Sean "Sonny" Nguyen of Domu

Meet Sonny--Chef/Owner of EDOBOY, TORI TORI, and DOMU--Audubon Park's beloved ramen restaurant, located at East End Market. Celebrating 7 years in operation, plus a recent Michelin "Bib Gourmand" recognition for quality and value; DOMU has been a literal dream come true (also the name's meaning). Sonny's innovative spirit and collaborative leadership philosophies have been critical to the success of his seven restaurants through the years. 

https://linktr.ee/domufl

https://linktr.ee/helloapgdpod

Chapters

• 15:00 Innovations and the Industry
• 21:54 Orlando's Growing Food Scene
• 34:25 The Process of Meticulous Dish Development
• 40:35 Surviving and Thriving in Restaurants
• 51:57 Meeting Chef Morimoto
• 58:34 Following Instincts and Authenticity in Success
• 1:03:00 Childhood Dreams and Pursuing Passions
• 1:11:56 Chef Tung and the Incubator Concept
• 1:24:57 Celebrating Seven Years

Transcript

Intro: 0:12

Hi friends, thank you for joining us for another episode of Hello APGD, a neighborhood podcast about the Audubon Park Garden District in Orlando, florida. I'm your host, Michael Lothrop, and my guest today is Sean “Sonny” Nguyen, chef owner of EDOBOY Tori Tori and three locations of DOMU, whose flagship is at East End Market in Audubon Park. Be sure to follow DOMUFL on Instagram and visit the linktree hub at DOMUFL for anniversary week and all of Sonny's restaurant locations’ info. If you'd like to be a guest on the show or if you'd like to be a sponsor, please feel free to message me on Instagram at helloapgdpod. Thank you for listening, 

Michael: 

And with me today is Sean “Sonny” Nguyen, chef owner of EDOBOY, Tori Tori, and three locations of DOMU, whose flagship is an East End market. Sonny, welcome. 

Sonny: 1:10

Thank you for having me. 

Michael: 1:11

Yeah, thank you for being here. I'm really, really excited to talk to you today. A big part of the reason that I do this podcast is because I want to document the stories of the people who make this a destination neighborhood, and DOMU is such a critical part. People come here for DOMU now, which is such a cool thing. You're celebrating your seventh year. Congratulations. We'll talk about some of the events that you have planned for that. And so also East End Market is celebrating its 10th year, so lots of anniversaries coming up. I remember the first restaurant that was there, which was Txokos, and it was a Basque-themed restaurant by Chef Henry Salgado, and they were there for the first three years of East End's history. And that space, I mean, just the build out there it's such a beautiful, inviting space and I remember hearing that a ramen shop was going in and that your ties to the Bento company and all of the expectations were met and exceeded once you opened up shop there. And just seeing the successes and seeing, like, how popular DOMU is and I was in there just the other night and just having a bowl of ramen, having those fried chicken wings that are just, I mean, mind blowing, right. What you do is so magical. So I'm so excited to learn more about the history things that you're working on in the future, things like that. So let's start with kind of some background. I know that your family has restaurants in the central Florida area. Tell me about that. 

Sonny: 2:55

During those years from four to six really kind of just introduced me to what restaurant life was by default, just because my parents worked a lot. Obviously, both parents and they had to bring me along a lot of the times. So there was always some type of small back room or back office where it would be like the storage where all the extra chairs would go or, like you know, there might be like a desk in there or something. 

Michael: 3:25

Wherever you would fit. 

Sonny: 3:26

Yeah they're kind of like are you hanging out here most of the day and you know, obviously I'll try my best to be in there as long as I could, but eventually I would go into the kitchen and this and that and kind of just like be interested, interact with the workers at that young of an age. I remember you know them letting me watch some dishes and roll some egg rolls and things like that. So I think that was my very first kind of taste of what the restaurant life kind of was and I think it just like at that young of an age it just seemed normal to me. You know what I mean, and it was always engraved in me at that age. But I didn't really work for restaurants again until about the age of 14. So it was a little bit of a gap there which I worked at my cousin's mall chicken restaurant. 

Michael: 4:15

So it was very still in food, right, yeah, you never left food and bev. 

Sonny: 4:20

Exactly. So it was kind of, I would say, very, very, very similar to the Chick-fil-A. But at that time it was called Chick-Garden, so it was a good name. 

Michael: 4:29

 Is that still around? 

Sonny: 4:35

No no it was only there for a few years. But you know that definitely kind of built my piqued my interest, you know further in food was because, you know, although I was helping out on the front side of things, every chance I got, you know, to go back and try to drop some food or make some food, and because there's only two of us at all times, so you know. So that really I was really interested in the cooking side of things and during my childhood and during that, from that period and prior, you know, I think my brother was quintessential in that period of my life because I think he noticed that I loved watching like Iron Chef at such a young age and things like that. I'm talking about the old school Japanese Iron Chef that they used to feature like late night on Food Network, and so you know he would take me to the store and we would buy. He'd let me pick out some ingredients, so like we'll pick out like two, like the extremely cheap, the cheapest steaks you could get in the thing and we'll bring it home and we'll have little battles and his girlfriend, which is now his wife, would be the judge. And so you know. so it's just kind of like I think he caught on early on that I really liked cooking and kind of, you know, always supported me in that aspect. You know, growing up in an Asian household and especially like parents who came from Vietnam, escaped the war and things like that, they obviously want the best for us and I think you this could be an Asian stereotype where I could be stereotypical myself in saying that you know, my parents wanted me to be a doctor or a pharmacist or an accountant or some type of professional, you know. 

Michael: 6:07

Sure, and maybe not easier life, but maybe easier life, almost in a way right, it's like it's a hard hustle right being in the restaurant industry. It's always, you're always battling things right. 

Sonny: 6:20

Every single day you know, and I think they knew from that experience, like man, this is really hard and they might not want me to go into that field either. You know, some of my family wasn't very encouraging and me staying in the restaurant industry per se. So I kind of did both. So throughout my college education I also worked in the food industry with Bento. So I worked for Bento for 10 years actually, right when I got into college, and then continued all the way past college and I didn't have that much support in that aspect. But I did go ahead and finish my accounting degree. So that way I satisfied the family side of things. So I do have an accounting degree from UCF. And with Bento, johnny and Jimmy, they offered me a job right out of college to come onto their upper management side At that time it was only, you know, a handful of Bento's at the time, maybe five or less, and you know they were just getting things started, getting ready to ramp things up. They were building a management team to help them grow and things like that, and so I kind of joined in on that team alongside Tammy, who is probably their main operations person now, tammy Laney. So we stuck it. We stuck through the grind for many years, until 2016. You know, at that time I was getting a lot more curious. You know, obviously I've been in the food the whole time, right, I'm like my tenure at Bento is more of a jack of all trades versus just in the kitchen, right, like I was. My last role with them was executive project manager, so I was opening all the new stores with them, getting with the contractors and architects and meeting with them and making sure that certain doors open a certain way, you know, for efficiency and kind of like building new formats of kitchen layouts to be more efficient and, you know, just making sure everything was there and tying up the loose ends at the end. And you know so it was a fun thing for me to travel city to city and see new, new projects get built. You know, I think that's the most exciting part is looking at from a design and then seeing it progress during the construction period and then finally to the very end. It's like very satisfying seeing the end result and just being a part of that. You know, it was really inspiring and it taught me a lot in terms of the building side of a business. Also, during my tenure with Bento. I kind of did a lot of things. I did graphic design for them, I designed flyers, menus, all types of stuff. 

Michael: 8:48

What a unique experience. 

Sonny: 8:50

Yeah. 

Michael: 8:51

I mean, that's like a full, that was like your real college, right. 

Sonny: 8:53

Yeah, no, I mean the thing is is that you? know, up until I got that upper management position. You know I was just in the kitchen. You know I learned my way from like dishwasher to just move my way all the way up to being the manager and then kind of like learning the ins and outs of ordering and menu development and this and that and so that was kind of like the beginner part of it. The intermediate part of it was like learning the business side of things. I think you know one of my biggest mentors, the other partner, david. He's kind of just a minority partner in the Bento group and at the time he was the partner running the Orlando stores and so I was working under him and he taught me a lot about the number side of the business. So you know, I guess like a cumulative 10 years I learned the ins and outs of operations being a manager cooking. 

Michael: 9:52

And even construction. And that's such a rare skill set to have. 

Sonny: 9:57

And the numbers of understanding what we need to hit. Looking at a PNL and just like getting with the countens is just so many don't payroll. There's so many things that I learned in those 10 years and, like you know I think a lot of people say this and I say it myself too is that you know if you do something for 10 years like you're going to be good at it. You know it doesn't matter what you do, if you play soccer, you skateboard, anything, swimming you're going to be really good at it after 10 years of doing it. So I think it just came to the point where, like towards the end there, when I was with Benzo, I was kind of running Avenue. Gastrobar was one of their bars downtown that they opened and I was taking over after Mark Lowe and Jen from Cadence. They moved back to Florida at the time and then they took over Avenue running the kitchen for a little while before they moved on to East End Market to open up Kapo, and that was around 2015. So once they moved over there, I took over the kitchen there and kind of had to like build it from where they left it and get it into a profitable position. So it took me about a year to get everything into a profitable position redid the menu, built new staff so systems, our rescue kind of thing. Well, the thing is that it started with Mark Jen and Lowe. They actually got things jump started for me. I just kind of had to like jump in and figure out like damn, these guys from New York and London, I have to like live up to these, they're a big deal. Yeah, live up to these guys and make sure that I can continue the success and make sure that we get us to a profitable position. So I did a great job at that point in my opinion. And then I started doing these pop-up dinners under DOMU and I think I was very experimental those couple of years of just like I never really had any hop, that many hobbies. You know like whenever I got bored I went in the kitchen and experimented and cooked. So I spent a lot of time in those years of just like cooking and making recipes, and not necessarily knowing for what. Yet you know and I'm just building a database of recipes that I kind of develop on my own spare time outside of work. So eventually, you know, I think Johnny saw the potential that was brewing in me and he gave me the opportunity to open up the first DOMU at Easton and help me fund that. At the time obviously they were all busy opening up their South Florida Davy location in Tallahassee, so you know all the Bento people were busy opening Bento while I was busy opening up DOMU.

