1 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: It's that time, time, time, time, luck and load. So 2 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: Michael Verie Show is on the air. You unlock this 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension, 4 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: a dimension of sound. 5 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 2: Polly for a men. 6 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: Like passengers sat saying that day for three Russell Lebara 7 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: is our guest. Uh. You know, it's funny how serendipity. 8 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: I suppose the line he was on gave out just 9 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: as I looked up and realized we're up against a break, 10 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: So it could not have worked out better. We've got 11 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: it back though. Russell Lebar is our guest, and we're 12 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: talking business secrets, the secrets of the secret sauce as 13 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: I like call it, of what makes your business run. 14 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: And Oracle, the fellow at Oracle who is behind NetSuite, 15 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: which is their AI machine learning package for business owners, 16 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: is a fan of the show and loves what we 17 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: do and wanted to sponsor when we have business interviews, 18 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: and we said absolutely. And you can get the Chief 19 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: Financial Officer the cfo's guide to AI and machine learning 20 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: at NetSuite dot com forward slash my last name netsweet 21 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: dot Comberry NetSuite dot com slash, Barry Russell. You talk 22 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: about Sybelo, Texas and opening a location in San Antone 23 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: and are outside of San Antone and that's not your core. 24 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 1: I mean, I can see the immediate challenge being most 25 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: people there don't know what Gringoes is. Yet You've got 26 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: such market equity in the greater Houston area and that's 27 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: a lot of capital to start in a location like that. 28 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: I know you're a guy that studies and learns and 29 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: asks a lot of questions. How do you ramp up 30 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: your name ID to get people in the door? 31 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 2: Well, I believe for starters, our building will have a 32 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 2: lot of carbon pills, so we're going to deliver it 33 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 2: there for sure. And you know, we went to our 34 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 2: furthest location now is College Station only you could almost 35 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 2: say that's kind of Houston in a way because how 36 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 2: connected the two cities are. But College Station was our 37 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 2: number two volume store in twenty twenty four, and so 38 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 2: that tells us a couple of things that the brand 39 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 2: has definitely a market recognition already, and being that far 40 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 2: away from from the Houston market, but the suburbs again, 41 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 2: I think we can, we can, we can thrive there 42 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 2: and we'll know soon enough because we'll be opening in 43 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,519 Speaker 2: civilo hopefully by the end of next year, in twenty 44 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 2: twenty six. And as a matter of fact, we had 45 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 2: a meeting today on the site, the site layout, and 46 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 2: it's gonna be a beautiful location and and our tombaw 47 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 2: opens up later this year. But you know, we we 48 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 2: have to test it at some point, you know, as 49 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 2: you well know Lupid Rtillas and Chewies and all these brands. 50 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 2: Text Max is just popular, and that's that's the good 51 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 2: thing about it. And we'll just you know, go in 52 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 2: and do what we do best and and focus there 53 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 2: and if we as long as we deliver where we're 54 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 2: supposed to do, we should do okay. And we're not 55 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 2: concerned about that. And we're all concerned about the stuff, okay, No, 56 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 2: just that we're just concerned about what we can what 57 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 2: We only focus on what we can control, and that's 58 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 2: the people in our seats, and that's it. We Every 59 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 2: guest is important, every every meal. That's our first core value. 60 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 2: Developing guest relationships one meal at that time, every single 61 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: meal we serve is important. 62 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it's a tough business. I think people don't realize, 63 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: you know, you always say you're only as good as 64 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: the last meal you serve. It's funny how people there's 65 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: a there's a meme that goes around and I'll see 66 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: about once a year and it'll be this idea that 67 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: you can have ninety nine great meals at a locally 68 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: owned restaurant around the corner, and on the one hundredth 69 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: it's bad, and you go online and you criticize the place, 70 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: having never complimented them online, whereas you go to Walmart 71 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: and have a bad experience, or some national chain and 72 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: have a bad experience, and you don't think to complain. 73 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: And it was about supporting local businesses for this very reason. 74 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 1: In your business, that's the tough part is you've got 75 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: a lot of moving parts, You've got inventory that can spoil. 