John Lawyer - Wiener Wizardry: Corndogs, Chaos, and Culinary Adventures

John Lawyer dishes out a hilarious and heartfelt journey through his wild culinary adventures. From corndog chaos to molecular gastronomy experiments, John's passion for food shines through every story. He shares the ups and downs of running food trucks and restaurants, including some crazy encounters with politicians and celebrities. Through it all, John's love for cooking and creating unique flavor combinations keeps him going, even when faced with entitled customers and unreliable staff.

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The Matt Sodnicar Podcast. Founded on the belief that one need not be famous to tell a compelling story. Focused on turning points in business and in life, those moments that will inspire others.

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Matt Sodnicar 0:00
He won't even notice it seriously, like, you know, a couple minutes so, but I wanted to show you why I think we're friends like, I have this

John Lawyer 0:10
holy shit

Matt Sodnicar 0:13
I'm showing John a picture of my hot dog roller.

John Lawyer 0:17
I need a hot dog. That's probably one of the only things I don't have.

Matt Sodnicar 0:20
I'll let you borrow it

John Lawyer 0:25
I'll trade you for commercial fucking rotisserie chicken machine.

Like 20 years

Matt Sodnicar 0:34
and now we're talking. It's kind of like, oh, yeah, it fits Nathan's, like side by side perfectly as the perfect size dog.

John Lawyer 0:42
Nathan's makes different sized dogs, man. I mean, he's on there

Matt Sodnicar 0:53
so hot dogs warm that we get how many can I get on there? Let's see. That would be one two. I could get six buddies on there. Very

John Lawyer 1:05
small orgy.

Matt Sodnicar 1:09
swordfighting.

John Lawyer 1:16
Noodles

Matt Sodnicar 1:18
I saw a picture that had footies in a Olive Garden Breadsticks for the bun.

John Lawyer 1:27
When you think about that, dude, the only thing that can one up that is if I can make this Red Lobster cheddar biscuits.

Matt Sodnicar 1:38
Now we're talking.

John Lawyer 1:41
Next, cheddar biscuits.

Matt Sodnicar 1:49
So she's probably actually asked a question. So, corn doggies. You got a food truck. So in telling me the story, like how did you end up rolling dogs in a truck?

John Lawyer 2:06
I mean, they're pretty special cleaners.

Matt Sodnicar 2:08
They are. Certainly bleep that out.

John Lawyer 2:17
To the wrong guy. Oh, yeah. Let's see. I'm gonna say it all started. Back in like 2015 ish. I was up here. I met a girl that lived up here. I was living on a long run. Going back to school because I had a midlife crisis. And to be a respiratory therapist, I don't know why. Yeah, yeah, it was a long deal. I've been doing this game since I was like, 12 as far as like cooking and everything really owned a restaurant in Illinois. Yeah. 130 Euro Asian, like heavy glass atrium.

Matt Sodnicar 2:59
What was it called?

John Lawyer 3:00
It's called Powell. Okay. Yeah. And it's, yeah. And it was. That was an experience. Got them. I was like, 30 Just, I do not come from money. I'm like, the poorest of poor you know, it's like, and yeah, just leveraged everything I had to try to buy in with a couple other people. And, you know, I helped open the restaurant originally worked there for a couple years, was like, the main sushi chef there and stuff and then moved over, helped another guy open up a different restaurant for a couple of years, and then went back and bought that restaurant. And in that two years that I was gone, the owner just like, tanked, like my shoe. Like, fucking like, Titanic into the ground, like, like, five to 10,000 loss, like a month kind of shit. It was just not good. And it took me like, I don't know, three months to turn it from that into actually making really good money. So I just had to fire everybody. I knew. It was kind of funny. I like rolled in on day one. And everyone was like, fucking John's the one that's gonna be the best day ever. And I'm like, lucky. You're all fired. Just like wipe the slate. And it was it was interesting. Yeah.

Matt Sodnicar 4:14
Wasn't like their habits or something.

John Lawyer 4:17
It was it was it was bad habits. It was the owner was like he was going through a really bad divorce. He was never there. They just ran everything. Yeah, they were just like, we can do whatever we want kind of mentality. And they didn't care. It didn't no cleaning. No, nothing. Just the whole kitchen was like just a shithole. You know, and it was a big kitchen, you know, and it was just, it was just like nobody cared. Like all the cooks and stuff. They're like, do like eight there because it stayed open through the transition. And then we were like, alright, like, day one. Like I wasn't in the kitchen. I was like, I don't want to go in the kitchen for like the first two weeks. Like I just want to like, monitor and observe and see where the issues are. And my, but day one, it was just like, they didn't insult the food. And I'm like, and I knew the dude. You know, like, he worked there when I was there when I helped open it. And I was a slide I think his name was, I think his name was Eric. But I was just like, Dude, I was like, he was like, the first person I fired. And I felt bad because I'm like, I knew him. I knew him for years, you know? And I'm like, bro, like, you gave up on this shit years ago? And he's like, Yep, I did. He's like, I'm burnt out. I'm done. Wow. And I was like, yeah, so and then it within a week, I fired 90% of literally, like, 25 people. I was just like, on a roll. I was like, I don't even have anybody replace you, I'll replace you myself. Because you suck at your job anyways. You know, it's time to shine. You know, I put away my skinny jeans. And crocs back on. Like, Dredgen away? No, I was. Yeah, that was a learning experience. It was a lot of hard work and a lot of headaches and a lot of ups and downs and then getting completely used and abused by my business partners. They had no intentions on keeping me around, you know, that kind of thing. They just couldn't do my job. So they were like, Hey, let's, let's entice this, this young kid, you know, that has his dreams and aspirations of like having his own place. Let's get him. And then we'll we'll pull them in, given this ownership aspect. And then once he fixes everything, get them out. And that's virtually what they did share. So, yeah, that's an idea. It was a it was a heartbreaking situation.

Matt Sodnicar 6:47
But what year is that?

John Lawyer 6:49
When was that? Probably like, 2010. Okay, ish. 910 ish, somewhere around there, then, yeah, I was like, kind of doing a little bit of some consulting stuff on the side, designing out some people's like, restaurants, flow space, things like that. Kitchen, work on menus and stuff, and then came back here, because I grew up in Colorado, came back here on vacation, but just like me, my kids, and then just see my mom and take my mind off some stuff. And then just, if I'm gonna move, it's gonna be now. So stayed here, tried to get a couple jobs and then went back to Illinois just pack my shit. And it's like, cool. I'm gonna come out here trying to get a job. And my wife at the time she was in she was in Illinois still. And then I just struggled to get a job. It was the craziest thing. It was, you know, it was a weird experience. So we're looking in the restaurant industry. Yeah, yeah. But I was trying to make a switch from independent restaurants to corporate restaurants, because I was like, dude, like, I love being creative. I love doing stuff. And I was just like, I just, I want better pay. I need benefits. Like, I just, I'll babysit fucking kids, like, because that's all it is, you know. And the pay is good at corporate prices, you know, you work 5060 hours a week, whatever. I was already working way more than anyways. So it was just like, Whatever, I'll just babysit stuff. But on paper, they just look at it and go, Oh, you're used to like, designing stuff and doing your own thing. And we're really rules and regimen and you don't overstep and you don't do this. So it's like, it's like, they wanted like a mindset change. And then they're just I didn't go to college at this time. So they're just like, you don't have a degree and I'm like, do I need one? I've been in this industry since I was 12. Oh my bro. Like 15 years and Oh, me. I tried this point. I was like, 1819

Matt Sodnicar 8:42
I'm Kobe. Yeah.

John Lawyer 8:44
I'm like, I'm slam dunking on your ass. But um, yeah, and then things didn't work. Things didn't really pan out too well then I just I don't know pulled the trigger and went back to school on a whim. Just do Respiratory Therapy. fucking weird. I'll still like doing like I was working for a catering company doing some other stuff like that and then separate it from my from my x. And then that met somebody else that was up here after like a year or so and then then migrated up to Fort Collins and then and then like, I was still doing respiratory when I was when I moved up here. And then I I would I started I started a fake restaurant on Facebook. We got to Tucker. So we were on a bike ride together. Because of my my accent she she rode bikes and stuff. So you know like the portfolio the cycling team like she was like running that team at this time. So and she was in the triathlon community that's how we met we met on results on crew before we met online. You're gonna laugh at us fucking fitness singles.com.

Matt Sodnicar 9:52
Lot of Jimmer I do farmers only so

John Lawyer 9:57
I think you have a better chance of winning I like you're a city slicker. I like you. you brush your teeth. You're like me shake my balls and like I've seen those before. No. So come to find out. I already knew who she was because like, I've met her in Illinois is no way the only person I've ever met online ever. One. Like, I know, dating apps. I'm like, I'm not. And it just randomly one day made us really weird profiles. I didn't put any info and then she like, messaged me, and I was like, Alright, cool. And then she was like, Hey, you want to go on a bike ride? And it's like, cool. Yeah. And I met up and then we started talking. She's like, Hey, your phone numbers and Illinois phone number. And then we started talking and she's like, oh, yeah, like, we're like we're at and she's, like, Come to find out. Like, we literally went to the same church, because I went to church back then. Of like, 300 people. Wow. And like, she was married to this like other dude, who was a really, really nice guy. And she's, you know, kind of I was like, I was like, I was like, Man, she's a gold digger, because this dude is kind of short and W but he's really cool. And she was pretty good looker back then. And I was like, this didn't make sense. But he was also in medical school. So I was like, yeah, she's a gold digger. Man, she's like, I'm writing this puppy out. Five more years is gonna be fake and bank living in the dream. You know, that was a whole nother story. But like, yeah, so anyways, came up here, you know, ended up just getting her all this stuff migrated up here. We were on a bike ride up lefthand Canyon, just like up toward, you know, that road and then cruising up or halfway up toward somewhere around there. And it looked over and like the rivers on the right side on the north side of us. And then, and I kind of looked it was, it was over the creek, like over the little river and in the woods was a fucking street side, and still stuck to the post, just randomly. And it was like skillet road. And I was like, fuck, like, check it out. Just it's like, Dude, that's cool. I was like, that would be like the dopest name for a cafe. Which ironically, there always was like Scala Cafe back in the 80s and early 90s. You know, off of like Silk Road, it's not called that anymore. So naturally, we go up toward descent and hop in a car, fucking drive that image right up the canyon. River side, pull on my wrenches and just take the street sign. You know, it wasn't even me. On road. It was miles down the canyon from Yeah, it was like two miles away from the road. Like somebody hit the sign on the poster in the back of their pickup truck. cruise down until they got drunk enough to realize it was still there and then fucking through through through the woods. I have no idea. I don't know. So I wish I knew the story. No, but then I started like still a cafe or something like that, like on like on Facebook. And it was a means to keep me cooking. Because it was just like, I love cooking. This is like, this is like, what I do. I have since I was a little kid. Like, all the other kids are playing out with their friends. I'm in the fucking kitchen making biscuits with my mom or whatever. Something stupid, you know. And my mom like cooked for, like virtual like therapy for herself. You know? So yes, she's always making everything from scratch. And I was just like, I love this, you know? And, you know, you would think I'd be gay. But no, it was it was great. Yeah, for my eighth grade birthday. All I wanted was a blender. Like kids like, Bro. Like, get the Nintendo 64

Matt Sodnicar 13:48
Like, come on, like Coke with my dad. That's how I got my love of cooking was for my dad. So that's cool.

