266 Express
Welcome to the 266 Express, your official podcast of Sanger, TX.
In every episode, we paint a picture of life in this beautiful North Texas town.
You will gain insight into everything from our rich history, community events, and the rapid growth and development of Sanger. Welcome to the 266 Express.
266 Express
Brewing Community Bonds: Todd and Vanessa Benson on Revitalizing Sanger with Uptown Rail Brewery and Innovative Ventures
Ever wondered how a couple's online meeting could spark a small-town revolution? Join us as Todd and Vanessa Benson share their journey from a digital encounter 18 years ago to becoming the visionary minds behind Uptown Rail Brewery in Sanger, Texas. The Bensons' entrepreneurial spirit led them to create community-centered businesses that breathe life into small-town charm. Discover how their ventures, including a creamery and a brewery, are not only revitalizing Sanger's evening scene but also offering local youth valuable job opportunities.
Get ready to be inspired by the Bensons' creative initiatives designed to bring people together. From a Crawfish Roll event on Fat Tuesday to introducing live music and line dancing, Uptown Rail Brewery is shaping up to be a vibrant hub for all ages. Their thoughtful renovation of the brewery space—honoring Sanger’s historical essence while incorporating modern design—reflects their commitment to fostering a welcoming community space. You’ll hear about their ambitious plans, like setting up outdoor stages and diverse food truck offerings, all guided by community feedback to ensure there's something for everyone.
In this episode, we also look at the broader theme of community involvement and its essential role in business success. Todd and Vanessa discuss the power of volunteerism and how it helps nurture a sense of belonging. With their low-voltage company, Paxia, they balance multiple ventures while investing in young talent. Their story is a testament to the importance of local support in achieving growth and prosperity. We express our gratitude to the Bensons for their commitment to Sanger's vibrant future and look forward to seeing their continued impact in 2025 and beyond.
You have been listening to The 266 Express, the official podcast of Sanger, TX. IF you have comments or suggestions, please send them to dgreen@sangertexas.org
Welcome to the 266 Express. I'm John Knoblet, with my co-host, donna Green. Donna, who do we have with us today?
Speaker 2:Today we have Todd and Vanessa Benson and they own the Uptown Rail Brewery and several other businesses in town.
Speaker 1:Thank you, for coming in.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having us, thank you for having us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I appreciate it. We're super excited to have you. Well, you know, it's not often that we get a couple in here to talk about really anything. I know getting my wife and I together to talk about things is a little difficult because we don't want to talk about them we're already done. But could you guys share how the two of you met and kind of a little bit about how you got to where you are today?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so you won't believe this, but we actually met online about 18 years ago and that was really before online dating.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so it's.
Speaker 4:It's been a blessing and been fun.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we met online. I'm from East Texas, he's from the Colony area. So, we met online, we clicked, I moved up here to the Dallas area and then he's been in the security industry for several years and one day he decided, hey, I'm going to do a brewery.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And I said, okay, well, you've got to find space. And we harassed the Hollinsworth, or he harassed the Hollinsworth over a year to sell him a building and we got that. And ever since he's been rocking and rolling creating that brewery.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah it's awesome, so why Sanger?
Speaker 4:Well, we kind of migrated over here. We bought a building for our Paxca back in 2020 is when we opened Paxca.
Speaker 3:We bought it in 2019. October 2019 is when we bought the building.
Speaker 4:Yes, yes, and then we renovated that building. So yeah, we bought the building in, like I said, 2019. So that's kind of why we migrated here. It's over here on 455 by the high school and that's kind of drew us to move here, to build a house out here, to create more businesses out here. So that's really the main reason how we arrived here, ended up here, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, go ahead. I mean you've got a lot of businesses and so let's just start with Paxia. Let's start with that one. So tell us what it is and what inspired you to start that business.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so Paxia is a low-voltage company. We do cameras, access control, pretty much anything and everything low voltage audio video, et cetera. We have three offices our corporate office here in Sanger, we have one in Dover, delaware. We got one in Boulder, colorado. So basically we have those offices for licensing issues or licensing requirements. I've been in the business for 35 plus years in the security industry and just built a clientele over the years and that's 2013. We actually created Paxco 2016. We really hit it hard. I was the vice president of another company prior to that and, like I said, 2016 we decided to just take our life savings office out of our house for a couple months and we've just been blowing and going since that's fantastic.
