From Family Pub To Powerhouse

What does it take to turn a family pub into a community anchor that thrives on and off-site? Louie McMullen, co-owner of Clancy’s Pub, opens up about the long game: honoring a legacy that began in 1978 while building a modern operation that wins at events, navigates complex liquor laws, and keeps a small town coming back for more. From the first days serving under his parents to signing the paperwork, Louie explains how ownership sharpened his decision-making, filtered risky ideas, and turned a controversial bet—a 20-foot mobile bar trailer—into a profit engine that paid for itself in a year.

We walk through the hidden skill set of hospitality leadership: studying special dispenser permits to outmaneuver confusion, training a team of 57 to stay compliant as rules shift, and designing a customer experience that outshines the menu’s wild range—sushi, tacos, burgers, and steak alongside live music and wildly popular Singo Thursdays. Louie shares why consistency is everything, how “A1 emergencies” start with skipped details, and the routines that keep a high-volume restaurant from tipping into chaos. He also gets candid about fear of back-office logistics and how the right people made it manageable without losing sight of the numbers.

The heart of Clancy’s is culture. We talk benefits uncommon for local restaurants, including a 401(k), team trips to food shows, and a genuine safety net when life falls apart. Quiet giving—funeral meals, donations, shelter support—has built deep trust, and partnerships like the Farmington Civic Center liquor contract now function like a second business line. Looking ahead, a mobile kitchen will extend Clancy’s reach to big events and oilfield jobs, while the five-year vision stays grounded: be the place people feel at home across the Four Corners.

If you care about small business growth, restaurant realities, and how community-driven brands scale without losing their soul, this story will stick with you. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves hospitality, and leave a review with your favorite takeaway.

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This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing).

Transcript

Generational Roots Of Clancy’s

SPEAKER_00 1:05

I'm here with Louie McMullen, the owner of Clancy's Pub. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

I am 40 years old. I've been in this business my entire life, born here. Yeah. Um so yeah. I just born and raised right here in Clancy's.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

This is a now a multi-generational business.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

It is. Yeah. It was before actually my grandparents started it back in 78. My dad took it over and moved it down here in 85. And then we took it over two years ago. Me and my brother.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

That's awesome, man. Yeah. So you and your brother co-owners of this. We are. Sweet. So um some of these things I normally ask guests, uh, you may not even know the answers to. Like, you know, what do you know maybe from the history? Like, when did this place as a business stop being an idea and start becoming real?

SPEAKER_01 2:06

So my family, my grandma and grandpa have always been in food service. You know, their entire that's what they did. Um, they ran the Sizzler in uh Bloomfield in the early 70s for a long time. Um and Clancy's just kind of they were shooting for that Durango market, and so they moved up there, you know, kind of just to get a little bit more high-end uh service going on, and uh that's just how Clancy started. It became too much for a grandma and grandpa. My dad uh went to school for uh to become a mortician and a funeral director uh out in San Francisco, so that was his main focus. He did that for 10, 15 years and decided that you know he was ready for something different. So in uh '78 he went, you know, he basically took over the restaurant because it was the restaurant and bar because it was too much for grandma and grandpa to do. And they moved back to Kirtland and opened a breakfast diner, and then uh and he took Clancy's on and he ended up moving it down here to Farmington in 1985.

SPEAKER_02 3:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

So the idea was just fast and furious, kind of just shooting for the market.

Taking Ownership And Mindset Shift

SPEAKER_00 3:16

Yeah. Yeah. So since you've taken it over, you said about two years ago?

SPEAKER_01 3:21

Yeah, so I mean, we took over uh the technical side, you know, the the actual paperwork went down two years ago, but I I mean Jed have been actually running Clancy's for the last 10-15 years. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

Because I my question was gonna be now that you're officially the owner and doing all the ownership duties, um, how has your mindset and your outlook on everything changed from your experience previously to be um officially the owner to now?

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Uh it was a pretty smooth transition. I mean, always because we've always owned the restaurant, you know, we've always had kind of more of a leadership role and you know, the the ability to kind of play with things and make changes and do as we please. But we still, you know, until we were actual owners, we still had, you know, someone to answer to and someone to get permission for and doing some of these things. We had a lot of fight back on some of our ideas, um, yeah, but they have been very successful. Um, and nowadays uh it's kind of weird to know that I I can do whatever I want. Um the person I gotta ask is myself uh for permission. Right?

