Sav's Chill with Sav!

The sweet journey from West Africa to the Warehouse Block unfolds as Mamadou Savane, known affectionately as "Sav," shares the remarkable story behind Sav's Chill. What began as a restaurant venture in 2008 transformed when Sav purchased an ice cream freezer with his space and later learned to make his own frozen treats out of necessity. Now, he's crafting some of Lexington's most innovative flavors.

Sav takes us through how his West African heritage and Kentucky roots merge in his signature creations. Alongside classic favorites, he proudly offers bourbon-infused delights like Kentucky coffee with bourbon and bourbon honey, alongside more unexpected offerings like spicy hot banana ice cream made with his own hot sauce and hibiscus sorbet inspired by West African cuisine. His pink lemonade sorbet even saved the day during the infamous Railbird Festival water shortage, with Sav working through the night to keep festival-goers refreshed.

The Warehouse Block location feels meant to be—discovered through a chance encounter with a neighbor and just minutes from Sav's home. After 32 years in Lexington, he embodies the warm, friendly spirit of the city. His genuine connection with customers, especially children who light up at his presence (and occasionally cry when he's not there), reveals why Sav's Chill has become more than just an ice cream shop!

Transcript

Introducing Sav of Sav's Chill

Speaker 1 0:06

Exactly, I didn't do well with the rest of the ice cream. Yeah, but that survey everything I made, okay.

Speaker 2 0:14

I'm going to ask you about this on air, if that's okay, because that's a great story. I think, oh, we're ready. Okay, great, we're rolling. We're rolling Sounds great, all right, cool, hi, and welcome back to the Inside the Block podcast, where we go around and interview a different business owner in the fabulous warehouse block. And today I'm so excited because I'm here with Sav of Sav's Chill Welcome.

Speaker 1 0:36

Thank you, you're so welcome. Thank you, I'm so glad you're here so.

Speaker 2 0:40

Sav, will you start us from the very beginning, tell us about your business journey, tell us about how you started? I mean, you've had multiple businesses in Lexington, so can you start from the very beginning and tell us?

Speaker 1 0:53

Yeah, well, as a In life you know well. Sorry, before that, you know I'm Mamoudou Savani. Everybody call me Saad. I'm the owner of Saani. Everybody calls me Sav. I'm the owner of Sav's Grill LLC, which you know doing business at Sav's Gourmet Ice Cream, sav's Piment, which is my hot sauce, and Sav's Vinaigrette, which is the salad dressing.

Speaker 2 1:19

I didn't know you had a hot sauce.

Speaker 1 1:20

Oh yeah, I do. It's right there, Very good.

Speaker 2 1:22

Great, I'm going to get to see that later. Okay, perfect.

Speaker 1 1:24

I've been making that for a long time. So, as we all do in life, have a dream, for whatever reason. My family, my background is really. My mom and my sisters are huge good cooks. I wish I learned from them good cooks which I learned from them Moving here in 1993, just started thinking about owning a restaurant one day. Yeah, and honestly, I thought about this for so long, more than 10 years. Meanwhile I was working in a higher agency in UPS, where I worked for like 15 years until one day. It's like you've been working somewhere. They're not too much appreciation. Yeah, big corporate, you are just a number, sure, and I'm a person who cannot fake If I'm working, I'm working If I'm not working. So there were some taking advantage of me and stuff.

Speaker 2 2:30

Your hard work and your heart Exactly.

Speaker 1 2:32

And that made me push to consider the dream I've been having for so long.

Speaker 2 2:38

Go off on your own, exactly.

Speaker 1 2:39

Yeah. And so one night I talked to my wife. I said, you know what? And so one night I, you know talked to my wife. I said you know what, I think, as he did a few years ago for her jewelry business, I said I think I want to open my own restaurant, yeah, which I tried to have some partners, but thanks God, that didn't work out Okay and I went alone and so I opened in 08. I opened my first restaurant on Larmstone.

Speaker 1 3:11

Yeah, right next to campus, right, yeah, across from 10 Roof, and that's where I started. But when I got that place, it's like there were some equipment for sale, so there were ice cream freezer available. I said, well, if I buy this, where can I get ice cream? They told me about a guy who make his own ice cream in town Valentine's ice cream from Winchester. So I contact him and that's how I started and he and I, we become good friends and so they have another adventure to open a new business in South Carolina.