Speaker 1:That's fantastic. So how has that business impacted your involvement in the community?
Speaker 4:It's impacted quite a bit. The support from the city, the support from other businesses, residents they've really helped us continue the growth and it's impacted, I mean built a lot of relationships and things of that nature.
Speaker 3:But part of it was when we moved to Sanger in 2020, we drove down to Sanger and we were like where's the places to be? And we realized everything shuts down at 5. And we get off about 4, 35 o'clock. So we're like we need something down here besides Babes. That is open later, you know, because people that work they're not always, you know. Lunch crowd's great, but what's happening after lunch for the kids and the families.
Speaker 3:So that's what brought us down to the square area trying to figure out what to bring to Sanger. We travel a lot of places and we love the little small towns, the atmosphere you have and just the buildings and the history.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's I mean. You've got to love an old building to be in an old building. Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 4:It's a lot of love.
Speaker 2:So you had the security group and then you guys opened the creamery. So what inspired the creamery.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so long story on that. Actually it's a short story. Yeah, so long story on that. Actually it's a short story. We were looking for a building to build a brewery and we come across that one. Obviously it wasn't set up for a brewery. But my wife says, well, since we can't find something, we should open an ice cream shop. I was like okay, so we called the Springers that day. We saw the building. When we called them that day, we met them over there and we signed the lease. And we've never been in that industry before. We're just like let's do something. The main reason is A to give kids something to do around here for work. Young kids which we have our kids, our daughters, our sons and all the local kids here running it and just a place for them to work and then for people to have a nice good ice cream.
Speaker 1:Well, I got a bunch of cops that love that ice cream. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 4:So it was kind of a spur of the moment deal. Like I said, we originally didn't have it planned out, but working with the Springers was great. They're really a big supporter of everything we've done so far and they just gave us the opportunity to lease that building and then, unfortunately, we're out of that building. We're down at the brewery now. Yeah.
Speaker 2:That was a labor of love.
Speaker 4:Yes, yes it was yeah.
Speaker 1:And you said you've had pretty good response.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, sir. The communities came out and helped us. I mean responded really well to the creamery. Still responding and they're still responding and, honestly, after opening the creamery we realized what a great town singer is. The community is just very community-oriented. And it opened our eyes about what this community can be with the people that live here.
Speaker 4:And the other thing about the creamery too. Now that we're combined down at the brewery in the pizza oven area, we actually are able to offer other desserts like brownies, and able to expand our menu and not just ice cream.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 4:And which is a huge step for us in the continued growth. Yeah, and then obviously, with the green space that we want to do in the back, that's another opportunity of being able to expand, you know, the ice cream and different things of the functionality of that out there as well.
Speaker 3:And hopefully bring more families down to a little singer in the back with the green space and everything. They'll be there, hopefully sooner than later.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we were able to talk about that a little bit before we started the podcast. That is something that the city's engaged in, the community. When we did our comprehensive plan, downtown was the hottest topic, I think, on the comprehensiveprehensive Plan on what can we do with our downtown to generate traffic and make it and keep it really the centerpiece of the community. So it takes businesses like yours and your commitment to the downtown and the Springers. You know it takes a whole host of people to make that that happen, but we're excited to see that, uh, that we're the people that are committed to that. We're slowly beginning to see those businesses open up. We're seeing that we're not closing at five necessarily downtown all the time and we're slowly beginning to see the benefits of that.
Speaker 1:And you know, knowing that the timing is is is one thing, because we know it's still early in uh in our growth but uh, but having that commitment early on helps push that forward. So you guys, we appreciate the momentum that you bring to that downtown because that's a that's an important part of what we're trying to do as a community and, uh, what the council is committed to as a community. So it's fantastic. So tell us more about the brewery and the pizzeria. I think that's what we really. I want to hear about it all, but that's a hot topic.
Speaker 2:That is a hot topic, Well, and I mean I'm always interested in what you're doing because you guys have been such great partners that I'm wondering what I could do next, so hurry up okay.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so, like we talked about at the beginning, I've been soul-searching for an old building and finally got an opportunity to buy one, and then we completely, totally renovated it.