Michael: 12:34

Yeah, how many Bentos did they have around that point? 

Sonny: 12:38

The end of 2016,. I believe they had probably ruffled around nine, so we had just started opening around. That would be like the ninth location, probably around that time. Mm-hmm. You know it was definitely a lot of growing pains the first year. You know I would say it's just like kind of kind of going in and just like figuring everything out from the ground up, figuring out our hours, figuring out our broths. You know it was a lot, it was pretty tough years, just because there was no template for this one, right, yeah, it was nothing. So you know, I think that, but you know, after you do it for you know, I guess another seven years. It's a lot easier for me now to understand that, but that very first year was just like. You know, do we open for lunch and we open for dinner, and what times do we open? Do I have much staff? Do I need? Are staff working out? Are certain things on the menu not working out? Do I need to expand the menu? Are we doing good enough? Are the broths perfect, and all these things. So you know, at the time, you know we opened lunch and dinner when we first opened and that was already like we opened up at 11 and we closed at like 10. So I would send all the workers home and I would stay after to start the broths for the next day, because I had to make broth every single day and so basically as soon as maybe like midnight came and all the staff went home, I started my broths and I would be there until maybe 3am, 4am, and then I'd get back in, probably 9am and then do the whole entire day and I was like that for an extended period of time, to the point where I was realized that, you know, maybe I'm overextending myself. Let me just close for lunch. You know it takes a lot of pressure off of me, you know, just opening for dinner, and that's kind of like how, ever since then, we never opened for lunch again. You know, besides for the weekends. 

Michael: 14:31

Yeah, and that's kind of brunch, right, yeah, brunch. 

Sonny: 14:35

Yeah, and what that taught me was that I need a lot less resources in terms of staffing and energy and production and things like that, and I can just focus it all into a set of hours a day, you know, and we all put our energy into this set of hours and make sure we just execute well. And it worked out ever since. I think it was like a common thing at the time for restaurants to be open lunch and dinner. Like we were really different At the time. You wouldn't hear like hip hop on the music inside of restaurants, you know you wouldn't. You would be open lunch and dinner. There would be uniforms for the front of house, back of house, and it was just really like we came in and it was just You're breaking the mold. Yeah, like everyone was probably like raising eyebrows, like who, who does this guy think he is? You know, like this is, this isn't the standard of what a restaurant is. We did like no reservations and for me personally, I like to do things different. I like to not follow the the mold. I like Keeps it interesting right. Yeah, I like keeping it interesting. Obviously there's a downside to that right, Like there's going to be a lot of people who aren't going to understand, there are going to be a lot of people who won't get it, or there's going to be a lot of people who are used to following the line and and and don't accept us for who we are right. 

Michael: 16:01

And maybe it's just not for them, right? Yeah, yeah. 

Sonny: 16:03

And there's nothing wrong with that right. And so that took like a year of you know, a lot of bad reviews of DOMU, like going through that, like I can't believe that they don't take reservations, we can't get a seat or whatever, and you know, and all this stuff. And then like, well, we stuck through it and then eventually, I would say, like probably in late 2017, everyone started understanding, like, because we didn't, we didn't budge. Basically, this is like hey, these, this is just who we are. We're doing this not to make people mad. We're doing this because we need to keep the restaurant efficient. We can't do takeout because we're already at our max capacity of how many seats we have and our kitchens already, like, doing the best that they can with the space that we have in there. Yeah, getting the food out just to the dining room alone, you know. And then reservations and things like that was just that. You know, I had a lot, had a long history of like people just not showing up for the reservations and then things like that, and I just wanted equal opportunity for everyone to dine. So you have to be present, yeah, yeah, exactly, you know, you can't just book like 10 tables that evening and then all 10 don't show up or something, and then like we're all kind of just waiting around, you know, so, so, so a lot of these rules are things that and the way we were, I think, really shaped us to who we are today, in that, you know, we stay true to ourselves and I think that a little bit of every concept that I open I look back at that, that scenario and I inject that same methodology into these new concepts is that I always want some type of element to be unique and different, and it's something that people may not jump onto the bandwagon for. But there's a reason of why I would do it. You know, and I'll give you a prime example is for Edelboy. We are standing sushi bar, like we're probably the only standing restaurant in Florida, you know. 

Michael: 17:52

Yeah, I love that, but I have not been. But I've heard such good things. 

Sonny: 17:57

Yeah, it's not the fact that we are just trying to be Buttholes. I don't even can I say that I don't know. I'm not trying to be like we're not trying to be any type of way by our buttholes of not giving you any seats, it's just that we're trying to introduce you to the way, another form of dining in Japan. You know what I mean. Like, uh, when I go to Japan. I'm actually going to Japan at the end of the month and I'm going to make sure that you know. One of my favorite ways to eat sushi was at the standing sushi bar. You know, and my wife as well, and you know I think that always resonated with me, that it was quick, it was good quality, it was fair priced and it was just like a kind of in and out under an hour and just like, you know, you can get your fix and move on, you know, and I think that that always resonated me every time I went to Japan. And so that kind of bringing that tradition and the authenticity back to Orlando and giving them an experience that's not known in Orlando but known in Japan, and kind of opening that like door and opening that, opening the mind up a little bit, yeah, Um to under, to give us a chance to understand the Japanese culture of this is actually the original way sushi was eaten back, you know, in ancient Tokyo days and, uh, it was all little carts and everyone stood and ate and moved on, and so this is kind of how sushi was born. And you know, I kind of want to introduce a little bit of that history and keep the authenticity of Japanese culture and things like that. And obviously we do get people who say, you know, they're upset that there's no chairs and things like that. 

Michael: 19:39

But at the end of the day like and you accommodate ADA, of course, 100%, yeah, everything is ADA. 

Sonny: 19:45

We have an ADA counter. It's just that, you know, it does take a little bit of time and I think that at this point in my career with DOMU, those who have followed throughout the seven years, I think, understands that's just my style is that we're going to do things a little bit different. It's not going to be necessarily what you know is a sushi bar and things like that, and maybe there are a lot more accepting now, or just in general, the population is more accepting and open-minded when it comes to culinary experiences. 

Michael: 20:15

So yeah, and you have. You have a reputation, both in quality of food and the experience itself right and staffing. It's like I've I've heard only good things about working for you from people, so that's always such a nice thing, you know. I mean that that just goes such a long way as far as this is something that people want to support, because these are good people, this is good food and it's sustainable, because you've thought about all of these things and you're you're constantly innovating and bringing new things to the table, and this is such an exciting time in Orlando, Obviously. We got rated recently I think it was People Magazine saying we were like the top foodie city in the country as far as like affordability, diversity, value, that sort of thing and and quality, and so for Orlando to top that list, I think was kind of surprising to us all, because there are so many great food cities in the US and obviously there's there's uh, there's ways of poking holes in that theory, but like just the fact that we were recognized in that way and there is so much new talent, there's so many restaurants opening up and and great ones that have been around for a bit, and the audience is there to sustain it. There's no shortage of great food here. 

Sonny: 21:39

Yeah, yeah, I agree. 

Michael: 21:41

So it's an exciting time to be in Orlando in general, and especially a restaurant tour, because it people are super into it and they do, and a lot of people do get it and that's that's why you do it right. 

Sonny: 21:54

For sure. You know I feel like Orlando in the past five years definitely has blossomed a lot heavier than it's ever blossomed. You know I've I've lived in Orlando for, you know, 14 years now going on 15. And you know, prior to that we traveled to Orlando often just to go shopping at the Asian groceries and um. In the last five years alone I feel like Orlando has definitely blossomed. Everyone's pushing the boundaries further and further new and existing um, restaurant tours, and I think everyone's always trying to improve um. Even for ourselves, like you know, in the past seven years or dome, our menu hasn't changed like drastically, but we're always weekly in the kitchen doing research and development and how to improve our current menu, constantly, over and over and over and over again. So right now, if you go to dome move versus, you know, maybe the first couple years it's going to be drastically different, from our broths to our bases, to our oils, to our toppings, to our. Everything has been like improved little by little, by little by little, every single week, almost up until the past seven years. So it's on the forefront of things. When customers look at dome, they kind of still see that same menu in the same format, and we do inject new things here and there, but our ultimate goal over the years was to constantly improve our product every single time we look at it and you know, I think that you know if you haven't been to dome in a while, you know, and maybe like that first impression wasn't the best for you, or best experience of the broth wasn't that rich or thick or white or things like that, I think that it's a good time for customers to come back and try it again and see if maybe we can exceed that expectation of their first time. You know, because I think that during this first couple of years was tough for me because, you know, just getting consistency down and things like that. 

Michael: 23:41

And well in the capacity. I mean the amount that you were trying to produce at that time yeah, yeah, that alone is like wait a minute. How can you actually do that and pull that off? 