Speaker 1 3:49

And one day he come to the restaurant to say well, sir, I have good news and bad news. The good news is we started a new business and the bad news is I cannot provide you any more ice cream. I said, oh, so what are we going to do? And he waited that to sink in a little bit. And then he said, well, if you find the equipment, I don't mind to teach you how to make ice cream. So that's how the whole idea started. So right away I was working with my son back then and we started looking on eBay if we can find an ice cream maker, a machine.

Speaker 2 4:26

Like a big industrial site, industrial one, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 4:29

And two days later my friend Scott his name is Scott Berryman. He called two days later. He said have you found an ice cream machine yet? I said we found one in Miami. But we are, you know, back and forth.

Speaker 2 4:40

Miami. They didn't have anything closer.

Speaker 1 4:42

No, Well back and forth.

Speaker 2 4:43

No ice cream, making it in Kentucky.

Speaker 1 4:45

Exactly Back and forth, back and forth. And then he said well, my partner said we don't need this machine, so it's available if you want to buy it.

Speaker 2 4:53

Oh well, perfect.

Speaker 1 4:54

So that's what I did and that's the story of how I started my ice cream, making my own ice cream. He came to the restaurant and teach us for like two weeks, showing us how we do and everything, and then from there, since 2012, I'm making my own ice cream.

Speaker 2 5:13

So your first restaurant was African cuisine right, yes so that's a kind of a big jump from that to ice cream, right.

Speaker 1 5:21

Exactly.

Speaker 2 5:22

So like why ice cream?

From Restaurant to Ice Cream Business

Speaker 1 5:23

Well, because, like I said, there were equipment for sale. Okay, so like, why ice cream? Well, because, like I said, they were equipment for sale.

Speaker 2 5:29

Okay, so you're like, why not? Yeah, everyone likes it.

Speaker 1 5:30

Exactly, I believe. If there were no freezer available, I wouldn't have the idea to carry ice cream there. Yeah, yeah, but because that freezer, that's how I got it, and then you know. That's how I got it, and then you know.

Speaker 2 5:45

So have you always loved ice cream? Has it been a passion though?

Speaker 1 5:48

Now, yes, you're forced to now.

Speaker 2 5:52

Do you eat it every day? Oh that's dangerous, you know.

Speaker 1 5:56

I self. What do you call self-control? Because honestly it's very hard, when you're making ice cream, to not taste it, oh sure.

Speaker 2 6:09

Of course.

Speaker 1 6:10

And so the self-discipline. So I did that right at the beginning. I would make tons of ice cream all day. I wouldn't even taste it, wow. So usually even here, when I close, I go home, that's when I select crepe for ice cream, yeah. So sometimes I have to come back, sneak in and get something.

Speaker 2 6:33

Sneak in the back door of your own ice cream shop.

Speaker 1 6:36

So yeah.

Speaker 2 6:37

Well, good thing you're the owner. I mean, you're not going to be getting in trouble with anybody.

Speaker 1 6:41

Yeah, the camera is like this. Yeah, the camera will find you. It's me.

Speaker 2 6:44

I forgot something, okay, so favorite flavors, then your favorite flavors.

Speaker 1 6:47

My favorite flavors. It's a Spanish peanut butter. Okay, fair enough Because it's a red skin peanut, so they call that Spanish peanut. But because I put peanut butter and chocolate syrup, we come out with that name Spanish peanut butter.

Speaker 2 7:02

Okay, great, we come out with that name Spanish peanut butter Okay great.

Speaker 1 7:05

Yeah, it's a good flavor.

Speaker 2 7:06

Yeah.

Speaker 1 7:07

It's really really good. Yeah, my second flavor is chocolate almond chocolate coconut almond.

Speaker 2 7:13

So you like nuts? Yes, I do.

Speaker 1 7:15

I really do like nuts a lot, uh-huh, uh-huh so.

Speaker 2 7:19

Okay, what's your third favorite flavor?

Speaker 1 7:22

Maybe you know cookies and cream or cookies. Those are the classic things.

Speaker 2 7:27

No, those are your favorites, but is that your customers Like? What's the big seller here?