Speaker 2:Took it down to studs.
Speaker 4:Yeah, took it down to studs to really get this thing rolling. I have a passion for craft beer. We travel all over the United States. I've been to several different places and really had that. Always wanted to do something like this.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And, like I said, once we purchased that building, we had that opportunity, obviously with the city's support and things like that. So, that being said, never really got into brewing beer like that. So I just just took it to the next step and uh, yeah, I just really got, uh decided to find the system we liked.
Speaker 4:Uh, that was you know hands-on but also automated something new technology there and, uh, we ended up picking it up and getting it installed and he's been really working on it and everybody's been really loving the beers that we're bringing out and they love that.
Speaker 3:We have the pizza area. They can come in and enjoy live music. We're going to have line dancing. We're going to be doing on Mardi. Is it Fat Tuesday?
Speaker 1:A Crawfish Roll. So that's coming up.
Speaker 3:Hold, hold on a minute do you have a date for that?
Speaker 3:it is fat tuesday, which is march 4th, and we've got ordered over 500 pounds of crawfish um look out so we'll be doing that all day on that day and if it's a big hit, we might try to bring that in more often. We're always looking for ideas of what the city wants or even the community wants to see, because at the end of the day, that's who we're trying to work with is the city and the community. But I think the Crawfish Bowl is going to be a big hit for us as well.
Speaker 2:I can hear a crawfish festival calling my name.
Speaker 3:Look out, look out and working with other patrons to bring in other things. We're in the process of trying to get the backspace working, seeing what we can do with that and growing that for more of a family-oriented music venue as well back there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, you know I know I've been in a few times, I know Donna's been in a few times and you know I think not everybody's aware it's you know it's Uptown Brewery and you know obviously brewery carries some connotations with some people, but you're a very family-friendly business. That's correct. Yeah, yes, I think it's important that people know that you know that you guys are really creating a space for community there.
Speaker 4:And one of the reasons why we have it's all one entity but we kind of have it separated. You know, so people that don't really like the brewery scene, they could just go into the Brick Oven Pizza ice cream shop and be independent from the brewery side Right. And then, of course, with the green space that we plan on doing here in the spring, spring-summer, that'll make it a lot more family-friendly oriented and to be able to make it not feel like a real brewery kind of atmosphere.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because we are parents and we've traveled with Paxca and just for vacations and we've gone places and we've always wanted to take our kids and if dad wants a beer or mom wants a drink, we've always tried to find and we found the brewery scene is very open to that. As a family, you know your kids are welcome and that's what we always want to strive to make sure everybody understands. Kids are welcome, Families are welcome. Come and enjoy, you know, a cocktail or whatever, or a beer, Preferably an Uptown Rail beer, but we just want everybody to be able to enjoy having a space to come to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and from personal experience you know my eight-year-old. She loves it. So I mean, you guys have things for them to do. It's not like you just go to a brewery and they have to sit there and watch mom and dad drink. They actually have stuff for them to do. But, um, you remodeled that building and that was a labor of love, but you guys did a beautiful job with it. It's gorgeous. So where did that design come from? I mean, it so fits Sanger, so perfectly. Yes, it's beautiful, yeah yeah.
Speaker 4:So honestly, my wife and I we kind of had this vision what the exterior was going to look like. We got the grant from the city to be able to do some upgrades on the outside. Thank you, by the way, for that. And yeah, so we just basically that's something that my wife and I we've always been good at. We always come to agreement when we both have the same vision, when we see things come together. So, like on the outside, we, you know we had it.
Speaker 3:We had that vision.
Speaker 4:Vision, and we had seen it put on paper and then see it come together. It was really good. And then also with the interior as well, too, we had a vision. We wanted a large bar space, we wanted a lot of seating area, a lot of stage, and we just put it on paper and we made some modifications along the way, but, yeah, that's just pretty much. We came to agreement stage and, uh, we just put it on paper and, uh, we made some modifications along the way. But uh, yeah, that's just pretty much.