Sonny: 23:51

It's. It was difficult, let me tell you that, and in my team, a lot of my team during those years, really, like man, I can't do anything without my team. You know what I mean and just hearing you say that, you know that you heard that. You know it's great working for me and it's like a lot of times when I see, like my old managers I'm talking about from the beginning that have just like recently moved on to other things, is that you know, I get teary-eyed a little bit when that happens, but at the same time, if those managers have learned everything they possibly could with me and they're moving on to a bigger role in their career, you know, moving on to the next step of what I cannot like as far as I can take them, and then they're moving on to something even bigger than what I was able to give them. You know, and you know it makes me proud at the same time and but also grows the whole food scene too right, you're just like you know like we can have all these managers go out and take the next step. But you know, I think the biggest part of that is that a holiday party my prior bar operations manager because he's just got promoted to like a big job with a distribution side, and I was just like man. I feel like everyone is moving past, I'm like standing still almost where all these people, all these managers are moving like to bigger and better things, while I'm still kind of just like I'm here, you know, and I'm bringing up the next set of managers coming up, and you know, and I just it gets kind of sad at the same time because, like you know, I'm building all of these people up and giving, hopefully giving them the best information that I can and teaching them and empowering them, and and I'm proud and sad at the same time when they have to move on to the next thing. And I'm like man, like I'm, but I'm still here at Dome. We won't still hear at Torrey. 

Michael: 25:33

It's part of the process, though. 

Sonny: 25:35

right, that's the thing, yeah it is, but I love it, you know. You know I think that it feels great to be able to empower people. You know I understand that not everyone's going to think the way I think, but I do love to give my input on things and, just like, also allow my managers to make their own decisions on things, give them the trust that they're going to make the right decision, and if they don't, that's okay too, because then we catch it and then how, you know, we understand what happened yeah. And then the next time we kind of move forward and always get better. So be my team is like fantastic. I don't think any of us in Orlando can do without our teams. I think when I look around the food scene now, a lot of these restaurants and restaurant tours have great staff and I think everyone's really pushing the envelope. You know, I feel like right now out of all times definitely is very pinnacle with Michelin here. James Beard is more present in Orlando Getting that recognition from People Magazine and you know obviously a lot of these things it's all someone's opinion. Everyone has their own opinion. So they may believe that New York at this or that, and you know, and I love New York, I go to New York to get inspiration. You know, in Chicago as well and San Fran. 

Michael: 26:50

Those will always be the top cities. 

Sonny: 26:51

Yeah, yeah, in my mind those are always the top cities, but I'm happy that Orlando is getting recognition, whether or not it's amongst the people, it's positive or negative, it's just the fact that it's there. 

Michael: 27:03

You know, kind of like what you said earlier and Well, people doubt it too, Like if they haven't been here in a while. There was that quote. Andrew Zimmern was like there's no good food in Orlando. And it's like and then he had to do like an apology tour for that. Yeah he came by. Don't Move For that. 

Sonny: 27:22

Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Michael: 27:22

Which like, but that could be a common misconception if you haven't been here in five, 10 years. Exactly. But it's like it has transformed in such a profound way and if you don't come see it you won't know. So that's again like why that list I think is important in Orlando being on there so people that are the doubters or the haters can like come check it out and find out like oh, this is pretty legit, right. 

Sonny: 27:52

Yeah, honestly, I think I was looking on social media like a few days ago and we were on the top list of something else in the culinary world and when I see that, obviously it's controversial but it's good for us, no matter what, because to the rest of the world they're looking at the same article that we are and it brings a lot more people to Orlando. 

Michael: 28:13

Come see what we're about and to leave the attractions, not just in the Disney area. 

Sonny: 28:18

Exactly, and I think that there is a lot of local restaurants and businesses that really benefit from that, and I think that it really I've been saying this and being in my career is just like we really all collectively want to put Orlando on the map and it's finally starting to emerge, and that only took five to seven years. Imagine what the next five years is going to look like and where we're going to be in five years, and I think that maybe then Orlando might really look as a strong contender in one of the top cities for the food industry. And I think that time will tell and I think that as long as everyone continues to push in the city and continues to innovate and continues to even just provide great food, great service, mostly for our locals, and continue to just be who we are, I think naturally we've just all came to this point and I think everyone's just starting to recognize, obviously with the help of Visit Orlando, visit Florida and things like that, more and more outside chefs are coming into Orlando getting their opportunity to kind of like put their ideas down and really expand our culinary palates, and so I'm excited for it. I'm going to keep doing my thing as well, and I don't know everyone in town is just continuing to push as well. So I think we're in a good spot right now in Orlando.

Michael: 29:42

We really, really are, and so you're up to seven restaurants now, right? So you've got a location in Jacksonville of DOMU, you've got a Dr Phillips location of DOMU as well, and you've got Edoboy and Tori Tori. 

Sonny: 29:58

We also have East End DOMU DOMU Lab upstairs which is kind of our incubator chef's table, and then we also have a small version called DOMU Chibi, which is little DOMU in Waterford Lakes, which is more like a fast, casual, fast food style of ramen. I've been there a few times, yeah, so it's just a quick spot to go in and out. Take it to go. That place does do take out and just kind of supply that side of town with ramen on the east side. 

Michael: 30:28

So yeah, and I love the being present thing about no reservations, and anytime I eat at DOMU I feel very present with my bowl of ramen, like it's such a comforting food and after the meal I always catch myself thinking about how delicious it was. And that doesn't always like we eat really well and we appreciate food so much. But for some reason ramen is a different type of experience. It's comfort food and it just sort of warms your heart in a different way. The entire experience of it, just the different elements, the care that goes into the broth, the noodles that you make in-house. And I think that a lot of people prior to DOMU opening didn't really understand what ramen could be, because people had sort of that grocery store idea of ramen and it's like, oh, this is just that. But it's totally not just that. 

Sonny: 31:37

Yeah, I mean, growing up, everyone's had instant ramen, right, that's. Ando Momofuku was the creator of the first packaged instant ramen in Japan. 

Michael: 31:48

And you freeze dry it. Is that the idea? 

Sonny: 31:50

Yeah, I think at the time they either freeze, dried it or air fried it, probably before air fryers were relevant. But I went to the instant ramen museum in Osaka and so it kind of gave me the history of ramen and all the way up to understanding when ramen first came and the very first instant ramen package. It was really cool. 

Michael: 32:12

That's really cool. 

Sonny: 32:14

Just it's kind of like a nerd. It's a research trip A ramen nerd type of trip, but it was really cool to see that this is where most people will understand ramen is that packaged ramen and kind of like? Trying to introduce Japanese methodology and techniques authentic techniques into a bowl of ramen was something that just no one was doing at the time and I was just really like nerding out on that stuff and experimenting a lot, and so that's kind of how it became. I want to say we're like authentic. Authentic. We do have a more traditional side of the menu that we still kind of like. We're expanding that for next season as well to introduce a few more traditional styles of ramen that we've never had before. But that was our main goal is just to make sure that we did our best to follow what ramen truly is but obviously stay true to ourselves at the same time. So there's always something a little something different, and that's why I can't call it 100% authentic. Although we do make the broths in an authentic way, we do make the noodles in an authentic way. 

Michael: 33:23

I mean that's the base, right? That's yeah, yeah. 

Sonny: 33:26

Flavors are very authentic, but we always have a little bit of a twist somewhere. You know, and I think that's what makes us unique. It's food that's coming from my heart and really just like food that I like to eat. Like you know, when I do research and development kind of in the kitchen, sometimes with myself, sometimes with our culinary director, manny, and we just go in and it could be just six to eight hours of just doing the same exact thing over and over, trying the same exact thing over and over, until we're satisfied, and we could do that again for days on end until we're satisfied with something. But if we're not even satisfied with something, like I, could be working on one thing for days over and over and over and over and over again and eventually just scrap it because I'm not happy with it. 

Michael: 34:16

And so it might not be the right time. Right, it's like this, this might come to me another time, but it's not coming to me now. 

Sonny: 34:21

I just had this conversation with Manny yesterday because we just had R&D and it's just. I'm trying to explain to him the steps and levels in my head when I'm like thinking of like making a dish or improving a dish and you know, for me it's a huge game, a process of elimination, right Like I want to go in there with all my hopes and dreams of what this dish or improvement could be. And I want to, yeah, the vision, and I want to narrow it down to certain amount of things on the table and I want to keep trying every possible combination that I can possibly think of that makes sense to me before I move on to another product or another piece. But I want to make sure that I did everything possible for that one piece that could have, could have been some type of element to this, this dish, and fully eliminate it out of my head, just trash it so I don't have to think about it, so I can make room for more and more and more. So it's like a huge process of elimination for me and that's why it takes very long time, because I'm just very like, meticulous and detailed when it comes to understanding what a dish tastes like and to me and I'm trying to just kind of pass that on to many more and more and my other chefs, like Tyler or Edelboy and things like that- when did you learn that technique? 

Michael: 35:39

Was that something that your parents were doing as well? Or is that just something that you just kind of thought of on your own, of just like we could branch out and really try variations of this before we kind of settle on okay, this is the thing. 

Sonny: 35:54

Yeah, I think it's just a me thing, you know, to be honest with you, because it's not. I noticed that it's not just when I'm in research and development, but myself and everyday life. You know, I'm always just like, very, just, very meticulous with things and it's a gift. It's a gift and a curse, obviously right, because then you stretch yourself out extremely, way more than you probably should. 

Michael: 36:16

You use it for good rather, yeah, yeah, yeah, I use it for good for 100%. 

