Above the bridge
Above the bridge
Episode 152 CORY VIDINHA ( Owner Whiskey Smoke 808 )
What happens when pandemic isolation meets a lifetime passion for cooking and a community built on genuine aloha? For Cory Vidinha, it sparked the birth of Whiskey Smoke 808, a barbecue restaurant that's become much more than a place to eat—it's a testament to family, faith, and the enduring spirit of old Hawaii.
Growing up in a family where men were exceptional cooks and processing their own meat was tradition, Vidinha always dreamed of owning a butcher shop. But life took him in countless directions—commercial diving, carpentry, truck driving—as he raised four sons with his wife, whom he met when they were just teenagers. When COVID shut down Hawaii, the enforced idleness sparked depression in a man who'd never known anything but hard work.
The turning point came when Cory and his sons built a massive stainless-steel smoker. What began as a way to keep busy evolved into making food for struggling friends, which then blossomed into a booming backyard business with cars lining his street. "I didn't even understand social media," Vidinha laughs, recalling how friends helped him create an Instagram account that would launch his business.
Whiskey Smoke's journey from backyard to brick-and-mortar showcases the best of Hawaii's community spirit. When Cory couldn't afford the deposit on his current location (the former Fresh Catch building), the local family who owned it gave him three months rent-free to renovate and start earning. At the grand opening, strangers helped carry in tables and joined the family's prayer circle—a chicken-skin moment that epitomizes why this restaurant feels different.
Beyond exceptional barbecue, Vidinha brings another passion to the table—his 15-year career as bassist for hardcore band 13th Legion, which has toured Japan and beyond. This artistic outlet complements his approach to food: "What you're tasting is our love—for the food, for people."
Come experience barbecue created with genuine aloha, where communal tables invite strangers to become friends and every bite reminds us that even in our darkest moments, community can help us create something beautiful.
Aloha, welcome to another edition of the Above the Bridge podcast. I'm your host, thaddeus Park. I apologize for the last three weeks of no episodes. I've been in the mainland for my daughter's volleyball tournament, had a tournament in california that we got to go to disneyland after, and then last week I was fortunate enough to go watch my favorite band, metallica, play at 49er stadium. So from here on out we should be all right. I will take a break next month for my wedding and I'll probably take a week off, but other than that I should be smooth sailing for a while. So I appreciate you guys being patient. If this is your first time logging into our show, thank you. You can find us wherever you get your podcast. You can find us on Spotify, apple pod. Honestly, wherever you get your podcast or YouTube channel, please like, subscribe and leave a comment. It matters and I appreciate you for taking time out and checking out our show.
Speaker 2:Aloha, okay, this week my guest is somebody I met through one of my other guests, stephen Kino, who did a pop-up shop at his restaurant in Kaneohe. I got a chance to talk a little bit with him and he kind of inspired me a lot and I really wanted to get this guy on my show, corey Vindina. What's up, man? He owns Whiskey Smoke Right on. Hey, thank you for coming on my show. I got a small chance to talk to you when Stefan was at your place, bro. Bro, you guys saw that thing. Oh, I was. I was so impressed. I drove by the first time and I was like, okay, I'm gonna come back because that line was past the bus stop yeah, but it was crazy.
Speaker 1:Right, that was. That was a crazy day. Um, yeah, but stefan was, was super stoked. We were stoked to do it with him. You know it was. It was funny.
Speaker 1:Like, leading up to it he was kind of nervous. He was kind of like, hey, bro, what you think? Bro, you think people gonna show up for that? I guarantee you're gonna show up. And he's like, well, maybe like, maybe like 100 people, 150 people.
Speaker 1:I was like, cousin, that's it's saturday, bro, like for us, like 150 people, 150 people, like that's a slow Saturday. So, bro, this place is going to be packed. And like he was like, no way, bro. I told him because, for real, like choke, people want to see you, choke, people want to try your food, you know. So, yeah, bro, and then when, like things was banging, like he was trying to, he was trying to hide in the kitchen, almost he's like what you guys need, but you need help, I was like, no, bro, all these people are here for you, dude, like go out there and meet people, take pictures, sign autographs. They're all, all here to see you. It was crazy, though. It was like, yeah, I had had two lines, one up to the top of the block by cohipa and the other. Oh, wow, like, yeah, down down, almost to like like yogi building oh wow, because I said I'm gonna give it.
Speaker 2:About a hour and a half before I even go check it out, I drove down and the line was past the bus stop. I was like, okay, I'm gonna go home and I'll come back in a little bit. That was the benefits of living in Kaneohe. But more power to him. That guy is one of the most humblest guys I've met and very appreciative. And yeah, it was cool to see the support not only for him but for your restaurant as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, we, we absolutely love stephan, but he's such a beautiful human being by him, his, his wife, just I mean I can't say enough good stuff about them, brother, just unreal beautiful people. So humble, appreciative, you know, but I mean like that was a couple months ago and and and he, he still hits me up all the time. He's like bro, I appreciate you, I love you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's like yeah, bro, you know, that's just what we do, you know yep, that's the, that's the vibe, that's that's what uh, hawaii is built on, and to see it. That's pretty cool. I think it's super cool and, because of him coming on my show, I went to go see him in person and I got to meet you and, bro, your story just tripped me out and made me feel really good. It made me super happy that those kind of situations happen in Kaneohe, where, where I'm from, where I grew up and yeah, you don't hear about stuff like that too often at least I don't and I really wanted to get you on to have you share your journey, your story, and have people hear all the great things that's been happening with your hard work and effort, with you and your family and your and your restaurant yeah, bro, I mean I can go super far back, man, like um, I like to say it kind of almost started when I was a little kid.
Speaker 1:You know about, like um, you know just the whole butcher shop thing. Like, for some reason, when I was a kid I wanted a butcher shop. You know my family, we all hunt farm like that. You know where we process our own meat and all this, and I just I always wanted a butcher shop. And then you know, fast forward a bunch of years. You know school, and then you know I had kids pretty young. My wife and I were very young, I was 16. She was 15. You know, yeah, bro, so kind of had to put all those things aside, you know, and like, through through the years I I still thought about it too because I was working a lot.
Speaker 1:I was, um, I went through the, the psychological battles too. I guess, like, just, you know, I'm, I'm young, I guess I'm young, I'm supposed to be doing this, that and everything, but I'm cracking my ass working, trying to do school and whatever. I'll go back a little bit. I remember there was this class in school. It must have been in the eighth grade or seventh grade or something. It was like this vocational thing where, where, where you took this test and and they, they run it through the computer, this or whatever. Then and they tell you what, what you're probably going to end up doing when you grow up you know what I mean and like mine was like entrepreneur, business owner. I was like what is that, you know? But then, like going through life, you know, we had our first son when, like we was 15, like that, when, like it was 15, like that um, and then four years later we had, we had one more um, and like I always thought about that.
Speaker 1:I always thought about that, like I wonder if, if that thing was real. And if it's real, like when is this gonna happen? Yeah, like when can I, where can I like stop working, you know? But and I found out quickly that that's not the truth, but anyway, so yeah, bro, like just just grinding, but it's working. You know, I I've had other businesses try different things. You know, some, some of them was pretty successful, but um it I I didn't feel like it was really what I wanted to be doing, you know, so kind of sold the business or just shut it down or whatever. Plus, I wasn't. I wasn't very good at running a business either, I was just winging it, you know so kind of had had troubles with the IRS oh okay, yeah, I've been there before.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bro, like what is this GE tax? What are you talking about? But I was young, you know. So, yeah, I was working, working we had our four kids, know, my wife and I, um, and then we had our our so first grandchild, her grandson zachary, and like that got me thinking a lot like man, like what am I doing? You know what I mean. But I was, I was kind of stuck because where I was working, I was working at this like this little, like this poke shop deli type of situation it was. It was pretty cool, but I I kind of, I kind of I kind of hit like my ceiling, I guess, like there was no more room for growth for me over there. Hit my ceiling, I guess there was no more room for growth for me over there.