Speaker 3:We, we come to agreement and well, it helped because we had people to bounce things off of. You know, and people would come in and talk to us and tell us a few things about the, the area, um. So it was just one of those things. We we knew what we wanted. We knew we were separating the other area for the pizza side but, just to make it the way it is, part of it is, we wanted to bring some of the oldness back in, because I really love old buildings, that's a passion. I love to see the history still there. We got to keep some of that. We had to bring in some new, so we wanted to bring back some of the old. So the wood on the walls brought that back. So, just, we wanted to preserve as much history as we could.
Speaker 2:Good job because it's beautiful. I love it. No, honestly, it's a great venue Now.
Speaker 1:so you go from. We have a dream and, by the way, vanessa, my wife would have said hey, why don't you brew your beer in the kitchen for a little bit and see if you really like doing this?
Speaker 3:I did that. It didn't work. We have a brew kit that I just found that he never touched.
Speaker 4:Never touched, yeah, Go big or go home.
Speaker 1:That Go big or go home.
Speaker 4:That's my operation.
Speaker 1:So you see, you have a vision, you paper it out, you put it into practice. How are you feeling right now, I mean about the success of the brewery to this point?
Speaker 4:Yeah, with the great team that we have our general manager, our bar manager, just our staff in general just it's very supportive, very awesome group of people and also I don't think we could do it without them. But that being said, I mean the brewery has really taken off.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 4:And we're at a point we have to expand now with different things that we're doing, which is great. I know we've physically been open three months this month and, like I said, just the outpour of support from the community, just just, yeah, just been great.
Speaker 3:It's really been great, and I mean honestly we've been blessed with the great staff we have. You know you can make a great venue, but it really doesn't succeed without the people. That actually are behind the scenes and that is a staff that we have in the management team. We have it the scenes, and that is a staff that we have in the management team. We were actually blessed with that, and they make things happen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, great crew, great crew yeah.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I know you have live music because you have the stage and that's pretty successful. You brought in some pretty big people that people know. So who manages that for you and who sets that scene?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so we have a third-party company that actually does all the booking for us or gives us a list of different people, and then we kind of comb through it and find out who we'd like to see, and then we end up yeah, we just yeah, we end up booking them.
Speaker 3:And.
Speaker 4:I know we're booked up until, I believe, February.
Speaker 3:Yes, we are booked up.
Speaker 4:We're booked up in February now with different artists and we kind of change it up a little bit just to keep it interesting. So we're going to go down to doing music one day a week, which will be Saturdays, and doing different things.
Speaker 3:On Fridays On Fridays Like line dancing every other Friday, starting Fridays On Fridays. Like line dancing every other Friday. Starting in February it will be line dancing every other Friday because it was something that was brought to our attention by a patron in the brewery. They're like we would like to see line dancing. You'll have the room. So we're doing that and seeing how that works and see if that's Are you bringing in like a teacher.
Speaker 4:Yes, oh, that would be great, so there will be a teacher every other friday for that, um, and then yeah, we have a whole list of different things that we want to uh implement and just uh, sean, our general manager, he's, he's uh putting everything together trying to figure out what's going to be the next thing, and just we're just going to keep it interesting. That way drives more traffic. What we learn is you do the same stuff over and over again. It kind of people get burned.
Speaker 4:Yeah that's true, so we want to keep it interesting.
Speaker 3:And then also we have karaoke on Thursdays, which I don't know if everybody knows about that, but we do have karaoke Thursday, every Thursday. You should come out and do karaoke.
Speaker 1:Oh, y'all can't handle it. You're not ready for this the voice of an angel.
Speaker 3:Donna, people are not ready. We'd have to get you up there on the stage by yourself then.
Speaker 1:I'm actually looking at reviving my rap career.
Speaker 4:So whenever you said you have a, booker.
Speaker 2:I have to get that name, so I can bring good old Buck and a Quarter back.
Speaker 1:So you know you've touched a little bit on your future plans. Can you expand on those? Just a little bit on what you're? I'm asking for vision, not commitment. So what do you see as when you talk about expanding the brewery and your offerings, what does that look like on that block?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so our vision is obviously the green space on the backside of the property there is to be able to have an outdoor stage with you know, obviously for live music and other events.
Speaker 3:That's a great idea, by the way, but also yeah and when it's not being used, we'd have it.
Speaker 4:It's kind of a multipurpose thing.
Speaker 3:It would be a movie night.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, a big screen.