Sonny: 36:20

But um, but that you know, those research and development days go on for very long, like weeks and weeks at a time, and just to get one dish sometimes. And you know, and sometimes we scrap the dish all together. But going into that, you know, I've been kind of doing that over the last seven years like continuously and just building. Like a lot of times I'll go in there and I'll just make dishes, just anything that comes into my head. I'm like I don't know if this is for any of the restaurants at all, but I'll go in there because I want to just make sure, see if I can do this dish and what I'm thinking in my head. And eventually, if I do complete it at some point, I it's in my phone and my phone is like full. Hopefully I don't give my secret out. Someone steals my phone but my phone is just a gigantic database of research and development that I've done over the seven years of just outside, of being inside the kitchen at Dome or any of the restaurants. This is my extra curricular time that I continue to do to this day that I rent out the kitchen at Easton, will usually be in there on off days and off hours and just be working six, eight hours at a time just developing recipes, and a lot of times I'm just going in there and just developing. You know, and I don't know what it's for. Eventually it will come to light. For some reason It'll fit somewhere at somewhere, at some place. And you know. So I just have like a vault of like recipes and I'm actually now just starting to use some of them. Finally, you know, for this upcoming menu, season seasonal menu and things like that, and I have like concepts that I've already kind of researched and developed recipes for and this and that. So I still have like concepts in the, in the vault as well. 

Michael: 37:57

I'm just like itching and waiting for one day to do it Because seven restaurants is not enough, obviously, for one person. No, but the thing is, I don't look at it that way, I think. 

Sonny: 38:08

I look at it as I think I have just like a drive in me or like maybe I'm passionate, like just really passionate about not necessarily the number of restaurants, but the passion of like getting my ideas and things that I've always wanted to do or things I've spent a lot of time on that's never seen the light of day out to people so they can actually see what it is I'm working on, because a lot of times I feel like I'm just like confined into people. See me as what Dome with Torritory Edelboy are and that's it, you know. But I have so much, so much. More is just I haven't done it yet. 

Michael: 38:41

Yeah, and you love the challenge. That's what keeps you coming back to it, right, is that? Yeah, I think. 

Sonny: 38:46

I think, just understanding my evolution of from the first day at Dome and East End 2016 to now, and just just understanding that I just know so much more, you know and and understand so much more and I really want people to see that too I think the biggest, obviously the biggest thing for me is that you know, most recently I started a family. I have two kids now, so you know congratulations. Yeah, thank you so exciting. You know, it's just, you know, trying to balance life of work and family and my own personal life and things like that has been a really big challenge over the past few years, especially after COVID and it made us look differently at time, didn't it? 

Michael: 39:32

Like COVID, just like it broke our brains in a lot of ways, but we had to kind of rebuild what we value and how we use our time and that sort of thing right, Honestly so many things, man, that time was so bad. I just like almost don't even remember like almost you block it. 

Sonny: 39:48

Yeah, almost block it out because it was just such a tough time. You had to pivot and then pivot again and for the restaurant, I mean, I'm sure for everybody, but for the restaurant industry it was like man, yeah, it was so hard to get ingredients, I don't know. It was just we couldn't staff because we kind of open it was. It was a pretty. 

Michael: 40:06

And you went from food and Bev to just food, basically because it's like, yeah, like drinks are such an important component to keeping a business alive in the restaurant industry. So, yeah, it just it seemed like an impossible equation. 

Sonny: 40:19

So you know, the thing is that during that time I was thinking like man, if we can get through this, we can probably literally get through anything ever. 

Michael: 40:30

So yeah, so that's so true. 

Sonny: 40:34

That was just what I was just thinking about. The whole entire time, there was a lot of ups and downs, a lot of blood, sweat and tears. 

Michael: 40:40

And you had how many restaurants during the pandemic at that time? 

Sonny: 40:44

I had five. 

Michael: 40:47

Okay, five, yeah, I mean people struggled with just one restaurant. Oh, I can only imagine the stress that five restaurants during the pandemic, during that time. Yeah, you're super human, obviously. 

Sonny: 41:01

No, I mean, all I could do was try my absolute best to look out for my staff, the best that I possibly could. Obviously, I was crutched heavily on just money. I think it was the biggest thing of making sure we were able to pay our bills, you know, and just really trying to like work with our landlords and this and that to just try to just keep us open, you know, as long as we possibly could, until we can like get back on our feet. Essentially, you know, I did have to cut back on staff and things like that at the time because the bars weren't even open. And you know, and it's nothing I could, you know the city wouldn't allow us to open, and for good reason, for everyone's safety. But it was just like. It was just a tough time in my life and it's hard to even imagine that scenario now. 

Michael: 41:50

I think all of us have just decided like we don't want to think about it because it was so hard and it was it was. It was so hard to know what the future would bring to it's like, how long is this? Is this ever going to come back? Right, and now that a lot of the things have come back, we celebrate it in a different way, even, maybe even more, maybe more. 

Sonny: 42:12

You know, I want to appreciate it even more, you know yeah it definitely made us all stronger, 100%.Everyone in the restaurant industry is a thousand times stronger and I know like there's some people that exited the restaurant industry at the time, but it's still. It's still here. It's still thriving. I think it's a great opportunity for anyone that's at least passionate in that field, whether it's front and house, back of house service, bar if you just even have a passion for it, I think it's still a great opportunity to build a career. At least I look at the restaurant industry as a career, you know, and it's still here, so I don't think it's going anywhere. 

Michael: 42:45

So yeah, we all have to eat right. 

Sonny: 42:47

Yeah, yeah. 

Michael: 42:49

And the and the joy of eating is is such an important thing, and I think that People in Orlando understand that a lot more now too. You know, just Growing up I just I didn't really know what good food was. You know it was just kind of a maintenance thing and what one of the things that that I wanted to mention to about ramen and your chicken wings, like that combination of things, and it kind of almost does bring me back to like a childhood memory like it's like a sense memory of of just like those, those two delicious things, and you have, like this beat barbecue, you have a seasonal wing and so good I mean, yeah, so. 

Sonny: 43:35

I would really want to give the credential for that specific sauce to many. You know, many, many, many is a is a Great addition to our culinary side. I've always had, like some, some other chefs, like Tyler and Alex and but many I kind of hired on a couple years ago Just to kind of like help him shape into becoming the culinary director eventually one of these days. You know, I think that my family is Gonna become a really big part of my time and you know I want to get sure continue to shape him into Understanding my thought process, what it is I'm looking for, flavors and and what our concepts are, so that way one day he can, I Can fully entrust him that he can produce the next season's worth of Changes and updates, so at some point that I think that will happen as my daughters get older, and so that you know, but that that sauce specifically. You know we always have battles every season. I don't say battles, but like we always both make a sauce, all right, a few sauces iron chef idea yeah exactly All right. Well, let's see what our staff thinks about it. You know saying and it's always kind of like or that's fun. No, sometimes it's like damn, you made a. I think you made a better sauce in me, so let's, let's continue tweaking that one. You know what I mean, so it's like. But you know, many, many's made a few of the really great wing sauces, such as the beat barbecue, and he also made the most recently, tiger green green curry. That was my favorite. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think, I think that was a lot of everyone's favorite, and you know, I think that. So he understands the vision, he understands the flavor profile, he understands that there has to be a playful element to it or our Artisanal element to it. So so he's definitely, you know, on that track and I think that we have more, a lot more plan for the next three seasons. Like we we we already plan out the next three seasons of changes, and so I think that there's gonna be just a continual evolution of don't move, you know, forever. 

Michael: 45:35

I mean it's, it's such a rare thing and I think that that speaks volumes to just your Openness to let others shine. It doesn't have to be your recipe and it's a collaboration, like you're there for all of it and it's it's constantly evolving and developing, like you said, and improving and innovating, and that that keeps it interesting. That keeps people coming back. Obviously you're in such a prime location with East End Market. There you have a built-in audience because it's just constant flows of traffic. So much to see and do and eat at East End. 

Sonny: 46:19

We love East End it's pretty spectacular. I always look at East End as my my home base, you know. I'm like even though there's seven restaurants, like I always always turned back to East End as like my home base, just because I was there all of my time, you know, and I and I love East End, I love the management there and John Reif the owner, and just just seeing the evolution over the years too and kind of seeing it from the very first version of East End Market and kind of seeing it grow over the years as well, yeah, but yeah, I mean East End has been, I think, quite an essential part of our success as well. Just being blessed to be given the opportunity to open the restaurant there and I think, yeah, like you're saying, just the foot traffic alone and and and people kind of looking at East End as like an innovative hub you know for, like new things or are great things, it's at the time when we opened up Gideons was opening up at the same time I get the Zach same time they had just opened up their stall and man they're. They've blown up. Shout out to Steve, but like man he's. He's always in Disney now and it's absolutely insane to see his progression in there. And a lot of the OGC, like lineage, has also expanded out and did their own thing and the roasting, wholesaling and bean-sided things and you know Everyone kind of like really utilized East End as their jumpstart to further their Brands and careers. Really, yeah, so East End is probably a special Part of everyone's lives. To be honest with you, the cadence, the cadence guys and girls, you know they got their jumpstart there as well. You know so. And lo over at Kaya and so it's yes. It's not that you look now, look back at it. It's yeah, a lot of being accomplished from East End in ten years. 

Michael: 48:09

So yeah, it is really. Yeah. It's quite amazing how much it has changed the area for the good, just the things, the changes that East End has brought. And so did you. Also, did you work with Capo, like when they were at East End? So Capo became cadence, the three chefs that you mentioned, and so so so you were there doing sushi as well, you were doing prep, or no? 

Sonny: 48:37

no. So at the time they were still at Avenue okay, and they were transitioning to opening Capo so I knew they were leaving the Avenue side. That's why I had to get everything together For the transition. But they also at the time needed initial investment to get things going. So I had a little bit of money saved up so I put, you know, everything I had into helping them get it to get it going. So I was more on the side of just like helping them get it up and going. That's amazing. 