76 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: You know, it has to be delivered on time. You 77 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 1: know all these things, and it's easy to mess up. 78 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: It's easier to mess up than not. I have to 79 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 1: ask you, Russell, Lebara Gringoes, Textmax dot com. I have 80 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: to ask you. It feels like I moved to Houston 81 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty nine. So my first eighteen years in 82 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: Orange we only had two little Mexican joints, the Casola, 83 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: and then we had a local joint called Guadalajara, and 84 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: it wasn't anything fancy, but we loved it. It was good food. 85 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 1: It was a Mexican family that owned it. And I 86 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: moved to Houston, and I was shocked at how tex 87 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: mecs seemed to be everywhere, but it wasn't nearly as 88 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: prominent as it is now. It feels like, I mean, 89 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 1: it's the number one concept in America by far. Why 90 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: do you think textmes has exploded at least in the 91 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 1: greater Houston area over the last thirty years or has 92 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: it always been as big. 93 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:27,719 Speaker 2: It's always been big relative to the population. But I 94 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 2: will say that there's a lot of value in text 95 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 2: added value in tex mex When you sit down, you're 96 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 2: automatically delivered a basket of chips and salsa, which a 97 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 2: lot of restaurants, casual dining restaurants, burger joints, what have you, 98 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 2: you don't get that. In our case, we also provide 99 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 2: the green sauce and a free ice cream as you 100 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 2: leave the restaurant. So those are those just bring a 101 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 2: lot of value to the experience, and it's unlimited. I mean, 102 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 2: you know, a lot of restaurants like a Chili's. They 103 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 2: charge for this kind of stuff, and I think that's 104 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 2: one of the benefits of the restaurant Tex mex restaurant 105 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 2: industry as a whole. But you know, at the end 106 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 2: of the day, though, I mean, obviously you have to 107 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:13,160 Speaker 2: pass on those calls through your pricing. But you know, 108 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 2: we we just know where we need to be on 109 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 2: our food costs. We know where our labor needs to be, 110 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 2: and we also know where our volume needs to be. 111 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 2: And if we can hit hit on all cylinders, then 112 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 2: we can make money. But again, our focus is the 113 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 2: individual experience. We don't we don't you know, put the 114 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 2: cart for the horse, because you know, you can go 115 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 2: souths real fast in this business. 116 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think that's why so many fail. I 117 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 1: mean almost almost every restaurant does fail. And it's you know, 118 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: as a consumer. You know, I've spent a lot of 119 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: time studying restaurants by talking to people like you and 120 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,919 Speaker 1: asking questions and going into your kitchen and comparing notes 121 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: and all this. And everybody, every consumer wants to be 122 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: a reviewer, so so they can be very critical of restaurants. 123 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 1: And that's fine. It holds you to a high standard 124 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 1: that makes you want to try harder and all that, 125 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: but the understanding of how hard it is to deliver. 126 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: I mean, if I cook a meal for the family, 127 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: I'm going to screw most everything up because when I 128 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: do do it, everyone's all excited until they eat, and 129 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: I mess something up every time, and it's frustrating. Imagine 130 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: trying to do that over and over and over again. 131 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: It's tough. So if you hadn't done hospitality, if you 132 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: had not done restaurants, what do you think you would 133 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: have done? 134 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 2: Oh, without a doubt, I've been in cells of some sort. 135 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 2: If I believe in something, I can sell it. As 136 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 2: a matter of fact, when I was selling fre ol 137 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 2: Matador and I was calling on these restaurants, I had 138 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 2: one particular restaurant. I would visit him and he knew 139 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 2: our family was in the restaurant business. But he told 140 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 2: me that my face Russell would never buy from you. 141 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 2: That was a challenge to me. Seven months later he 142 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 2: was buying from me and we became friends. So sells. 143 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,559 Speaker 2: I love sales, and I almost went into a priorate 144 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 2: opening Gringos because I was trying to find my place 145 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 2: in this world and it was actually going to be 146 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 2: selling a high production Corner to Tea Equipment, California. Yeah, 147 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 2: there was a really good company out the Launch Equipment Company. 148 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 2: And as a matter of fact, my brothers have a 149 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 2: full flower to Tea line from them that's probably over, 150 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 2: I don't know, one hundred and fifty feet long. It's 151 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 2: it's incredible to watch fully automated from the from the 152 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 2: dough to the package product. It's fun to one. Michael Berry. 153 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: Russell is our guest. Ringo's, texmex Is his primary restaurant. 