Speaker 4:So, yeah, they could be sitting on the artificial grass out there and lawn chairs and be able to have watch movies.
Speaker 3:I love that.
Speaker 4:And then our vision also is to have some gas fire pits throughout the facility. There it could be used seasonal, I mean year-round, I guess and then some container-type building structures, building structures so they can have like a little, maybe shops, like maybe a coffee shop.
Speaker 3:We haven't got a total idea of what people are wanting for that. But, we're working on listening to customers, the Sanger community, but have, like you know, you can go get your beer if you want beer.
Speaker 4:Ice cream Ice cream or dessert.
Speaker 3:And then also, you know, maybe a coffee shop, we don't, you know. Also I'd like to do implement food trucks. I know that's something we need to work with the city on, but that has been a big thing because everybody wants us to kind of repeat what's going on over at Eastside. Sure, and they've done a really great job.
Speaker 2:Chinese would be great. Notice we have no.
Speaker 3:Chinese restaurants. That has been the biggest ask for me is can, if we do it, have a Chinese food truck? And I said well, we'll work on that, and that's what we're going to be working on is having those things and seeing where we can go for that. You know, we've got a great little town. We're going to be working on is having those things and seeing where we can go for that.
Speaker 4:We've got a great little town. It just needs to be revitalized. We also thought about doing some for more for kids as well too an arcade kind of setup one of those little buildings with some games and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 4:So, just like I said, to make it more family-friendly, right, and just overall, just accommodate everybody you know anybody and everybody, so that's kind of our vision. And yeah, like I said, I'd like to get moving on that. You know, sooner than later Maybe, sooner or later.
Speaker 3:I'm like let's get our steps going and then see where we can, where we have to finagle. You know, everything's a finagle when you're building. Yeah, it's all a challenge. Yes.
Speaker 1:It's all a challenge and you know we see that everywhere. I mean, I love to hear these things because you know the vision of the council that was handed down to my office to make sure we implement, and all the comprehensive plan that the general public was involved in, uh, helping craft all these things hit on those things and we understand that. Just like you guys can't do it alone, you talk about the success of your, your, your business being uh, being uh pivoted off, that that having a great team is the same for us. We have to have great partnerships in order for for these things to happen. So we hope the city has been a good partner for your business, because that's what we desire these public-private type partnerships, the facade grants that the EDC does, some of the other things the city is working on. We think those are the things that help drive it, because we can't do it alone and we know that your investment, you can't do it alone as much as you would like to. There's just too much for one group of individuals to do.
Speaker 1:So we're very appreciative and, again, I get very excited when I hear what your plans are, because these are plans that I hear from all directions and you know that without planning, the people will fail. Right, that's what they say. The plans have been in place a long time to do these things and now we're seeing a lot of that. We're at that moment where the rubber hits the road, and so, again, it's fantastic to hear those plans because I get excited about it. I'm waiting for the outdoor stage plans to come in and rain me, to call and go hey, I've got something. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, me too, and actually I know you are, do you?
Speaker 4:guys have a designer that the city could refer us to to help put it on paper to implement.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we can talk about that. We'll hear a little bit. Yeah, we have a few that we utilize. We'll give you a list. Okay, yeah, awesome.
Speaker 3:Because I think that would help maybe utilize, because they know what y'all like and what y'all need. So you know, our biggest thing is getting with y'all and seeing where we can go from that.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:The city. So we talked about community engagement and your partnership with the city. You guys have partnered with the city for a lot of things. You've done Cones with Cops with us and Hot Cocoa with the city manager and, of course, you're my main venue for the Songwriter Festival. You're my main venue for the Songwriter Festival and we appreciate that. But why is community engagement so important to you and, kind of, what's your passion for giving back to the community? Because you clearly are doing such a great job with it. I'm a volunteer.
Speaker 3:I like to volunteer for things. I always volunteer him too. So it doesn't matter anything. So if somebody asks me I'm going to, to be like I'll try to figure that out.
Speaker 3:Um, just because that's how you get involved with the community is doing the volunteering, doing the support of the cities and stuff, because if you don't do that then you fail as a, as a community. Um, so that's my biggest passion is to be one of the persons that will be a giver. Um of trying to do those things. You did hear she's a volunteer.