SPEAKER_00 4:31

Yeah, the book starts stops with you.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

It is kind of weird, but I mean it it was a very smooth transition. I still getting used to uh being the boss, being the one that people come to for their problems, it is a little different, but not there's it's sometimes hard to see that until you're sitting in that chair, and um, and even the first point that you made that the buck stops with you, yeah, your brother.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

So um, whereas before you could come up with ideas, and maybe there are great ideas, and maybe they were shot down, and you're like, come on, man, this would be awesome. But now you could just go forward, move forward with the ideas, and whether it works or whether it doesn't, it's on you.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

This is true, this is so true.

Betting Big On A Mobile Bar

SPEAKER_00 5:12

Tends to um uh filter a little more on ideas on what we should do because if it fails, it really is your fault.

SPEAKER_01 5:22

So you kind of like you really want to put that thought into your ideas uh that you want to move forward. One of the biggest things I had pushback on with when we, you know, before we were owners, was uh we've been building our mobile side of our business, being out catering, uh stuff like that. We've always done food caterings, um, and they've been pretty good, but we've we've really tried to push it. One of our big things for our mobile presence that there's a huge need for mobile bars, uh, you know, off-site bars here uh for special events, you know, uh other kind of things going on throughout town. But, anyways, we we I wanted to build a mobile bar trailer, basically a mobile bar to so we can pull up and set up and ready. And everyone thought that was the craziest idea. My parents push back, push back, push back. Anyways, I finally got the the go on it, you know, and and I put a lot of thought into it, and it was one of those this is either gonna work or I'm gonna fail pretty good, and at least it's not on me. Um, but it ended up working very well. I mean, we were super successful. We built the trailer, I paid the trailer off within the first year of operations of it. Um, it has been nothing but uh getting busier and busier, um, putting our presence out there. The trailers made our operations way smoother um and given us the ability to tackle you know bigger events and more complex things. And so it has worked really, really well for us.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

I know there's some intricacies with uh liquor license, and um so I was just thinking that yeah, there's a lot of demand for that sort of thing, but there's very few players that actually can show up and do that, and that's partly because of liquor licensing and what is it, the picnic is like a picnic license?

SPEAKER_01 7:04

It's called a special dispenser permit, is what it is, and or commonly referred to as a picnic license. Um that is one thing about uh my role in this business is uh uh liquor law, and I've studied liquor law and been on it for the last 15-20 years, deeply trying to understand what you can and can't do. Um, once you know the laws and you follow, you could within those laws, yeah, you can do some pretty cool things, you know, and it is uh pretty amazing what you can do. But a lot most people don't know anything about it.

Navigating Liquor Laws And Permits

SPEAKER_00 7:38

It's it's all hidden deep and not hidden, but I mean you gotta read research and know your laws, you know, to know that more often, uh even outside, expanded out from say just liquor licenses, but other aspects of business and regulations and laws and things like that that people tend to perpetuate rumors based on a piece of information that they knew, and then that's what becomes law, quote unquote, for everybody, but it isn't really until you dig in. Do you find it?

SPEAKER_01 8:05

So, yeah, no, all the time. It is kind of crazy. Um, they make changes, updates, and revisions to a lot of the laws, rules, and regulations that they have in place. Yeah, they change yearly. It is absolutely crazy. I mean, for a small example, uh, five years ago, um, all the they call them it's the state police that run the stings, anyways. They come in and do operations and check certain things um in the business. Basically, if everyone has licenses, you know, over serving, underage serving, they they do all this. But um, one of their main priorities they were pushing was that you cannot serve alcohol to someone that has an expired license. So whether or not you ask them for their license, um, if you were to ask them for their license expired, you technically cannot serve them alcohol, even though they are above age, everything like that. Well, fast forward five years down the road, now they put out a new um regulation, I guess you would call it, that that is no longer a thing, you know, and so now as long as they have an ID that shows that that person is of age, uh, the expiration date is not really a huge thing on it. And and that's I just recertified three months ago, and I I read that in there, and I it's mind-boggling because I have me as an owner, I have to train 56 employees on these rules, and then all of a sudden they change and they're like, you know, so it is kind of funny, very, very important to know uh updated liquor laws and rules and regulations for sure.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

That's cool. And so the the the mo the truck is then covered by that portion of the licensing?