Michael: 49:05

What a, what a way to contribute and help right and to see what they're doing now too. 

Sonny: 49:10

It's like that's what I think yeah, well, you know, honestly, I looked at low, looked up to them like heavily, you know, in my culinary career and you know that's why I also inspired. I was like, yeah, like let me do what I can. I don't have a lot, but let me contribute what. 

Michael: 49:25

I can and you saw, the talent and the personalities and they're just such great people too. Yeah. 

Sonny: 49:31

Yeah, they're the great people they have. You know they came from. They have such a journey, you know getting to where they're at in their culinary careers and really, you know, I would say that that heavily inspired me the most was probably those three Mm-hmm, and I've said it in a lot of interviews that they inspired me to do what I do. 

Michael: 49:50

You know what I mean their arrival to the scene was so transformational, wasn't it? 

Sonny: 49:54

It was a bit of a moment, yeah like you know, honestly, chefs tastings and omacases and Things like that were just not present, you know. So I don't know and and they kind of like not in Orlando. 

Michael: 50:07

Yeah, I mean it's mainstreamed it, I guess they popularized it. 

Sonny: 50:11

Yeah, yeah, that's the word, yeah and um and so. So they're like a huge, huge part of the culinary scene, in my opinion, of when we are today. They helped shape the beginning aspects of it. 

Michael: 50:24

So yeah, and they have a Michelin star, and you also have a Michelin bibb. Oh, yeah, yeah it's exciting. So cool, yeah, in the first round. What, what an honor to be recognized that way, right man. I can only imagine what that would have been like. 

Sonny: 50:43

Honestly, when we first broke news that Michelin was coming, I talked to my teams actually and I told them I was like you know, I don't think we have what it takes to to be on the Michelin guide, but one of these years we're gonna keep doing what we're doing, as I think people love us for who we are. So we're sending be, be who we are and keep doing what we're doing, but one of these years let's shape up, let's get everything together, let's let's really really like just any of the, the Parts where we are that doing that well in, let's improve it and all these things, so that way we might be a contender. In that field, for it, for any of our concepts, and so that's why I think it felt the most impactful for me was that they put us in their first round, you know, because I didn't even think we were even on the map to even be looked at by them. You know what I mean. So I think it was a very proud moment for me, you know. I think that was like one of the most pinnacle, peak Moments in my life and I think that's a big deal, right yeah? it's just something that just wasn't expecting, I guess, and or even on my radar. So, you know, I think that really yeah, it's, the really is the peak of my career. At that point, you know, besides like meeting like Morimoto, other than that, like that was, those two moments were like, oh man, like I'm, I'm good. 

Michael: 52:08

Was that? Was that when the restaurant opened at Disney Springs, or no? 

Sonny: 52:12

He recently, when we opened up at a boy, the chef over at Disney Springs hit me up through email One evening and he was like hey, do you have any openings on this date? He's been hitting a few times actually. It was always like booked. So I was like no, I'm so fortunate it's not available. The one time you did hit me up it was available and he told me I'm actually bringing chef Morimoto with me. Wow, he wants to check out your spot. And so they went to Tori Tori first. So I met up with chef Morimoto and their team and the executive chef from Disney Springs and we're all there drinking high balls and hanging out. Yeah, it was just cool because, like, I was just in disbelief that chef Morimoto was in my At Tori Tori just standing at the front of the bar drinking a highball and me sitting next to him and we're talking about his leg injury, I don't know. 

Michael: 53:06

Just like just like normal stuff. 

Sonny: 53:08

Yeah, you know, like man, like I looked up to this guy since I was a kid. I went to his restaurant in 2009 for the very first time in New York and I was so excited. I remember at the time, actually, when I went, mark Burden from Cadence was working behind the sushi bar, so we happened to sit right in front of Mark. 

Michael: 53:27

And. 

Sonny: 53:27

I was like I recognize you. We know each other from games. Well, I just we never. We didn't interact much and I was like, oh okay. So then it clicked that this is Mark Working at Morimoto in 2009 and we happened to sit just right in front of him at Morimoto for the first time. So anyways that, yeah, all coincidence. And it's just really struck me that, like man, like you know, as excited as I was to go to his restaurant, I never thought that he would ever come to any of my restaurants at all. You know what? an honor, yeah, and it just felt like absolutely like out of body experience surreal. May. Maybe those are the right words. Humbling is huge, but it was like I don't know, man, like you know, like I guess, if there was like a celebrity or band member or someone that you just always looked up to and then For me, like over the years, like if I was in New York, I randomly see something like a celebrity or something, I was always freeza and like, I always wanted to be like Yo, whatever, like shakers in, like take a photo, but I was always freeza. 

Michael: 54:35

I mean, like gosh, I feel awkward or whatever, and and you know they're just people at the end of the day. 

Sonny: 54:40

Yeah, you know they're all they're all super friendly and things like that, but it's just always. I was freeza and then, like after my last time and it's gonna sound really lame, but like I was in New York, me and my wife were at the mall in New York and we saw Jal rule. Right, jal rule is like a huge hip-hop artist when I was growing up and we love his music, him and Ashanti, and so you know I don't know if anyone knows, but I'm really big in a hip-hop and I just froze up like he passed us and he was giving his, just saying what's up to everybody, and then like, and I not froze, and after that moment I told my wife was like in the future, if this like we ever see anybody or anything like that ever happens again, I'm just gonna go for it. I'm just gonna try to get you know. Say what's. I always say I'm a huge fan and get a photo or whatever it is you know, yeah, it's just. You know, just one of those moments that you're like you never thought you would meet this person. So I had that same feeling with more emoto, and I was like man, this may never happen again. So I printed out a little like iron chef photo back in, like when it was iron chef Japan, I don't even know, maybe like early 90s photo of him and the four there are four chefs, One from each country, it was like China, italy, but it was an Asian chef and him and basically had in my pocket the whole time and I was so nervous I was like, oh gosh, should I whip this out or is this gonna be so lame? And I, you know, and I Got the courage up and I whipped it out and I was, and I showed him. I was like you mind signing this for me? Yeah and just because I you know, it's just like one of those I don't know, even though that signature it was just a signed photo, but it was just. I guess it meant a lot to me and yeah and he looked at me and he chuckled and he's like, oh man, because, because he. Way young version of him and like and there's probably those times and he's kind of explained it to me that you know, just have someone with a chef's and stuff like that. But it was a really big fanboying moment for me to meet chef Morimoto and I and even though it was just like meeting him and being able to hang out with him and getting his like nod at Edelboy, like, like you're doing a great job, you know, I think that that really meant Possibly even more than the Michelin guy to me. 

Michael: 56:52

You know what I mean. What an endorsement right from somebody that that you look up to so much and that, yeah, just like you never really know what level you're at and that's that's maybe kind of a theme here Is it like you're just you're doing it at your level, that you know You're always trying to like top that and get better and improve and you're like I don't, I don't know where I am, I don't know if I'm, you know, could make the Michelin guide or anything else, and Then you get recognized in that way and and people show up in that way right, Mm-hmm and that's sort of how I think sometimes we just we don't have the self-awareness Right like sometimes it does come from that acknowledgement from others and. 

Sonny: 57:41

I mean, we try not to dwell on that too much, but it is sort of a guiding signal in a way, right 100% honestly yeah, honestly, I have no idea, and I tell my chefs this all the time that I believe that if you can make it in our kitchen, then you'll be a great cook or a great chef in any other kitchen, right, and I think that that I disclaimer that is that I don't know how other kitchens are being ran. You know what I mean. I'm just doing it my own way and my own thoughts of like what I believe it to be. You know what I mean and obviously I have an assistance now with, like, my back of house Director and basically that, the systems and the structures. He kind of helps with that too, james, and I guess it's like again, like being the self-awareness of like just doing you, basically, and not knowing how anyone else does anything, and just kind of following that path. You know, and I think that I Don't know it's always worked out for me. I have like I just follow my instinct, I follow my gut feeling a lot of times and just being myself is Probably being like my biggest asset in my life. 

Michael: 58:44

You know, it's sure yeah. And at least in my career, you know so and when you have that foundational knowledge that you have, it gives you that ability right, because you're not, you're not having to like fake it till you make it like all of the elements of Running a restaurant, building a restaurant, starting something new staffing it's like you have such extensive experience in that, in on different levels, different capacities, so you you bring that to your projects and you can just like be sure that that you you've got that stuff and you've got the team for that stuff right, and then what you bring to it is is the you part as well, right, and just like being honest and open, not bringing ego to it, not being afraid for somebody else to shine. It doesn't have to be like your thing every time, like all of that is, I think, what kind of makes this Such a unique story and and why your places are so successful too. 

Sonny: 59:51

Yeah, it's it, I guess it's a. It is a huge combination, you know, I guess if you take a step back and look at it, yeah, we're just honestly, we're just blessed to be here at all and just being accepted of the city. Yeah, and the locals. Really, I think that's we're okay with being who we are and we're okay with there's nothing for us that we have to like. 

Michael: 1:00:13

I don't know it's hard, I don't know how to explain it, but like, yeah, so is it that At this point you don't feel like you have to stretch to stand out, that what you're doing stands out in its own way and you're being authentic to yourself and it just comes kind of naturally right. You're in that flow like people talk about. When you have a talent and you're utilizing it, you just get in the flow and you don't have to think about it too much. It's not that it's effortless, but the type of work is very efficient because you're not overthinking it. You're just doing and you're creating results and you're kind of getting to where you want to get to without extra energy like wasted right. 