154 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: He also has Jimmy Changa's, and he has a lot more. 155 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: But we're talking business principles with him. Normally, when I 156 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: talk to Russell, it's about humanitarian things. It's about all 157 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: the good he does for Camp Hope, It's about all 158 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: the good he does for community, all the good he 159 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: does for his employees. Today we're talking business principles and 160 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: his life. And I love to do these interviews because 161 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: I find it interesting. I like to ask questions and 162 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: I think some of you do as well. You were 163 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: saying about importing avocados. 164 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, so the avocados Mexico. Avocados from Mexico used to 165 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 2: only be allowed in the US if you remove the seed, 166 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 2: and of course we all know what happens once you 167 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 2: cut into an avocado. Its shelf life is just all wars, 168 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 2: really and so and that was done because of the 169 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:33,439 Speaker 2: California Avocado Commission. They were the mafia of of avocados 170 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 2: back in the day, and they controlled a lot of 171 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 2: what happened of the pricing of avocados. I mean, they 172 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 2: were expensive back then. They're expensive today, but not as 173 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 2: as expensive as they could be. But what it happened 174 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 2: was with NAFTA. When NAFTA passed and what was it, 175 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 2: ninety two ninety three, everything was allowed to be imported 176 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 2: exported between Mexico, Canada and the US. But there were 177 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 2: some except and one of them was avocados. And the 178 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 2: reason was, according to California or whoever was in charge 179 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 2: the Mexican alvocado had a weavil in it that would 180 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 2: contaminate the crop of the US, so you could only 181 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 2: ship them above the freeze line in the US. And 182 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:20,559 Speaker 2: of course the major demand for avocados was in Texas 183 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 2: and Florida, and so they didn't allowed for a few 184 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 2: years only because the California Avocado Commission growers they wanted 185 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 2: to go into Mexico and start controlling the farms and uh, 186 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,719 Speaker 2: and they did. They started buying up a lot of 187 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 2: these production facilities and packing facilities and and then once 188 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 2: they got control of Mexico's avocados, they said, hey, okay, 189 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 2: you can you can bring them in. We've resolved the 190 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 2: weevil issue. And they started importing them from Mexico. So, uh, 191 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 2: Mexico produces something like seven or eight times what the 192 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:59,199 Speaker 2: US does and and and it's a it's actually a 193 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 2: great avocado because of the soil that the most of 194 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 2: the farms in mite cotton where they're at, where they're located. 195 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:09,679 Speaker 2: But that's one of the reasons why also the cartel 196 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 2: got involved in avocados. They are now extorting money from 197 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 2: the farmers. They would get the records of how any 198 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,319 Speaker 2: they don't call them acres but acres that they own, 199 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 2: and they would charge them attacks if you will, on 200 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 2: their land. And that's caused big problems as well. But 201 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 2: it's because they call it green gold. It's just it's 202 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 2: just there's a lot of money in avocados because they 203 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 2: were for one, you know, California doesn't have the same 204 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 2: amount of land that used to have to grow up avocados. 205 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 2: A lot of it has been given up to development. 206 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 2: Plus it's a water issue, believe it or not. It 207 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 2: takes eighteen gallons of water to produce one single avocado, 208 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 2: and obviously Mexico has it. In the US doesn't, California 209 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 2: doesn't have it. But I love avocados. It's my favorite fruit. 210 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:58,439 Speaker 2: As a matter of fact, I do too. I love them. 211 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: And you know, Eddie Martini is allergic them. Eddie Martini 212 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: is allergic avocados and bananas, two of my favorite things 213 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: in the world. Can you imagine living your life like that? 214 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 1: That's a y me god question exactly. So why do 215 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: avocados go bad shortly after you cut into them? 216 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 2: That's a good question. I mean they just oxidized. I 217 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:20,079 Speaker 2: guess I. 218 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: Need you to note that answer by the next time 219 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:23,719 Speaker 1: I talk to you, can you ask Stephen Gonzales it 220 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 1: Houston avocado because I bet he knows. I bet he 221 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: knows the actual reason. 222 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 2: As a matter of fact, his boss, Mark used to 223 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 2: own an avocado farm in Mexico until the cartel took 224 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 2: it over and told him, hey, if you want to 225 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 2: come get it. They literally told him that, so now 226 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 2: you can have it. Wow. 227 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: Wow, I mean you think about I mean, I wonder 228 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 1: what percentage of American consumption of avocados, which has to 229 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:54,079 Speaker 1: be massive. I wonder what percentage is text Mex restaurants. 