SPEAKER_01 9:44

It is so it is basically what you would call a piece of equipment, it's basically a mobile refrigerator. Um, gotcha, you know what I mean. But once you uh yeah, once you get a valid permit picnic license, you know, it's it's the same thing as rolling up with an ice chest.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

Yeah. You know, a fold out table. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 10:02

And that's what we used to do is fold out tables and ice chests, and now we're running around in a 20-foot box trailer.

Community Experience And Wild Menu

SPEAKER_00 10:09

That's awesome, man. Congrats on that. Thank you. So, what part of what you do, and maybe you could even contrast if there's some kind of difference, um what what part of what you do here feels most meaningful to you?

SPEAKER_01 10:25

And if there's a difference between before you were the official owner while you were just highly involved, or and after your your own, I've had massive amounts of passion the whole time I've been here as far as keeping our customers happy and satisfied and keeping a you know calm and uh enjoyable environment for them to be in. And so, I mean, my goal and passion for that has pretty much been the same the whole time. I kind of operate the same I always have as far as that goes.

SPEAKER_02 10:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

Um, but yeah, I mean, my I I pride in putting out a business here in the community where people can come with their families and enjoy multiple aspects of the dining experience. For an example, our menu is a little crazy. I mean, you can come in here and get a sushi roll, tacos, hamburger, and a steak. I mean, there's four different, very different options, you know, in one spot. Plus, listen to live music with your kids, have an alcoholic beverage, or you know, listen, or we have game nights too. I mean, we're we're we pride in something to do for the community and have fun and you know, keep coming back, keep bringing these people back. We're in such a small community, we have to be different to get that business coming in every day um and constantly.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

I think I showed up here one night, I wasn't participating, but it was very noisy because it was singo night. Singo. So, yeah.

Singo Nights And Customer Delight

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Singo. When they pitched me singo, I did not think that would. I said, This is crazy, this this will never work. This is like one of the silliest things I've ever heard of. Eight years later, we're running it weekly and still weekly strong, and have a line out the door. It is actually mind-boggling to me how uh much draw there is to that game.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

Weirdly, I had the first when I first heard of the concept, I was thinking, that's ridiculous. No one knows. Same thing I was thinking. I've actually shown up to another one, it was the Amps Lodge, but uh um, it was kind of fun.

SPEAKER_01 12:27

Yeah, and it's something that people do enjoy, and that it helps bring them back on Thursdays, man. That's that's our Thursday draw right there, and it really kicks butt.

SPEAKER_00 12:36

I also don't want to gleam over the fact that um when I ask you what's the most, what are you most passionate about, what's what's the most meaningful to you, the the immediate thing that came to your head was customer experience.

SPEAKER_01 12:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

And um there are no wrong answers to that question, but a lot of business owners I think gloss over customer experience because they're kind of lost in the woods. There's so much you won't have a business if you don't have customer experience.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 13:02

So customer experience is massive. It is pretty poor price.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

We try to get out there and talk to everyone and give people that personal element of they know the owners of Clancy's, they know their server, you know, they know personal elements about us. And I mean, it does draw us a little bit closer. Not everyone knows us, I mean, but you know, we try to keep you know, customers are number one. That's why we're here. That's the only way we're gonna stay here. Yeah, so that is the most important thing to us.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

It really is. My family, um, and I uh to not be date specific, because we pre-record these, uh uh just showed up and and ate dinner. It was my wife and I, and my my parents, and the waitress was awesome, she was great, but we were laughing because she had different nicknames for all of us. So I was my love, my wife was babe, I think my mom was babe, and my dad was hun. There we go. And the way she delivered it, it wasn't disrespectful, it was like perfect. That's great. We love that. I love to hear that. We really enjoyed her. So, what's the bit what's something that the business has given you that you didn't expect?

Leading A Team And Responsibility

SPEAKER_01 14:16

It has given me uh many relationships with people that I would not expect to have. Um it's gotten me closer to my employees, is a big thing. You know, I didn't expect to have such a f uh I mean they respect me, they they rely on me. I didn't I didn't realize how heavy that was gonna weigh on myself, and you know, in a way it's kind of a stress, but yeah, I do feel so grateful for it, and I do feel good that I mean I can help these people, I can have they help me, you know, um, and we all work together real hard to make it through this crazy world. And you know, I I just didn't expect to be so grateful for them and the relationships that I've gained off of everyone, yeah. And friendships.