Sonny: 1:01:02

Yeah, maybe we're just getting better at what we do and we're just comfortable being in our own skin more and more, and I don't think we have anything we have to prove to anybody. So I think when you have all these things, I don't like it just puts you in a good spot. 

Michael: 1:01:18

That's an inspiring story too. I mean, you reach a certain level, you keep innovating and you continue the work, but kind of where the drive comes from is maybe a different place too. right, there's like a comfort level or like, maybe like less fear about how you'll be received, maybe you're just like you're letting go of some of those things that are just like, okay, we don't need to worry about at least that part of it, because we have our audience, we have our recipes, our innovation. We're going to listen to feedback and we're going to evolve and develop according to, like, what's working right. 

Sonny: 1:01:59

Yeah, yeah, I guess. Yeah, you hit it on the nose. I'm like trying to think and I'm like we got there together. 

Michael: 1:02:06

Yeah, yeah, I think you put the. 

Sonny: 1:02:08

I think you understood what I was trying to say without me even saying it, you know type of thing. So yeah, yeah. 

Michael: 1:02:13

That's amazing. What a place to be, and I, like I love. I got to mention this, this story, in my research about the business plan that you had developed when, I think you were five years old. Is that right? Yeah tell me about that. What, what? Like this vision of a ramen restaurant when you were a child? 

Sonny: 1:02:33

So crazy. Yeah like how many years in the making that? Like? 

Michael: 1:02:38

Honestly, I don't man it's, it's meant to be and obviously the name DOMU dream come true is like. This is a five year old's dream coming true. 

Sonny: 1:02:47

Yeah, I mean at the time when I made the name DOMU, it wasn't even correlating to that letter. Actually, I didn't. I didn't even remember that I had that letter. My parents brought it up at some point, like earlier on in my DOMU days, and I was like, hey, you know, we have this letter that will give to you, you know, one of these days, maybe when you get married, or something like that and and I was like, well, send me the letter like a picture of it. And I was like, and I looked at it and I was like, oh, I do remember exactly this moment that it happened, though. We were in my parents room, my mom and my dad and myself were on the bed and he had this, um, a legal pad. You could flip over and go to the next page. It was one of those and I remember specifically it was like a blue big pen. I remember, like talking it out loud with my parents of like, I want to open up and sell instant ramen out of my garage. What a great plan. Even though like as a kid I'm like thinking man, these people are going to walk up to our garage and buy instant ramen. Doesn't sound sketchy at all. 

Michael: 1:03:51

Yeah, would never happen. 

Sonny: 1:03:52

But you know, um, and I would be the cook, cook, slash chef and my cousin it was mostly all my cousins and my best, one of my best friends, that would be helping me between serving and managing and all these things, and I kind of just laid out a business plan and my dad was like, oh well, write it down. And I was like okay, and then you know, obviously at that age you know I needed help, Like I don't think I necessarily knew how to write sentences that well at that time and so my mom was helping me spell things out and I believe I remember on there when I saw it it said noddles, not noodles. I was missing, adding an extra D instead of an extra O. 

Michael: 1:04:34

I mean details. You know what that means, though, so that's the important thing. 

Sonny: 1:04:36

But the funny thing is is that I remember that my mom was helping me spell everything out, so that was her version of spelling noodles, which is really funny. So, um, but yeah, that was a some reason, that specific moment. My memory is not the best in short term, but for some reason certain moments long term in my life are just like really prepped, like just really vivid in my mind Very much that way as well. And I remember that very exact moment when that letter was being written and what I was thinking and things like that. And yeah, it is kind of crazy to think that, like, maybe you know that was the conception of me opening a noodle shop, you know a ramen shop one day. 

Michael: 1:05:20

It sounds pretty foundational, doesn't it? Yeah, yeah, so, absolutely, it's like a premonition, yeah, so. 

Sonny: 1:05:24

That's wild and just like being in the restaurant industry for so long, and I don't. I think it was. Yeah, like you said it was. Maybe it was just meant to be. And then it was just like that age is just manifested without me even knowing, and throughout my life I've been working towards getting to this point. I guess it's wild. 

Michael: 1:05:41

It's about me even knowing. Yeah, you don't ever hear of a five year old with a business plan that actually comes to fruition. Right, it's like. 

Sonny: 1:05:48

That's the era of the usual yeah. Yeah. 

Michael: 1:05:52

It's like it's profound, I just I think that that's such a cool story and I'm sure at that time your parents are like okay, we can't talk him out of this thing. Like this is like. This is really ingrained, like it's. I mean, the restaurant is such a family, isn't it? It's like 100, yeah, and when your family grew you up in a restaurant, then it's just like okay, I mean, you can't separate it. 

Sonny: 1:06:18

Yeah, I mean, it wasn't just my parents, it was my aunts and uncles. They also had Chinese buffets and you know, they also had a room where I hung out with my cousins and stuff in the back. And so it was just like we were all kind of grew up in this environment, so it's yeah, it's crazy. 

Michael: 1:06:34

Do your daughters hang out in any of the restaurants? Probably not. There's not space, is there? 

Sonny: 1:06:38

Yeah, I, unfortunately I didn't think ahead on the little room in the back somewhere, but, and also, you know, I think that they're really young too. So I think I'm a lot more open minded as an adult now and I think that for them, I want them to do whatever it is that they want to do. If they happen to love cooking or they happen to love what I do, then 100% I'll encourage, like I'll bring them along. But it's like you know, if they are interested in anything else making clay, playing soccer, you know whatever I'm 1000% more interested in what they're interested in. That's cool, you know, and making sure that we shape them that way and not really push them any direction. So I think that people who love to do something, and I think they should stick with it, I think it's the passion behind it that really drives us, you know, and for me it just happens to be cooking I would say cars is like a close second, you know, because I just have a huge, huge, don't know why I just love cars, but it's just right behind food and like you know. but it's just like I feel like those, like passions we have to follow. I don't know. I just think that at some point they'll lead us to something. Even if you go against the edge and go against what people say of like you shouldn't keep doing this or it's not getting you anywhere, I still think you should still do it regardless, because I think it will take you somewhere someday, at least for yourself. It'll take you yourself, you as a person, somewhere one day you know for your own benefit. 

Michael: 1:08:07

I think that we find connection when we need it to you know, what I mean. I think that authentic connection is one of the most important things. I mean, we have to make a living, we have to survive and we find ways of earning a paycheck and hopefully it's in a job that we can either tolerate or we love. You know, ideally a job that we love, but something that sustains us, so that we can find connection in our passions and our, you know, even if it's a side hustle, that sort of thing, and it becomes a main gig. 

Sonny: 1:08:46

Yeah, it happens a lot actually. You know what I mean and just because you're doing what you love, you know, and I think that's such a huge key part of like people gravitate towards that too, right, they see that you love it and it's like oh wow, and they're gifted at it. Yeah. I don't know. I'll give you an example of one. I don't know if you call him my nephew, but it's like a distant cousin. I don't know, I just call him my nephew, but anyways he really in his younger days he just loved to play saxophone and so he played saxophone for a very long time. He was really good at it. I think he was like in a orchestra and all this stuff at a young age. And you know, I think his parents mentioned to him that I think he should stop because it's not really getting him where they want him to be, or I think something like that. And I remember just telling him like I think you should just continue doing what you love, because at the end of the day I get it. You know your parents want you to be secure, you want to make sure you can pay your bills and things like that, but at the same time I don't think you should like kill your passion. You know what I mean I don't think you should stop doing what you love to do in pursuit of stability. I mean, yeah, I don't know. For me it's weird because like during those years, like I always had a roommate, I've lived in a dining room, you know, and just put a bed in the dining, so like I've always kind of like lived frugally, kind of just pursuing my culinary career and you know. So I think it was just like I kind of just disregard it, what everyone else said, you know, and it kind of just. 

Michael: 1:10:17

You're willing to make the sacrifices and you're willing to put in the work. 

Sonny: 1:10:22

Yeah, yeah even if I didn't necessarily have like any money left over anything like that, you know, from expenses and things like that, I was still. I think I was so caught up in the world of the camaraderie and learning and all this stuff and I think that's kind of like really important for everyone. To not necessarily go to that extreme, maybe, but like just don't lose the passion you know, or don't forget what it is, because I think it's actually hard to find out what you're passionate about too, you know, the older you get. 

Michael: 1:10:56

I think it's like that thing that gets you out of bed and gets you excited for the day. 

Sonny: 1:11:00

Right it's like you've got to have that. And I think, like some people, like you know, are still out there looking for what they're passionate about too. So I think that if you can hone in on it and figure it out, what it is that you love to do, even at a young age, like and maybe it doesn't, you're not like forever doing it consistently, but you come back to it throughout your life and this and that and remember that, like why you love it, I think that's also super important. Ash, I don't even know how we got to this subject. 

Michael: 1:11:30

Yeah, I think it's a perfect transition to my next question, which is about DOMU Lab. You had touched on it a little bit earlier. So an incubator for new chefs to try out in basically an eight-person setting restaurant. Right, and Camille was the first of the DOMU Lab chefs, right? Tell me about how that first experience went? They're just opening their brick and mortar in Baldwin Park right, yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Sonny: 1:11:56

I'm actually really, really proud and excited for Chef Tung. You know I got to give the props for Johnny Yies and I for finding talent or just seeing that there is a spark in somebody. You know what I mean, Because Chef Tung definitely 100% has it. I think he's been through a lot of trials and tribulations. He has four kids at a young age. He has a lot to fight for in his life in terms of his career. He has a lot of drive. Like this guy is ambitious, you know, and he's always in a good mood and I think that combining all these things it kind of really set him for it doesn't matter of, like what you threw at him, he's going to figure it out. You know what I mean. Like we need to, it doesn't matter. You know he's always like alright, alright, alright. You know he takes criticism very well. I think he has huge goals and ambitions and I think that when you really help a person like that fulfill something like a dream like his was like to open up Camille and like he honestly was able to do it himself. He just kind of needed some resources, you know what. 