Speaker 1 7:32

So an ice cream. What I'm learning, you know because I have a trailer I take to different festivals events. And you know as I call classic. They're chocolate, vanilla, mint, chocolate, chip cookies and cream cookie dough.

Speaker 2 7:53

Those five things, anywhere you go. The holy grail of ice cream.

Speaker 1 7:55

Kids will those five. They will order one of them.

Speaker 2 7:59

Somebody will want some of it Exactly.

Speaker 1 8:00

So, but also, you know, as you know, I serve 20 different flavors here. They're Kentucky coffee with bourbon.

Speaker 2 8:09

Okay.

Speaker 1 8:09

Which is like espresso, yeah, but very, very good. And I do bourbon ball and I do bourbon honey also. So those are the three bourbon flavors I have. And also, you know, I create my own hot banana. It's a spicy banana, so I use a fresh bananas, but with my hot sauce. Oh, fantastic, that's what I put in and people love it.

Speaker 2 8:35

Oh, I so want to try that. That sounds amazing.

Speaker 1 8:38

And actually we did say we're going to have some ice cream. We need to after this for sure.

Speaker 2 8:41

Yeah, that's kind of why we are doing the interview.

Speaker 1 8:43

Exactly. And then also I do lavender ice cream, yeah, and I think I'm the only one make that here in town. Yeah, so I get my lavender flower from Good Food Co-op.

Speaker 2 8:55

Oh, it's local.

Speaker 1 8:56

That's great yeah it's local, so I make that Awesome. Yeah, so that and the pistachio and you know high biscuits, sorbet.

Speaker 2 9:06

Yeah.

Speaker 1 9:06

High biscuits is. You know, it's something very healthy, so and I believe I'm the only one make that also here.

Speaker 2 9:14

Yeah, I think so too.

Speaker 1 9:15

Yeah, coming from West Africa, we use high biscuits for so many things, oh really. So I come out with that flavors and also back in Maxwell, where I used to have my first ice cream shop, I come out with this L8 sorbet. So you know, l8 is.

Speaker 2 9:35

Oh, yeah, the L8. Yeah.

Speaker 1 9:37

So you know the L8 is really. You know it's Kentucky. Yeah, definitely it's Kentucky. It would be good to carry that. So those are my two sorbet. High-biscuit sorbet we call B-SAP and then LA sorbet.

Speaker 2 9:51

So tell me the difference. I should know this already. But like ice cream is very like milk and cream based and sorbet is just water.

Speaker 1 9:59

So sorbet have? You know you have an ingredient but there are no dairy at all. Okay, you have an ingredient but there's no dairy at all. Okay, so you know you have like the hibiscus or the L8. I get like a five-gallon concentrated L8. And I pour that into a three-gallon tub like half. But there are other things you need to put in in order to become sorbet and soft, like the stabilizer you need to put in. In order to become sorbet and soft, like the stabilizer you need to add and the corn syrup you need to add. All that helps because if you don't, if you make sorbet as it is, it will be hard, like ice. You can scoop it Sure.

Speaker 2 10:39

So those ingredients help to smooth it out Smooth it out.

Unique Flavors and Customer Favorites

Speaker 1 10:43

Yeah, especially the stabilizer. Yeah, it's important. And sorbet, any sorbet you make, you gotta use that.

Speaker 2 10:50

I think you have such fun flavors and it's so good. You have, you know, all the bourbon and you got the ale. You have all these like local things. It's great, it's good for like visitors and tourists and being homogenous.

Speaker 1 11:02

Exactly, absolutely you have to include that and to you know, to make, like you said, tourism come yeah, and it's like what is Kentucky? It's like bourbon here, it's bourbon and horses, yes. So if you have at least three different, you don't have a horse flavor, do you?

Speaker 2 11:19

No, not, yet I'm figuring that out. It's just like hey, you're just making hey sorbet. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 11:26

That would be great. It would be really good yeah.

Speaker 2 11:30

So why did you choose? I mean, you had two very successful businesses before you opened up Savs Chill because you were on Limestone, then you were on Main Street.

Speaker 1 11:39

Correct.

Speaker 2 11:39

And so I'm sure you had your pick of the litter in Lexington of where you wanted to put an ice cream shop. So why here?

Speaker 1 11:47

So I spent 11 years on Lime Stone.

Speaker 2 11:51

Okay.