Speaker 1:I've worked in many different kinds of kitchens, many genres of food. I've also done all kinds. I was a commercial diver, I was a high-rise window cleaner, carpenter, mason, I drove trucks. I did so much stuff in my life just trying to find my thing, I guess you know, and at the same time just trying to trying to feed my family, you know, um. But yeah, so I was, I was working there and I. I I liked the job, but I wasn't happy because there wasn't any more growth for me. I didn't see me climbing the ladder. I was at the top of that ladder and I didn't like it, but I couldn't leave because of my customers.
Speaker 1:Basically, I'd have kids come in oh, uncle, uncle, how you, yeah, yeah, pick up this today and these kids, like I saw them when, when it was in their mom's belly, kind, you know, and it's like how do you, how do you walk away from that? You know, I mean you, you like, you know, form, form relationships with people and like, yeah, you know it would benefit me financially and others if I, I walked away and found something better, but then I'd be walking away from all these relationships. You know, understandable, yeah, and then, I think, understandable. And then COVID happened, you know, and like I've never not worked. You know, I've always worked. I've always been doing something.
Speaker 1:I was raised very strict, very hardworking parents, very strict, very hardworking parents. You know, my, my, my pop would wake us up early to take care of stuff before school. You know, we, we, we farmed and stuff as well, so we had to take care of the animals and all this. And so I grew up working, you know, and then when COVID hit and everything shut down, there was no more work and at first I was like, cool, I can take a break. Yeah, bro, can hang out a little while, cruise on a couch, even the whole thing being young parents and struggling. I don't know if I want to call it struggling. You know, like my, my, my parents was there for us. My family was there for us big time.
Speaker 1:But still, like you know, we, we had to go through the young parent stuff and you know, we, we, we got our own apartments and try to do our thing for ourselves. We'd fail, we'd go back home to mom and dad's house. They'd go try again. You know what, um, like I, I, I wasn't, I wasn't there for my sons as much as I wanted to be, you know, I mean because I was always working, hunting, doing whatever you know, and then there was music as well. But so, okay, cool, I'll go home, hang out at the college watch TV cruise with the boys, you know, and whatever. That lasted a couple weeks and I started getting grumpy because, like, I can't sit on the couch, I don't know, I don't know how to sit on the couch and just watch tv. You know what I mean it's like. After a while you watched everything on netflix and you know, tiger king at that time there was stuff.
Speaker 1:I don't even know what I was watching. It was just like just staring at the idiot box just because there's nothing else to do, you know yeah, um but yeah. So then, like I started getting grumpy and stuff and I you know, and like my, my, my wife pointed out she was like you know, I like I, I think you're going through some stuff, I think you're kind of depressed a little bit.
Speaker 1:I was like no way you know I'm a guy, I'm rough and tough. You know I don't go through depression, I'm a dude, you know. But yeah, no, I was totally was. I was getting like emotional. So you know it was like, yeah, like you know, I have to work, I have to cook. You know we was like, yeah, like you know, I have to work, I have to cook. You know, I built a huge garden, because that's what you people do when you're going through a pandemic. I guess you know we had our chickens and stuff, but still it wasn't enough. I had to cook. Like I've always loved cooking.
Speaker 1:All the jobs I've done in my life, I always went back to the kitchen, you know, um, so my, my boys and I decided we was going to build this big smoker. It was this big cabinet smoker, I think. I think that they mentioned it was. It was all stainless steel. There's a long story behind that, though. I don't want to get into what, um, but I'm gonna.
Speaker 1:My, my brother was gonna build this outdoor bathroom, like, I guess, for camping. Like he got all this box tubing, every duty and he wanted to build like this outdoor shower thing or something, and then he gave up. He gave up on. He's like, bro, you want this thing. I was like, yeah, I'll take it. So took it. It was like seven feet tall, maybe three feet wide by four, four foot deep. Brought it home. He's like we're gonna make a smoker out of it. It's gonna be the biggest smoker we'll ever need. So, yeah, bro, it was we, we, we spent I don't know a couple weeks maybe just working on it. I had, I, I had stainless steel sheets, cut all the stainless steel, put it up, sealed everything off, made racks, all this, yeah, but it was pretty epic. In fact, I, I still have it. It's still at the restaurant, like we, we, we keep it around just to kind of remind us where we're the roots yeah yeah, bro, for real, you know um.
Speaker 1:So yeah, bro, and then it was like okay, cool, we got this big smoker and like we're high, high-fiving, you know high-fiving you know grunting and growling dude stuff. You know man shit, yeah. And then it's like, well, now what are we gonna do with it? Like um, we're not gonna cook dinner you know, feed the block down yeah.
Speaker 1:So it was like okay, um, a friend of ours had a bunch of venison, a bunch of excess there from Monokai, oh nice, so you know. So we were kind but we, like you know, started doing sausages and stuff it just, I mean I've always smoked meat, always made sausages, my family always, we always got together, together, you know, but we made smoked meat, make, make sausage like my whole family thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bro, we, I, I grew up doing all that stuff. Not a lot of the stuff I'm doing now I wasn't doing then, you know, it was more local style country style you know, uh, we, we, like you know, hunt, catch pig, make, make sausage, make smoked meat, you know.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, but we started making sausage, you know, and just keep giving away whatever guys guys like buy it Cool, giving away whatever guys like buy it cool, we sell you a sausage 10 bucks, whatever, um, and then, like you know, but we start started doing like ribs, we got all this smoker, we gotta fill, you know, yeah, there's nothing else to do, so, yeah. So then, you know, but we was, was making pork ribs and whatever. And then at that one point I was like, hey bro, let's, let's put you on party, like I know, we're not even partying more, we're get together just friends, because you know we're on lockdown. I haven't seen my friends, I haven't hung out like, hey bro, I have a big backyard but I just made this smoker. Uh, come over by, we grab some beers, that's just great.
Speaker 1:So you know, friends, come over, my brother guys and we, you know I would, I would make some pork ribs, make some briskets and stuff. And he'd hang out and was kind of becoming like like a normal thing. And I was telling him, like you know, like I, I knew people that, not that I was rich, I had all kinds of money or nothing, but I was doing all right, you know, um. But I had friends that like they were struggling before covid, you know, and, um, and like they, they were struggling even worse during COVID. So they called me right, maybe I'd come over party, grind that out, you know, and like some of them was all like, uh, I don't have anything to bring, but I'll bring that. I get everything, you know. So, just, you know, I I have, I have all this meat and I need people for eating and like I need, I need, I need to be around people too you know, to kind of keep my sanity, but so yeah people start, yeah, like god, over our word.
Speaker 1:We're, like you know, pack creatures, but, like we, we need our act. We need our yeah, our, our people around us, you know I agree so yeah.
Speaker 1:So like then, like you know, our guys, like you know, started telling me like hey, right, you should sell this food, dude, you know, because I I started making all the briskets and pork butts and all this stuff and it was, it was growing, but I was doing, you know, one, first a couple butts, maybe three, four racks of ribs, some beans, all that, yeah, but it's like every every week, sometimes twice a week, and then, like I would, I would tell my friends like hey, do you guys know anybody that that's struggling, that that that could use a nice big free meal once a week? You know, come over, grind, take home food. You know, just like that's you, that's kind of like me trading you. I'm going to trade you food to come hang out with me.
Speaker 1:That's super cool. I need people. So then, yeah, these guys is like he's like, bro, you should sell your food Coming from restaurants automatically. I'm like hold on, I'm not going to open one restaurant. I'm crazy.
Speaker 2:I'm getting away from that.