John Lawyer 13:53
Yeah. Just I loved it is this connection. And I tried to escape it my whole life. Because it's such a hard industry. And it's such a tough, poisonous kind of industry. It's like, and I tell people I'm like, You have to love to hate it. Because you hate it while you're doing it. And when you're in it, you're just like, Cool. I'll be cooking like even like right now. It's just like, all we do is work. Like, I was like stress. I was like, Dude, I gotta leave the kitchen at like 230 so I can get the food truck home and get propane just to like, make it here by four hours. It's like, shit. But I'm like, usually is like yesterday, I was like, I'm gonna like five, you know, it's like, and those are like not even working days. It's like a normal day is eight hours, you know, so tomorrow will be like a 14 hour day. You know, like, it is what it is. You know? And no, it's it's just you have to love to do it, you know? And yeah, it is what it is. I just tried to trace through it. But yeah, so we started that. I was still doing respiratory. We were driving through Loveland. And at one point, and she looked over, and there was this 1976 GMC Glenbrook RV. Which Have you ever seen the movie stripes? Oh,

Matt Sodnicar 15:11
yeah, the Urban Assault vehicle Xactly

John Lawyer 15:15
double axle rear. You know, very iconic. Dude. Like, at this point, I was just like, whatever. And she was just like, Dude, that's your food truck. And I was like, man, like, from what? I don't even fuck. I'm like food trucks. All right. I'm like, I've never liked food trucks. Ever. I was supposed to at one point in my life, I was supposed to move to Portland, Oregon and start a food truck with my essence, like, like family and all this stuff. And I was like, dude, food trucks are like, they suck. But I'd rather have a restaurant. I'm like, dude, like, you're there's nowhere to store anything. You can't use like, it's hot. It's crappy. I worry about propane, gray water, whether or not you're gonna run out of gas, all of them break down all the time. You know, and I'll like, I just don't like food trucks. And then everybody have to eat your food out in the fucking rain. No, it's like, yeah. Especially now. Yeah. So it was like we she convinced me into buying this RV. Right? This one, it was just like, hypothetically, she was just pushing me like, hey, like this. This could be your future. This could be your food truck. And I was just like, I just roll it as an RV because it's like a full RV, like literally bought it in Loveland drove it up the food, or I didn't even look at anything. I was like, Yeah, has a generator, don't audit, turn them on. Worry about it. Like it blew a fuse. So it wouldn't start when we're at the campground. Somehow I figured that out. Like I was like, I don't even remember the last man. It was it was just, it was a weird experience. And then Tatiana had as an RV for about a year or so. Then, then it started getting serious. I was just like, alright, if I'm gonna do this, I have to like rip it all apart, like commit to doing it. So I was like, if I got it, then it'll be gutted. And then I'll I'll have to make it into an RV. I mean, into a food truck. You know? So, at this point, I didn't know how rare these vehicles were. Full disclosure, like no idea. I don't mean like, didn't make that many of them. Don't wanna make parts for him anymore. And I'm just like, I'm like, dude, add like add like a soap like a couch that turned into a bunk bed. And I was like, Yeah, the whole back like double flipped out. And then like had seat belt hooks that hook to the ceiling. And that was like one top bunk. And then the bottom cushion was the bottom bunk. Like my kids slept in it. It was rockin rad. Oh, wow. Like super cool. And I was like, Yeah, I'm gonna cut it, you know? And even I so gutted it. And then it was like, okay. Let's talk about a food truck. And I was like, I have no idea. I don't know what to make. But like, still just gutted. wires hanging and it's not square. It's like domed like an airstrip. Yeah, yeah. Now, so everything was just like had to be custom. And I was and so talk to another guy about doing doing the work. That didn't work out too well, either. I ended up doing the majority of it myself, which sucked. And then yeah, and we just built it out. And it wasn't until 20 15/4 of July. Kilby's house.

Matt Sodnicar 18:28
Get out. All right. I

John Lawyer 18:30
can't wait for this. Okay. So, and this was back when he lived in town. So he lived kind of mental hospital. Oh, yeah, I've been to that plays. So well, you limit it to different places on that block. So, like, the last one that he lived out was on the north end of that street, okay, he lived he had a house that was closer to the south of that street. So he would throw a white trash Fourth of July party. And so it was all these doctors and nurses and shit. And a bunch of spiel for the cycling team, which a lot of nurses and doctors and a whole bunch of shenanigans. There's like nothing but like paps. You know, there's there's literally probably like 75 Fucking cans. Every time somebody got done with a cane. They throw it on the roof. Stuff like really, like it was really, like drove the I drove the RV over there. It's all jutted just because it looked trashy. And I was like, that's all work. You know, I broke the awning while we were there to just like complete disaster, but the one thing I'll do was like the girl that I was dating, she was like, she's like, Oh, we should have a corndog whatever the menu is, whatever you decide to do, we just need to have a corndog because I like corndogs and I was just like, That's the dumbest shit. So we're like, white trash Fourth of July party. I'm gonna take over my small fry or we're just I'm gonna make little little mini corndogs little quarter jobs, right. Oh, and I wasn't doing any like cool sausages or anything, you know? And I was just like, Okay, I guess I made a batter that I thought would be good, you know and just like, just fry them up and nobody's fucking wasted anyways. Yeah, I don't know how people get drunk on 5% beer, but they do and, and I'm like, You guys need to drink more like, like, be better, because I can't get drunk on 5%. But like they were. So it was it was crazy. And then everybody's like, you should just do the food judges do corndogs do corner smells like, That's the dumbest shit ever. And then I woke up at like four in the morning and I couldn't sleep. So then I just started Googling around. And I was like corndog food trucks in the US and started trying to scour to find too many. And I think I found five. And nobody makes their own sausages. There was only one other one that would serve like sausages in corndog form. But they're like horsepox, like, so big. And it's just like, the massive like, you put the batter around it. Things like 4040 millimeters wide. It's like it's just said, I was like, I want to do my own thing. And I was like, I'm just notorious for being like, What's the hardest thing, the hardest way to make the easiest product in the world? I'm gonna do it, you know. So that's what I did. And I was like, Cool. I'm just gonna go this route. And then I just started. I just started like making sausages. Just grinding my own meat. Trying to figure it out working on some recipes. Never made a corndog made sausages. And then I was like, because in my head I like I mean, I was doing this for so long. I already already knew the flavor profiles in my head. So I was sitting there going like, Alright, cool. Like I said

Matt Sodnicar 21:37
something about that. Like when you talk about the flavor profile, like, how do you how do you envision that in your head? Like he talking like spices he talking about how it makes you feel

John Lawyer 21:48
I have a really good well, it's probably really terrible. But in my mind, it's a really good way of envisioning it. It's a Rolodex, okay. So everything. Every light flap in the Rolodex or page or whatever on the Rolodex is a flavor. And then it's like, so you go through all flavors that you've tried right in your life, you just make a mental Rolodex note of it. That's what that tastes like, this tastes okay. And then you start realizing that this tastes good with this, you know, like, you know, soy sauce and red wine vinegar actually go good together. Who knew? You know?

Matt Sodnicar 22:24
No, surely really do.

John Lawyer 22:26
But you know, it's like, little, little nuanced flavor stuff that, you know, that always goes good. And then it's like, then you start pairing up two by twos. And then it's like, then three by threes. And, you know, it's like, and then it's just a complex little Rolodex of flavors, like, each card will be like, alright, you know, at a moment when it goes with this, and this, and this, and this, and this, and this, and this, and it's just, you just stack flavors. Wow. And it's like, so already kind of know that. And that says, it's just like anybody in any industry, that they're really passionate about, like, they know, you know, and I'm like, I've been doing this, like my whole life virtually since I was 12. You know, working in commercial kitchens, and I'm like, like, I care about food, and I taste food. And I like the way that it tastes. And then it's just like, you know, but sometimes you don't know everything. And then you'll bump into something and read it a cookbook. And, you know, like, I don't read cookbooks, for recipes, I read cookbooks for inspiration of other people's minds, and flavor profiles that I've never seen before. Certain things that maybe those would go good together. Maybe they wouldn't go to that, or you know, and then I don't like copying other people's stuff. So I was like, take little snippets and be like, Oh, like that look, that looks good with that. And, you know, I didn't I wouldn't have thought of, you know, doing lamb with like, coconut and yeah, you know, like, different weird stuff, you know, that can, you can really pair together, you know, and you can find some just crazy flavor profiles, but sometimes it's like, this works with this, you know, but yet, they don't really taste good together. But when you mix them with a third party item, oh, yeah, you throw it in there nicely. You know, you're like, Holy shit, that does work. You know, buddy, I was doing a six course for six course meal for the Colorado and one time and I had my buddy from Chicago fly in to help me out, just because I didn't know anybody. And I was like, Sure, I'll do like a score for like, 40 people in a place with no kitchen. Not crazy. But like, like he he taught French culinary like in you know, different colleges and stuff. And I'm friends with him for years. And he was just like, he was like, well sent sent some of the manual you're doing at a time so I sent them out and he just liked it, right. And it's like, yeah, he's like, just give me shit. And I was just like, Oh, I do. Like, I don't think I might have changed one minute thing on one of the dishes that he suggested. That was like, Yeah, because at the end of the day, he was just like, do this about us like, what I did was like a 62nd cake. So it's like, like you made like lemon lavender cake. Bass that I put in whipped cream dispenser, right. And you can squirt that into a paper cup that you poke holes into it, and then you've put in the microwave for 60 seconds. And then you then it comes out like a sponge cake. So it's all textured. Yeah, you know, so I wanted that look, and that kind of sponge cakey feel, instead of just like a normal cake. So I did like a lemon lavender cake. And then I did a smoked crema glaze. So it was like, I took like heavy cream and I put it in a smoker smoked and did like a caramel glaze with that. So like a Blackberry, blackberry and thyme compote. You know, it's like just trying to make like some different sweet flavors and savory flavors. And then like, torched out time, like when we were serving, and so it was like, well, smoky and chill like that, you know, what it's like, little nuances. And he's just like you like, just don't even like work. Like, none of this, like, even makes sense. And I was just like, well, you live in your little box, and I live on the outside of your box. And I tap on the box, and I say hello to you know, because it's like he's just so is, which is funny, because he's, he's talented, but he teaches French and that's like, like, like, the French culinary aspect is very regimented. Like, in boxes is like, sure, like, this has to go with this and this. So like that kind of mentality. And that's how it's like taught in schools, um, like the lower lower end, like, traditional kind of ways. And I just always give them shit. So I got off course, I gotta figure out where I'm at. Now.

Matt Sodnicar 26:24
I took you off course. But this happens. Almost every episode that I record where, like, I know, it's gonna be a great conversation, but somebody has this depth to their story in their character that I just love hearing. And so, you know, it's, that's this moment right here, like talking about the Rolodex and the flavor profiles. That's cool as shit. Yeah, that's cool. Shit.

John Lawyer 26:48
It's wild. Like, the more that you cook, the more that you can just gravitate. It's just like, it's just it's honing a skill? Honing? Yeah. But it's like, your skill is something that just to live, you have to deal with, like, like, well, you have to eat, you know, so it's a day to day it's not like, I'm like my skills, a coder, but I've been on a safari on the, on the jungle, and I haven't been near a computer, you know, it's like, Nah, mate, you still gotta eat. So it's like, you're no matter what it's like, it doesn't matter. How do you? So it's like, yep, every opportunity to always taste and pay attention. It's just in the US eating is an afterthought. You know, it's just like, hey, but I do this a lot, too. I mean, I'm not any different than anybody else. Just because I know how to cook. I'm like, I don't know. I just need substance. Man. Give me that Taco Bell. Yeah, shove a burrito. I am on the moon. Well, like I just need substance to keep me like, moving forward. Yeah, like physically able to burn calories. That's it has nothing to do with flavor. It has nothing to do with anything. It's just like, I just make some things and actually say that a lot. Probably. No, it's my wife.

Jenna wasn't that great. I'm like it's substance. I think I said the two nights ago. But it's just, that's and that's how it is. You know,

it's if you step back and actually look and you go, and you go me and like, you're looking at your life and look at everything. When you're cooking. You're like, you have so many more opportunities to really hone in, like your tastebuds on so many different levels just because you have the opportunity. Like, like, you know, your team who crock pot over here.

Matt Sodnicar 28:43
World's Smallest, like cup of rice

John Lawyer 28:47
two cups, maybe?

Matt Sodnicar 28:50
Literally just for me.

John Lawyer 28:54
Like, let me guess you're single.

Matt Sodnicar 28:57
And lonely. I can't even give away.