230 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: I bet it's a good, good percentage. I wonder if 231 00:12:56,920 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 1: it's over half, could be oh easily. When you walk 232 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 1: into a restaurant and you you are always going into 233 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 1: restaurants learning from them, mentoring them, and enjoying them, a 234 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: lot of people in your industry don't like they never 235 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: have anything nice to say about other restaurants, and that 236 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,199 Speaker 1: creeps me out, Like why do you you have to 237 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,199 Speaker 1: run everybody down to help yourself? But you never do that. 238 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,600 Speaker 1: When you walk into a restaurant, what is something you 239 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: see that you say this place is going to succeed? 240 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: And what is something you see that you go, well, 241 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 1: they're going to need to fix this or they're not 242 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:33,319 Speaker 1: going to make it great question? 243 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 2: So yes, I love to go into restaurants and get 244 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:41,080 Speaker 2: that first impression when you walk in, what do you see? 245 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 2: Because it's you know, in the restaurant industry, we deal 246 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 2: with all the senses, all of them, and I like 247 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 2: to look at just how the staff are interacting throughout 248 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 2: the restaurant. I like to see what the lighting looks like. 249 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 2: Lighting is so important. People don't realize how important lighting 250 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 2: is and how it can make or break and experience, 251 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 2: especially for women because they don't like a bright restaurant 252 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 2: for whatever reason. But anyway, how does the restaurant smell? 253 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 2: I mean, you know they're if you go into some 254 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 2: casinos now, they have their own dedicated scent being pumped 255 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 2: throughout the entire property because over time, uh, with mopping 256 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 2: and all the chemicals they use, uh, you know, with 257 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 2: mopping and cleaning, that's what the property starts to smell like. 258 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:35,200 Speaker 2: And we've actually been talking with a company that provides 259 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 2: sense because we've talked about it. We're looking for a 260 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 2: spice scent of some sort to to uh, to send 261 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 2: our restaurants with. We're we're testing it, but you know 262 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 2: there's UH so we look at that noise levels. Noise 263 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 2: levels are also critical because you should be able to 264 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 2: have a conversation across the table without screaming. And I 265 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 2: don't know about you, My hearing is not the same. 266 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:59,360 Speaker 2: So I meant restaurant noise levels. 267 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: In lot of restaurants, I get the sense that they 268 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: have designed it to intentionally be loud, with harsh surfaces 269 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 1: that bounce sound. And I don't jat at all, and 270 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: especially I'm fifty four. But you see older people out 271 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 1: in public and that bothers them. You know, you can 272 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: see that. Huh huh, and it's not fun. Before my 273 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 1: dad got his hearing aids, he didn't he wouldn't go 274 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: He did not want to go out with us to 275 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: eat because he couldn't hear because the sound, the ambient sound, 276 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: was so distracting to him. And you know, younger people 277 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 1: don't understand that. I'll tell you. The other thing gets 278 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: on my nerves has nothing to do with you, is 279 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 1: well it kind of does. Menus Now, somehow they shrunk 280 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: the font they're using a font looks like about one 281 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: And as I've gotten older, I can't read that small. 282 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: And I don't know why they don't understand that older 283 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: people need a little more, a little need to be 284 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: able to see what's on the damn menu. Do you 285 00:15:58,920 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: find that? 286 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 2: Uh? Yeah, I do. But I mean that's why I 287 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 2: carry readers with me wherever I go. I almost feel 288 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 2: like I'm disabled if I don't have a pair with me. 289 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 2: But one thing that has to go away. Is the 290 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 2: QR code for menus? 291 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 1: Oh, Russell, that makes me crazy. I want to read 292 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: a menu holder men you feel him and you touch it, 293 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: you know, run it through my fingers. What kind of what? 294 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: What quality of paper was it printed on? And and 295 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: to I don't want to have to go to my 296 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: phone to read you. Oh, it drives me crazy. Russell 297 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: Lebar is our guest whole type. Don't you call me? 298 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 2: Don't you call me a chicken? 299 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: Michael May, we're talking to Russell Lebara, the founder and 300 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 1: CEO of Gringos textmax dot com. But he calls himself 301 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 1: the master Enchilada Roller because it doesn't like it doesn't 302 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: like overly fancy things. He'd rather be the everyman, just 303 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 1: like anyone in his company. And I like that. We 304 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,199 Speaker 1: were talking about the QR codes before we went to 305 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: break the QR codes at restaurants where they don't want 306 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 1: to print the menu. They want you to go to 307 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:10,399 Speaker 1: it on your phone. 