Michael: 1:13:08

I mean. 

Sonny: 1:13:09

And I think that, yeah, chef Tung, he's great at what he does. So I can feel it, you know, when I talk to him I can see it. When I go to his restaurants, I can feel like how much passion he has in what he does. 

Michael: 1:13:22

There's like a magnetism right. There's like a charisma and like a I don't know you. Just you believe in leaders that really do have it right and that it comes from such an authentic place and they've just got a gift right. They're just like a lot of chefs in this area that do have that and you just watch them rise because they have the skill set. 

Sonny: 1:13:48

Yeah, and kind of just seeing where it takes them. You know, and I think, chef Tung, from the very first time that we sat down I remember Johnny was doing little private dinners out of his dining room where Chef Tang Wook introduced food to friends and family to just kind of see where he's at and stuff like that. So Camille, specifically, was really Johnny driving the boat on that one. I'm on that back end giving support in terms of administratively, in terms of the numbers, in terms of the bills, the payroll motivation, things like that. Johnny was the one that really found Chef Tang, gave him the opportunity and really pushed Camille forward. I'm not a part of the Camille over in Baldwin Park, but at least on the upcoming of Camille for Don't Move Lab I was happy to be able to just support Chef Tang in any way that I could because I really felt like there was just I don't know you don't meet a lot of people like Chef Tang that just I don't know. There's just something about him that you can just tell that this guy just has so much fight in him. You know what I mean. He's gonna make sure, no matter what he's gonna make it. You know what I mean and I believe it, you know. 

Michael: 1:15:12

Yeah yeah, and you know what it means to give somebody that opportunity to get in front of an audience without the big commitment of a brick and mortar right off right. It's like that that's a scary moment, man. 

Sonny: 1:15:26

Yeah, it's super scary, to be honest with you, because the responsibility at that point is like so big and so massive and you're just like tied to this contract of a lease and I don't know. It's just like if you don't do well, there's like a fear of like damn, you know. 

Michael: 1:15:44

So it's just Having a little trial period and honing your and building up that audience too. 

Sonny: 1:15:52

That's so crucial these days, right 100% and yeah, so it's just so. Domemu Lab, I would say, is not just an incubator for chefs, but just chefs and concepts. So I think that it really depends on what the situation is or what we're out there looking for. It could just be a concept, possibly, that DomeMu is wanting to release one day, or something like that. But yeah, it's really just on a trial basis. We kind of see if it gave you opportunity to see if you can make it or not in the restaurant industry on a way, way low, low risk situation. 

Michael: 1:16:30

It's like a six month period, right? Is that sort of the residency like around that? 

Sonny: 1:16:34

Yeah, overfully around six months, I would say, is really the moment where we're really gonna understand of like, can we take this further, can we not? Or, like you know, are we sinking and we're putting a lot of money in to keep everything afloat. Yeah, you've got metrics at that point, right, yeah, so I think that it gives the opportunity, at least on the chef's side, of just almost no risk to try it out. So, and then it does put us in a position, if it doesn't do well in terms of just financially, but maybe it's worth it just to see, just to give people opportunity sometimes and just see, and it gives them like real life insight of what their thoughts and what their actions and all these things, of putting it to the test, of whether or not they can sustain in a real life environment, of having a brick and mortar, you know, and I think that that's super important too. And that's not a bad thing if it doesn't necessarily do well either, right, because it's like it teaches you where areas that you can improve on in order to it's just a learning lesson at that point. And it was no risk, right? 

Michael: 1:17:42

Yeah, maybe they realized they're not ready or that they need to come up with a different approach before they actually dive into it. Right, Exactly. 

Sonny: 1:17:52

So it's a pro-pro situation you know, for the chef, you know, or the concept, and I mean it is exciting to have that and I think we have great neighbors, the neighbors. 

Michael: 1:18:06

Yeah so upstairs at East End is called the neighbors, right? I have to clarify that for our listeners sometimes because I feel like that can be a little confusing. Like which neighbors the neighbors? upstairs at East End. So that space was formerly the Apex, it was an event hall and it has a kitchen. That is kind of served that event space for a time and then when that got converted to the neighbors it's sort of mixed use at this point as retail and kind of a bar area and then now that kitchen is where DomeLab is taking place right. 

Sonny: 1:18:47

Yeah, so it's a very experimental situation going on here, trying to blend a restaurant into a retail space and a bar. So, you don't see too many of those, but Totally. You know, but it's very experimental. I think it brings elements where it helps each of the other components a little bit. You know what I mean. Right, and Brittany and Jacob are great. They're a power couple kind of just trying to innovate. And they're of freehand goods and the neighbors right yeah so Jacob comes from the retail side predominantly, it seems, and Brittany actually helped me open up the bar in 2016 for DomeLab as the bar manager, so she has extensive bar programming and experience. So I guess that's how the neighbors is, literally just those two together as a concept, so it's really cool to see that. 

Michael: 1:19:45

Yeah, I mean it's interesting how everything kind of comes together in that way too right. And for this concept of being an incubator, I mean that was one of the original ideas of EastEnd to begin with was this is an incubator space for entrepreneurs food entrepreneurs, particularly so. When they outgrow the space, if they move out or if they wanna stay in, they can do that. And some have outgrown the space, some have stayed in, obviously, and we love that. That is a thing. There are those anchors. It's like interviewing Steve from Gideon's. He's like I'm never leaving EastEnd, like that's where it began, that's like it's such an important piece of it, and I think that that really kind of creates the atmosphere of EastEnd and the legend of it, the story right yeah. 

Sonny: 1:20:42

I mean honestly EastEnd has done a fantastic job at incubating. 

Michael: 1:20:47

So you know what I mean. Yeah, it really has. 

Sonny: 1:20:49

Yeah, just like earlier in our conversation. It's just like so many brands and small businesses have started there and have really grown and it's amazing to see I'm really proud of, like, all those people that we started with at that time. Yeah, so, and to see him now, so it's pretty crazy, it really is. 

Michael: 1:21:10

Yeah, what a legacy, what a history. 

Sonny: 1:21:13

And just I mean it's so exciting to see what we'll be next to, you know just Well, I will say this is one thing I know about John Reif just over the years is that he keeps EastEnd extremely dynamic. So there are really no boundaries of like what is, because I've seen that market change from an office to actual businesses going to those spaces and I've seen him give a lot of people opportunity of going into the market and so I think that that market's always gonna be dynamic. When I talk to him, eastend is a very important part of his life and I think that you know he's gonna continue what he started for a very long time, I feel yeah yeah, and I always have to plug my wife Gabby, who was one of the founding members of EastEnd. Oh really. 

Michael: 1:22:07

Yeah, she hasn't been involved for quite some time, but EastEnd evolved from an idea that she runs the farmer's market at Stardust on Monday nights. 

Sonny: 1:22:18

Okay, yeah, yeah. 

Michael: 1:22:20

So she's been doing that about 15 years now and John had come to her for help planning the harvest festival because there was a big market that was happening in Winter Park. So they teamed up for that and they produced a couple of harvest festivals together and he said I wanna do some kind of concept, but I don't really know what, and his background is commercial real estate. So Gabby was like well, there's this market that we saw in Seattle called Melrose and it's a neighborhood scale market, has butcher shop, seafood cheese, a restaurant in the back. So they went and they visited Melrose and they talked to the owner there and did a research trip and brought that back and we were looking at this building that was just vacant there and so that's how that location came to be as well. So, yeah, like, speaking of the 10 year history, it's like she was there for the entire inception and she project managed the construction of it. So she has some of that background knowledge too. And there, for that entire process of gathering the vendors who were going to be in it Lineage got their start actually at her market. Oh cool. Yeah, so, and Skybird did. I know there were others as well. So it's an evolution thing. So it started in the parking lot at Stardust and then moved to East End, which is kind of a little known fact. But that's part of why I want to do this podcast is like it's good to know the history and where things came from and it gives an idea of kind of where they're going and who's going to be involved in that. Yeah, were you there, so that was it a church prior it was a church, and then they were going to, somebody had purchased it and they were kind of building a school there. I think it was going to be a Montessori school. So they had started construction and I think they just got in over their head and realized that it wasn't a viable project anymore. There was somebody that wanted to buy it and, I think, level it and make storage units, which would have been just horrific. We're so grateful that things worked out the way that they did, ultimately for East End to be that incubator and so meaningful to our lives and connected us with so many people, and it's cool to continue to make those connections Years later down the line too. So talking to you today because we've never had a conversation before and I've known about you forever, so this is like such a cool thing to be able to do. 

Sonny: 1:24:57

Yeah, hell, yeah. So I mean honestly, I was like again, I think Audubon Park was obviously our. We planted our roots and it was such a great neighborhood, great locals. There's a great shopping in the area, like park abscades and great little pockets of stores and retail and boutiques and food and bar. I don't know, it's just, it's not big but it's like you can just tell there's a lot of history here and I don't know. I love Audubon Park for that reason right. And it's just a quaint little pocket of Orlando that just you wouldn't even know it's here, right? It's just like contact away, yeah, unless you're passing by, unless you're like, I guess, going to Baldwin Park or you wouldn't or Winter Park, you wouldn't really necessarily know it's here. And I love that little like small town kind of feel where you can just kind of walk across the street and get to the next small business and it's a really cool little like cross section over here. You know, Audubon Park for sure is on the map in terms of Orlando and I think I see more and more people attracted to this area, so just happy to be here. 