John Lawyer 29:02
So lonely. You only had two bytes

Matt Sodnicar 29:05
for another person. Yeah, but I burst into tears

John Lawyer 29:16
you eat a little bit. Like I'm saving it for thrown away. No. But it's like it's even that it's like it's something as simple as rice, you know, white rice, just the flavor. And more importantly, is the texture, you know, and it's just like all those like little things. There's just eating right sometimes, like, I forget, and it's just like, I'll go back and just like this white rice. I love white rice, you know, and this is like how well it's amazing. Yeah, and I'm just like, it's like the textures. Right? It feels good. Tastes good. Yeah, it's simple. Like give me a pound of butter and a little bit of salt and then I'll be more you know, but it's It's very, I love food because it's like you can make it. Like, somebody can be happy with food, whether it's McDonald's, or what whether you're eating at, you know, Alinea in Chicago, you know, spending $400 a meal, you know, it doesn't matter. It's like, there's beauty across the board. Yeah. And it's, it's like, it's every scope of every person. No matter of like socio economics or, you know, poverty or not, like, everything, everything is like, you can make somebody happy on all of us. Right. And it's one of the rare things that can do that. You know, it's like a homeless person, you'd be happy with a burrito that literally picked up off the ground, you know, and be like, dude, that made my day, you know, versus, you know, they mean, cooking for richest people in town, and, you know, doing the best you can that can be like divorced. I mean, and I, I've seen it all I've cooked for a lot of very prominent people, you know, and no, no, I like the hardest people to cook for are my friends. 100%. Like, I mean, I've cooked for Barack Obama. I don't give two shits. No, like, if I was here in your house, like what we hadn't otherwise, I was like, dude, yeah, I gotta give a shit about that. But like, actually, like, like, I mean, I kind of do, because your opinion matters. Oh, it's my friend's opinion. You know, like, your friends are the ones who will always tell you if it's good or bad. Because it's like, you establish that relationship with them. Right? So you can't do smoking music, you know, as somebody that you only see you walking through cruising through, you know, different stuff like that. It's different. But when you cook for your friends, it's just like data, it makes my fucking handshake. Like, it's, it's nerve racking. Well, it was great. And that's I love I mean, I didn't really look at that as Okay, I just needed some bullshit. You know, but like, but like actually going in and like, because I do have friends where I do, you know, they'll be like, Hey, dude, like, we want to come in do like a six course meal, things of that nature. And it's just like, and it's awesome. It's like, it's, there's nothing that's more fulfilling, and, and, like, just gives you so much pride and joy doing that, having someone who just invite you to their house to, like, cook something special for them. And it's just like, it's a beautiful thing. And I take a lot of like, like, I respect that out of people. Like when they do that. And I like I treat it like really, like, it's like a lot of pressure. Because I'm like, oh my god, like you're going into their house and doing you know, to like their private space. And then you get Shine. Yeah. Now and it's, it's cool. It's like it's it's just a really personal thing that I enjoy doing the most but no, no, if I'm faced with that shit, man. Like I've, I've done six quarters dinner for somebody here in Fort Collins, this was like years ago. And it was he was the governor's key advisor in Colorado, brought in all these delegates from South Africa. And these is like, Oh, we want to do something super nice. All this stuff. And he's like, dudes in like a $5 million house, one of the biggest lots in like, like, kind of this like, Old Town west area, right. And I'm just like, I think it's garages as big as my house, you know, and I'm just like, the hell and, you know, kind of a nice guy and kind of like weird and he started handling me on like, he went to like, oh, I don't want to spend more than $50 a person. I'm like, I'm giving you a six course meal, bro. Like, in your $5 million dollar house. I'm like, pissed off, man. It's like, it's kind of like one of those slaps in the face, you know? And I'm just like, dude, like yourself, I can cheat fan. It's

Matt Sodnicar 34:04
like, you can't chisel this right? Yeah, like

John Lawyer 34:06
I had I had it priced so low. Already, just because I was like, man, like this guy does a lot of parties. Maybe I can like lock in this contract. Because I knew some new data caters that he always had in there. They happen to be like, out of the country. So that's how I got the gig. And I was like, let me let me impress them all, but I'm like, I'm gonna do it, like almost no cost. Like, try to try to be all nice about and I think I had around like 55 or 60 bucks a person. And he's like, Oh, really wanted to be under under 50. And I'm like, no idea doesn't give two shits. Like the delegates were like, this one dude was like, oh my god, man. Like, can you I will literally fly to train manage our chef that's in charge of our whole like embassy area. Just like this food is great. Like, everybody was super awesome. But still cheap. The best. But it's interesting, you know? Yeah. And then you can, you know, serve some vegan sloppy joe to somebody in there. Like that's the best thing ever in my life.

Matt Sodnicar 35:11
It was great. I should be noted that you're the first guest that ever brought over snacks and cooked and it was delightful

John Lawyer 35:17
step up your game.

Matt Sodnicar 35:21
I want to come back to linear because that's one of my favorites. And then Obama but let's, let's get back on the corndog Okay, so yeah, grinding your own meat. Yeah.

John Lawyer 35:31
So the funny part was, I was focusing on that trying to finish out the food truck still doing Respiratory Therapy stuff. I mean, I was like, we're gonna like three twelves is like, that's like a normal shift for Respiratory Therapy. Yeah, we're three twelves and like four days off. It's like vacation. Too much time on my hand. So I'll say I'm going out the truck, getting it done wrapping it up. Kind of figured out the name figured out everything with that. And then, you know, we actually were original. The original name was supposed to be corn doggy style. Don't be able to flow very good with the kids but depends on which mode are you in? Are you in the corn doggy style bowl or the corn? Doggy style?

Matt Sodnicar 36:17
Space matters.

John Lawyer 36:18
I know this space matters a lot. So no, we went to Yeah, so it's, you know, we we went and I was just focusing on grinding, grinding sausages. Doing all that. God got everything pretty much wrapped up. And at this point, fuck, I don't think I made a corndog from start to finish until the day before I reopened. No shit. Yeah, so you know, you know that Zach and Whitney. Yeah. So they had a Zack had a cycling studio that was kind of trying to remember this, like what store it is now. But there was like a bike shop kind of like near Whole Foods. That's like, standalone little store. Like as you're going going south on college, kind of just a little cement kind of like angle thing for like, oh, yeah, like, Mitch. So it was like, whatever that building is it used to be a bike shop, like a full cycle. peloton back Oh, basically, he had a cycling studio and we're, and you know, I kind of Zach and stuff. And I was just like, Hey, dude, like, can we like post off for our opening day? You know, like, and he's like, LM, make sure everything and he's like, Yeah, dude, it's cool. And it was like March 3, right? And I was like, whatever, it'll just be, you know, four to six or whatever, I'll post something, make a $5 All you can eat corndog it's just gonna be our friends. Anyways, so we created like, a fake, like a Facebook event. Right? Within like, 24 hours. It was like 300 people going. I was like, shit. Like, this isn't good. It's on now. I was I was Dude, it was booked. I never even plugged everything is on the truck on the generator. So I couldn't even know if it would work. I never even at this point, I didn't even make them make a corndog from start to start from start to finish with the battery and the sausages. In my mind. I was like, I know how it works. I just sold the idea without actually making the product. You know, I mean, just some apple shit. But I was like, you know, surely it'll be it'll, it'll work itself out. You know? We get there start everything up. And I had this like little waffle iron that was like that print that like, made the maple bacon's that we do maple bacon sausage. But it was a waffle iron that made into a corndog but printed like a waffle. So it's like texture, like a waffle in a circle. You know? And then I turned that on it like killed a Jenny and I was like, well, we're not doing those dogs tonight. Dude, and it was a fucking light train wreck of the night. Like, no money. You know, we had, you know, one of the girls that that started it. She's a she's a friend of ours. And she was actually on health inspector in Weld County. She's like, worked off the truck. And which was kind of cool. You know, because I was like, Wait, get busted. So it was but it was just it was a wild, wild wild die. And what happened was, somebody found out that was on a radio station and blast it on the radio station.

And I had no idea. And it was like, I didn't prepare for that. I just thought it'd be like 50 of our friends just showing up. Yeah, corndogs

Matt Sodnicar 39:27
you know, big leagues,

John Lawyer 39:30
dude, it was the fucking line went around like my favorite picture because the sun was still going down early, you know? So it was favorite picture was some friends like we literally got got heat lamps, like rented heat lamps, because I was like, it's gonna be cold. March 3, so I was like, fuck it. It's gonna be a big loss, right heat lamps. And we bought two kegs of beer. And we're just like free beer. And I was like, the one thing people will stand in line for. They'll say like, for anything as long as that free beer. Yeah, so we just got some like whoreson drag Notice that they just dumped out some beers. I can't remember. I think that's the thing. But there were some horsing dragon beers. And we just and I just like had a friend. I was like, Dude, can you just like card people? Just like, just hey, donations if you want, and I'm like, you can fucking keep the money. I don't really care. I just, we just need to make sure that kids aren't going to be drinking in front of adults. Yeah, we don't look bad. We're not gonna get a license to do this. Totally not legal. We're like a bucket. And did it worked. I never understood why my favorite patient was somebody that was like, they took a picture, their friend's name they like and they posted and they're just like, hey, we're here for corndogs it was worth the way and it was like, you almost couldn't even see my truck. Like, it was like a fucking speck in the middle. Like there was literally 100 people in line in front of them. Wow, I was like, no idea, man. And then ever since then, it's just been hammer fest, man, it's, you know, still making rounds. I'll say, Well, I don't make my sausages now. It's, you know, it's I have a guy make them for me, because I'm in the big leagues. But, you know, so, but they're all made in Wisconsin.

Matt Sodnicar 41:03
Is there a difference in a sausage that would go in a bun or on a plate versus having a skewer in it? Do you have to account for how it cooks? For the grind?

John Lawyer 41:13
Not necessarily. The the the thing that matters the most is like we can be a little bit more looser with the like, the casings are a little bit different that we use. We use like a synthetic casing. Very, very specific latex. sheepskin. No, it's it's a, it's a very specific because we have to do a very specific size. I mean, like, like I used to put him like my first year when I was grinding. I was grinding my first year, like, five pound hand crank, like, two days a week, there were 12 hour days and making sausages and smokin. Yeah, it's like we couldn't keep just like 35,000 corndogs our first year. It was like a lot, you know, and then it's like, hyping them into sheet casings. You know, and that was a that was a something I never want to go back to. I quickly found myself in the realm of sausage manufacturing, that's not my jam. And so, yeah, I called my buddy that was in Chicago. And I was like, Hey, do you know anybody? And he was like, he went to a public meeting from Rome. And I told my buddy, he knows everybody knows, and he went to a public image. And he was like, which is like a, like a Bougie meat shop. And he was just like, hey, like, like, where do you guys get some of your stuff done. He's like, hey, we use this place in Wisconsin called hometown sausage kitchen. And then this, it's about an hour and a half north of Chicago. So I called this dude up. Fucking right from the get go. His name is John also, which is pretty awesome. And I was just like, hey, I have I'm in Colorado. I have a corndog for your job where I make my own sausages. I need some help. And he was like, and he was like, he was like, What did you fucking say? corndogs. And that's it. Yeah. And he was like, oh, and he's just one of these like, dudes, he just like, puts the phone dial like moves it down. He's like Tommy corndogs was also making sausages. It just gets back on the bone. It's like I was talking about this. Yesterday, we were talking about doing corn dogs like this is a mountain. It was It was wild. He's a USDA certified plant. Actually, nobody had not like I called a couple USDA certified plants in Colorado and nobody would take our business because we're a food truck. They didn't take us serious. And so so I ended up just flying out there. Did some r&d over a weekend, just like at his shop, which was great. And then he gave me all my USDA certified labels. And you know, and he's super, super awesome. And come to find out this small the world is man. It's like you never know who you're really going to meet. Right? Yeah. This dude is the most Midwest hockey dude you'll ever meet. Super nice, really awesome guy. Hey, he used to live in Spain. And he would. He had a cookbook store in Spain. And he was a chef and his wife's from Spain. And he's like translate Michelin star chefs, cookbooks from Spanish to English. And then he hates Amazon because they pretty much booted him out in the market. You know, but his daughter who was in high school when I met her the first time like she went to school culinary school in Spain and it's really bougie culinary school. That's like I think she's probably like the second female that ever graduated from there. Did a year stint at some one star Michelin star place and then totally got a job at Noma in Copenhagen. looking crazy as a paid person not know Not no starch for the summer, not none of that stuff. And this is like, unlike his wife does food tours in Spain where they only go to Michelin star places because they know everybody. She's like, John, you gotta know my food tour. This is so much fun. And I'm like, Yeah, you go during the summer, and I got shit to do. Like this peak season, just like your husband, why does your husband go because he's fucking slaying the chickens right now. Right? Literally, he's got 75 turkeys and he's gonna cut the heads off. It's like, it's just, it's, it's wild. And it's like, you just don't know. It's, it's a small world, man. And it's like, it's cool. Just meet these rad people. Now he drives sausages. And we just got a shipment like, three, four weeks ago from them. So he drove him drove down with his son from from, you know, East Troy, Wisconsin, then hung out here, he stays in my house. And that's cool. But, you know, we just work together on stuff. And he only sources from small farms. He's just like, he's very clear. He's like, Dude, you can take your USDA certified labels, you can go anywhere in the US, they're gonna charge you more. But he's like, I'm here to support the local people. And that's what I do. So all of our sausages are just all only small farms in Wisconsin, all the cheeses that are in there, like handmade cheeses in Wisconsin, you know, shit like that. And it's like, that means something to me. Most people don't even know that most people don't even know what you're eating. We make our own factory sausages. And I was like, when have you seen a jalapeno? Chicken Gouda sausage? Yeah, it because it doesn't exist, because it's my recipe. People wake up, you know, but it's, oh, no, it's just there's, there's a way of doing it. Right. And he's just like, it's fun, because he's just a cool dude. And he's just like, he's like, you gotta send me a truck. He's like, you're in the wrong state, man.