308 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 2: You know. 309 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 1: I was at brass Free nineteen years ago before I 310 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: ever knew Charles Clark, and I went in and there 311 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,120 Speaker 1: was or maybe I knew him by them, but they said, 312 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 1: would you like to see the wine list, and I 313 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: said I would, and they brought out an iPad and 314 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: I said, so I started litting. I said, do you 315 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: have a wine list printed out? He goes, sure, I'll 316 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: get that for you, and I said, here, take your 317 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:36,360 Speaker 1: iPad back because I don't want to accidentally walk out 318 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:40,400 Speaker 1: with it. So the next day, I'm talking about how 319 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: I don't like this trend of putting wines on an iPad, 320 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 1: and I was at a fancy restaurant and I didn't 321 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 1: say where it was. So a month or so later, 322 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:51,919 Speaker 1: I'm talking to Charles Clark and he said, I'm going 323 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 1: to make sure we always have a printed out menu 324 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 1: for you, because I know you hate wine on the iPad. 325 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 1: And I said, how do you know that? He goes, 326 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 1: I listened to you every day and I said, yeah, 327 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: but I didn't say your name. I wouldn't have done that. 328 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: He goes, I was the first person in town to 329 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 1: do that. I know who it was. I know you 330 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: would have seen that at our place. And I said, wow, 331 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: that's that's really good. But that goes back way back. 332 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,239 Speaker 1: That's that's been kind of one of my things. But 333 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:16,919 Speaker 1: some people really seem to enjoy that because then you 334 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 1: get to see the label and the whole thing. So 335 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:23,880 Speaker 1: I guess to each his own. So tell me three places. 336 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:26,200 Speaker 1: Because you eat out more than anybody I know, and 337 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: you're always trying new restaurants. Tell me three new restaurants 338 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: you've been to in the last six months that you 339 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,239 Speaker 1: really liked, and tell me one thing about each that 340 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:36,679 Speaker 1: you really liked. Why you liked it. 341 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,240 Speaker 2: Well, let's see here. And there's been so many of them, 342 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:41,639 Speaker 2: and I like them for different reasons, and they're not 343 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:45,400 Speaker 2: for everyone. Because I look at them, I guess through 344 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 2: a different lens. For example, Toka Madera, a lot of 345 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 2: people like it, a lot of people don't. It's it's 346 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 2: kind of a nightclub atmosphere. It's very loud. But what 347 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 2: I like. What I like is that the effort they 348 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 2: put into the design, the interior design of that restaurant. 349 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 2: It's it's over the top, and I'm not saying I've 350 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 2: learned anything from it, but I just enjoy it. I 351 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 2: go to the one in Vegas quite often anytime i'm there. 352 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 2: But that one and then another restaurant that opened up recently, 353 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:20,919 Speaker 2: a Mexican restaurant is Mexican Sugar out of Dallas. They 354 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 2: opened up on Dallas Street and they did a nice 355 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 2: job of creating a two story space, which I would 356 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 2: never recommend a restaurant open up a two story restaurant 357 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:34,200 Speaker 2: because it's very difficult to manage. But they did a 358 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 2: great job of designing both levels and I think they're 359 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 2: going to do really well there. It's it's something unique, 360 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 2: and if they hurt anyone in the Inner Loop, it's 361 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 2: gonna be Tokomadera because it's kind of the same, kind 362 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 2: of the same model. But another restaurant that opened up 363 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 2: that I've enjoyed a lot is Balboa Stuff Club Philippi. Yes, 364 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 2: they did a really good job, but there's some former 365 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 2: execs of Hillstone or Houston's. Yeah, and they opened up 366 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 2: a location of Dallas. Plus they have an Italian restaurant 367 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 2: in same development called Il Bronco, and they're doing it 368 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:11,160 Speaker 2: just a fantastic You've been is like it? Yes? 369 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: Did you like? 370 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 2: I've only been? I enjoyed it, but I haven't been back. 371 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:16,959 Speaker 2: I've only been twice. By having been back, I've been 372 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 2: to Balbo more often. 373 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: I was just talking to Eddie Martini about those two 374 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:26,920 Speaker 1: restaurants and he was saying how much he likes those two. 375 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,439 Speaker 1: He also eats out a lot, but he unlike you, 376 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: he eats out because he has a company credit card 377 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: and he can eat out at fancy restaurants, not because 378 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 1: he's checking them out. And who was the third one? 379 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: Who was the third restaurant? Or did you say it? 380 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 2: Uh? Well, I know I already said, yeah, Balbo was 381 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 2: a third Mexican sugar in a toka. But there's just 382 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,240 Speaker 2: there's just so many great restaurants. Houston has a revenue 383 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 2: restaurant opening every single week. It seems like a movie premiere. 