Michael: 1:26:05

We're so happy to have you here. Yeah, there's so much influence. I feel that comes from Audubon Park and has Spread out. Yeah, like I feel in ways it was kind of a template for some of the other districts that have really made names for themselves and the branding and the events. It's cool to be part of that and get to know people that are part of that as well, and it just it brings us all closer, doesn't it? 

Sonny: 1:26:34

Yeah, for sure, for sure. I mean a lot of great history here and, just like you said, the main streets. Like, honestly, I feel like the main streets did get larger after Audubon Park Garden District and like the Milk District is getting bigger now and Mills 50 has always been a very big stretch. And all these pockets outside of downtown, I think, is what really makes Orlando, in my eyes, orlando. 

Michael: 1:26:58

I don't- it wouldn't be probably the top of the list for foodies cities. Honestly, yeah. You know it had these events not taking place. You know the districts really do make it because you go downtown in Orlando and there's really not too much there, Like it's not-. It's offices and yeah it's a bar scene and it's offices, so the neighborhoods really are kind of that's the core of Orlando's heart, I think. 

Sonny: 1:27:26

Yeah, sometimes I almost forget that, like Disney and universities are even here you know what I mean? 

Michael: 1:27:31

Like, I'm just like yeah, they're so detached. 

Sonny: 1:27:32

Maybe I'm just living here I don't ever go and at the same time it's like I forget they're even here sometimes you know, Cause I guess they're on like another part of Orlando. That's just so far out there and I never traveled that way, but it's just we're in our little like microcosm here. Yeah, yeah, just in the outskirts of downtown Orlando. Right and it's just, yeah, it's great. So I love it here in Orlando and I'm glad I planed my roots here. 

Michael: 1:27:57

Same same. Well, let's talk about the seven year anniversary that's coming up. It's November 6th through the 10th, so seventh anniversary week. 

Sonny: 1:28:07

It's being planned out by Mabel, our marketing director. She's been a huge addition to our team in terms of just like keeping things up to date and current events and culture. 

Michael: 1:28:17

You gotta have that right. You can't do it all yourself when you've got seven restaurants. To be honest, with you. 

Sonny: 1:28:22

I did do it all the way up until 2021. Wow, I was like, yeah, 2021 is when I brought Mabel on because I couldn't do it anymore and I did all the social media. It was just crazy. But anyways, regardless of that, mabel kind of is planning that this year and she has a lot of great things coming up T-shirt designs, some stickers, giveaways, bags. We upgraded the Robin challenge this year. We typically have an annual Carolina Reaper Robin challenge. It's a spicy Robin challenge and a lot, a lot of people love coming out for that to see if they can beat the bowl. But this year we actually turned it up. The very first year we're introducing Dragon's Breath Chillies, so it's unofficial, but the Scoville units of the Dragon's Breath Pepper is spicier than the Carolina Reaper and Carolina Reaper has been reigning supreme as number one for a very long time in terms of the world's hottest pepper. So I've always been looking for what is hotter than the Carolina Reaper pepper every single year. So finally we're able to get our hands on some Dragon's Breath peppers and we're taking it up a notch this year for the Robin challenge. It's called the Dragon's Breath Robin Challenge. This year there's a cool T-shirt. If you win, you get your picture put onto the winner's board and that stays forever. You get your picture on there that you won and we get the Robin for free. So you get the Robin T-shirt and a picture if you win that, and that's usually going on Thursday and Wednesday of the week of our anniversary week. This year we're doing Wine Down at East End Market on that Wednesday and that's a bottomless wine. Light bites up until 730. We have our in-house DJ, DJ Omokase. He's also one of the chefs at Edoboy, so he always likes to DJ at our home events and it's gonna be a good time. But on. Monday we are doing a $200 gift card giveaway for Edoboy. You're gonna get a lot of sushi off $200, for sure, sushi and alcohol. Tuesday, we're gonna be giving away free sticker and free color ginger cup. That's like always an annual thing for us for DOMU Chibi, which is in Waterford Lakes, until supplies run out. As long as you purchase something, we're giving you these free items and we always have a new design every year, so it's exciting to see what's next. What the next design is Collectors items yeah, pretty much collectors items. Yeah, I actually collect all of them myself, but I could be biased, that's awesome yeah. And Wednesday is the Wine Down that we talked about, and then Thursday is customer appreciation day at all of our main DOMU noodle store. So that's East End, Dr Phillips and Jacksonville. Customer appreciation day is basically free ice cream. You can just purchase a soda and it will give you a free ice cream. So I think this year we have a special flavor that we're doing, and it's gonna be one that everyone is familiar with and loves, and we're only doing it for anniversary week. Oh wow, so, yeah, so, and it's just something that you know, we know that everyone loves and it's like, but anyways, I don't wanna ruin the surprise. 

Michael: 1:31:45

Sure, yeah, those in the know know what you're talking about. 

Sonny: 1:31:50

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And this is soft serve that you make there. Yeah, so soft serve and a cone or a cup and it's on the house. And we're doing the believe the t-shirt giveaway. That day too. Of the first allotted amount of customers, get a free anniversary t-shirt. Nice, the Ramen Challenge will be on both Wednesday and Thursday, so as long as you come into Dine-In you can do the Ramen Challenge any of those days. Friday will be the closing event at Tori Tori, where we're teaming up with Suntory, our number one supplier for Japanese whiskey. We're doing a listening party where we bring in a DJ spinning classic Japanese music or just old school music, possibly on records, and really have giving out like free high balls. And we're also doing a kill the keg, where we're giving out free beer and to of got to got to, which is our collaboration beer with Ravenous Pig until the keg runs out. But there's just a lot of free stuff. We want to give back to the community, you know what I mean. So everyone's always supported us. So, like this is our one time in the year where we give a whole week long celebration of just we want to give as much as we can back to the community and just to come out and support us, really just show our appreciation and thanks for allowing us to be here over the years and it really means a lot to us that we're still being supported to this day. We're happy to do it. Like I'm always excited for anniversary week to kind of see what the new t-shirt design is going to be, and we give all of our staff free t-shirts and all this stuff and we just it was just a very like height moment for us. 

Michael: 1:33:27

Yeah, you know, it's a, it's a. It's a very proud thing to celebrate another year, right? And now that you're at seven. It's like, yeah, you're getting closer to a decade and still going strong, right. 

Sonny: 1:33:40

Yeah, yeah, yeah, 100% and so and then it only gears up from here for us, like you know, Mabel's super busy planning parties. So we have anniversary week going into our annual staff Thanksgiving potluck and then going into our annual this is the busy season for a restaurant. Yeah, yeah, you know then going into our annual New Year's Eve party that we throw at Tori Tori, which was epic last year, and we will be releasing tickets for that at some point coming up. You don't want to miss that. It's usually an all inclusive one ticket price. We close the restaurant down for the evening and just have a huge party DJ, food, champagne, drinks, everything just lights and it's a party balloon drop. I think everyone should be on the lookout for that. Like I always have probably the best time out of the whole entire year, besides the holiday party, the New Year's Eve party. But they're all back to back from here on out, from November, december, january Just a lot of parties. So our staff loves it and at least I hope they do of us throwing all these parties. 

Michael: 1:34:50

I mean, we should be celebrating much more often, right? Yeah, Again after the pandemic. It's like our appreciation on our level of joy. It's like, yeah, we definitely don't need to delay that and not anymore, so hopefully in my lifetime not another pandemic happens. Indeed. 

Sonny: 1:35:13

Indeed. 

Michael: 1:35:15

So what are the websites that people go to? I'll link some things to the podcast itself, but the socials and places for people to go. 

Sonny: 1:35:24

So to find us on social media, our social tags are for DOMU at DOMUFL For Tori Tori, it's at Tori Tori pub. For Edoboy, it's at Edoboy sushi. The websites are www.DOMUfl.com for DOMU, ToriToripub.com for Tori Tori and Edoboysushi.com for Edoboy, and that's where you can find us on social media and website. 

Michael: 1:35:53

Well, Sonny, it's just been such a treat talking to you. Thank you for making the time and thank you for everything that you do, and I just I wish you all of the best of luck with everything that you're doing and future things, and we look forward to what's next. 

Sonny: 1:36:08

I appreciate you having me honestly and really just connecting the community and kind of bringing to light the history of Audubon Park. I think that's super cool to hear. So you know a lot of these stories that I don't think a lot of people actually know. You know what I mean In terms of the history of what we have here in this neighborhood and, yeah, again, we're happy to be here and thank you for having me. 

Michael: 1:36:28

Yeah, absolutely, we'll see you around the neighborhood

Sonny:
Cool. Thank you.

Outro:
Hello APGD, a neighborhood podcast, is brought to you in part by Stardust Video and Coffee, Audubon Park's beloved neighborhood cafe, bakery, bar and meeting place located at 1842 East Winter Park Road. Our theme song is by Christopher Pierce, and special thanks to Tre Hester for all his help in making this podcast a reality. This episode is brought to you in part by Audubon Park's community market. Join us every Monday from 5 to 8 pm, rain or shine, in the parking lot of Stardust Video and Coffee. This weekly gathering of makers farmers, gardeners, fishmongers, ranchers, artisans, entrepreneurs, neighbors and friends brings the very best of Central Florida to you every week. We do hope you enjoyed this episode. If so, please click subscribe and leave a review if you'd like. We'll see you next time.