Matt Sodnicar 46:49
He's Yeah. And it's and it's cool. And I'm

John Lawyer 46:53
like, and ever since then. It's just been a ride. I mean, we've had some really weird experiences. Like, he's a good hard to do where he's just like, he he's like, dude, shipping is gonna kill you always. Like I used to get like pallets and like a pallet off like on a refrigerated truck. And it was like, people like that price skyrocketed. You know, one way from there. It's like, takes a week and a half to get here. And it still costs two grand and shipping, you know, kind of stuff. And I'm like, so stupid. So there was this dude. Sounds like river bear meats and in Denver, but he was like, I think is a James Beard chef, kind of guy. But he was opening up a USDA certified meat plant. So went down there over the winter. This was like a number of years ago, right before COVID. When went down there, talk to him all this shit. They were talking for like, two, three months, you know, here's all my labels is what I'm doing volume wise and like, Yep, we're almost done buttoning up everything with our licensing with the facility has even opened facility. We'd be like, customer number one besides him making his own stuff for himself. And like, Dude, it was one week before national corndog day. Kind of a big deal. All right. Like, we were like, out of product.

Matt Sodnicar 48:11
What day is that?

John Lawyer 48:14
It's just happened. It's, it's in? It's in March. Okay. Yeah, it's, it's the it's always the first Saturday of March Madness. Okay, so it's not like a set day. It's just kind of like, this is what it is. You know, it's like, you can always look it up. Like I forgot when it's going to be the exact date just next year, but always a huge day for us. I mean, we'll do that's like 1000 corndog day kind of deal. Yeah. Lots of winners. But we so he called like, I call them just like, dude, like, I need this shit. Don, like, we're I'm sitting on nothing. And he goes, I'm not making your sausages. And I was like, what? Paul's like, do we even talk with three fucking months, man? Like, I have national corndog day I'm sitting on nothing. And he's just like, Yeah, we don't because I do a lot of chicken sausages, you know? And he was just like, Yeah, we don't want to do any chickens. Because with USDA certified plants, you have to shut down operations. You can only do one style of like beef one day pork one day. Like, you can't do stuff multiple days. And the guy that was gonna be running as facility like, virtual was like, we're not doing anything chicken. I'm not going to do that and just hosed me. And I was like, fuck, so I called my buddy in East Troy. John and I was just like, dude, this will happen. He's like, I can't believe that guy. That dude was like, I just want to be like, John because John's like this bougie sausage maker guy. Yeah. And he's like, I want to be like him because he's fucking legit. And he knows his stuff. And that no, no, and I'm just like, well, you're starting off in a bad fit, dumbass. Yeah. So it Yeah, and then so long story short, hopped on a fucking plane. Like, me, me and this dude, that worked for me. We drove down, never hopped on a plane, like, play three. This like three days before National Alumni day, like John just hammered out product for me. Then fucking flew to flew to Chicago, rented a car drove to drove an hour and a half north. literally ate lunch was John loaded up four or six duffel bags full of sausages all like 50 pounds at a time, you know, so he didn't have to do the overweights. You know, they're like 49 and a half 1000 Each bag like in drove an hour and a half, just all in one bag. I don't have back looking got back loaded up your damn, we had backpacks that were like, look and stuff for our carry ons. Dude, security was like a nightmare. Like, we got to search your bags.

Just like it's all sucks. I know. I'll

Unknown Speaker 50:49
get

John Lawyer 50:50
your hand off my wieners he was like, the guy was not having it. He was not impressed. And I was like, Come on, man. Every pack out of it. And I was like, Dude, it's tougher to pack it like that. And then, and then do me fucking hustled one day trip all the way down to pick up sounds like Smokey and the Bandit. Dude, he was fighting crazy. Nuts, like do the things we do for Windows is like it's kind of it saved us. It was like an emergency run of like certain dogs that we could get real quick. Yeah, just to make it through, like a month. And then we loaded up all these other products. And we figured it out from there. But it was just like it was that was a funny day. It was wild. Do you go like, fly to Chicago rent a car or the return on the same day? Like, I don't know if you've ever done that. But it's kind of like it's a really long day. Oh, yeah, it was long, but it's really not. It's the same length of a day. Yeah. I was like, What's this? Like three days?

Matt Sodnicar 51:50
He's just yeah, just the rental car portion. It'd be a nightmare.

John Lawyer 51:54
Holy, dude, I'm just gonna go fill it up with gas. I'll be back

Matt Sodnicar 52:01
we just like test drive

John Lawyer 52:02
and I just want to see how the tires hold up. Or hours later

studios like Ferris Bueller hearts the car. Take off. They're all fucking Joy ran the car.

Matt Sodnicar 52:23
Yeah, yeah, I'll do. I'll do the read please.

John Lawyer 52:32
permission.

Matt Sodnicar 52:34
Oh, I don't know. I leave all this shit. Yeah, this is how the there's gonna be a bad plan. There's other sausage gets made, man. This is

John Lawyer 52:45
awesome. All right.

Matt Sodnicar 52:49
Thanks, man. So then we'll probably come back to the corndogs but take me through Rama Rama mama.

John Lawyer 52:58
Ah, okay, so um. Rama mama

Matt Sodnicar 53:03
case, which was the was some of the best ramen I've ever had Did my daughter and I think I knew you from corndogs. But didn't know that was your restaurant. So I came up to visit my daughter like her sophomore year. And so we walked across campus, and she had actually told me about it. And we walked in and we still talked about the egg that was on top of that ramen. Oh, yeah. Fucking amazing.

John Lawyer 53:28
What's amazing is it's trying to trying to convince employees that fuel 150 kilos a week. Yeah, not fun when a price has gone through the roof either. Yeah. Yeah. So Rama mama started. The name the idea I wanted to do literally the exact same time with corndogs Yeah, I just sat on and I was like, This is too early. You know? And the thing about concepts are, you can be early, you can be late. It's hard to be right in that sweet spot. Yeah. So it was a project that we were working on for a long time. And I mean, my background is more Asian food anyways, and so it was just kind of it fit more. I want to have been wanting to do it for a really long time in my life. And so we just we sat on the idea is always there, you know? And then it was just like, just get corndogs rolling, get things expanding, figure that out. And then let's just keep trudging forward. And you know, we ended up working with this company. You know, there's like the Elizabeth Hotel. So in their parking garage, that's like right there there's like, in that alley is like it looks like it should be a little a little like there's some glass storefront kind of

Matt Sodnicar 54:48
stuff like the magic rat now, is that so? Yeah, yeah, we're gonna

John Lawyer 54:51
have to read his butt across that alley. Well, it's like literally at the bottom of the parking garage. There's like, There's doors and little mini garage door things that should go up and you're like, How come nobody pulled anything right here? That was gonna be my whole space. So I was like, Mick when he owns that. Building all that, dude. Freaking nightmare, man, two years of working with rectum McWhinney having meetings, doing architectural drawings, everything done, like everything, like, this is space does everything blah, blah, blah, they're gonna front a certain amount of money, you know, for tenant improvements, all this stuff and trying to be flexible trying to work with them, because they're like, Dude, we already made the money on the space. Like, we don't need anything to go in this space. Like, that's why nothing is in here. Because nobody gives a shit about it. And they're like, we just want something cool. That go in there. And I was like, when they they're all on board. I mean, I think I went through like three or four renditions of people that were like, in charge of the space, because it was taking so long, but it wasn't on my account. I was like, I don't know why it's taking so long. You know, I was like, dude, let's just fucking go. You know? And I was like, give me the give me the lease. Like, I'll sign the lease and then nothing, like literally ghosted. Like 100% Wow, for no reason. And I still don't know why. And I was like, Okay. This is super weird. And this is probably like, Kobe started and what? 2020 Yeah, so this was October 2019. kind of timeframe around there. In September, October is time and analysis like shit, like, this is, this is gonna be done. Like, I thought I thought we were gonna be signed open within the next like, six, eight months. kind of deal because everything like, everything was done. Like it was bid it out. Like it was. It was like it was bid it out three times. Like, everything was like supposed to be pretty legit. I was already buying stuff. And I was like, Cool. And then we were already doing pop ups. We're doing ramen pop ups. There was like a pinball Jones little arcade bar, like on campus west area. So we were doing pop ups for like, we were doing once a month. I think we didn't for like a year and a half. And they got so popular. We're doing them two nights. And it was like, Yeah, trying to trying to do ramen in a pinball arcade.

Matt Sodnicar 57:29
And corndog uses Full Tilt. Yeah,

John Lawyer 57:31
yeah, we have two trials rolling up. And we were doing catering to so the catering company looks like catering was also also rolling. So yeah, it was like in the popups were fun. It let us like experiment and go through things and work on different stuff. And we do a different ramen every time. But like electric little noodle boiler, like I was doing the bowls, like by myself, you know, we're doing like 60 to 80 people a night, you know, of just like, we would do seedings. And it was cool, because it was like, you pay a flat fee, you get ramen, you get unlimited play all night. You get like one or two free drinks, and then you get discounted drinks the rest of the night. So you can be like, hey, I want to eat at six. You can show that five play pinball for an hour. Sit down at six, eat your mill go back and play pinball and arcade games for SNA. And this is like, the only complaint we got was freaking weird old people that would show up because they buy tickets for and they're like it's loud in here. And I'm like Okay. Cool. Thanks. Wow, you know, it's pinball. Yeah. And then we would send out like, you know, reviews as far as like, you know, different aspects of it, trying to get an idea of like, you know, what, what we need to work on and I'll work on it, you know, people like stuff, we're doing the eggs different. We're doing like a, like a SUTI. Dag, back then, which is a little bit different. Like you can get the yolks right for the white swarm. And that was looked a little bit, you know, only fans ish, but

Matt Sodnicar 59:08
a little milky, perhaps. Yeah,

John Lawyer 59:10
so we were doing donuts we already had a lot of momentum behind us. People are like, dude, when's your place? Gonna have it? When's it gonna? When's it gonna open? And then when the building fell through, I was like, I was like, fuck it like we need to keep momentum there was somebody else that was trying to piggyback what we're doing with some ramen pop ups and I was like, bro, you don't got no game. You know? And then actually there's two different people in town doing Roman pop outs really starting to piss me off. And I was like, stop cylinder bucking thunder here man. So I was like, We gotta keep the momentum moving forward. Yeah, so So I bought the small chuck for like that that small. The new like the corndog is one that we just heard the rap on. I used to go smoke. It actually it wasn't that it was quite nice before that. It was wrong. It's a little like this little truck. So I bought I bought this truck. Already had a new one. boiler an automated noodle boiler that I found on a Denver which was like the exact one I was going to buy for the restaurant anyways, and it was just ironic that I found it and I picked up like foreign boxes or $5,000 like noodle boiler, like Jinja like important from Japan. And I was like, Dude, I I converted it into propane, not suggested very sketchy Donald's gonna die. It was probably the single most scariest thing I've ever had to do. As far as like converting anything else is like this is sketchy shit. Usually you just buy a conversion kit for that brand. But that didn't exist no English on the entire thing you know, like well, Home Depot parts here we go. It was pretty wild, but it worked. Yeah, we squeeze that into it did all this stuff man and it was like built out that truck super quick. Had it I think we had it running crossing the North in 2019

Matt Sodnicar 1:01:00
I think I remember that. Like first

John Lawyer 1:01:05
first event and that was back when they're still doing the Friday nights I think what No, maybe it was just Saturday we went to load in

Matt Sodnicar 1:01:10
was it New Belgium or by the Toyota dealership now?