384 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 2: And but the pie is not. I don't think the 385 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 2: pie is large enough to support all these restaurant especially 386 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 2: the overhead some of them have the rents that many 387 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 2: of them are paying, or you know, five six, seven 388 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 2: hundred thousand a year, if not more in some cases, 389 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 2: and and and I just don't know how they can 390 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:15,400 Speaker 2: make the numbers work. But you know, there's always people 391 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 2: willing to put money into an invest money in a restaurant, 392 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 2: and a lot of these restaurant tours are able to 393 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 2: find them, so well, yeah, I. 394 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: Think part of that is you've got to be inside 395 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:28,720 Speaker 1: the loop to be written about by the by the 396 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:31,640 Speaker 1: food critics. So that's where they all hang out, preferably Montrose, 397 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: and I think it's oversaturated Montrose and the heights I 398 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,480 Speaker 1: think are oversaturated. And then you know folks like you 399 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: Open and Laporte and Katie, where none of the restaurant 400 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,200 Speaker 1: you know, the fickle five hundred folks go and where 401 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: the restaurant tours that so desperately want to be written 402 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: about by the food critics. So you got all these 403 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: restaurants in this little pocket, and then you got very 404 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 1: little outside of that, mostly just chains. And I think 405 00:21:57,119 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: it just opens up an opportunity for folks like you 406 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:01,880 Speaker 1: that say, well, we'll come in and serve great food 407 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: at a very good price and not be prissy, and 408 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: we won't be written about, but we'll still be here 409 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 1: twenty years from now hopefully. 410 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 2: Yes, that's the way it's supposed to work. 411 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: Remember when we talked about the interview formatt is, when 412 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:13,959 Speaker 1: I say something, then you have to say something more 413 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 1: than a couple of words. 414 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,120 Speaker 2: Remember that party, But I want to say something worth saying. 415 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: Oh, good, good point, yes, yes, okay. 416 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 2: That you were going to ask me something about my book, 417 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 2: I was how did you know that because you mentioned 418 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:27,919 Speaker 2: it earlier. 419 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: Oh yes, I was so. Rush Limbaugh wrote two books. 420 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: And this is a guy who created content for three 421 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,399 Speaker 1: hours a day for many many years and was the 422 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 1: best ever at it on the radio. He wrote two 423 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: books that were fabulously successful, financially, commercially, professionally, you name it. 424 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:50,400 Speaker 1: And he said, I want A caller called up and said, 425 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: you know, you got to write another book. I've read 426 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:53,600 Speaker 1: your books. I love your books. And he said, I 427 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 1: won't do it, And he said, it's not for me. 428 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,240 Speaker 1: I don't have an iron butt, So I just don't have. 429 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: You know, when I get up out of the seat 430 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:03,160 Speaker 1: from doing my show, I don't want to sit down 431 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: and write. It's harder than people realized. How was the 432 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: writing process for you compared to what you expected it 433 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: to be. 434 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:14,919 Speaker 2: Well, it was mostly the editing part that was the 435 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 2: most challenging, But the content. I'd actually been writing a 436 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,440 Speaker 2: lot of it over the years, and I've already started 437 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,120 Speaker 2: keeping I already have a list going of all these 438 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:26,640 Speaker 2: different stories I want to put in my next one. 439 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 2: Should I write the next one? And because they're always 440 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 2: these stories are always popping up, I mean, they just 441 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 2: they just kind of create themselves through through conversations with 442 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:41,960 Speaker 2: other people. A prime example this my nephew called me 443 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 2: a few days ago because he wanted to know if 444 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 2: I knew the owner of this particular restaurant. And the 445 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 2: reason he wanted to know was because he wanted to 446 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 2: take his wife there that night to celebrate her birthday, 447 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 2: and he wanted them to put on the marquee Happy 448 00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 2: birthday so and so and so. And the reason was 449 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 2: because they had already they quoted him two hundred and 450 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 2: fifty dollars. Now, he had never been to this restaurant. 