Speaker 1 11:52

And then, you know, god gave me a chance this 630 East Main Street, where Subway was there for 10 years. Yeah, so when they move up, I had a chance to buy that building. But being in Lime Stone, you know, the restaurant is one side, the ice cream is the other side. I always hope to get a place where I can put both businesses in one place, which helped me with Main Street. So that was 2019. And then we opened boom COVID camp 2020. Oh, okay, so that really we survived for the year of COVID takeout only. But after COVID, things were coming back little by little, but it was just getting tough.

Speaker 2 12:42

I bet.

Speaker 1 12:43

You know, things got expensive the restaurant ingredients, stuff, Hard to find people to work, and I was exhausted. And I remember one day I was home and my wife looking at me she's like you're tired.

Speaker 2 12:59

Yeah.

Speaker 1 13:00

And so that's when, you know, the idea just hit me. It's like man, I think I'm going to take a break from the restaurant. That was the case on Main Street. So we closed. I mean, we announced to the community we're going to be closing for about. I mean, we have one month to close, and that was insane because the whole town was there.

Speaker 2 13:26

Yeah, like don't go, don't do it. Where were you before?

Speaker 1 13:30

Two months ago. If it was like this man, I wouldn't think about closing. So it was a kind of disappointment when I moved to that place with all the improvement I did over there. So I closed and we got the people to rent it the place, and so I take a break from the whole thing for about a year.

Speaker 1 13:53

Yeah, I bet you needed it Exactly, yeah, but you know I've been doing working for yourself for almost 16 years and starting to take working for yourself for almost 16 years and starting to take like I'm taking a break. Yeah, the honeymoon was like, it was exciting, but then after that it's like I got to do something.

Speaker 2 14:14

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 14:15

You know. So one day I was. You know, I live on Kenwick Victory Avenue, so I was walking to go to downtown. So I was coming out and the Richmond Avenue, I had a neighbor named Blake. He was walking to the gas station to buy beer. So we, hey, man, how are you? So we start walking? He said man, I hear rumors. I said, hey, man, how are you? So we start walking? He said, man, I hear rumors. I said, oh, what is that? He said you know the gym, because this place used to be a gym. He said they closed and now they have businesses.

Speaker 2 14:48

Oh, this building we're in right now with.

Speaker 1 14:50

Blue Door. It used to be a gym. Yeah, crossfit, oh.

Speaker 2 14:52

CrossFit.

Speaker 1 14:52

I didn't realize that, yeah, they moved back there. Okay. So he informed me that the landlords are looking to have an ice cream place. So Chad was talking with Crank and Boone back and forth, back and forth, but nothing was Coming of it, exactly, yeah. So when he informed me that I said wow, I said, man, this is my territory Because I live like 10 minutes walk from here. Yeah, so when he informed me that I said wow, I said, man, this is my territory Because I live like 10 minutes walk from here.

Speaker 2 15:20

Yeah, so next day, and I know how to make ice cream Exactly.

Speaker 1 15:21

Next day I went straight to Chad's office and I said hey, chad, how are you? And so we, you know, greeted each other and I said well, I heard that you are renting this place for ice cream. I rent in this place for ice cream. I say I'm still doing ice cream. He said oh, you know, chad is a nice guy. Very yeah. He said man, at first I apologized, I felt, because you take a break from restaurant.

Speaker 2 15:46

Yeah, I thought you were just done, yeah, done.

Speaker 1 15:48

I said, no, I'm still doing the ice cream.

Speaker 2 15:50

Cool.

Speaker 1 15:52

He said well, if you're interested we can talk about it. I said I am interested, except in two weeks I'm going to travel out of the country for four months.

Speaker 2 16:04

Wow.

Speaker 1 16:05

I said I'm interested, but that's my only thing. Yeah, and he said well, sav, I didn't sign anything with these people who are interested in Crank and Boom. He said if you told me 51% you are interested, I will save the place for you.

Speaker 2 16:23

That's great. That's what happened.

Speaker 1 16:25

It's great. It's meant to be Exactly, and then you still got to go travel for four months. For four months. I went and did my trip and I was in Africa. We built a house there and everything, oh cool. Yeah, so, and I come back March last year Of 2024?