John Lawyer 1:01:13
There was a New Belgium Okay. So but this is the funny thing. I bought the truck. It was the only truck that I didn't build out like it was it was already built out truck. It was licensed in Denver. They had a store in Longmont. So I went down there and I know enough mechanically. I mean, I grew up in a car family. So I was like, you know, test drove and I was like it's misfiring a cylinder. Probably a bad plugger wire. You know, guys, I got all the maintenance records in a frickin folder like this thing. And then, you know it all just like but there was no like dinging there was no weird sounds, it was just misfiring. So it was just like, it's probably something simple, you know? So get back. And then, you know, I pick it up like I lowball, like seven grand, you know, and they're like, Okay, and I was like, shit, hell yeah. You know, drove it back. You know, replace the plugs, replace the wires, still doing it? No, Mike did a compression test, no compression, one of the cylinders. And I was like, probably at that valve. Goddamnit. So draining everything, pop the head off, flipped it around, and I was like, Valve looks fine. Look in the cylinder and 25% of a piston is missing. Drop the oil pan and it's cleaned. And I was like, these motherfuckers took it to a machine shop or to a to a mechanics. And they were like, they did that they did everything that I did. They dropped a lot of hands. Like dude, you need to replace this engine and the airpo like, Fuck it, put it back together sell it. And then they lied about it. And they're like, we have all the maintenance records except for the last one.

Matt Sodnicar 1:02:48
The big

John Lawyer 1:02:50
one. Yeah. So yes. So I was like, fuck, so I saw I was like, ordered and I just found a piston on eBay. Just got one visitin put her put new ring puts the rings on it slap that bitch in. Literally like we had to be loaded in. It'd be loaded in by like, four o'clock. Like on Friday at New Belgium. Yeah. And I'm putting the engine back together. Like I finished bolting it together and putting fluids and at three o'clock.

Matt Sodnicar 1:03:25
This is like Formula One shit.

John Lawyer 1:03:28
Literally, like, like we prepped everything. Nothing was on the truck. Everything was prepped sitting there. And I'm like, drove it around the block. And I was like if bucket drives loaded up. Let's go Let's go. Like a team's loading all the food in and I'm drilling the like the the shelf on the outside. I was like, Oh, I get it. All right. Let's go. Got it there at 14 Republican slinging noodles. Are we doing the stupidest thing? Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, we did that. That was That was interesting. That's a such a small charter run such a complex menu off of and it was just brutal. And then yeah, and then the space came available. I knew the guy that had the restaurant there before. We ended up doing business together and started a donut company and then started talking about that, but a lot, man a lot. And then like, but yeah, and then we once we opened up the restaurant and after like a few months of no restaurant, it was just like, dude, let's just ditch the truck. Turn it back in the corndog. Yeah. And then the restaurant was just kind of interesting, because

Matt Sodnicar 1:04:46
how long did it go? There's at least a year right?

John Lawyer 1:04:49
What we ended up versus three, three and a half years. So we opened during COVID though. It was like in 2020. August of 2020 is when we opened it August 1, virtually so it was yeah, like we just had it as a pickup window so you can just walk up to the window and just pick your food up you order online.

Matt Sodnicar 1:05:08
Oh yeah.

John Lawyer 1:05:10
didn't even touch the touch the front half for like six months and then did all the build out stuff. It was a it was such a disgusting it was like a vegan restaurant before and it was so gross. So gross. Oh my God, it was bad. Like I was like fucking deacons it's like how do you how do you make anything taste good? I don't know fry everything. Everything was greasy. Everything was just caked nasty shit the dishwasher Damien fucking work. It was like the wash cycle and the sanitizer didn't work. And I was like, bro, doing anything. Rinse Aid does not clean shit. Okay.

Matt Sodnicar 1:05:56
drying the ice fishing

John Lawyer 1:05:58
had a fan on top of it. And it was like there's so much like, oil in the air because they fried so much stuff that it just cooled. And then like dripped down the edge of the ice machine and into the ice bin. So when I drained all the ice out, it was like, full of oil. I was like

dude, there was like, a hold and mouth shit everywhere. It was freaking gross. It was it was a rough go. There's a lot of cleaning. Well, yeah. It wasn't a fun experience. But you know, I'm good with my hands. So I built that out. And during that time, we were catering for the city. So well, it actually wasn't the city during COVID They were there are housing that let they let a lot of homeless people stay at the Aslan center. Okay, so they were like all that skate park and stuff is that's like that building. Oh, yeah. Like right on the corner of cherry and yeah, of like cherry and in college. Like, well, not on the corner. Right there. But like, so they had we were doing 150 meals twice a day. And it was a contracted thing out. You talking about hard to do. All right. COVID shut us down. I was like, I'm gonna go bankrupt. I'm fucking done, then. And then it was a it was a trifecta of like, we would do like, move donate like a nice dinner for like homeward Alliance and stuff like that, like every year. So we've worked with them before. That was home and alliance, the mission and Catholic Charities and the mission in Catholic Charities. Like if you ever wonder why there's a lot of homeless people in front of New Belgium, it's because the mission is on is on the corner, while there's Catholic Charities is almost across the street. And then the mission is on the other one. And then one does, like launch everyone does. And so they just walk between them. So there's like this little homeless corridor right there. You know, and so they're like, Hey, how do we like minimize the footprint everybody? Well, let's all the cities like Nolan's 1007 Let's they can stay. We can house 150 of them there. But there's no kitchen. So we have to like cater the stuff in. And I'm like, the fucking missions two blocks away, bro.

Matt Sodnicar 1:08:19
Yeah, give

John Lawyer 1:08:20
me a break. And then so they call me like, hey, like, do you want to do this? This deal? And I was like, Well, what's your budget? And I knew they do that was already helping this other cater guy. Not really fond of him all that much. But he he was already doing stuff. And I was like, fine, he can just keep lunches. I'll do breakfast and dinner. And do like $4 for breakfast $6 for dinner. And I was like, bro, packaging alone is like 78 cents. All right. Yeah. This is like them to like it and use the individually packaged meals because it's COVID. And they're like, all at first they were just like, well, we want to look at options of like having your team like run a buffet. And I was like, that's not a fucking option. I'm sorry. Like, no, I'm not going, you know, buffet during COVID for transit and homeless people that you that don't give two shits about like maintaining social distancing or anything. Yeah, I'm like, because you get sick once you're done. It's like, contracts over, you're out here like and I was like, we're not going down that aisle. Like we'll drop it off. Like, I'll push the fucking thing inside for you. Not gonna touch anybody. Like and yeah. And they're like, alright, we'll do it. It'll be it's a two week deal. It's like alright, I I called a couple other food truckers that I know that were like, bigger debt, bigger operations. And I was like, maybe you guys can help out and it keeps the lights on, you know? Everybody bailed on me. Then I was like, I have no intention to undo this myself. And I was like, me and two other people. That's it. And I was like, All right, I guess it's us. Well, good thing. It's only two weeks. 68 days. Straight, straight 68 Geez, we did over 20,000 meals for individually packaged.

Unknown Speaker 1:10:21
Oh my gosh, it

John Lawyer 1:10:22
was a learning experience on volume. Yeah, the cool thing is right at the beginning, it was like all our distributors, shamrock Cisco. They were doing they were firesale and shit. Because all the restaurants shut down. So they're so sure. I mean, their warehouses are like, three football fields put together. It's like they're huge. And they're just like, whatever you want. And I was like, dude, I'll take 500 pounds of that. 500 pounds of that. 500 pounds of that. And I was like, Dude, we got so much. It was like a week's worth of food. I was like, I was like, it's like, you just sit there and you're like, you think it's a lot? And it's really not, you know, it doesn't go very hard when you're feeding. So 300 meals a day, you know, it's like, hey, you know, and it's rough. But you know, we figured it out. It took us a couple of weeks to actually get into a good rhythm, like, you know, doing biscuits and gravy, probably not the best thing to start with. And I was like, Oh, like this homemade dinner, whatever, whatever protein stuff leftover and we're rolling them to the frittata for the morning. It's like, you figure it out. But it was yeah, he kept the lights on, you know, kept, kept the bills paid to a degree.

Matt Sodnicar 1:11:35
What were some of the menu items they said for Tata biscuits and gravy.

John Lawyer 1:11:39
And we did all kinds of shit, dude. enchilada was like, breakfast stuff. And we do. We did a lot of like, we got down to where we were doing pretty much three different breakfasts a week, and that was it. Okay, rotate now. Yeah, you know, we do it for Todd, we would do like a, we do a breakfast sandwich, you know, we would do a breakfast burrito. You know, and then, you know, we had friends that were bored. Now we're just like, sitting at home not doing anything. And they're just like, dude, I'll just come down to like roll burritos with the eyes of your runs. One of them are like, sure, you know, it's like getting volunteers and we'll fight why we have any final numbers today. It's like this. And then dinners were kind of same meal. I mean, those ones like I just did breakfast. Like, we would set stuff up because I was building out the restaurant and I was building out by myself. Because like, the other people were just doing the homeless meals. So we were like, I was like, Alright, I woke up at four in the morning, every morning. And drive my boss drove down to the kitchen and, and pull everything out heat everything box, every all these 150 individual stuff, you know, somewhere on the inside, load everything up into where they need to go and then drive the box drove over drop them by 730 Then I'd go home, drop the truck off. And then one of my employees come and pick the truck up on their way down to go to the kitchen later in the morning. And then I would go to the restaurant and just like and this was before we even opened and it was just I just for two months. It's just like cleaning and working on stuff and building stuff. And I had to redo all the wiring to do everything and that whole place. And you know, that's what I did. bed at eight o'clock. Rinse and repeat every day she real, you know doesn't kill your matrix. Wow.

Matt Sodnicar 1:13:31
So what ultimately led to you shutting down Rama mama.

John Lawyer 1:13:37
It was a mix of a couple of things. I mean, at that point we had, we had one corndogs shop because I got rid of my original truck. I took it to Tennessee ran it during COVID a buddy that had a brewery on 85 acres. So it was like the only place I could have concerts in that state. Oh, he's like I can social distance 5000 people. And yeah, so we took it there and then ended up selling it instead of bringing it back. So we we really were down to one truck, one corndog each truck. And then my turn the small the ramen TRAQ went to a corndog strike. And I was like I want to do something different because I'm a workaholic with add notes. It's like, sure I need another fucking toy. You know, like I started the little smoke concept, which was it piggybacked a lot on ramen, the Rama mama slight concept of flavors and stuff, like chili oils and stuff like that we're already making for the ramen shop, as I can piggyback that and just smoke meats and do things like that, and then just have a whole different concept that was a little bit more meal oriented a little bit more like, could fit some of the breweries as far as meal options instead of just for dogs. Because it's like, you know, cool dogs workout certain breweries, but not other ones. And a lot of breweries they want like more meal full meal options, and I'm like, just eat more wieners I don't know I have to do we literally had somebody like a couple of weeks ago we did a we did a lunch at Walker manufacturing because we like going they do these like training seminars for sales reps. Dude, this dude ain't fucking 10 He five plastics and five jalapeno chicken Buddha's 60 inches of wieners. business lunch. I was like the bro. I know it's free. But yeah, that's a record. It was like, Oh, I can wiener Slayer man.

Matt Sodnicar 1:15:37
Give them a t shirt. Oh

John Lawyer 1:15:38
shit, dude, it

Matt Sodnicar 1:15:39
was Wow.