Speaker 1:Everything is shut down. Dude, I went to my own spot that nobody can go because everything is shut down. It was, it was all like no, but you, you, you get Instagram. You post some Instagram. What is that Cause? I don't, I don't do computers or social media.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like back then I, I, I didn't even know what it was like. I, I, I, I knew what facebook was, you know, like I didn't even do the myspace thing back in school probably. Yeah, all my friends into myspace and, like god I'm going.
Speaker 1:I wouldn't be in a mountain, bro, I'm gonna be surfing that's your space, yeah bro you know, so yeah, yeah, they're all like no, bro, if you just make a video, you take pictures, whatever you tell people, hey, I'm going to be making this and you can buy them on this day, this time, and they will come, like what it's crazy. So yeah, bro, life you're just crazy. So yeah, but they did, they'd help me out. Um, made, made the made the page asked me but like what you like part of your business? I was like I don't know, I didn't even see it as a business. You know, it was more of a hustle. Um, so, like you know, I, I, I had, I had whiskey barrels.
Speaker 1:I had all these old whiskey barrels that couldn't use anymore. That was kind of kind of like past their prime. So, like I would, I would break them down and actually throw the staves into my fire when I was smoking meat. You know, I mean, it changes flavor a little bit, but it was just more of a means of into my fire when I was smoking meat. It changed the flavor a little bit, but it was just more of a means of just getting rid of the barrels. Dad and I loved whiskey so I was like let's call it Whiskey Smoke, it's a good name. We were doing Whiskey Smoke 808. They built them and everything. Yeah, like it was that easy.
Speaker 2:The name came to be I was gonna ask you how you came up with the name yeah, it was just one of those things, right, just it just worked, I guess you know.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, you know, I, I like, I like whiskey, I like smoking meats and I was throwing my old staves into the fire.
Speaker 2:I like to shout out our sponsor, defend Hawaii. They've been my sponsor since day one. If you go to their website, defendhawaiicom, you can see their new first drop for summer. They also have a store in Winter Mall called no One. Go visit them now. Go visit their website. Use promo code ATBPOTUPON Check out, you'll get 15% off your whole purchase order. So load up your shopping cart, get a big order and you'll get 15% off whatever you order. Go check them out, defendhawaiicom. Aloha.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, right, we did that and like bro, like my street was like lines of cars, bro, for real. Yeah, bro, it was nuts. Yeah bro, we'm on a road, bro, in the back of a, and like my neighbors, they'd be like, hey, what's going on. I was like they're selling food, I'll give them food and all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 1:And then it started growing so I went into like restaurant mentality I was like, okay, I tell my wife, look, we have to get some refrigeration, we need, we need freezers, we need this, we need that. So we started ordering all this stuff amazon, you know, whatever and um, yeah right, kept growing and growing. It was like crazy and I'm like doing all these stupid videos. You know, I don't know how to do videos, but I'll just, you know, make make some food video on my phone and post it. Yeah, it was like nuts and like every week it was growing, getting bigger and bigger. And then it got to a point where I told my wife I was like, hey, like this kitchen table gotta go because I need some more refrigeration. She was like no, bro, like you're done, like no, but you're going too far. Like you know, like I'm losing furniture in my house because you know, and I didn't understand my house because you know and I didn't, I didn't understand what the problem was.
Speaker 2:So I'm making money and I'm doing something fun yeah.
Speaker 1:So then the kind, well, my, my, my best best friend, this guy, mike, was also the singer in my band, like the kind, but we used to drink together a lot before. Yeah, he called me. He's like, hey, Bob's had closed down. I was like what do you mean? Bob's closed down? No, bob's down in the bar. So I was like, oh, bro, bro, that sucks. And he was like, no, bro, they had closed down and there's a full kitchen in that building.
Speaker 1:I was like, oh see where you're going yeah I was like, okay, so they going closed or they closed? And he was like I'm pretty sure they closed and I thought that they owned the building, you know so. So yeah, but I actually I went down there and I told the owner. I was like, hey, bro, like I hear you had closed your business, and said, yeah, I was like hold on, like this is what I'm doing and I, I think, my food, like beer and barbecue. You know, hand in hand.
Speaker 2:Yep definitely.
Speaker 1:So I was kind of like what if you help me get my business growing and I help you secure? And like at first he was like uh, I was like you know, here's this tramp food man, try, takes. Yeah, bro, he took a bite of their brisket. He was like bro, when you want to get started? I was like okay so. So first I gotta get legal. I was, I was a legal, I wasn't a legal business, yet you know.
Speaker 1:So, like we had to, had to go through all that stuff and everything llc and the trade yeah yeah yeah yeah, bro, like luckily, like, like my, my, uh, my uh, so good, good buddy's wife, like this, this, this guy, this uh, uh, it's called joe flores. Joe flores, like he's my, my like hunting partner, he's like my like spiritual guide, like if, if I'm going through through stuff, um, like I, I call him, you know brad, and like we like kind of actually go over scripture together oh nice like try to try to try to figure out Strengthen each other yeah.
Speaker 1:It's easier to go to somebody that's on the same walk. You know what I mean when you have these problems, because other people they either won't understand or they'll look at things in more of a worldly way. Eh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, so. But his wife, like that's what she does, like she went to college to do all this business stuff. So, yeah, we went to their house Like hey, this is what we want to do, and she drew everything up for us and set everything up and that was basically the birth of, like, whiskey Smoke 808 LLC.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. I didn't realize it was birthed out of COVID.
Speaker 1:That's kind of a cool story coming out of covid yeah, no, but I mean like really, and it like, um, I, I I almost feel bad saying it, but like kovid was, was kind of good to me, it's kind of good for me, you know, and I mean a lot of people died. I got family and friends that in fact the, the, the person that pushed me the most, like bro, you gotta sell your food. But kelly, kelly olamala, he, he used to own own talk about it with his wife. Yeah, bro, he freaking passed away COVID, you know. Yeah, so like that was another big thing too, because he kind of got to the point where I don't want to say he was irritating me, but he was kind of irritating me. He would call me. He would call me like 2, 3, 4 times a week. He's like so what bro, you start your business here, or what? So what bro, you going to be selling food, or what it's like? I don't know bro leave me alone.
Speaker 2:He's like bro, your food is so good.
Speaker 1:I don't know about like you know for real. Yeah, he always tell me he's like bro, your food is so good. Bro, I love you, bro, I fucking believe in you and I know that if you do this you're going to go far. But you're going to make a lot of money, bro, you'll be, you'll be happy because I mean, I see you happy whenever you're cooking.
Speaker 1:I see you happy whenever you're smoking meat, you know he's like bro, I don't know what you're going to do after everything reopens, but I hope it's this. So, yeah, bro, so like he was kind of the one pushing me to do everything, and then when he died, it was kind of like shit. Now, like I, kind of, I, I, I, I have to go all the way with this, like for him, because he, he, believes in me so much, you know. So, like his, his, his, his, his picture has always been in our kitchen. Right now there's a picture of him in our kitchen and a picture of him in our dining room. Nice, and, like you know, my like boys, like every morning they go in, they'll open up and, bro, it's always high five the picture.
Speaker 2:Hey, uncle, good morning, you know that's super awesome, but sometimes it just takes someone to believe in you to spark.
Speaker 1:Spark that fire for sure yeah, you know it's, it's and it's. It's not like um, not like I. I didn't believe in myself or something like that, but it was just. It's like I have a family, I have, you know, four sons and I have a grandkid. Now, like we don't know what's gonna happen, the world is shut down. Yeah, you know, like, do I really wanna, wanna take a chance like that? You know, you know, but especially with, with, with, with food, like um, if you want to fail, if you want to lose a lot of money, get into the restaurant business, I mean before too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bro, it's, it's, um, it's, it's, it's. It's a hard business to make it in, you know, um, like you, you have to stand out and you gotta always be in people's faces, you gotta you know it's, it's. It's so easy to fail. Yeah, in the the. Uh, you know food business, yeah yeah, well, you start.