Finding a Home in the Warehouse Block

Speaker 1 16:43

Yeah, okay, and I went and signed a lease signed for five years lease. March, and this place it was only bathroom, Nothing else was here. Oh, wow. So I request for them to build this little storage for me. Okay, and I did this layout, Smart. So I was kind of proud of myself With the experience I have from the restaurant on Main Street construction, you know. So I did this layout. So, March, I signed a lease. March, April, May 18, I opened this place.

Speaker 2 17:16

I mean, I can't believe you've only been here a little over a year.

Speaker 1 17:19

Yeah, that's weird.

Speaker 2 17:20

I mean like you're such a like a jewel of the warehouse. I feel like you've been here forever.

Speaker 1 17:25

Yeah, three days ago it was one year.

Speaker 2 17:28

Oh, amazing. Well, congratulations.

Speaker 1 17:29

Thank you, thank you, and you have the giant door that opens the warehouse door. Yeah, it's really so. It really worked out very, very well and I thanks chad for that, because you know he went four months without rent and but I'm glad I'm here and that was the the whole idea for me to like, I can't live like this and beer is still coming. Sure, I have to do something. Yeah, because I felt closing the restaurant would just survive with my you know trailer. But no, those events are weekends only, and weekdays I'm home. I don't know what to do to myself, so I start pulling my hair, but I'm glad this man needs to work Exactly, you know so, and I'm glad that you know I'm here now, so hopefully, I'm going to be here for-.

Speaker 2 18:19

Well, I love your food truck, though I mean like-.

Speaker 1 18:21

The trailer yeah, oh, the trailer is great.

Speaker 2 18:23

I mean you really are at. I mean you are paving, you're on the ground, I mean you're at. Every event, I feel like, yes, it's not a woodland art fair without you.

Speaker 1 18:34

No, well, it really is. You know, woodland art fair is huge. Yeah, it's a big one, I bet For Lexington, so I'm glad I'm part of it. Actually, I just had an email yesterday, so I may end this year too.

Speaker 2 18:45

Yeah, you're in on that, Of course.

Speaker 1 18:47

Of course you are.

Speaker 2 18:49

So you and I were discussing before we were on air about Railbird, about Railbird. So, speaking of your trailer and being at Railbird, tell us about the year that it was like their last year at Keeneland and they kind of had a an issue with water. I think a lot of Lexingtonians remember it as being like maybe not the greatest Railbird because of the water issue but, you would know you were there and you were vending and you were selling ice cream to tell us about like what you had noticed that year. I love this.

Speaker 1 19:14

Yeah, well, you know that was really unfortunate for whoever was, you know.

Speaker 2 19:20

I'm sure it's certainly not on purpose. I didn't do that on purpose, you know, and it was.

Speaker 1 19:25

Someone did mistake somewhere. But, as I say, I was the you know. I think I'm still the only ice cream vendor in that event For Railbird? Yeah, so back then at Kinland the layout was different than Red Mars right now. So I used to at Kinland the two years they were there I was using my trailer. Yeah, so I had I think eight flavors, but one flavor was sorbet.

Speaker 2 19:53

Yeah.

Speaker 1 19:53

Yeah, you know pink lemonade.

Speaker 2 19:54

Pink lemonade yeah.

Speaker 1 19:58

So with the crisis of the water, I mean people were, it was hot. Yeah, and people were exhausted. It's so hot.

Speaker 2 20:05

And that was back when it was like in August.

Speaker 1 20:07

Exactly.

Speaker 2 20:08

Not late May, exactly yeah that day, luckily for me.

Speaker 1 20:14

I would say it was not planned, but I have that sorbet which is kind of refreshing. Yes, oh my gosh, you know my tubs are three-gallon tubs. I believe I went through at least more than 15 tubs that day. It was just insane.

Speaker 2 20:30

So no one wanted the ice cream, no one wanted the sorbet. Of course, sorbet yeah.

Speaker 1 20:34

So we went through that and back then I have the restaurant. I swear I have to come back around 11 and make pink lemonade at night. Oh man, pink lemonade. I started making that until 4 o'clock in the morning. Wow, in order to have that available the next day. The next day. Who have that available the next day?

Speaker 2 20:53

The next day.

Speaker 1 20:54

But of course next day come they already take their. You know, water was free.