John Lawyer 1:15:40
It was well, but anyways, yeah. So. So we were doing that. And then yeah, we have a catering company. So we had Rama, Mama Lucila catering, little smoke through chalk and corndog. So we're running for. And then over time, like, we never really had the issue that a lot of people are having with employees, you know, the aspect of like, you know, shit, like, oh, they don't show up to work. And, you know, like, we never had a hard time hiring people for over half that half of COVID. And then all of a sudden, just that that last year was like, it all came full swing onto us. And then I was just like, Oh, shit. Like, we have a problem. And I knew it was just because, you know, we're already stretched so thin. You lost some key employees that just decided just abruptly

you know? Like it quits on social media showing that like your managers and stuff like that, and you're like, what, like, you

worked for me for seven years? What are you doing, you know, just stuff like that, you know, it's like that whole, you know, quiet, quitting kind of mentality. And so we lost some people that and then just trying to hire some people hiring the right people is always hard. You know, and it's, you know, and we just, we dealt with it, but it was it, we're just stretched too thin. And it was gonna take a toll on my wife and I really had to leave. And we were just like, it was nonstop. And I was like, dude, something has to change otherwise, like, our relationships not gonna be relationships. Yeah. Like, it already wasn't, like, I was so stressed out, something was breaking at the restaurant, at least every week, I was having to, like we scheduled and I've never seen more people sick and men entire lives. And I was like, I don't think you guys are sick. No, they weren't saying. Like, we took people that were making 1415 bucks an hour, and they were clear in 25 or 30. You know, and, and I was like, great, they're gonna be loyal. You know, we figured a system out where tipline was good, everything, everything worked. You know, we took people that were, you know, that we just felt what would fit and I everything did work. But I didn't think of one. One minute little thing. And that is, if you take somebody that's paying their bills, and they're making 15 bucks an hour, and they're living, they're like, yeah, man, I've got my pack of cigarettes a day, you know, and they're paying all their bills. When they make 25 bucks an hour, and they don't want to work. Their bills are already been paid. They're just not gonna work. Because they're just like, dude, I'm bankrolling money right now. You know, right? You're making 10 bucks more an hour than what you work. You know, you're making an extra 350 400 a week, you know? Like, they're just not gonna, not going to do it. Yeah. So that's what that's what happened. Like, everybody would just like every week's fucking cabinet cover shifts, like I'd go on. Like, I go down to the commissary because we happen to make everything at the commissary because our restaurant was too small, we could make a rummer out there. So we made everything at our other kitchen on the South side of town, and transport it over. So I spent all my time there. I was never at the restaurant. And then, like, I'd go there, be there helping suit, do prep, organizing that ordering food, all that stuff, go and do a lunch, don't do a lunch or dinner event alicorn is and then go and help close a restaurant. You know, and it's just like, fucking brutal. Like, I think I work which way is up? Yeah, because like minimum that whole summer is a minimum, like 80 hour work week minimum. I was pulling 100 hour 110 hour work weeks all the time, and four days off in five months. And I was just like, and most of the time, it's because it's a fucking holiday. Right? And it's just like, I was just taught I was just done. And I was like, Dude, it's it just burnt out. You know, I remember we were running corndogs at a good guys car show. And it's like Friday night. It's like Friday, Saturday, Sunday show, right? Friday. It was like not the best weather. Saturday fucking rained all day. Sunday was gonna be the only nice day and then we couldn't find any employees. And it's like, zero. And it was just my wife and I and I was like, It was supposed to start slinging it like 1030 1030 or 11. He was like 11, I think it was at 1030. And I was like, because a big good take a shit because you're not going to get off this truck. The next line next week and five hours, you're not getting off the truck. And she was like, Okay. And it was just her and I, and we did this thing, this thing about hard work, right? Like, we take cool on all of our businesses, you know, and it's like, you can make good money, like corndog is the average, our average base pay is what the tips and everything is $30 an hour. And it's like, that's $60,000 a year. Yeah, we have a hard time hiring adults. Like, I'm in high school kids working on our flight controller 30 bucks an hour. Like, my own kid is no call no show on Father's Day, one year. This sucked, sucked, you know, but it's just like, you know, like, my wife and I hammered it out. And we did like, a $4,000 fucking day, sell on a five to $6 product for like, $500 in tips. And I was like, I don't need any fucking employees. Fuck these people. You know, I for lack of a better like, but that's like, it's frustrating because you get people like, I don't want to work. I don't want to do that. I don't want to do this. And no, I'm busy. And they just, they just don't want to work. And then they complain about their money. You know, they're like, Well, I'm broke. And too, we had so many of our employees that were like that. They're like, I can't work more than 25 hours in a week. I just there's too many hours for me. But then they would complain about money. And I'm like, you're working three days. That's it. You work three days a week? Yeah, a fourth. But I don't want to. I think that you should like I feel 100% True conversation. I feel that you should just pay me more

Matt Sodnicar 1:21:56
for those three days. And I'm

John Lawyer 1:21:57
like, how about you just No, no, I don't care if you leave right now. Like there's the door. I don't really care. Like you're making more money. You've made any job that you have. And you don't you don't want to work because it's too hard for you to work. Like I just don't. It's just too much work for me. But you should just pay me more. I was like, Why? Because you're a great employee. You call in sick once a week? You Yeah, it's those. Like, I think I think the one that hurt the most. I mean, at this point, we were already the restaurant was already sold, like not sold, but it was like we already committed everything was done. I was just going through some leasing bullshit stuff. Cuz we had to get out of our lease early. All that stuff. And there's this. There's a lot of weird drama and all of our employees this new they're like they knew that SJ and I were just working so many hours. It wasn't even funny, but you need to take a vacation. You guys need to downtown. Just go go go. And we're like, alright, well, our anniversary chip is in October rods, right? We're just leaving for a long weekend. We're just going out in New Mexico. You know, four days. Half of our staff. They don't they requested that weekend off. And they were all the ones that were like you guys need it. You guys need to trip you. This is really good. I'm glad you guys are taking your trip. Done it. I did. Everybody's like, Dude, this is so awesome for you guys. You guys deserve it. And then they all like literally we ran with almost nobody. We were calling favors on friends to come in and work. And I was like just to keep to fucking business open. They don't like to I suck. At this point. None of them knew that we were closing at that time. Yeah, at the end of the year. And I was like, I was like I am. This makes me 100% Comfortable over. Yeah. Because of this situation. Because like, we care a lot about our employees. Like and like our employees don't give a shit about us. Like they kind of do. They're just like, You guys are cool bosses. Yeah,

Matt Sodnicar 1:24:04
that's about it, but I'm not gonna help on your anniversary. Yeah, they're just

John Lawyer 1:24:09
fucking go like, wow, you know, there's a concert I want to go to,

Matt Sodnicar 1:24:14
like, a dead tribute.

John Lawyer 1:24:20
Yeah, it's, you know, so it's like, things are starting to change. And it's just like, alright, well, let's want one of the things that are the most stressful that are going on. Like, let's just feel that way. When we had the power to do it, it's not like we're and that's the thing. I think that was the only benefit about having so many businesses. It was just like we had we can pick and choose what we wanted. You know, so we're like, let's let's dump the restaurant that unfortunately killed a little smoke truck because I'm not going to just make all this little nuanced shit, just to make and then we'll go back to having to corndogs trucks which we definitely fucking needed. Because, you know, having one truck was just brutal financial way for us, you know, and then especially when it breaks, and then it was down for three weeks of the year that costs about $20,000 in lost revenue. So yeah, well lost profit. Yeah, it was brutal three, three, the Primus weeks in the in the fucking season. So that sucked. And then yeah, and then we just were like, let's just go back to corndogs and catering and then we'll pick our catering, cut out, cut out doing any weddings and just focus on trying to focus on bigger events, you know, we already locked into to Steamboat, you know, which is coming up. So a week from Saturday. That's like 900,000 meals, and then then we come back down, and then we do then we do Funko fondo, which, at this point based off registration, I'm guessing probably going to be about 2000 meals of those, they were really pushing towards more than 500. So but you know, and then and then we picked up steamboat gravel in August, which will be 3000 meals supposed to be 3232.

Matt Sodnicar 1:25:59
So mind boggling, yeah

John Lawyer 1:26:01
to do the funny thing is like they were like we had we had a meeting with this fall with this lady that she does more of community outreach kind of stuff. And she was just like, was trying to see if there was a way that you can work with like local farmers and ranchers and I was like, here, let me I'm gonna paint you a picture.

Matt Sodnicar 1:26:20
I was like, here we go.

John Lawyer 1:26:21
I was like, I want to serve one ounce of kale, which is like a small handful of kale. You know what else? All right. 3200 meals I need 200 pounds of kale. Is anybody up there growing 200 pounds of kale. That'll be ready. And it has to be washed clean prepped for me. She was like nevermind. Exactly. I was like I need 1200 pounds of chicken. How many birds are up there? farmer has 25 pounds is that no my bucket not enough. 100 pounds of boneless skinless chicken dies. All right. sighs only a man after the thickness. No, yeah. So so we just scaled down to this and, and it's already happier. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I am happier. I just wish that we just saw a year like no drama. But there's always some fucking drama in this industry. Yeah, it's mostly I mean, it's blowing over now. But it's just, we just always end up in these super stressful, frustrating situations. And that are a lot of times out of our control. You know, it's like the building that we're in. And, you know, blue ocean owns it, you know, the Richardson's private chef, quote, unquote, needed a kitchen. And, you know, and I'm like, bro, like, this kitchen is not available. I'm fucking using it. You know, I pay like, $3,000 a fucking month, like, like to have my own kitchen. And this is like, not a fucking option. He's gonna move in. And, by the way, this is in two weeks. And I was like, why have a tenant that's in here? Well, you have to kick her out. And then I'm like, Oh, cool. So the Richardson's who have godlike money, they got an OtterBox is what like I can $3 billion company, you know, and they're the sole owners of it. And blue ocean is a subsidiary that sits above it. It's the parent company. And only these people have their own fucking Island. You know? It's like, legit, I mean, have a 650 acre fucking ranch. They have their own old elk distillery, you know, like, and they literally have an empty restaurant on the base floor of the Otterbox building sitting empty for two years. I'm like, use that fucking kitchen. Be like, Nah, dude, we're just going to come into your kitchen. And as oddly, like, not that great of a kitchen. There's not even a fucking window. I gotta people. That's been weird. You know? And I'm like, it's it's little stuff like that, you know? It's like, they just, it's super stressful, you know? And it's an it. Oh, no, it's just, I just want to show my kindness like, give you money. And you just, I just want to run my business man. Yeah, and it's, there's a lot of slight, there's a lot more to it is it's like a lot of like little drama nuances. But at the end of the day is just rich people doing rich people shit. You know, they don't really, as much as I'm like, I don't really care what charities they have and all that good. They do around the world. Great. That's all surface value shit. Real people, people that care, you know, by the actions that they physically do. And I'm like, hide from them Richardson's aren't coming down here and telling my renter that her business doesn't care. And that they're just like, Well, no, we need to we need our special meals every week because we don't want to cook ourselves. It's eigen Shetty. It's shitty. And it's like, these people are real. They literally like build your own kitchen. Like to like, but we own this building. And we bought this building for the company that's on the other side and he doesn't pay rent. So, no, we're gonna come in here and do this and we don't really care about you. Like he was like full autonomy, he can come in and do whatever. They're like, hey, we want to throw person like if I'm in there prepping for you know, steamboat, gravel. 3000 people. Normally I need this kitchen, I'm like this my day. I'm like, in here, do my thing. And he's like, Well, sorry, ma'am. Nancy. And I went to lunch get together with 100 people, then you're gonna boot me out if he needs a room. And I'm like like, it's like mind boggling that people are so cold hearted in this world that it's it's like it's wild to me. I'm just like, you guys have so much money. But yet, you guys like, oh, we do so much for for women and children. And I'm just like, how about other just normal human beings? Like our budgets like surface value? Like your Are you that kind of a person? It's just, I don't know, I just I have a hard time believing that those people aren't really like that. But they are. You know, and this is, and it's tough being on the bottom, you know, I'm just the shit Ghana. And I feel like I'm somebody getting that shit.