Speaker 1:So you started out at Bob's commercially once you had your LLC yeah, yeah, and then that that lasted um about a year year and something maybe, but um, um lot a year year and something maybe, but um, um, I'm not gonna get too much into it, but it was it, it, it didn't end yeah, very good, yeah, there was dramas and stuff, um, but also, like you know it's, it's a, it's a bar.
Speaker 1:You know I, I don't, I don't, I don't really drink no more. You know I, I used to drink a lot years ago and I just um, basically stopped. You know um, although I, you know, do, I do have you wherever, but I got less of whiskey every now and then or something, but you know I don't like throw it out and party.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you don't get lit, but you drink a little bit of whiskey now and then, just to keep the name relevant.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, the thing is is I love whiskey. I genuinely love whiskey. This is going to sound horrible, but I've been drinking whiskey probably since I was like 10 years old, like 9, 10 years old. You know, that's just how my family was. I think most local families are like that, but more with beer and stuff. Yeah, my dad was like hey, hey, hey boy, grab me a beer, you grab beer.
Speaker 1:Oh boy, dad, I can sit there take a seat you know my, my papa, great grandfather, like he, he loved his whiskey. So there's always a whole top 100 and I just I, I liked it, I just liked it. So, just being there, like with all the the bar shenanigans especially a bar like that with its reputation that plays quite a reputation like I was watching my family not be so happy because of all the drama, the fights and whatever, just bar shenanigans.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, man, I started hitting a point where it's like, yeah, we need to either get our own spot or shut this down because, like, I'm not gonna continue doing this if, if, like, if, like my, my, my wife and kids, you know, aren't happy. Yeah, you know one because, and most importantly because they're not happy, I want them to be happy. But secondly, because, if, if they're not like they, they were, my staff, basically, you know, call them that like it was legit. Just my, my, my wife, my three boys, you know, their girlfriends, that's it, you know. And if they're not happy, they're not going to put out good food.
Speaker 1:You know, the food, our, like I pride myself on our like, I, I pride myself on, like our food. You know, people ask me how is this so good, how is your food so good? And first it's like, oh, thank you, I'm super glad you feel that way. But I tell them you, you know, whatever glad you feel that way. But I tell him, but you know, you know why, like for real, because because I I didn't love, love you, you know, but I like, and they're like, huh, like, yeah, bro, I love you, cause I don't, I don't even know your name, but you know, hey, bro, my name's Carter. Okay, now we know each other, but I still love you, you know. You know about what you tasting is like. Is like our love, my like family, love for the food, love for people.
Speaker 1:You know, that's what you tasting, you know about when like we're creating recipes and we're cooking and all this like we genuinely love what we're doing, we love where we're doing it, we love who we're doing it with and we love who we're doing it for. You know, even those, sometimes you get those assholes coming always, always gonna have yeah everybody's got their ting.
Speaker 1:maybe they was just having a bad day, come in just wanna be a jackass or whatever, and it's cool, but we try to be understanding. Andass or whatever, and it's cool, but we try to be understanding and try to, you know, send them off after they eat. If there's something positive, maybe we can brighten their day a little bit. I don't know, but like so, yeah, like that's, like that's what the goal was and still is, and it just like I, I, I wasn't, I I wasn't seeing that over there, because, because my family wasn't happy, yeah, you know and it's a bad element, like being around alcohol and all that.
Speaker 2:And yeah, like you said, it's a that that bar initially had a, had a reputation and yeah, you know, I mean like too, like, even me bro, like like at at.
Speaker 1:At one point I got got kind of caught up in it too, you know like yeah you know they're, they're like you know we would like we, like you know, be, be, be parties, be like you know wherever, about pub, pub crawls, like you know wherever pub crawls. So, like you know, I would like actually do like a special finger food menu. Just, you know, bar food menu. You know the place was packed Like, say, like I remember one like night where the place was packed. It was crazy, pack was crazy.
Speaker 1:And my daughter-in-law, my youngest son's wife, she all crying in the kitchen. I was like, oh girl, what's up? And she was like somebody had touched me. I was like what you mean? Like what you mean you know, and you know I mean she was hysterically crying. But she was like, yeah, like whenever you hear that she serves somebody in the sky, freaking, grope me. And like I pushed him away and away and he had like walked out the door and I guess, um, my younger years had kicked in, like I'm too old for that shit, bro, I've, I've been through enough in my life to know better, you know. So, yeah, bro, like I tell my boys close that window, bro, we're going for a walk, we go Closing, bro, I could have killed that guy Like I was, I was.
Speaker 1:I had, I had catch him, you know, bro, and I was seeing great, oh. But but I had, I had, you know, kept catch, catch myself as well. It's like well, I'm a grandfather, you know, I'm a. I'm a grandfather. I'm standing here with this guy. I'm about to smash his face all over the place. I got my sons behind me. I'm their role model, you know what behind me, I'm your role role model, yeah, I mean. And then on top of that is like our business is a family business. We're known as a family business, we're known as a good, loving family, and I'm going to smash this guy's face and it's going to be all over instagram oh, guarantee all over the town you know like that and that's not the town.
Speaker 2:You, that's not the town either, kailua, yeah you know.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I said grab my own cousin. You know like you should go home, like you should like. Don't do that. You know what I mean it's like. Because if, if, like I, I ever hear of you doing it on on oklahoma's up back, I promise you that you know wherever you started crying and stuff. Yeah. So like at that point was like like I'm turning into like that person that that I've worked so hard to not be anymore you know, and then, and then my, my like, my like, you know, family's not happy anymore.
Speaker 1:It's one of those. If you like wake up in in the morning, like yeah, but I can't wait to go in, and like, yeah, you know, start cooking, like that's the right place for you. If you wake up and it's like, ah, I gotta go, maybe you shouldn't be doing it, you know yeah um, so yeah, but we was actually kind of kind of disgusting.
Speaker 1:Like you know, should, should we continue on? Because you know, I, I don't, I don't want to have have, have you guys here, if you guys, I'm happy. You know where the food, the food going to suffer, the customer service is going to definitely suffer, you know, and then one day, I want to take this time to shout out our sponsor, irep Detail Supply.
Speaker 2:They're your one-stop shop super store for everything you need to detail your vehicle car, truck, van, even motorcycle. Go, check them out. They have a store in temple Valley shopping center. They also have a store in Las Vegas. You can visit them on their website at I rep detail supplycom. Load up your shopping cart. Promo code ATBPODUPON Check out, you'll get 15% off your entire purchase order. Get your vehicles looking nice for summer.
Speaker 1:Reno had called me Fresh cats. Fresh cats he needed something. I don't know what it was, but I had heard that their there, that there a new building was was almost, almost ready yeah, yeah so, yeah, I was talking to him.
Speaker 1:I was like, hey, bro, so what? But a new building, but pretty soon? He's like, yeah, I have. I probably probably a couple months, three months or that. I was like, so, what about the old building? He's like, what's up, do you like them? I'm like, yeah, I like them. He's like, yeah, shoot, bro, I can go talk to the owners and the realtor and everything and whatever. I'm like, yeah, shoot, I'll talk to them. And he's telling me he's like, okay, the thing is, shoot, I'm going to talk to them. And he was telling me he was like, okay, the thing is, brian, I talked to them, make sure you get the money.
Speaker 2:I'm like, yeah, I get the money, I don't have the money. Right, I get it, but I don't have it yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, like I was halfway like yeah, he's not going to talk to them, you know, whatever.