451 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 2: It's a very nice steakhouse and one I had never 452 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 2: heard of. But anyway, two hundred and fifty dollars just 453 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,120 Speaker 2: seemed very very steep. But this restaurant missed an opportunity 454 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 2: to put the letters up let's say fifty dollars or 455 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:25,640 Speaker 2: one hundred dollars or whatever, something more reasonable. But it's 456 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:27,400 Speaker 2: like they said two hundred and fifty because we're doing 457 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:31,879 Speaker 2: you a favor, and yet they missed the entire transaction 458 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 2: because they ended up going to another restaurant, and they 459 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 2: would have posted on social media and really probably helped 460 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,679 Speaker 2: drive a few more tables there and maybe been a 461 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 2: regular guest. I don't know, But why do you make 462 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:45,640 Speaker 2: those kinds? How can a restaurant tour make those kind 463 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,679 Speaker 2: of mistakes? I don't understand it. In such a competitive environment, 464 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 2: I would have said, yes, sir, we'll put it up, 465 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 2: no problem, we'll do it for. 466 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:56,680 Speaker 1: Free hold right there. Rust of our is our guests 467 00:24:56,680 --> 00:25:01,200 Speaker 1: more than him. We'll fight hard for the the Michael 468 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:08,479 Speaker 1: Arry Shoe direction. Russell Labarre is our guest and talking 469 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:16,000 Speaker 1: to about secrets of success, how you accomplish your goals, 470 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:20,359 Speaker 1: how you order your life, Lessons learned, failures learned from 471 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:24,200 Speaker 1: and he's always embraced his failures with me. And that's 472 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:28,640 Speaker 1: something I appreciate because when I talk to people, whether 473 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 1: on air or off, I will often ask, almost always 474 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:36,159 Speaker 1: ask them, tell me a major failure in your life 475 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 1: and why that failure occurred. Because if we let's say 476 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:47,160 Speaker 1: somebody opens a restaurant and they opened, they have five restaurants, 477 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:49,120 Speaker 1: and they're about to open their sixth and they open 478 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 1: it and it fails, and I say, what did you 479 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 1: think was going to happen? That didn't happen because nobody 480 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,679 Speaker 1: thinks they're going to open a failed restaurant. They thought 481 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 1: that the neighborhood would be more supportive, or they thought 482 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,159 Speaker 1: that that street had more traffic, or whatever it is. 483 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:08,400 Speaker 1: I think we learned a lot from that. But you've 484 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:10,719 Speaker 1: also had a number of successes, Russell lebar. When you 485 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: look at your life and things that you have succeeded at, 486 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: where do you see your successes? 487 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 2: Well, obviously it's been attracting the right people. I mean, 488 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:28,600 Speaker 2: I know, I'll keep going back to that, but that's 489 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 2: that's again that that is what we are. We're a 490 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:33,639 Speaker 2: collection of just people that share a common interest and 491 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 2: common goals. But you know, I most of our failures 492 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 2: happened during my twenties, and I call those are my 493 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 2: college years if you want to call them that. But 494 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,200 Speaker 2: I learned a lot and I'm grateful that I did, 495 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 2: and I'm grateful that everything that happened happened. But you know, 496 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 2: going forward, you know, I don't want to have any 497 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:02,480 Speaker 2: ferry that would destroy everything we've done. But you know, 498 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:07,680 Speaker 2: we have to approach, you know, especially living in such 499 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 2: a litigious society, and we we we have a dispute 500 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 2: right now going on with a team member, an accident 501 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:21,119 Speaker 2: that happened and you know, I've always been proud of 502 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:23,879 Speaker 2: the fact that we've been involved in very few lawsuits 503 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:27,200 Speaker 2: over the years, very very few. And sometimes you have 504 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 2: to see again, see the larger picture and not uh 505 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:33,919 Speaker 2: say it's your way of the highway, and then and 506 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,000 Speaker 2: then fight to the end and still end up paying 507 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:38,880 Speaker 2: what you would have paid if you just settled way back. 508 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 2: And so I believe in, you know, locking locking hands 509 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 2: instead of locking horns. And we've been we've been very 510 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 2: successful at staying out of a lot of lawsuits for that, 511 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,920 Speaker 2: and and I consider those for some people being failures, 512 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:54,880 Speaker 2: even though they may have thought they won. And uh yeah, 513 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 2: I can share some weld stories with you about family 514 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,919 Speaker 2: members soon as family members. I mean it's sometimes but 515 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:03,960 Speaker 2: some people are determined to prove that they were right, 516 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:06,440 Speaker 2: and they did, but it just cost them how many 517 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 2: hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. 