Speaker 2:I heard it, I heard it, you wrote it down, I heard it and we got it recorded.
Speaker 1:I should have said that.
Speaker 4:I know Vanessa and I have always been a believer and a supporter of anything. Yeah, we've got a big heart and we always like to give back, and I believe that living here in Singer and having business in Singer, we really feel like home here, and we really feel like part of the community.
Speaker 3:Well, just even the day that we were doing the last minute, trying to get ready for the Songwriters Festival, that people were walking up and going and saw us putting together chairs. They were jumping in as the community. That told us something we found the place we want to call home and everything. They just jumped in and said, hey, let me help.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And that helped us get where we needed to be to open for that songwriter festival and everything. So the community, just the support, just makes us feel like at home.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was an amazing turnaround, by the way.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And we're very appreciative of it, oh yes. We're very appreciative.
Speaker 2:Shocked I'm going to tell you, though, when I walked over there in the summer and there was no roof, I was like it's going to be okay. It's going to be okay Because I mean, I didn't really have the backup plan. That was it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she's telling us I'm here to snap. Yeah, they're ready, it's not a problem?
Speaker 4:Yeah, we were going to make sure we had a lot of people on deadlines on that project.
Speaker 3:A couple of the builders had a little lashes on the back.
Speaker 1:So a lot of businesses, a lot of irons in the fire. Do you have any tips for other entrepreneurs and people just trying to make their way on? How do you balance it? I mean you guys clearly way on. How do you balance it? I mean you guys clearly have a lot going on but you also still manage to. I mean, you're the calmest group of multi-business owners I've ever sat down with. You know, and you still have your hair. I don't even have that. What advice would you give people on how to balance that?
Speaker 4:Yeah. So, first of all, I just say the first thing I would say is stay consistent, you know, and persistent, uh, because with those two items there, uh, that's what's going to drive success. And, um, you know, uh, with our life business balance, we've learned over the years uh, weekends are our time and, uh, we, we cut it off. Yeah, and uh, uh, I, you know that's.
Speaker 3:Taking your time. You've got to take away from. You know everything you do, but you take some time for yourself. You know you hire the people to run stuff and let them run it, not oversee everything, even though you want to, but let them run it and then oversee and everything because you are as good as your team. But take some time for yourself and everything and if you want it, go for it. Don't let somebody I mean it was over a year, he texts Hollinsworth once a week for over a year and finally he broke him down. So be persistent. Be persistent If it's something you really want to do and it's your life dream do it.
Speaker 3:Don't let anybody tell you you can't do it um, but also take that time for yourself and persistent inconsistence pays off so, um, we've heard a lot about the brewery, so what about for um, your security company?
Speaker 2:any expansion plans there, or we?
Speaker 4:no, I think we're, uh, we're in a good place with that. Uh, obviously, with the three offices, um, I mean we, you know it's, I mean it pretty much runs itself, yeah, I I think uh, yeah, uh, we're in a good place on that.
Speaker 3:I don't know if there's nothing we could do. We've got the great clientele. We focus on those people. We try to do so many different people and put our too many pots on fire and it kind of backfires. We realize that you need to be loyal to the customers that brought you and continue with that and make those your main focus. Don't chase every little thing. So with Paxco we do the all the low voltage. We, you know we take pride in that and you get too much going on in that kind of industry, things that do fall by the wayside. So there's not much of expansion. We've got the great building. We've got the great team.
Speaker 3:Yeah, a lot of young guys that want to work and learn an industry. That's what we've been focusing on is training up some younger generations.
Speaker 4:Yeah, first out of high school, from second year of high school, we've hired a couple young kids and watching them blossom is pretty awesome.
Speaker 1:That is great.
Speaker 4:That is great.
Speaker 1:So where would they find your businesses?
Speaker 4:So our Paxca security group is located over there, off of 455 and right across from the high school. We're Busy Bodies, green Valley.
Speaker 3:Cafe. Yeah, right behind Green Valley Cafe that's our corporate office for Paxca.
Speaker 4:Obviously, the brewery, the creamery and the brick oven pizza is over on Downtown Square in Sanger.