Speaker 1:But like me, like not even, not even a week, maybe just just over a week, I don't know. Bro, the realtor contact me, right, it's like, hey, yeah, I was like, oh, okay, you know. So, yeah, bro, we went down, met, met, met with them, you know, you know where? The uh uh realtor was super nice, he was cool. Um, the, the family that owns that building, it's the connery family, old connery family, super beautiful people, super solid, you know.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, but, um, apparently I think popeyes wanted that building oh, okay and and like already I was like there's no way they're gonna give me the building I mean popeyes and then you could take a chance on this guy. You know what I mean. Like one like small family business that's only been legit for like like a year and a half, you know, or whatever, two, two years, whatever. It was like no way. So, yeah, we, we, we like actually met again and they said, yeah, you know what, like like the kind of, uh, us guys really love that, like your, your like family business, you'd be like man, you, your wife, the kids, you guys, you know good, good people, we love you guys. So, yeah, but you guys can, can you know, uh, have the building, have the building, yeah. But we were about to cry out and all of them Cry out. So then it was time to, like you know, sign papers, put down the deposit. I was like, oh yeah, about the money, like you know.
Speaker 1:Got to sell one kidney, got gotta sell a kidney or something. I was. I was full on like first I was embarrassed, you know, it's kind of shame, you know. But at the same time was like, wow, it was just all happy, crying and everything. And then now we're gonna tell them that I don't have money and then I didn't like they're gonna tell us no, you know, get out of here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that family by the family was like you know what, don't worry about it, you guys move in, you guys do whatever you gotta do, set up your equipment and fix up whatever you got to fix up all this stuff and then actually get rolling. Bro, they gave us like three months. Oh yeah, dude, that's unheard of. You know there's like a lot of work you guys got to do. We know it. A lot of cleaning you guys got to do. We know a lot of cleaning and renovating and all this stuff. So they said, yeah, like you know, renovate, do whatever you do, put in your stove, your kitchen, everything. If you guys can get done quick, probably just start serving food already and just save up the money and then, like after the three months, and then we actually get the lease started.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, you know, I was like yeah, bro.
Speaker 1:Like who does that?
Speaker 2:Especially when they had one corporate guarantee with Popeyes. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bro, and it's, it's um, it's Connie over, it's just local. You know old-school local tricking, take care of each other, you know, um. So yeah, like the guy we uh actually took, took our money and, like my, my boys, they, they cracked their butts for a few years. But I was working on shoddy equipment. You know, day in, day out, hot kids by the kitchen that we was in. There was no ventilation at all, was like the walls melting kind of hot, and they just powered through. They did it. So when, when, like, we got this, this kitchen, I told my wife I don't care how much it costs, if we gotta get one loan or whatever, let's get one loan. I want to buy them top-notch, beautiful, brand new equipment, everything, the whole kitchen. And just to just to thank them, like, just to like tell, to tell my sons, like, bro, you guys deserve this, you know, but you, you like guys, went, went through hell all this time in this shoddy kitchen. Now here's, here's this beautiful kitchen so yeah but we actually did, did that.
Speaker 1:Uh, we totally, totally stripped the building, cleaned it up uh, getting the smell of fish out of there was, I didn't even think of that because all it was was fish yeah yeah, but it was like it was bad. It was like you know, like after a while, like just cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, and we can see it smell fish, I was beginning to wonder, like does the place really still smell like fish, or is just that smell? I'm used to it? It's ingrained, bro.
Speaker 2:That's the first thing you smell when you go to Fresh Cash. That's like their advertisement Fresh fish.
Speaker 1:You're like, okay, yeah, bro, it was pretty nuts. But yeah, like I mean, we just every day took us about a month and a half Every day, dark to dark, choke, bleach.
Speaker 2:Choke bleach, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean dark to dark. We just, we like tore the walls down, tore everything out, scrub everything redo, and we just you know, then, yeah, we like actually got got things going you know, we like had our, our, our target open date.
Speaker 1:Um, we didn't make that date because we was we was waiting on on equipment that we had to have, you know. So, yeah, I came late. And then the following week, you know, I came in but like we was like still missing some stuff. But we was at a point where it was like we got to open because we're out of money.
Speaker 2:We got to make some of this back.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bro take some of this back, like we're out of, we're like in more debt than I've ever been in my life, and, you know, scary, but oh, yeah, so, so yeah, but we was all like, okay, but we're gonna open on on, like this, this day we don't have this piece of equipment or that piece of equipment, we don't have tables and chairs. We're just going to do just, you know, take, take out only because we have to make money. And like, as, as we were getting closer, I started thinking, like trick, but like, this is a new chapter and whiskey smokes, life and our life and we're going to open half-assed, you know. So, yeah, we opted not to, so we pushed it back again, um, until finally all the actual equipment came in.
Speaker 1:A good good, good brother of mine was making our our, our tables and benches and stuff and all this and like everything lined up is okay, this is the for real date, you know. So, yeah, like we, going open on this day was, uh, 22nd and yeah, like it, everything was in place. We didn't have our tables and benches yet but, it was like sure, let's just open.
Speaker 1:I called my friend like bro, we open in two hours, I need my tables. And he was like, yeah, bro, I'm on my way, I'm loading them up right now. Go into the truck, they're coming. It's like, oh, they're out, yeah, so kind of a testament to to Kaneohe people you know, and like like old school Hawaii. Yeah, bro, like the place, the parking lot filled up an hour before we opened. Next door filled up, cross the street filled up. It was line forming and we're like oh no, this is going to be a disaster.
Speaker 1:You know, like we don't have a table and chairs and all this stuff. Bro, my buddy pull up and he's got the tables and stuff in like two, three, three trucks. We're like, okay, we better go sign and bring in the tables, right, like if like people waiting in line, no, go and help carry tables and benches and help us set up the restaurant and all this stuff.
Speaker 1:I never met these people in my life. Maybe we walked across each other. You know food land, I don't know, but like it was, it was a lot of hat and it oh this mean cool right on the hollow, you know. So then, before we opened, it was okay, we have to pray.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know. So you know me, my like wife, the boys, you know, and like our like staff, then like we, you know, like our, our like staff, then like we, you know, we had kids that like we, we like you know, help helped out. You know parents not around on drugs or it's probably take them in, feed them whatever, employ them. So you know, but we had them. Okay, everybody come out, Stand in a circle, let's pray real quick and then it's open. So we stand in a circle praying Bro. I look outside and everybody outside is holding hands. They're praying Mean bro, Like chicken skin kind, so the kind I tell my wife I was like nobody's going to pay today. Oh, shit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're going to give all this food away you know, and she's like what are you talking about? You never see what just happened. Like these people was helping us and carrying all our tables and stuff. And then we're like praying and all these people are joining us in prayer. But my wife Chinese she was all like like yeah, no. I know where you're coming from, but we broke. These people came here with the full intention of buying food from us, and that's what they would do you know.
Speaker 1:Don't rob them of that but yeah, bro, and like, and our, our plan was to open Saturday, sunday, close Monday, tuesday, to kind of regroup, assess. Okay, how did service go? How was everything? We, we made enough food for like what we thought was like three days. So two solid days, with some in case, was crazy. Yeah, bro, we know, just about run out of food on saturday was mental, bro, we was doing like thousand dollar hours, fifteen hundred dollar hours, bro, like everybody just came out. That's just a part. It was unreal, that's definitely. Yeah, that's kind of funny, bro.
Speaker 1:And like, sunday, we, we, we made sunday happen, but by three o'clock, four, four o'clock, we got a food. We got people like, well, can I just make you something? Just something. I was like well, we can, but we don't have this component to put this together for you or that component to put this, this, it goes this way. It's like, no, just make something. So, yeah, but we just started, we just started cooking, bro, like just unscripted, unscripted off the menu, just cooking, bro, like the kind of work I don't, I don't even know what I'm going to charge you for this. So, just whatever you like buying for, if you like, throw money in the jar, throw money in the jar and it was like that. It was unreal. Um. So yeah, about monday monday with the family, kind of she got together somewhere crying but it was just so happy you know, and then. But that's just kept rolling from from then.