518 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know. Percy Forman a very famous criminal defense 519 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:17,440 Speaker 1: attorney in Houston many years ago. He was like the 520 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 1: Flee Bailey of his day, springing the O. J. Simpsons 521 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 1: of the era. And he had a client who everybody 522 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: knew was guilty, and he managed to get him off 523 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:30,160 Speaker 1: and The story goes that a newspaper reporter said, mister, 524 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: mister Foreman, mister Foreman, don't you doesn't it bother you 525 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 1: that your client was guilty and you got him off 526 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: And he said no. He said, don't you think he 527 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 1: should have to pay? And he said, oh, he's going 528 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 1: to pay dearly. And the point was he got a 529 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: Rolls Royce out of the deal. And that's how the 530 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: guy was going to It was going to cost him 531 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:50,920 Speaker 1: a lot of money, just maybe not maybe not going 532 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: to prison. You mentioned lawsuits, Russell Lebar and one of 533 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 1: the things when I talked to business owners is everybody 534 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: understands that that if you're in the wrong, there should 535 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 1: be a course, a recourse for a victim to make 536 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 1: that right. Nobody has a problem with that. It's the 537 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 1: frivolous stuff that gets you. You shared publicly a picture 538 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 1: of a woman who walked into one of your restaurants, 539 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 1: I don't know which location, and she looked around make 540 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: sure nobody could see her, and then she fell on 541 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: the ground and proceeded to do a snow angel and 542 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 1: told everybody that the floor was slick and she had 543 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 1: fallen and she wanted, you know, several hundred thousand dollars 544 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 1: or whatever. I don't know if you remember the details 545 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: of that case. How often does that happen? 546 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 2: More often than you might think. But we just had 547 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 2: people just falling over. I mean for those who do 548 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 2: walking and fall over. You know, when I travel to 549 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 2: other countries and I look at their sidewalks, their roads 550 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 2: there everything, and I'm thinking, wow, I mean I went 551 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 2: to a restaurant the other day and in Colombia and 552 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:06,800 Speaker 2: there were steps everywhere, and I'm thinking, in the US, 553 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 2: it just couldn't happen because people be tripping and falling everywhere. Yeah, 554 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 2: it's it's it's ridiculous. But you know, we have liability 555 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:19,720 Speaker 2: insurance property liability insurance, and the problem with that, believe 556 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 2: it or not, is it takes us out of the 557 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 2: equation whenever there is a dispute or an alleged accident 558 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 2: of some sort, and the insurance companies they just settle. Unfortunately, 559 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 2: they just they don't fight these cases and and and 560 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 2: they'll settle. Fifty seventy five one hundred thousand. We had 561 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 2: a guest and then team member one time bump heads. 562 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:44,120 Speaker 2: They each turned around at the same time and bumped heads. 563 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 2: Of course, our team members, fine, but this this guest 564 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 2: sued and was awarded one hundred thousand dollars. Well settled. 565 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:54,360 Speaker 2: The insurance companies settled with them. So they said they 566 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 2: they just figured it's cheaper. They just figured it's schuper 567 00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 2: to settle. 568 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: Well that most people don't understand, and this is the 569 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 1: economics of it all, is that that hundred thousand dollars, 570 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: while the check was written by the business owner, the 571 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 1: person who's going to end up paying that is the customer. 572 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:18,480 Speaker 1: So rolled into every ten dollars you spend at a restaurant, 573 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: is this many pennies or this many dollars for lawsuits, 574 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,920 Speaker 1: and this many dollars for avocados, and this many dollars 575 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 1: for the rent, and this many dollars for the air conditioning, 576 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:31,080 Speaker 1: and that's one of those things, and this many dollars 577 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: for theft, and so the rest of us pay for 578 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 1: that nonsense. So that's what makes it even worse. It's 579 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: people have this idea that there's the rich business owner, 580 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 1: and it's good he should have to give up some 581 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 1: of what he has. He's not going to pay for it. 582 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:46,000 Speaker 1: It's going to be passed on to the customer. 583 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 2: Well, if there's one bit of advice I could give 584 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 2: all business owners, actually is making sure that every employee 585 00:31:55,920 --> 00:32:01,880 Speaker 2: signed a binding arbitration agreement because it forces if there 586 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:05,360 Speaker 2: is an incident, it does force their attorneys to have 587 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 2: to work for it rather than resolve it through an 588 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 2: insurance company. 589 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 1: And a lot of lawyers just want to send a 590 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:16,480 Speaker 1: demand letter and get forty percent of what you're willing 591 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 1: to settle for before you have to engage in an 592 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:23,960 Speaker 1: outside firm. And that is the reality, Russell Lebara. I've 593 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 1: kept you longer than you agreed to stay, but you've 594 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: been very gracious with your time and very candid with 595 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,800 Speaker 1: your answers, and I appreciate it, and I know our 596 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:37,040 Speaker 1: listeners do as well. I appreciate all you do for 597 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,520 Speaker 1: our veterans with PTSD at Camp Hope, all you do 598 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:45,160 Speaker 1: for your employees, your customers, and our community, and I 599 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 1: value and appreciate your friendship. 600 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 2: Thanks for being with my friendly Thank you, Michael. I 601 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 2: appreciate it for me. 602 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:57,360 Speaker 1: Thank you, and goodnight,