Speaker 2 21:02

Yeah, yeah, I think they bought. I remember I was at that one and I think they bought every water bottle, maybe in the state of Kentucky Exactly, and it was just like they were just passing it out. They were like we're so sorry.

Speaker 1 21:13

Yeah, so really that was like I said it was a bummer, and I guess Kinland was not pleased. Sure, and that's where maybe it comes, like they say, but at least we know, as a really good backup.

Speaker 1 21:35

If you know there's a water shortage, then pink lemonade sorbet is a fantastic like alternative for hydration in general. So that was I guess. I was lucky to have that survey that day and yeah, it was. We went through a lot. Yeah, and I believe that was the reason, redbird, they changed the month. You know when they did it.

Speaker 2 21:51

I think they got a lot of feedback about like can we please put it in a month that's not as hot? Exactly.

Speaker 1 21:55

And so I think they've done lot of feedback about like can we please put it in a month?

Speaker 2 21:57

that's not as hot, exactly, and so I think they've done leaps and bounds, like they've really listened to feedback in terms of, like, what music to play and what time of the year it should be, what the venue should be what parking should be. Correct I think they really pivot very nicely.

Speaker 1 22:10

And that's you know, it's a mainstay. I think that's a good time for them and for the community also.

Speaker 2 22:16

I love Railbird.

Speaker 1 22:18

Well, it's one of the best events I do through the year and this year, for the first time, they did May 31st and June 1st.

Speaker 2 22:31

Okay, yeah, yeah, last two years was like June 1st, june 2nd.

Speaker 1 22:33

It's kind of like backing up a little bit, Backing up a little bit, okay, yeah, yeah, last two years was like. June 1st, june 2nd Uh-huh, so they're.

Speaker 2 22:37

It's kind of like backing up a little bit, Backing up a little bit, yeah so yeah, any other fun events. You like to go? You like Railbird, you like Woodland Art Fair?

Speaker 1 22:45

Woodland Art Fair. I do Oktoberfest, oh okay, which is a big one oh, like Christ the King. It's a really nice. Already sign for that.

Speaker 2 22:55

It's like its own little railroad. They really pull in music. I mean gosh, yeah. They pull in some great bands. It's a big church yeah.

Speaker 1 23:01

Which have huge members A lot of budget. And tons of kids. Yeah, a lot of budget and tons of kids, so it's good.

Speaker 2 23:10

Oh, so then the ice cream sells itself.

Railbird Festival and Water Crisis

Speaker 1 23:12

Exactly, you know and also I do Josephine Sculpture Park in Frankfurt. Oh, cool. I do that. Yeah, I do some school events here and there. Honestly, like this year, I decided to not do every event come to my way. I have to choose which one, you know, because it's Do you do private events, like if I were to come to my way.

Speaker 2 23:35

I have to choose which one you know because it's Do you do private events, like if I were to be like come do my birthday party or something?

Speaker 1 23:40

So our minimum is 100. Okay, 100 people, people, okay. So I've been doing some wedding since I started maybe at least five, seven different weddings, which you know. Just bring the trailer and be there, and then the reception is inside, and when it's time for dessert and people just come out yeah. And I give also. Whoever organizing, I will let them choose the flavor they want. So I bring that for their events. Yeah, yeah, it's fun.

Speaker 2 24:11

Yeah, I bet I bet that's really fun. That's good to know that you do that, though, because I bet people that would be really popular, especially like in the summer months.

Speaker 1 24:19

Oh yeah, yeah, I do that. And if I can go, if your event is kind of 40 or 50 people, I will suggest you to do half pint, yeah, so we can do three pack and they just come in and they like a soft hill, a neighborhood, they just order like a hundred, uh, half pint, uh, but four flavors. So I just delivered that to them yesterday. Oh cool, yeah, so good, yeah. And then then you know, the ice cream. Still people, a lot of people still don't know I'm here, yeah, and but it's, it's changing, yeah, from last year to this year already see how, especially evenings, we are very, very busy here and also I collaborate with ashland elementary school yeah, yeah, you're so close, exactly.

Speaker 1 25:15

Like today. Last week I had a like first group was 20 students, Second was 36 students and I think today they're going to walk here two classes, maybe another 36 students, which is it's just, it's great. I know, you know, kids with ice cream.

Speaker 2 25:34

I know it's almost unfair to the other Fayette County public schools that do not have their kids that are close to staff. Yeah, my kid's school is nowhere near yours, and I'm mad.