Speaker 1:It's 204 Bolivar 204, yep Websites, facebook feeds, twitters. Yes, sir, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:So for Paxica it's PaxicaSecurityGroupcom. You'll see all the different services we offer on that website. Uptownrailcom for all the things for the brewery the pizza, and there should be some things updated soon for the creamery on that one as well too.
Speaker 3:And then we have we have a Facebook page for the brewery as well, which is updated on almost a daily basis. They also have Instagram for that as well, for the brewery and it's Uptown Rail Brewery. On either one of those, the Creamery, we have a Facebook page. It gets posted here and there.
Speaker 4:We do have a website on there as well, too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Uptownowncreamerycom.
Speaker 4:It'll be updated soon with some of the new desserts and stuff that we're going to be offering Awesome.
Speaker 1:Now, donna. This is a food and drink-centric podcast right now. So, you've got to ask the question there.
Speaker 2:If you could host. If you could host. So it's just the other page, right. If you could host anyone at Uptown Rail Brewery, living or current, for a meal and a drink or to perform, who would it be and why?
Speaker 3:That one's you, that one's you.
Speaker 4:Can it be more than one? Yes, yeah, sure. As a music-wise, I'd like to see Cody Jenks. I'd like to have him in.
Speaker 2:Hurry up would you?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I like his music, his style. That would be, at least on the music side of things, Mark Wahlberg would actually be the preferred, you know.
Speaker 3:He could eat and drink with you and go up there and sing yeah true, you know?
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, I guess he could. He could rap for you.
Speaker 3:The Mark and Mark and the Monkey.
Speaker 4:Munch. Yeah, yeah. So that would be my two that I would like to see in the future or sooner than later.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Come into the brewery to you know, hang and eat, and drink and have fun.
Speaker 3:I really don't have anyone to be honest with you. I would. I'm just not that person.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's fair. Now do you have a favorite ice cream and a favorite uptown brew.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so ice cream actually, believe it or not. We stopped eating sweets back February of last year. Yeah, so, yeah, we stopped eating sugar, but when I did have one, it was cookies and cream. Yeah, cookies and cream, yeah, uh cookies and cream, yeah, cookies and cream. And then the beer wise. Oh, so far, right now.
Speaker 4:Uh, I liked all the ones we brew but, the one that's uh that I really like right now is our new bach. It's called bach and barrel and uh is a uh, really, uh, really good beer, nice yeah I would be.
Speaker 3:If I did it, it would be an actual um. I don't drink beer, so I would take, if I ate ice cream, um a caramel, um salted caramel, put in a milkshake and then have the ladies behind the bar put some kind of bourbon in it, yeah, and it would be adult beverage at that point in time.
Speaker 4:wow and we wow and we did have Bourbon float.
Speaker 3:Yes, we had somebody do that last weekend and he was like it was really good.
Speaker 4:Hmm.
Speaker 2:We should go try that out Purely for Not today. Education purposes, not today. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, we certainly appreciate you guys coming in and spending some time with us, Donna, when we're doing those joint events. Where can the people find the information for that?
Speaker 2:We'll find it on discoversangercom slash events. You'll also find it on the city Facebook page. We usually create an event and it's also posted there. It's in the Sanger Sentinel, it's pretty much every.
Speaker 1:I have it everywhere, it's everywhere, it's in the Sanger Sentinel, it's pretty much every I have it everywhere, it's everywhere.
Speaker 2:It's everywhere. It literally is it's everywhere. All right.
Speaker 3:And we I mean I know you've in the past put flyers up at the Creamery, same for the brewery. That's where we can always make sure we have people coming in. They can see the events and stuff.
Speaker 2:Awesome.
Speaker 3:I know the Creamery kids always would promote as much as they could.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:They always get excited, especially our youngest. He gets excited for the events.
Speaker 1:That's good. We get excited for the events.
Speaker 3:She gets very excited for the events.
Speaker 1:I get very excited, so everybody needs a Donna for that stuff.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Any last words for the community?
Speaker 4:No Other than we appreciate the support from the community and the city and looking forward to 2025, you know, continued growth.
Speaker 1:Todd Vanessa, thank you so much for coming in.
Speaker 3:Thank you all for having us. We appreciate this.
Speaker 1:I'm John Noblet with my co-host.
Speaker 2:I'm Donna Green.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening in to what's going on in our small little North Texas town.