Speaker 1:And even after that, like the actual owners of the building came both days Saturday, sunday and they bought food and like, uh, they was like, hey, I was so proud of you guys, you're so happy. Like, look at what you guys did, you know. It was like, oh, thank you, you know. It's like hey, we're going to get you your money. And it was like no, you know what, go take one other month, just make your money. Look at them, like like you guys you kidding me or what like, but like don't, don't tell me you wouldn't come by next, next week and tell me we gotta get out, because normally, like, good stuff gonna, you know, don't necessarily happen without some kind of a catch, you know yeah and and until this day they still come in, they order food, they eat talk story.
Speaker 1:You know us guys always tell no, no, no, just take the food, not gonna charge you, like no, but if you guys don't charge us, we're not gonna come back yeah, the best thing you can do for uh friends and family is support bro, like that's what I always believe, like, you know, that's the, that's the best Aloha.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean and I've, fortunate enough, I went the first time to your restaurant with my dad and my dad is a food critic Like, if one thing wrong, that's it. Like, and we had um, I had brisket. I forget what he had, but I know the sauce and he just kept raving about it and I was like, bro, this is on spot and I think, being in Kaneohe with that vibe you explained, and I always say, like, food is art and art transcends people, it brings people together, any kind of art music, storytelling and food, like food, anything that tastes good, I don't care if you chinese, japanese, korean, haole, whatever.
Speaker 2:If it tastes good, it gonna taste good, no matter what you know. I mean, and it, yeah, your, your food is good and thank you, man. It is what connects people. And I watched one of your videos and it hit and it hit me because of what you said is like we're not selling smoked meat, we're selling passion and love. And I was like and it's family, you're, guys, family, it. It's different. It's not like, oh, I'm just making money and and and all that. It's right, you're putting that passion into what you're doing, the love and allah and your family. It's probably why those people blessed you guys with the location you're at and that kind of stuff is the good vibes and aloha that Hawaii needs.
Speaker 2:And I was telling you like, this past weekend I got to see Metallica play and I love their music. I grew up listening to their music. But what got me so obsessed with them, with watching them? I was watching the passion they had for playing in front of people and, like I said, that's art, that's music. That passion is what was super attractive about the, the concert I went to this weekend, and that's the same kind of passion you guys have for your food. It's like it doesn't matter, it's going to be the same If you making them at home for your family or are you making them for hundreds of people at your restaurant, that is the same. You know what I mean? It's it's cool.
Speaker 1:It's cool to see and taste now this, this, this business, though like um, I don't know how to put it, I don't, I don't know how to explain it, but it's um, it's super nice for us, um, in some ways it's easy, because we can be ourselves Like we can. We can be who we are. Like you know about, I've I've done a lot of things in my life. I've I've wore a lot of different hats, and you have to be that certain person that's wearing that certain hat. When you're wearing your hat, you know, um, you know, and like I mean music, I actually play, play as well. I you know, play, play music and like, when, like you're, you're on on stage, you kind of got to be this certain person.
Speaker 1:You have to look like this certain person or whatever. But our restaurant it's a family business and we're like mom and dad with their boys and nieces and nephews and whatnot, just hanging out, just having a great time.
Speaker 2:Easy bro Easy.
Speaker 1:You know, and then like too, man, the whole bringing people together thing, like full on, like, and I think about this a lot, like you know, like God gave me this skill, you skill, this passion for food. I've always cooked myself, my family, everybody cooks. The men in my family are exceptional cooks but he gave me this skill to use as a tool to bring people together, because that's what food does. You know our dining room.
Speaker 1:We don't have a whole lot of tables, but we do have a few tables that are really long, and that was done on purpose, because when the actual smaller tables fill up and there's like a top table it actually should be an eight top and there's like, say, there were two or three people on it, and there's like folks that come in and tell me well, can you actually sit down over there, introduce yourself and make some whatever friends and whatever friends bro. And they kind of look at us like nah, they're like eating. It's like, yeah, bro, go break bread with them. And it's cool to see like people locals and tourists or whatever like sitting at the same table, don't know each other, never met before. Just eating together and talking, sir, that's barbecue yeah, that's barbecue.
Speaker 2:That's the vibe you was creating at your house during covid yeah, yeah for real.
Speaker 2:That's awesome, bro. And one thing I did notice before I knew any of your story, knew who you guys were or anything was when I went with my dad, the customer service. It was so on point, full of aloha, full of I was like they got something good going over here. They get good food, good customer service and it was just welcoming and, oh, thanks for coming. This is your order and audit. They bring them to your thing or what kind. You want to try the sauce, like I was, like bruh, this, this is just good vibes. I didn't realize. You guys have a. You guys do a lot of baking too, right, you guys have some. You guys have sweets and stuff over there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, like everything there is is is made by us, Everything is made in in house. So our, our, our bread, our buns, all all this, like everything is made in house. We don't you know, buy it. Um, we, we actually our, our, our baker also owns her her own business. Mabel's makes, like she, you know she does little cakes and stuff Her. Her desserts are just incredible. But yeah, so then, like we, we uh actually also sell her her products there as well.
Speaker 2:Nice. So in your opinion? Oh, your beans are amazing too, by the way, I forgot this. Yeah, that's actually mom's beans. That's actual, yeah.
Speaker 1:That's actually my mother's recipe. Like everybody, always loves mom's beans.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, gotta be Alright, that makes sense. Say your first time coming in, what would you probably suggest to your first timer to try? Because the brisket melts I don't know how you guys do that, but that's full of greatness. The ribs, I don't know what would. What would be like? Hey guys, if you see your first time, you gotta have this. What a pork belly too is fire.
Speaker 1:yeah that's a hard, you know what, bro, like a lot of people ask me that question. It's hard because not to you know, brag, but everything's good. I usually tell people if you don't know what you want, grab the all-meat plate with a couple of the sides. All-meat plate is it's got the brisket, the pulled pork, ribs and chicken.
Speaker 1:It's like a sampler, then yeah, yeah, then you ribs and chicken. Oh, it's like a sampler, then Kind of, yeah, yeah, you know, and then you kind of go from there, because we also do combo plates too. You know Two choices. We have this one called the menu. The menu is basically a sheet pan with the menu on it. It's actually meant to feed six people. It's quite a deal as well the price on that. My thing is I like, I like, I like seeing families sitting down together eating off off the same plate that's kind of cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bro, I mean it's there, there's nothing. I mean like, even even even here, like us, bro, you know, yeah, and at home, like yeah, we'll actually grill up steaks or something and just cut it up on the board. Nobody has plates, we all just eat straight from the board, we all just kind of surround the board.
Speaker 2:You know, to me that's like family, that's how that's how also my dad I myself included really like, uh, the coleslaw, and you don't like think about like coleslaw, it's just coleslaw.
Speaker 1:But oh, it's like.
Speaker 2:Oh, this is action, some, some something different. But uh, you started implementing one of Stephen Kina's dishes too, out of Palusami yeah, bro, that thing.
Speaker 1:So, like how I met Stephen, like you know, bro, I actually saw his videos and stuff, right, because how could you not? He was all over the place, yeah, but um, um, yeah, like, probably friends of mine, customers and stuff, right, but those guys be sending me his videos. Hey check this check this guy out and he goes. Yeah, but you're like the 20th person that sent me this video.
Speaker 1:That means see good, as it got heard, so like so like after a while I was like, okay, you know, I'm going to check this guy out, you know, but I like kind of go through his page, go to his page and say, hey, this guy's from Hawaii. Okay, so I kind of research more and then one day he posted this picture of him in a airplane. The picture was basically, you know, that pocket behind the seat with the magazines yeah yeah, yeah, it was.