Speaker 1 25:47

And let the PTA people know. Yeah, because if you have an event, if it fits my schedule, I will do it Like Saturday. Last Saturday I went to. We had a block party here, but I had an event at Willington elementary school.

Speaker 2 26:01

Oh cool.

Speaker 1 26:02

And that really I went, it was a lot of kids, it was a great, and so it's, you know, ice cream with the kids. Yeah, I tell you one thing I love this job it's children.

Speaker 2 26:19

Yeah, I mean kids. I love that.

Speaker 1 26:21

First of all, naturally I have some connection with kids. Sure, Seriously, I can be like walking at the grocery and you're like like walking around, like every, like the Pied Piper and everybody's like following after you, I'll go into the willow and people are like, gathered around you, like you have like a magnetism.

Speaker 2 26:37

Oh my God, I don't know it's good thing, but scary. I need to open up an ice cream shop Like I want to be more popular. You will be kids, friends Cause.

Speaker 1 26:59

I tell you. I mean I, I was telling my wife, I said if I still, if the kids still come in here and the way I interact with them and and I, I'm going to live a hundred years because it's just it's a true. I mean kids are not fake. No, you know what I mean? Oh, definitely. I mean it's great. I love that, more than so. I have this plan I start taking pictures with different kids here, of course, with parents' permission Permission, sure so, because that wall over there.

Speaker 2 27:34

Oh yeah, it needs a little something yeah.

Speaker 1 27:35

So what I want to do, I'm going to collect different pictures and then I'm going to frame them and just put up there.

Speaker 2 27:42

Love it.

Speaker 1 27:42

You know, and then maybe when kids come they can recognize themselves in some pictures. Yeah, because and it's great I'm very happy to have this place and I'm also minus restaurant. I'm really happy to come back to the community again.

Speaker 2 28:01

Definitely it's a good balance for you.

Speaker 1 28:04

It's a really nice balance the experience I have on the restaurant business doing this. I always say this is like a piece of cake compared to running a restaurant.

Speaker 2 28:14

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 28:15

So I'm enjoying this and, like I said, with the kids being part, big part of this business, I just I love it more than anything. I have this little story. There are a family who just moved here from England. The dad is French, the mom is American. They have a and actually she's expecting, but they have two children, finney and Margo Finney, I think he's three years old, this boy, so this family, they love ice cream and just move in town. They discover my place. They're here at least maybe twice or three times a week. And this boy when he came he wanted to see me. So earlier time one day I was not here. They came and he walk in and I have my employees and the boy asked where is Sal? And he's like, oh, he step out there. He's not here. Oh boy.

Speaker 2 29:16

He cried, we all. Do you think this is only a one-time occurrence? Every time I come here and it's not you, I'm like where's Seth?

Speaker 1 29:23

That did it.

Speaker 2 29:24

He represents us all.

Building Community Through Ice Cream

Speaker 1 29:26

So I come back later that day and she told me. I said they promised they're coming back the next day I said I'm going to do everything to be here. I love that day. I said I'm going to do everything to be here.

Speaker 2 29:39

So yeah, I was here, and then you have to see this boy come in.

Speaker 1 29:41

He saw me his face would light up. I was like, oh man, so that you know it's just. It makes you kind of like purpose, Like I'm doing something right, and I just make my heart melt Really. I love that, I really do.

Speaker 2 29:56

You're in it for all the right reasons Exactly.

Speaker 1 29:58

And I hope I will be here for a long, long time, and I think I will.

Speaker 2 30:02

I think you will too. Well, you have your own kids, right. Yes, I have, and congratulations, you just became a grandfather.

Speaker 1 30:10

Yes, we have three beautiful children. You know Bengali was the oldest who was a pilot. Now you know he buy, sell airplanes. Oh wow. But yeah, back in the days he started working with me when he was 12. Oh, wow, so, and then two gurus Diaka Grace, who is coming Monday from Netherlands.

Speaker 2 30:32

Oh great she was in the Netherlands.

Speaker 1 30:33

Yeah, she went there for her master's Okay, and now she's just working Okay. So she's coming to meet her niece.

Speaker 2 30:40

Oh, neat yeah good.