Matt Sodnicar 1:31:13
We're talking about that. The other day we were talking about there was somebody I knew that she works for Headstart. Right. So that's giving early education for underprivileged underprivileged families, right. And she's got stacks and stacks of data that if kids have safety, and education and food and all this stuff that that fixes so many problems downstream. But it's not sexy. launching rockets and going to visit the Titanic is fucking sexy.

John Lawyer 1:31:49
Right rocket launching, I mean, nothing sexier than a phallic looking rocket. You just right? I mean, Bezos got something going on, except for his shit never works. Right.

Matt Sodnicar 1:31:59
But to your point about, like, what they could do with that money is that like, you could do something that is somewhat invisible, that would have a better impact. But it's just I, I wish I had the money to like, understand that, since it's like, not give a shit. And it's like, oh, I want what I want. And like, this is what I'm gonna do. But it's different world, man. Do you

John Lawyer 1:32:22
ever think about like, I'll think about the field today. I mean, I've thought about this a lot over the last number of years. And as I get older, I realized like, how easily I'm triggered on bucking society. But like, like even politicians, it's just like, I mean, we don't have to go down this path. But it's like, like, when one day after that, should you debate that Biden calls? Let's take you back to your crib. You know, I just like fucking embarrassing, but it's like, oh, you know, the next day and 24 hours, he raised $14 million. And I'm like, who's giving this pocket money? Like, I won't even see a million dollars in my life. I can make a million dollars pulling from like, if I had a million dollars, just straight cash in the fucking bank. I ain't working for the rest of my life, right? I'm fucking frugal rice and beans, Mitch. You know, it's like, no, these idiots are just like, Oh, I got 14 million in a day for my campaign. And I'm like, fuck, man. You know, it's just, it's just wild. And you like run into people that are like, Oh, dude, I don't have enough to live and I make like, $400,000 a year and I'm just like, Where are you living? What are you doing? It's, I don't know, man. It's weird. I try not to get caught up in that shit. But

Matt Sodnicar 1:33:42
tell me about cooking for Obama, speaking of Biden and all that.

John Lawyer 1:33:47
Yeah, it was it was a fluke, more than anything. So I was in I was in Springfield, Illinois. moved there. I still don't know why, but ended up there. I was like, How does any respectable human being and up and in the middle of Illinois. Oh, you're dragged down by a woman. All right. That's why No, and I this is back when he was a senator. You know, I live in the Chicago but they all work in Springfield. You know? Don't make sense of that. But yeah, he I worked at this really small place. He was called as a lunch places called Ventos. And this was like, the owner, his wife and me. Sometimes we'd have one other person helping, you know, usually that person would cut themselves on my knives, but you know, and all we do is like bento boxes and like salads, you know, and it was like, super fast paced, like, you know, just really, really basic, really simple, decent food. You know, I mean, it was, it was good, but he had a really good following of people. It was fucking crazy. We did mass volume in like, a two to three hour period, you know, like, I think I was averaging like 120 Salads a day. You know, just in one bowl, just like bar five it was a lot. But um, yeah, and he used to come in and just like get, like, I remember like the first time that I saw him it was like, like he can't and this was like small like when I say small we had two tiny ass tables, I have this like, nothing is too tiny. If I can tables, it's like three and a half foot tables, three foot table on the inside. That was it was like, eight people can sit on the inside. And then we had some tables that we put outside. That was it. Like, there's like standing room only is kind of bullshit. Super, super small. And, and he came in it pre ordered food. Because most politicians, they just pre order, you know, they'll just call in an order or whatever. And, you know, they usually have their slums. Slum people come in and pick them up. But, and it was like, and he was just hanging out. And I was like, Hey, dude, like, like, Oh, we got it. Because it's, it's all open, just like one fucking just open kitchen just right there. And we're just screaming at each other, you know? And, like talking to customers, and they're always just like having conversations with us. And it's while we're like trying to work and it's fun. I love it. Yeah, I love that kind of environment. And I just was striking. I was just like, Oh,

dude, like, what's your order? He's telling me I'm like, Ah, shit. We find that out. Sorry. He was like, he's like, Oh, no, man. He's like, he's like, Dude, you

guys are awesome. food's great. You know, blah, blah, blah. I didn't know who the fuck is, you know, and I'm just like, oh, and he just stood there. And, you know, we're just jibber jabbering back and forth for a while and blah, blah, blah. And, you know, give him his food, fucking out the door. And he was just like, we can you know, walk out the door. He says like, transgenders. Like, he's like, Oh, dude, you guys are awesome. Thank you so much. And I was like, they do way to like a half hour. I can show these gentlemen. Super nice guy. And he came in a few other times. You know, the next like, couple of weeks. And then, you know, always super, super awesome, super nice, dude. We always just like, like, myself, and my boss and his wife. Like, we're all in the same boat. Like, yeah, we knew he was a senator. And we knew that like he was he was in politics, whatever, because fucking everybody was, you know, on one format or another, but he was just, he was just a nobody, which was, like most people. I mean, we weren't following politics that heavily you know, and next thing, you know, it's fucking Democratic National Convention. And he's fucking given the keynote, bucking the dress, watching on TV on and then it was just like history, and then he's fucking just blew up. And then yeah, when he did his, he announced his presidency. Like, when he announced he was going to run to be president was in Springfield, like, he was like, I was I cooked this like a month for him. And then I went to the rally, feel like prepped, it all got all set cooked everything. You know, my boss did the drop off, you know, but also, if I can drop it off, man, I'm like, I'm thinking I'm gonna go down to the, to the rally. And like, you know, because it was like in the old capitol, like, they're, like, old capitol building and stuff. They have like the new capitol. And then they the old one that like Lincoln was in and shit. So it was like, in the lawn of the old capitol, which is like downtown downtown, which was like, catty corner from that restaurant and I worked at so that was old school. But yeah,

Matt Sodnicar 1:38:19
I mean, small world, he because he subscribes to this podcast

John Lawyer 1:38:29
Well, that's the thing. It's like, it's like people like that, like, I don't really care, you know? Yeah, it's cool. I cook for a ton of different politicians, people on Time Magazine and all this fucking dude, there's a bunch of weirdo politicians in Illinois, especially in Springfield, you know, because that's where the Capitol was. Yeah, ya know, and, and I'm like, dude, like, you know, I forgot this dude's name. But he was he was indicted for all this shit. But he was like, he was like, I remember he was like on the cover like Time magazine because it was like all these like top people that were indicted one Was this his name on top my tongue but he was like, he I think he like, like, siphoned like, 10s of millions of dollars off of like, the teachers union or something crazy. This fucking wild, but like, but like, he's a combination of like, and I used to, like, make these spicy tuna burgers, you know? And he loved them. And he was just like, every time he'd come into the restaurant, like the fucking indicted ones here, get my spicy tuna Margarita. It is funny, man. It's like him. Like I've met it, like different famous people here in their little stuff. And I'm like, honestly, I'm like, I don't care. Like yeah, like I truly like it's cool. It's cool. When you meet somebody that's like, that's like that. You're like, Oh, dude, especially if you know beforehand, you know? What I'm just like, at the end of the day, I'm nobody to them. And they're really nobody to me. Right? I'm like, my gonna be like could take a picture with you and post it on my wall and be like I met this person doesn't really care cool, you know the great people band, but I don't have a relationship with any of them. Any of those people. Yeah, I relationship with the people that are around me like with you and the regulars and those are the people that care and those are the people that matter to me. And I'm just like, great. You got recognition cool. Going. Like, this is like it doesn't it doesn't really matter much to me. Yeah. So I care about the love of people. Because I'm a little person.

Matt Sodnicar 1:40:32
Cheers to that.

John Lawyer 1:40:32
I'm a little person. I can't choose you.

Matt Sodnicar 1:40:35
I get I got a splash. Cheers.

John Lawyer 1:40:42
Did you run into like for our podcast? Oh, yeah. This

Matt Sodnicar 1:40:44
is like Joe Rogan, man.

John Lawyer 1:40:47
Everybody's like this dude. Like

Matt Sodnicar 1:40:51
he's. So this is a last question. Have you been to Alinea, dude, because let me let me tell you my story. Let me tell you my obsession with I gotta get a beer. Okay. I'm in. Yeah. So. So Chef's Table. I saw the Chef's Table with grant. So love that. Yeah, I'll do a read. Thank you. And then his business partner I forget his name was on the Tim Ferriss podcast. So that spoke to me from like, the technical side, just being in tech and being an engineer, right. They talked about the, the reservation system that they did and selling tickets and all that. And then I read his book

John Lawyer 1:41:36
because he really started the reservation, during that ticket sailing off of this other restaurant that he opened, okay, which was called, oh, he was doing menus that was time, like location and time era based. Okay, London, 1760. And he'll do like two months of that menu. Yeah. And then he'll be like Tokyo 2040. Ya know, like, futuristic, kind of, like, different, you know, molecular gastronomy stuff. You know, it really, really cool concept. But, but that was where he came up with that whole idea of doing we're going to sell these like, it's like we're selling tickets, like on Broadway, where it's, yeah, you want a matinee? It's going to be cheaper. It makes you want prime time. It's gonna be a higher, higher price.

Matt Sodnicar 1:42:26
Yeah. And I love that crossover, like from sports and entertainment to restaurants, right like that. That almost said paradigm shift. I almost use the buzzword like, you know, thinking outside the box. And so for listeners, like I believe it's life on the line by Grant Achatz, right. And then Alinea and like Chef's Table, like, look into that, but so back to you is a

John Lawyer 1:42:52
wonderful book is fucking great. Oh, I love it. Yeah. And that, and when I was talking about like, weird flavor pairings.

While I was talking about it, there was excuse me how to fit your drink. There, there was this dish that's, that's in it, and it's a mosaic.

And it has like, all these different sauces. And what he does is he like, he makes all these different sauces, put some stabilizers in, makes them all super, super fine. But then he freezes them all, like, individually, like on a sheet tray. And he does his dish, I want to say what's with lamb, I'm not 100% Sure, I can't remember. But, um, but he has like, the meat, like on the plate. And then what he does is he takes like, they break all the, all the sauces when they're like on a sheet and they they crack it like it's like, like candy, like like sugar, you know. And then he takes those pieces, and he lays them kind of like overlapping each other, and then puts them underneath the heat lamp. And then they, by the time the meals ready to go out and the meats done and put on the play, the sauces are kind of heated up, and they melt, but they look like like stained glass kind of Mosaic or mosaic types. You know, and it's like, what the flavor is. And it's like you read it's like three pages of recipes, you know, for one, one recipe. And it's just like, and I look at that, and I'm like, I'm like, Oh, I never would have thought about putting that sauce with that. And that sauce. And then does that go with that? You know, and it's like, and that's what I'm talking about, like with that Rolodex and I specifically always remember that specific dish for some reason because I think it just the color variants of it. But it's a great it's like his main cookbook for Alinea is fucking awesome. And he pissed off everybody in the house I love well in the molecular gastronomy world because because like El Bulli was still around, and they're in Spain, normal restaurant the world. You know, Alinea was number one restaurant in the US at that time, you know, and, and like, elbow Bulli, you know, you have, you know, the undress brothers, and they're, they're doing their own thing, you know, and they're like, they're the pioneers of molecular gastronomy. You know, and they're hammering their own shit out, but like to get their cookbooks, they release their cocoas, like, three years after those menus are done. And their cookbooks like $500. Like, straight up like, dude, they're, they're like, not like very light. And there's a whole, like the fat dock like and all these other like molecular gastronomy places, they sell their cookbooks for between three and $500 apiece. And they do it on purpose, because they're just like, hey, we're prestigious for Michelin star places. And it is what it is, you know, and here comes I can crack as it's like, not an amputee box. You know, and it says, All the same techniques, everything that everybody else is doing this just in a beautiful book. The pictures are fucking phenomenal, ya know, and, you know, and it's like, and it's, it's just, it's unique, and it's inspiring, and it's just like, you know, but because I was like, Man, I always wanted to noble a cookbook, but I was like, I've got an extra like four or 500 bucks, just chillin around. Yeah, you know, like, making 30 grand a year. You know, it's like, back in the day, it was just it sucked. You know, so I can never get my hands on that stuff. But, you know, it's more like it was gastronomy. He's just fucking interesting and weird. And yeah, I was, I was working on that shit years ago. It was hilarious. I got deep in it, like 20 years ago. It was, it was wild. I was doing like molecular gastronomy shit with sushi, which was fucking like, cutting, like, what? Like, like, what? Well, you know, you know, meat glue, right? No. So well, it's transglutaminase. So it's, it's a part of bonds proteins together, right? So back in, I think was like 93, the FDA or whatever, you know, USDA, like, allowed it to be sold to the general public when it used to not be. And I don't really, there's like one company that makes it that like, originally, that created an immediate, and this all happened based off of WD WD 50 in Washington, DC, widely to friend at the time, like, you know, Michelin star kind of kind of place, and he was doing molecular gastronomy. And he, like, I remember reading this, this magazine is like, and he made these shrimp noodles. And it was like 100% shrimp, but they're in a noodle. And I was like, fuck numbers like, fuck is he doing this? Then they started they leaked, it was like all meat glue. meat glue knows of sock about about like, meat glue, or, you know, he's because nobody knew how he was holding it together, you know, and they're just like, I don't care. They don't get it. And, you know, virtually he would make a make a shrimp paste, put it in a whipped cream dispenser, fill up these little silicone tubes, you know, with the stuff and then he would blanch them like in hot water and then pull them and then he would take an empty whipped cream dispenser, put a little put on the other end shoot the noodles out the other side. But they're like, how's it holding it together? So he came up with his like, going to find out I was like digging around on like doing like weird fucking small group chats of people just trying to find what the shit is. And I came across somebody that was like, no translate muteness. And then I started researching that found the company. And then I like, was like, on their website, and I was like, request sample product. And this dude called me like, two days later, and he's like, who are you? Straight up and he's like, I shit you're not. He was like, he was like, dude, like, who are you? I'm like, my name is John. Oh, my guy. I'm a sushi chef in Springfield, Illinois. And he's like, and he sent me some samples. And he's just like, dude, like, I literally only sell, like, I've sell it to chefs. And one was wildly differing. And he's like, wow, literally, nobody. Like, it was like I was a fucking first person outside some Michelin star person that figured this out. And I was like, How is this even possible? You know, when he was like, Who the fuck are you? What are you doing? I was like, Do you I'm doing sushi. He's like, are you gonna be at the food show next month and Vegas? And I was like, No