SPEAKER_00 15:09

It's an interesting kind of uh relationship when everybody understands their role in that. Like you as an owner, you really have a responsibility when you pick it apart for people's livelihoods.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

Yeah, I got 57 employees, and out of them, I have multiples from the families you know that will work with us. We have multiple people from a single family that work for us. But when you do look at it, yeah, you are you're not in control, but you are a big factor in these people's lives that help them survive.

SPEAKER_00 15:37

And it is and on the flip side of that, they have a responsibility to the business in order to make sure it stays here and profitable and thriving so that they have that livelihood. Everybody sees the goal, right? And and we all work to that goal, and everybody understands that that scenario right there thing works really good.

SPEAKER_01 15:57

It works really good, and we're super blessed to have a really good team and you know, people that keep showing up every day, yeah, and you know, with lots of passion and pride in what they do, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:07

So maybe over time, because you've gone through various stages of an increasing amount of time and effort and involvement in the business to now um the ultimate time investment and involvement in the business as an owner. So um maybe through through that time, what what how has it changed you as a person?

Discipline, Routines, And Processes

SPEAKER_01 16:29

It's made me uh definitely a lot more responsible um and regimented in the things I do um every day, you know, more organization, everything like that. Um it's just when I was younger, I'm not a fan of the mornings. I'm still not a huge fan of the mornings, but you know, business is gonna go on, and so um it's like I said, it's really regimented me out to having a good routine, you know, and and being up and around and being productive throughout the day.

SPEAKER_00 17:06

I think some people don't realize maybe the extra level of discipline and and structure that you need as a business owner as opposed to an employee, even a high-level employee. This is true. Because of the things we've just been talking about. Yeah. I mean, you really when the choice is up to you and you don't get any kickback from anybody over that choice, it's real easy to slack a little bit or push things off or whatever, but that discipline keeps things running the way they're supposed to be.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

Disciplined, regimented schedule. Yeah. Um, yeah, it really does.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

And no one's forcing that on you. You have to do it yourself.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

It is, it never stops. I'm constantly thinking about it. But when we have a good team and we're all on the same goal, yeah, it definitely lightens the load. And you know, no, make sure that you have more than one set of eyes and a set of brain working on it, you know, it really pans out, and when you're ahead of the game, that's the only way to be. Yeah, you have to be ready and on it.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

Some of the um more successful business owners that I've talked to and work with in the in the area have a process for employee um uh uh buy-in, basically, is the the core of it. But where if they have ideas on how to make things better, cheaper, faster, more efficient, uh, better for the customers, whatever, just any kind of those sorts of idea. Do you have um some kind of process?

Employee Ideas And Continuous Improvement

SPEAKER_01 18:33

We don't really have a process. They know they can do that because they know that we listen to what they're doing, and we also know they're the ones with hands-on and they're working on it every day. And so if there's a better way, yeah, we always look at everything. So we have no real formal process about it, but they do feel comfortable enough to know that they can come at us with any ideas. We get ideas from the front of the house, back of the house, bartenders, all the way around.

SPEAKER_00 19:02

Do you occasionally reach out, like actively reach out? Like, hey, have you seen anything that we can fix here?

SPEAKER_01 19:07

Yeah, we'll see some problems and we'll see something that's you know not working um how we envisioned it, like when we change a recipe, uh, which doesn't happen often. Um, but when we do, yeah, I mean, we see little signs, we'll go in and ask them, hey, what do you what do you know about this, this, and this, or what's going on here? And uh, you know, we'll find the solution to it. And like I said, they come at us with the same thing, hey, this has not been happening how it should be, or these are smaller than they have been. We need to adjust and go over, you know. Right. What's the price? And my employees will come ask me, what's the price difference on this to this? You know, would it be feasible to run this instead of this? And right, you know, potate small things, potato size, what that's one thing. Yeah, you know, uh that's what we're currently kind of messing with right now. Um, but yeah, I mean they they have that comfortableness and know they can come to us and switch everything up. But if you're not listening and changing constantly, you're not you're not growing, right? You know, things constantly evolve, and you as an owner, especially if you're in the office, you know, doing work all the time, you can't necessarily see what's out there. You know, you got to rely on these people that are your eyes and ears out in the front of the public, right? And in your kitchen.