Speaker 1:It was that, look. I was like yeah, it looks like hawaiian airlines, so I shoot. So I shoot a message. I was like hey, well, you stay, but you're coming, you know, home. Right, instant answer is like yeah, but bro, it's your home. I was like hey, you don't know me, I don't know you, but let's hook up, bro, let's go lunch or something, bro, check it out. You know Talk story, talk about smokers, I don't know. And that's kind of how that all started. And then we did our collab thing and everybody was like bro, you're going to be doing that again, brother polo sami whatever and I had it.
Speaker 1:I was like, yeah, yeah bro, that thing is fire bro oh brah, that's dangerous.
Speaker 1:I know like yeah, like I do it. I don't have to ask Stefan because, I mean, paul Osami is not his creation, but out of out of like respect for him, because he's the one that actually brought that kind with like one whole brisket and all this. So, yeah, I ask him. Hey, because you know what. I get people bugging me and they're kind of I have to do it, but I just want your, your blessing, and like just step in me. It's like, yeah, bro, go for it, but do it okay, right on, shoot, you know. And so, yeah, like like no, even still, but we sell so much of that, you know yeah, it's good bro and like, yeah, shout out to stefan with me too.
Speaker 2:I shot my shot. I was like, bro, I see your videos, you're. You seem amazing. Would you be on my show? Hit me right back. Yup, let me know when, bro and he's in um montana, you stay up late just to be on my show. I was like, bro, when you come, I'll be there, I guarantee it, I'll be there.
Speaker 1:And I was like super, that guy doesn't sleep. Yeah, he doesn't. I mean like I'll be at home talking to him. I mean, you know, I don't think at first, like, oh, it's like two o'clock in the morning exactly I know after I was like, hey, what time is it? He's like oh no, I already had a nap and I'll have to go and do this super solid brother yeah, and I hope you guys do some collabs in the future.
Speaker 2:and it was cool, um, to have met you through through him and you live in kaneo and and it was. It was a blessing to know your backstory and I was like you. You gotta share this because for me, growing up in Kaneohe, I love that, those kind of stories, and it doesn't happen often and that makes me feel like Aloha is not dying. Aloha is in Kaneohe and it's still thriving and people do care about each other. Like you said, they're helping you bring the tables in, they pray with you. Like you said, they're helping you bring the tables in, they pray with you.
Speaker 2:Like that's what Hawaii is about, that's what Aloha is about, that's what our community, our culture, our what sets us different from the mainland or other other situations. It makes us unique and that's that can't die, bro, that kind of stuff. And it's like like there's so much negativity on social media now, like I get sucked in it. You can watch a couple guys beefing and then you watch the next one and the next one is like I rather see that ring of hands and people praying.
Speaker 2:I rather see oh look these guys putting in the tables. And that's the feel-good stuff, that's my clickbait, that's the kind of stuff I like seeing. To hear that kind of story makes me proud. It makes me proud that I'm from Hawaii, I'm from Kaneohe, and that stuff still exists and it's strong and to hear you talk about it makes me feel good as much as you are feeling good talking about it. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I mean, people just got to like slow down, I guess, slow down, yeah, and just love each other and just be patient with each other. Everybody's got their thing you know about and like I mean like to me, like even the worst guy around, just pilau guy, like that, he wasn't born, like that you know, so something between then and I'll judge or something. Just just be patient with them, you know um and just support each other. But I, I catch, I catch negative stuff all the time. You know um on like my, my, like real, in fact, the, the whole thing. The guy's like oh bro, oh bro, you guys gotta uh, you know, let's study your food and be like more informed. I know that's lupulu.
Speaker 1:I know that's lupulu but have you, thaddeus, ever heard of lupulu? Nope, but you know what palusami is right, yeah, palusami. No more meat inside you know, but the Tongan, the Tongan version, lupulu get meat, but just Stephan called it Palo Stame. Everybody know what Palo Stame, so we call him Palo Stame. The guy's like relax, relax, you know what I mean. It's not that big a deal yeah, bro, it's like I mean go go, go outside, go move and stuff, you know, go go risk chickens play with your kids smile go be yeah I mean, they're kind of there too.
Speaker 1:I I like you know I like it, I get, I get, I get some all like my, my, my reels, working this real honest, and like my thing is at at the, the beginning, which is the end, but it's kind of our, our catch thing. Oh, I would like. I would like bite the you know food, the food. I may take a big bite out of it all. Barbecue sauce and whatever are you guys all like? Oh no, can even wear gloves, oh, have you ever heard of gloves.
Speaker 1:It's like cousin bro, you never see me eat the food. What, bro? You wear the gloves when you make yourself a sandwich.
Speaker 2:It's my food, bro. I'm not serving this one to you.
Speaker 1:It's like you order this. Trust me, you don't wear gloves. I'm making myself lunch. You know what I mean. This is my lunch, yeah, and like I can fully envision some guy just bored, just maybe his girlfriend, and cheat on him, I don't know, and just looking, looking at the phone, like I got you, you know come on.
Speaker 2:It's like brad. I always say that you're doing something right, because if you get haters, you're doing something right yeah and I used to freaking engage and then I realized, like brad, there's probably some dude at his mom's house with his cheeto fingers, or, like I said, I cannot bring myself down to that. And, brad, I just with aloha. Like brad, I get bullshit message to me all the time. I say, oh, right on, thanks for your input, brad, hope you have a great day.
Speaker 1:I do the same thing like dude kill him with kindness bro, you can be as negative as you want. I'm gonna tell you because I love you. But yeah, you know, roger will see you. You know exactly. And that always shuts them up because they don't handle that kind. Maybe nobody told him that, that did you know they? They like love him and they're like well, I don't know. Yeah, yeah, but just then the negativity, like it's, yeah smiling leave right on gloves, roger gloves when I eat my lunch.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'll try that out bro, thank you yeah, but, like I said, you're doing something right once you get people hated on it, so it's like more the better, it's all good, but I want to take this time to shout out our sponsors. It's a our medicinal mushroom company is medicinal mushrooms hawaii. They're a locally based medicinal mushroom company here in hawaii and right now they have a bunch of mushrooms that I take religiously. They have lion's mane, turkey tail, red reishi and also the chaga mushrooms and the brand newest one to the family they're just coming out with cordyceps and I am extremely excited for this mushroom. This mushroom is known to increase energy, oxygen supply and overall health. I'm excited to take this before I work out, and I did a baseline on my blood right before I'm starting to take this, so I'm going to see the effects this has on me.
Speaker 2:I've been waiting for this one to come out for a while. I'm really excited about this. But go visit them on their website, med mushroomushroomhidecom, and if you use promo code ATBPODUPON check out, you'll get 45% off your first tincture of extracted mushrooms. And make sure it's all capitals, atbpodupon, check out all capitals. But go check out the cordyceps Brand new, brand new. Go check them out. Aloha the cordyceps brand new, brand new. Go check them out. Aloha, what, what? I didn't realize until today, until you told me, and then I did a small dive into it. But you're a metalhead, hardcore bass player, freaking musician oh, I do something.
Speaker 1:They put this thing on me, that's got strings on it, and I bashed on it and apparently, people like what I do.
Speaker 2:Honestly, you match your look matches. I've seen videos and I brought it up to you real quick If you knew my friend who used to be the producer of this show Boy band, john John Wong, and shout out to him and his 808 scene, because he's been pushing that hardcore scene for years and and I can't wait to tell him that I, that I know you and yeah, he's, he's a unique dude and and he's definitely passionate about that scene and he kind of he's a great great guy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Great guy and to know that you're a musician and play on stage and everything like that's super cool. To to hear man and bro, I didn't, I had no idea yeah, no, like I, I do I right.
Speaker 1:Anybody that knows me knows that I'm. I've got my hands in on so many different things. You know, like I've done a lot of stuff, but my one constant has always been music. You know, it's my escape, like sometimes life gets a little bit stressful, you know, but when I'm on stage for whatever 45 minutes, hour, hour and a half, whatever it is, nothing exists my bills, my worries, my stresses, nothing.
