's great.
Speaker 3: It's great being able to serve them something instead of hey,
Speaker 3: take these noodles.
Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying. Yeah, So to give them something.
Speaker 1: Where it's like tastes good and they.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they feeling, they feeling on top of the world
Speaker 3: for these you know what I'm saying, next twenty minutes
Speaker 3: like cool, you know so, but yeah, it's definitely, like
Speaker 3: I said, the most rewarding business that I've had, Like
Speaker 3: I still have my body shop. Yeah, but I'm never there,
Speaker 3: you know, Like I'm never because I don't want to
Speaker 3: be there.
Speaker 1: Yes, Like do you think it's good as an entrepreneur
Speaker 1: to have dual incomes.
Speaker 3: Multiple yes, Like you use use your talents, you know,
Speaker 3: Like people have so many talents that they haven't even
Speaker 3: tapped into themselves yet with because they're so comfortable with,
Speaker 3: you know, just staying in this one position or working
Speaker 3: this nine to five. You know, it's like you have
Speaker 3: to kind of take that leap, and I have. I
Speaker 3: always say like if your heart is into it and
Speaker 3: it's something that's positive, that God.
Speaker 2: Will show you the way to it, you know.
Speaker 3: And I want to, you know, definitely say you know,
Speaker 3: we all have it's like our life, like there's different treasures,
Speaker 3: you know, and it's up to us to recognize that, Hey,
Speaker 3: that could be a treasure, but not only that when
Speaker 3: you recognize it, like turn the key for it to
Speaker 3: open it up. A lot of us may recognize it
Speaker 3: and we just keep on going.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: I can think of opportunities that I had even when
Speaker 3: I was modeling, where I didn't really turn that key,
Speaker 3: you know, And if I would have turned that key
Speaker 3: because I went to that one audition that I thought
Speaker 3: was stupid, but I should have went to it like
Speaker 3: I would have been on that show, you know, I
Speaker 3: didn't turn that key for that. I'm not at no
Speaker 3: position in my life to where I'm I'm turning every key,
Speaker 3: turn the key. I'm turning every key, and it's just
Speaker 3: not stopping at wings and things like. There's so much
Speaker 3: more to my life, you know, and I'm gonna keep
Speaker 3: turning the keys.
Speaker 1: Well, I am thankful that you turned the keys. I'm
Speaker 1: thankful for you for what you provide for our community.
Speaker 1: Very thankful that you're the first black business on Venice.
Speaker 1: It gives it's it's refreshing to see someone ring the bell.
Speaker 1: I think when you ring the bell indirectly, you inspire others.
Speaker 2: There's two more now, Marathon and Earl's on Crenshaw. Oh yeah,
Speaker 2: now too now.
Speaker 1: But it takes that one, right, it takes that one,
Speaker 1: and you were the one, and you had to overcome
Speaker 1: all this adversity. And I can't imagine it's easy on
Speaker 1: a relationship being in business with your wife or your family,
Speaker 1: you know, and dealing with a restaurant that demands so
Speaker 1: many hours, because I would imagine there's prep time, and
Speaker 1: then I would also imagine that there was a little
Speaker 1: bit of a learning curve when it comes to the
Speaker 1: whole hr regulations and cash flow and going and.
Speaker 2: With employees well too.
Speaker 3: You know that that's another thing too, because you know,
Speaker 3: it's not just my life that I'm taking care of,
Speaker 3: you know, I have to make sure that we stay
Speaker 3: in business for the people that have dedicated their aspects
Speaker 3: of their lives to us, and that's our employees that
Speaker 3: you know are there every day and making sure that
Speaker 3: everything is ran correctly and the food is cooked properly how.
Speaker 2: It needs to be.
Speaker 3: And you know, it's definitely it's a challenge for sure,
Speaker 3: but it's a rewarding challenge because we just all know,
Speaker 3: we all have the same goal.
Speaker 1: Yes, you know, And when it comes to hiring employees.
Speaker 1: When it comes to hiring employees, how do you find
Speaker 1: an employee that has integrity? Because if you're away from
Speaker 1: the business, you need an employee that has one hundred
Speaker 1: percent integrity, right, So how do you fish out an
Speaker 1: employee that has integrity from an employee that doesn't.
Speaker 3: Well, when I first started, I was I kind of
Speaker 3: hired people who I felt with the deserved opportunity. You know.
Speaker 3: I was always at Venice Beach, you know, so I
Speaker 3: knew a lot of people there already.
Speaker 1: You know, why were you always at Vanish.
Speaker 3: Well, I mean it's Venice Beach, you know, I played basketball.
Speaker 3: It was always a place where I like to frequent.
Speaker 1: I like Venice. Manhattan would be first, though if I
Speaker 1: had a lot of money. Man Now, Manhattan's pretty nice,
Speaker 1: but you still, but I always go to Venice though.
Speaker 1: I go to Manhattan like once a year.
Speaker 2: Okay, But yeah, you know Venice. You get the whole
Speaker 2: culture there.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you feel like you're in kind of New York.
Speaker 1: I'm from New York. So it kind of has that
Speaker 1: urban like you don't know what you're going to see.
Speaker 2: True that, true that.
Speaker 3: And to answer your question as far as how do
Speaker 3: I know what type of employee? You know, I've if
Speaker 3: you see on my call og and I type in
Speaker 3: wings because I put all my employees wings at the end,
Speaker 3: there's probably like twenty or twenty five, and right now
Speaker 3: we have like four hired, you know, but those other
Speaker 3: you know, sixteen didn't work out, whether they you know,
Speaker 3: the schedule just didn't fit for them, or I caught
Speaker 3: your ass doing something, you know, the ones that we
Speaker 3: have now, I still go off of the feeling of
Speaker 3: the person, you know, when we have the interview with them.