SPEAKER_00 20:21

Very cool. Yeah. Do you have any kind of um like a reward system? And that reward could be anything. That doesn't have to be financial, it doesn't have to be a photo on the wall, it doesn't have to be not necessarily.

Benefits, Rewards, And Team Culture

SPEAKER_01 20:35

We do try to, um, I mean, we have a not necessarily one thing that's really cool that a lot of local and smaller businesses don't offer that we've implicated just recently was a 401k for our employees. And for our like, you know, trying to solidify more of a a career type position for these people, you know, so they can you know start planning for long-term life insurances, you know, 401k plans and all that. And so that's actually gone over really, really well for some of our people. Um, but yeah, for what was our question?

SPEAKER_00 21:12

Um, any kind of like rewards.

SPEAKER_01 21:14

Okay, yeah, so rewards. So yeah, we did the 401k, we do like a tipping system out for them. You know, that's pretty good. And then, you know, the ones that put in the massive amount of uh, you know, their dedicated time, overtime, and the people that do go the extra mile, we try to take them like for an example, we got a food show coming up. This is where we get new ideas, uh, what new products are out and everything like that. And so we'll try to take some of them on trips, you know, with us down to Albuquerque, stay the night, go check out this food show. And it's not really a reward, but it is kind of a getaway. You know what I mean? It's a little, it's a work getaway. Absolutely, you know, and so uh we do little things like that. Um, we're starting to throw uh you know, hol Christmas parties for them, which we haven't always done. That was one of the things that we always got pushed back before we were owners, is running a holiday party for these people, but we felt that it was very, you know, it does cost some a good amount of money to put on, you know, for your employees and feed them and entertain. It is team building, it it does build great experiences, uh helps the everyone else mingle together. And so, I mean, that's kind of a smaller reward. That's not something that's you know, we don't have to do that, but we do, and we you know we try to do as much as we can for them.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

Because I'm sure it's just like any other business. You have a certain number of employees that become friends because of their co-worker status, yeah, and then they hang out out outside of work, but a lot of people don't do that, they don't hang out with a majority of their co-workers, maybe a few, a handful. Um, but that party brings all of them together, so all of them get to hang out.

SPEAKER_01 22:51

It does. And you know, the fact that we can run that with everyone and and everyone can um coexist and you know, be happy and friendly with each other is super cool.

SPEAKER_02 22:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:00

Because workplace you don't you don't always really find that. We try to keep it more. There's a fine line, you know, we we try to keep them family, right? You know, but also you still have to family has responsibilities. You also have to keep that boss standpoint on there as well.

SPEAKER_00 23:22

Yeah. Is there a a customer reaction or a customer interaction that you'll never forget?

Memorable Moments And Quiet Giving

SPEAKER_01 23:30

I have so many of them. Um, you know, the one thing I will never forget, and it is clear as day to me, is when I was I was, you know, there for a while, I was serving tables here and there. Yeah. And uh I ended up dropping a tray full of probably six mugs, hundreds of ounces of alcohol. This sweet old lady. Um, I was the way I was leaning on the table or you know, distributing the drinks, it just fell off on her. It was the most embarrassing situation I've ever been in. Um, and I will never forget that. Oh man. It was bad for me. But I mean, I have multiple situations every day where we're helping um many different people in need, and and those are the situations that, you know, they're just we have so many of them, it's hard to pinpoint one. But I mean, there's plenty of times where we go donate food to families in need. Um, to uh Child Haven, we try to donate as much as we can to them. Uh, the path is another place that we go, you know, uh for the unfortunate people that just are having a hard time, you know. Um, any little bit of things we can do, those things make me feel really great. Um, you know, we do a fair amount of donating to these entities, and so I do get a lot of joy out of that.

SPEAKER_00 24:51

I've seen a lot of that, and a lot of that isn't publicly known. It isn't, you know, but I don't really care. You know what I mean? Feel they need to do something for the community and they're not doing it for the the the the kudos. They're not doing it to be recognized for in it, they're doing it because they feel it's the right thing to do. This is true, and I think if people realized how many business owners actually do that that don't show up in the headlines, um they'd be really surprised.