Speaker 1:For that moment in time, um, I'm a rock star, if you will. You know there's there's, there's just people that came to see us play and they're like, oh my god, you know, and it's like all the stuff that I was thinking about two hours ago, not thinking about the things that I'll be thinking about again, probably in the morning, because when I get home I'm like still writing that. You know, live performance, you know like all goes away and I think every man needs that. You know, every father husband, whatever. You know you need that escape. You know every father husband, whatever. You know you need that escape. You know, as long as it's something positive, you know that's like not not going to cause harm to anyone, or or, or think, but, yeah, bro, like I've, I've, I've been playing music I don't even know how long, like many years this band. We've been together for like 15 years or something now.
Speaker 2:What's the name of the band?
Speaker 1:13th Legion. It's kind of yeah, we Actually tour and everything. We go to Japan, hawkeye Vegas, it's fun.
Speaker 2:I like to we actually tour and everything.
Speaker 1:but we go to Japan, hawkeye, vegas. That's super cool, it's fun, you know, and I do like our band. Well, like the singer and I, we've known each other since we were very young. Like we're're like best friends forever. He's my brother. We've been playing music together since probably 93, 94. Oh, wow, yeah, it's been a long, long time. I won't do it without him. But yeah, this is kind of like, like, almost like oh, it's been said to us before like guys, bowling night, you know, rehearsal, rehearsal nights, you know, we all meet up, hang out out, we'll talk, story, maybe practice a few songs, write a couple things, whatever. But the, the, the like. Last few years we've been pushing kind of hard, you know, touring and all this stuff, recording and everything.
Speaker 2:Because we're getting.
Speaker 1:we're getting old, you know, I'm not sure how long.
Speaker 2:Hey, metallica is 60,. Bro, those guys didn't miss a beat. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:They've also been huge since, like 86.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. They don't need to do any of this anymore. You know what I mean. I mean yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean I mean yeah, so, like, I mean music, not only is it a release for me, is it a huge positive thing that helps me keep my mind straight and everything, but it's also taking places that I wouldn't have gone to otherwise, you know. I mean Japan. I japan so much, we go to japan so much and I love it so much, but I, I would have never gone to, I would have never seen japan if, if not for this, this band, they just, I don't know, just never, I don't, I don't really travel without a purpose. You know what I mean. Like I don't, I'm, I'm not, I'm not one that you know. Yeah, I mean I'm like going to go to california just because, or like I'm going to go to vegas to go gamble. I just, I just don't, you know. But you know, um, touring, yeah, we're going on tour. So we're going to go see this spot and it's going to be epic. We're going to have a great time. You know, in November I'll be in Texas with Steppen Kina.
Speaker 2:Oh nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's this like huge, huge event. It's an open fire meetup in Hondo, texas, so then Mari and I is going to be flying up there to, you know, cook with stuff and it's like. It's just like huge event thing. It's gonna be epic. But yeah, like I don't just travel, I, I, I never, I never really have it's just I'd rather work or do stuff here that's super cool.
Speaker 2:but playing music that's like you said is a good release and the kind of music guarantee is a good release.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, man, yeah, like full on. I mean playing like hard hardcore punk, like we. We we've always been classified as as like, as like hardcore. Like you know, east East coast hardcore we always been classified as as like, as a hardcore. Like you know, east Coast hardcore. We, we tend to call ourselves more, like you know, hard hardcore rock and roll. I know, good good brother of ours, hassett yeah, warren Hassett, who likes to call us Oikor, you know. But yeah, it's just, I mean I like, I like playing hard, hard music because you can be on stage, you can be full professional doing your thing, you can show off whatever or you could act a total fool and nobody will will view you very differently, you know yeah yeah, man that's super cool.
Speaker 2:Well shoot, we've been well over an hour and I definitely could probably talk story with you for another two hours.
Speaker 1:So, um shoot, bro come by the house, bro. We're gonna be grilling pretty soon.
Speaker 2:I gotta take, I got to take my wife out to dinner because I just went on a dude trip for the weekend Watch Metallica. She was stuck home doing all this stuff because we're getting my wife to be we're getting married in a few weeks, so I got to make it up to her. So going to sadio's, but I'd be super down to come your house and barbecue with you, or eat your barbecue, I don't know, anytime you like, bro, just call me man, we'll freaking, that'll be super, we'll just cruise, bro, throw down up there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I got girls and smokers and flat pops and stuff out of the yard. Yeah, yeah, but we, we, we, we freaking definitely throw down there I'd be down, I super be down I definitely would want neighbors to stomp yeah I I definitely would want you back on my show.
Speaker 2:And oh, before we cut out, I wanted to know what would be one of your future goals. Like, what do you see for future wise like where you want to take whiskey smoke?
Speaker 1:My future goals for for the business. Yeah, Um well, a couple more. A couple more locations, Definitely maybe Westside, Kauai, Big Island, Kauai.
Speaker 2:Big Island.
Speaker 1:That's actually where the family's from Kauai. My family is all in Kauai. We've discussed this way early on. You know, like I, I kind of wanted to set things up where, like, one son has his restaurant, the other son has his restaurant and all this, and then, when it it came time to actually get the actual second spot, we almost opened a spot on the website. Oh wow, and we like ran into an issue where, like you know, our boys was like oh, so what? We're not going to be working together anymore.
Speaker 1:Oh, no because, like, you're going to be like that was the goal, dude, like, and they're like, oh, but you, you know it's my brother, so you know my cousin, come on.
Speaker 2:oh, that's super cool to hear, though that must mean you proud, though that must have made you yeah, no, bro, they're, they're tight, they're super tight. It's all of them, it's all of them. Great Social media wise. Where can people find you? And also, where can people find your restaurant?
Speaker 1:We're in Coney Island, the old Fresh Cats building next to the Taco Bell Pizza Hut just before Coney Heap Whiskey Smoke underscore 808, and the Taco Bell Pizza Hut just before Cajipa Whiskey Smoke underscore 808. And my personal is BBQ underscore PMP 13. And your?
Speaker 2:band's one 13th Legion.
Speaker 1:Hi, I believe, is what it is. Check it out we're. We don't plan on playing any shows anytime soon because we have a new drummer, but we're supposed to be playing Florida in a few months and then we're probably going to start touring again after that yeah, that's super cool and, as always, you can find us on the above the bridge podcast on instagram, youtube, our website is atbpodcom and my personal instagram is thaddydaddyhi.
Speaker 2:Well, I appreciate you taking time out and coming on. I am very super stoked that you got to share that story and I I'm so happy that happened in kaneo, because I need it. I need to hear more good stuff coming on. All I hear is that, oh, somebody got jacked at the mall or these guys are beefing by king or brada. My friend he's a security guard in by mcdonald's castle kids was trying to scrap with him and all this stuff yeah, it's like, oh, I need, I needed to hear something like this, and, uh, I'm.
Speaker 2:I wish you guys all the best and I feel like, because, because you guys put god first, this plan for you guys is working and and your family dynamic is super strong and that's the kind of stuff that I hope to build with my new family now and I'm super stoked to hear it, see it and also taste your food. Bro, I got to go back there soon. My wife doesn't like barbecue. That's the only thing, bro. It's like okay, what?
Speaker 2:has she has she tried our food? She never. She never the two times I went the two, three times I went was with my dad, and then when I went to visit um you guys, because stefan was there, yeah bring her by we'll uh yeah, turn that around for you all right because date night should be there, you know?
Speaker 2:okay, right on, bro. Well, I hope to talk to you soon, man, and I appreciate you and thank you again, bro. I wish you all this success in the world thank you, brother, appreciate you. Right on Shaka's for the cameras.
Speaker 1:Aloha.
Speaker 2:We're out. Shout out to the Artist Group Network Aloha. Thank you.