no, like, I was like, I can't even afford a new chef jacket. What are you talking about? He was just like, Dude, you gotta be just dicking around and doing all kinds of fun weird stuff.

You know and and having a good time and then just like you know, like I was I was like glue and fish together. You know? And you know, it's an interesting product. So if you don't know anything about it, and listeners can probably have them talking to you. I don't know what rocky been living under, but it's how they make chicken nuggets. Oh, so it bonds proteins together, right? And chickens out. It's the pink slime is what everybody called oh right now gets if you've ever seen a video of that. I don't know if you have I have. It's really gross looking thick. It's

Matt Sodnicar 1:50:08
like a big extruded tube coming out, right? Yeah, it's just like this

John Lawyer 1:50:12
pink freakin slot and it's a cake because it's all Dude, I don't give a shit what anybody says from a business standpoint chicken nuggets top of the fucking like food chain of the most brilliant products ever. All right, you got to think about you carve out all these chickens you've taken out all the meat everything all the way down all you're left with is a carcass and bones with some meat fragments and fucking fats and shit that you're just going to discard cuz you don't have anything to do with it. So they really literally created a billion dollar industry off of

Matt Sodnicar 1:50:42
that shit. Yeah. scraps.

John Lawyer 1:50:45
It's like less than scraps. Yeah, you know, so what they do is they they just grind all the bones and any leftover meat products all that shit, you know, crap and then they dumped in fucking translated mayonnaise in it. And a bonds all the proteins together they probably put some more some of it and maybe a little bit of chicken stock powder and something that I didn't like and then they blend all that crap into there and then they push it through a fine mesh little see if you get all the all the product like bone specs and all that bullshit off. And then it's just a slime that comes on it's pink because there's bone marrow, you know, and then they can form it. That's why you have dinosaur chicken nuggets. Because it's that's why when you chicken nugget, there's, there's bubbles on the inside and you're like, I've never seen a bubble in a muscle. It's not a muscle. It's a fucking sponge. All right, it's a flavored sponge. And it's an industry man and it's fucking brilliant. So and a lot of like big producers, like you know, scallop companies, things like that, you know, they're mass producing dog big ol scalps and they're like, oh shit, this one's ripped a little bit. You sprinkle a little bit of this stuff on, fucking push it together pack it with all the others. After fucking for six hours, the bond proteins bond and they stick together and seamless. Like in bacon wrap Falaise without a toothpick. Wow, it's fucking crazy. I was gluing different fish together. I was doing rainbow McGeary like a rainbow. It wasn't even for gay pride. should have been. I didn't even think about that. I'm already late. That was four days ago. But yeah, now you buy the shit on like Amazon and stuff. But yeah, it's it's cool. Like, I mean, shrimp chips. You know, that's like the first thing I meant because I was like thinking of like, oh shit noodles, I go do something that's kind of similar, but slightly different. And yeah, you know, blend out shrimp. And like, there's different formats of it. There's like, powder form, like, they're on powders, but like you can like how you use them, you know, there are different aspects, you know, so kind of just think of like a cornstarch slurry on this one. And so I can choose a weight based but you know, and I just added some to blended up shrimp flick and put it into like a cylinder and like, packed it in, let it sit overnight. And then just plop it out in a jelly fuckin, you know, like, shrimp, circular mold, I have froze it. I've put it in the freezer, let it freeze about halfway through three quarters away. And then I put on a meat slicer and a slice it in the chips and put on a dehydrator and then dehydrated. And then I just did like smoked paprika, some salt on them just 100% little crispy shrimp chips without frying them, you know? And it's just like, you can do some really, really cool fun things. And that's the thing. It's like, you know, like you different people in molecular gastronomy world just started taking that stuff and just started incorporating it, doing different things. It's like a wild man. Yeah, it's weird. And it's funny because like, sometimes, like when I do like private dinners, like, I'll bust out some shit that I was doing 20 years ago. And it's just like mind boggling, people. I was like, Oh my God. I was like, how are you? Man? I was just like, Dude, I don't even have to do anything. It's like, I'm just repeating the same bullshit that I've been known for 20 years, and people are still just blowing loads all over it. And I'm just like, it's, it's kind of it's a weird thing. And I'm like, oh, no, I think at that time, in all reality, I don't really talk highly of myself. But I was very, very into, like trends and cooking and styles and pushing and pushing, pushing myself. Like, I was at home working on different stuff. I was just like, every moment of the day, I was just like, in like the world of like cooking and just trying to follow us. I was always on different top end restaurants, fucking websites and trying to see what like the trends were, you know? Yeah, I was like, fucking Central Illinois. You know, it's like, it's like so far behind, you know, and I was like, I was pushing the envelope and trying to do fun cool things, you know, and it was I think some people appreciate it at the time, and most people are just like, it was like confusing for a lot of people Sure, just like, but I didn't really associate the timing of things. And this thing when you have to, you're almost like, I was literally 10 years ahead of where anybody was at that point. And because all I was trying to do is match, I was trying to be like, a year behind, like, for top restaurants in the world, and I'm like, but they're fucking four years ahead of everybody else, you know, and it's like, that's why they're in the position that they are and you know, and it's, it's wild. It's like, they say, Oh, I'm just doing dumb shit. And people don't understand it. Like, why are there Pop Rocks on my sushi?

Matt Sodnicar 1:55:46
Yeah, can unflavored Pop Rocks, just for the sparkle?

John Lawyer 1:55:51
can call the fucking firecracker roll unless it blows up in your mouth. Think I could think of one company that makes them their, you know, their own fleet and the cool you can replace them? That's the best part.

Matt Sodnicar 1:56:07
So dude, I gotta tell you I knew this was gonna be high energy and a ton of fun and I totally been what I said before is that the the depth and the passion of what you do is such an amazing surprise like hearing the the journey you've been on and the hard work and all that it's just it's it energizes me and it's such a cool surprise and such a cool feeling. So I'm thankful for doing this. Yeah,

John Lawyer 1:56:35
anytime you want another free fucking meal sorry for all bad language.

Matt Sodnicar 1:56:44
We'll just won't post this one on Disney but that's

John Lawyer 1:56:48
unprofessional I'd love to talk to HR but it's my wife. lets me talk to her inappropriately it's a lose lose for everybody.

Matt Sodnicar 1:57:01
So where can people track you down? I know it's corndog he's on Instagram, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cornell

John Lawyer 1:57:07
ease. We're on Instagram Facebook.

Matt Sodnicar 1:57:12
About the catering look skillet fingers crossed we

John Lawyer 1:57:14
might be on only fans with corndogs soon

Unknown Speaker 1:57:21
it's helped me count

Matt Sodnicar 1:57:23
me in what

John Lawyer 1:57:25
the QR code on the side of the truck is like I don't know. Yes, we got it. We got it. We got to lock it in. I'm just trying to get my wife to do it because she's just like, she's like well no, you download the app and on the gentlewoman to download the app onto my phone get a burner phone. Oh, no. No comfortable with that. Yeah, so Oh, yeah. Corn doggies. Dude, our Instagram is fucking hilarious. Oh, yeah. My wife does a great job. I mean, she makes me wear the stupid suit half the time and

Matt Sodnicar 1:57:59
makes you makes you come up. There's some

John Lawyer 1:58:02
days I'm just not in the mood. And honestly, those are honestly usually the best videos is when I'm like, fuck this stuff. ends up being the best video. Yeah. Oh my god. But it's still it's she does a good job. Yeah, like naming all the dogs giving BIOS RAM all of them. Did you even see that's

Matt Sodnicar 1:58:25
I've had so many cards.

John Lawyer 1:58:28
It's like, yeah, you're gonna see like, literally every corner that we have. They have their own bio, on a picture and a backstory. And then she like, made their whole little picture. Like, like Fritz's the footlong you know, he's a basketball player. You have the Nashville the Nationals like eight inches. You know, it's like it's Nashville long hog. And it's like, and it's his name's Billy. And he has like a fucking Gunslinger and I tell what happened. One One cowboy boots, stick to just stupid stuff and actually made one of them have ABS and I'm like, that's weird. Just stupid stuff like that. But yeah, just a lot of fun. Yeah. And then we post our schedule, when we're at when we generally don't post posts are not private events, because we do a ton of private events a week. But yeah. So we'll do corndogs on both of those. And then, yeah, let's go to catering. So just necessarily catering.com But, you know, we we get to pick and choose, but we're trying to focus more on just during the cycling events and the bigger stuff. So why we sponsor individual athlete with our catering company, and then we sponsor a cycling team with choreography. So, you know, trying to keep our feet in the in the cycling community as much as possible. Yeah.

Matt Sodnicar 1:59:49
Well, the best corndogs I've ever had hands down.

John Lawyer 1:59:53
My wiener has been in your mouth.

Matt Sodnicar 1:59:57
Cheers to that.

Holy shit,

John Lawyer 2:00:09
like, just they don't pull the trigger. And it sucks because they're scared you know? And then you see the flip side and you're like there's some dumb fuckers out here with businesses. You're like god you're you're like a cluster fuck all in one just pushing the ball down the road you know, and you don't care that's my that's my biggest pet peeve about my industry now is just filled with people that don't respect the trade. That's it. Zero respect. Fucking food truckers. I make everything from scratch. Oh, yes. included that guacamole is in a bag and I can see through your

Matt Sodnicar 2:00:50
fucking classroom. Your mission tortilla.

John Lawyer 2:00:54
Like the fucking cheese sauce and pretend team that I watched you buy this morning at shamrock like that from scratch? Yeah, no, you don't make anything from scratch. You focus on seasons that you put on your chicken inner beef and shit. No major shift from scratch. Like literally like 95% of everything. Fucking Rama mama from scratch, though I think thing we didn't make was our bread for our bunnies. Our noodles and our dumpling wrappers. And the tofu. I mean, we soaked the tofu we did our own shit with the tofu both, like physical, you know, but it's also saying I didn't I didn't I didn't make the towel. But it's like it's idealogue. We made everything every sauce and chili Oh fucking everything dude like

Transcribed by https://otter.ai