Speaker 3: It's all a vibe thing. It's all a vibe thing.
Speaker 3: And even the people that ended up doing something wrong,
Speaker 3: you know, I never felt like they would ever do
Speaker 3: something until they actually did something.
Speaker 1: And are you are? Do you have a prom pull
Speaker 1: on the trigger when it comes to like they messed up?
Speaker 3: You get, hey, nah, like I told you, we have
Speaker 3: a cancer, banter cancer, whatever you call it. You know,
Speaker 3: like I asked about to get canned, you know what
Speaker 3: I'm saying.
Speaker 2: They're like, hey, don't get care.
Speaker 3: I don't want to see you get Kim, but I
Speaker 3: really can your ass. You know, like you get these warnings,
Speaker 3: you get a certain amount of warnings.
Speaker 1: But you know, like you gotta you gotta so what
Speaker 1: that that that banster that goes on. Do you and
Speaker 1: your wife or your kids ever get into it and
Speaker 1: be like they say that to you?
Speaker 3: My my, I'm so cool with my employees. They say
Speaker 3: that to me if they see me messing, I'm about
Speaker 3: to canyo ass.
Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying, because we have that hilarious
Speaker 1: you know, but I love it because it keeps everybody
Speaker 1: knowing that, you know, there's an expectation and this is serious.
Speaker 3: Yes, well, I mean we're doing this, this this series
Speaker 3: right now, you know this episode. But you know next
Speaker 3: year you're going to be able to go to our
Speaker 3: Instagram and see like a live broadcast of us every
Speaker 3: day because I'm just getting cameras set up in there
Speaker 3: because there's a lot of things happened up in there.
Speaker 3: There's a hot come that wasn't recorded, you know what
Speaker 3: I'm saying. Like even like with the customers that we have,
Speaker 3: like we got to hurry up, Hey, I got customers
Speaker 3: behind you let me take their orders because we're having
Speaker 3: so much fun with the customer up front, you.
Speaker 2: Know, and we just met them, you know.
Speaker 3: So you know the streaming world, we're getting into that
Speaker 3: and you'll be able to see our restaurant stream daily.
Speaker 3: I like that.
Speaker 2: Yes, I like that.
Speaker 1: So right now, just for all y'all listeners, tune it in.
Speaker 1: You can get everything Sauce Earthing Sauce online or in retail.
Speaker 2: Yes.
Speaker 1: And then if you were in the neighborhood or you
Speaker 1: just want to drive and takete some really good food
Speaker 1: and have a great time with a family or just
Speaker 1: on your.
Speaker 2: Own, treaches for fourteen twenty five Ocean Front Walk.
Speaker 1: Fourteen twenty five Ocean Front Walk, Venace Boulevard. This is
Speaker 1: the first black owned business on the block, so don't
Speaker 1: just hit a marathon and all the others. Definitely definitely
Speaker 1: check them out and have some good eats. And as
Speaker 1: far as the dish on this show, I have to
Speaker 1: say ten out of ten guys, if you are struggling
Speaker 1: out there, believe it or not, this is a quick
Speaker 1: dish under fifteen minutes.
Speaker 2: Should I put this on the menu or would you
Speaker 2: order this?
Speaker 1: I've I don't know, if the people that go to
Speaker 1: the beach would do this, I think they would be
Speaker 1: scared of the sardine thing, even though it tastes good.
Speaker 1: No no, no, no, no, don't mix.
Speaker 2: Don't mix.
Speaker 1: It's great. But I feel like your menu kind of
Speaker 1: holds its own and this this wouldn't be like.
Speaker 2: Secret secret menu. We have a secret menu the secret men.
Speaker 3: You know what.
Speaker 1: This could be something that you do offer on a
Speaker 1: secret menu, like you know, a secret special menu of
Speaker 1: and it kind of gives a taste of the owner,
Speaker 1: like kind of like if you want.
Speaker 3: To, like, you know, our potato, like a big potato.
Speaker 3: We have a loaded spiral potato on our secret menu.
Speaker 3: If you go on our all of our all of
Speaker 3: our secret items are on the are on our instagram
Speaker 3: and the only way you could order them is to
Speaker 3: show that item from from the instagram that you follow
Speaker 3: us and you're like, hey, I want this, Oh I
Speaker 3: want the soft crab the like that's not oh I.
Speaker 1: Need to get that.
Speaker 2: Yeah we have Yeah, check it out.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna make a trip and try I'm gonna start
Speaker 1: trying to different things on the menu versus ordering what
Speaker 1: I traditionally order. Okay, yes, I have to now because
Speaker 1: I feel like I've been playing myself. Yes, all right, guys,
Speaker 1: thank you so much for tuning in any any any
Speaker 1: any place. They can follow you, keep up with you,
Speaker 1: go ahead.
Speaker 3: Wang's Wang's at Venice. Wang's w A n G s
Speaker 3: at Venice. You could follow us there on Instagram and
Speaker 3: from there it has all the rest of our external
Speaker 3: links for our TikTok and everything of that nature. And
Speaker 3: again the address is fourteen twenty five Ocean Front Walk,
Speaker 3: Finish Boulevard. And yeah, that's that's pretty much it.
Speaker 1: Thank you for coming in and sharing your story and
Speaker 1: your meal, and I love this interview, so thanks, and
Speaker 1: I'll see you soon. You know, I'll be at the
Speaker 1: beach ordering try and samples. All right, guys, thanks for
Speaker 1: tuning in.
Speaker 2: Peace out peace,