Speaker 1 30:42

And my youngest one, connie, who is kind of like an assistant manager here. Okay great, but she's a personal trainer. She do that, and then also she work at Roxy as a bartender.

Speaker 2 30:59

Yeah, she's busy, sounds right yeah.

Speaker 1 31:02

So, and then, of course, five days ago or six days ago, we become a grandparent with a little little girl.

Speaker 2 31:11

Little girl. Yeah, Were you there when she was born.

Speaker 1 31:14

No, we were not Like I said. We tried to not be like that pushing grandparents, you were giving them space, space you know, so we were not there. But when the baby was born two days later, we came to visit. Yeah, and you know, like a newborn Gosh, it's just like this.

Speaker 2 31:34

They're so little, oh little. You can't believe how small they are.

Speaker 1 31:37

With that noise, and so it was seven pounds and five. Perfect yeah, so we're in it.

Speaker 2 31:44

Yeah, yeah, that's great, that's really great. Thank you, yeah. Congrats again. Thank you, yeah. What do you think about that ever?

Speaker 1 31:55

Well, that's another thing. I told the other grandpa yeah, when they did a baby shower and we were, you know, we were their family and we came to thank people for coming. And so I joke. To the other grandparent grandpa I say, well, I believe I'm going to be the favorite grandpa.

Speaker 2 32:15

Yeah, of course, obviously. And he's like why I said I believe I'm gonna be the favorite grandpa?

Speaker 1 32:18

yeah, of course, obviously. And he's like why I said, bill, remember I make ice cream, so I will have that girl, I bet he was like yeah, yeah yeah, but I said but if you want, you can come here and then sit down and maybe I will give you a chance to you know, but yeah yeah, yeah um, for her favorite ice cream, that would be oh my gosh, she's only six days.

Speaker 2 32:38

I know we have to. You should have looked into her eyes and have thought to herself yeah, which one is it going to be?

Speaker 1 32:43

yeah, so I think I have a time to think yeah okay alright. I'm going to get back to you, yeah so too early, but let's one and a half two maybe when she's a week old we can start talking, yeah, or I make a flavor and name after her.

Speaker 2 32:59

Oh that would be amazing, I mean she deserves it. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, yeah, very cool Well thanks so much for letting us be here.

Speaker 1 33:08

Oh well, it's a pleasure any time you know. Yeah, that's great. I love what you all do. Yeah, and this is great, and hopefully people will discover this and will know what businesses are in this part of town. Yeah, and honestly, I have a huge, huge hope for this whole area. Yeah, things are changing. Yeah, and I believe this area right now it's full.

Speaker 1 33:35

You can't find a place to rent yeah, it's true so I'm very happy to be in it now and now and uh, so, hopefully, um uh, every thing else they want to do will, uh, you know, bring more, attract more people to to be here this is my neighborhood it's a large neighborhood, yeah, and so I'm really uh happy to be here.

Speaker 1 33:57

This is my neighborhood. It's a large neighborhood, yeah, and so I'm really happy to be part of this, as always. Yeah, you know Lexington be good to me. Yeah, believe it or not, I've been living here 32 years now Incredible I mean longer than where I'm from.

Speaker 2 34:11

Yeah, yeah, that's kind of the switch over right Exactly, so I can proudly say I'm a Lexingtonian. Yes, for sure, you're like Mr Lexingtonian.

Speaker 1 34:22

It's a really nice city. We have a great community and people are just friendly. Had a couple here yesterday from Canada. They're visiting, so it's first time in Lexington, but they were surprised how nice people are. You know, it's like people are so friendly here, yeah, this is, we're nice to everybody. Yeah, if you choose to come visit us here, definitely the least we can do is be nice to you.

Speaker 2 34:51

Absolutely, it's a very friendly town. I like that about it it's approachable. Yes, yeah, absolutely, it's a very friendly town. I like that about it, it's approachable.

Speaker 1 34:56

Yes, yeah, yes, so, and thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 34:59

Yeah, no, thank you. Thanks for having us, I hope.

Speaker 1 35:01

I did okay.

Speaker 2 35:02

No, you did great, and now you owe me an ice cream.

Speaker 1 35:04

So Just I serve you If you want to stay there and I serve you and anything. Yes, I'm so excited.

Speaker 2 35:11

I want to try your favorite, the pink Pink.