SPEAKER_01 25:20

Yeah, because they would think there are a lot. And you know, I I do believe that our community knows. Um, I've had people come up and just straight ask us to help with their funeral services. Right. Or if we can provide food for their funeral services. You know, and and the fact that people have that kind of that they would even come ask us. Yeah, you know what I mean, is cool. Yeah, they have faith in us, you know, they know we're here for our community, and uh I that's another thing that I pride in.

SPEAKER_00 25:55

Because there's a lot of places you would never go and never, they would never comfortably go ask something like that. But people feel comfortable enough with you that they might get a no, but at least they feel comfortable enough to ask you.

SPEAKER_01 26:07

Yes, for sure. So and and we do pride in that.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

Very good side. So is there a decis now that you're owner, is there any decision that you made um that have a like a small decision that made a big impact?

What People Don’t See In Restaurants

SPEAKER_01 26:25

The 401k was kind of a small decision and it has had you know what I mean, but it has had a it was a small talk that turned into a big talk and then turned into feet on the floor, you know, and so it was it I I bring that up because it is one of those things that like a lot of these people didn't even know what it was. They had no idea, they were super uh sketched about it. Um, but once we gave them some information and had, you know, put out some of the the info on it and they figured out you know that were clear on what was going on, they're very excited about it and grateful, and and just to see the joy that you know they know they're doing something good for themselves and growing is it's just it's and you're helping them we're trying to help facilitate. And I mean, I didn't do any of this all on my own. I have a whole team of people that are helping me do this. Um, my general manager carries a giant part of it. Um, but you know, collectively together, that little small little mention turned into a big thing. I mean, it's really been pretty cool. Not all of our employees are on it, it's mostly main, you know, our our core solid people, sure. May mainly back of house hourly employees servers. Yeah, you know, it's kind of hard with them because they make on paper, they make so little. Sure. Um so but yeah, that right there.

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Um But it isn't it isn't a common thing for um your niche, it may be for the industry overall on the commercial side, yeah. Um, but not necessarily for smaller, like locally owned restaurants. That's I feel like that's a really uncommon thing.

SPEAKER_01 28:07

We're a restaurant that tries to put our finger and help in any little thing we can. We do craziness sometimes, but yeah, that's what we're trying to be different. We're trying to get out of the box. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 28:19

That's how you survive.

SPEAKER_01 28:20

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, in this crazy world. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 28:24

So is there something that people assume that's easy in the business, but definitely is not?

Hard Lessons In Consistency

SPEAKER_01 28:29

Everything. Everyone assumes that uh, oh, I can I can go cook some food and turn around and sell it, you know, and it oh, that's so easy, but they forget about, you know, the fact that to do that you have to carry million-dollar insurance policies, you know, you're you have workmen's comp insurance, insurance in general, um, you know, the liabilities of selling liquor in the state of New Mexico, you know, you have foodborne illness liabilities, health department. I mean, it is not easy. It is it is a tedious list of things, you know, that have to go down. And once you get all the all the that side, your paperwork and everything, you know, set away, then you you have to go through the whole employee thing, you know, and if your employees are gonna show up or not, yeah, that's what will make it easier or not. But the restaurant game is not an easy game. Um, very fulfilling, and um, I couldn't see myself doing anything else, but it is not easy at all.

SPEAKER_00 29:29

No, restaurant, I think, is probably one of the hardest. It's tough to pull a profit large in. It's one of it's one of those industries that is very stereotyped as to being easy, but right, it is far from I was just thinking, uh, like even the time tiniest deal, because you're saying like little to everything, and immediately I went to, you know, you're going over potato sizes, and I'm like, yeah, I mean that's a thing. A bigger potato means you're not buying one potato at a time. So it's you're buying per pound, and that increases cost, and do you raise the cost then? And how many people are going to be willing to deal with that increased cost, and how much waste is gonna end up because people just typically don't, not everybody eats that big of a potato. So do we go smaller and now they're not happy with the smaller potato? And like this, and you have to just the size of a potato.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

If anything goes bad on a on any croc run or anything, it changes your whole size of everything. It'll change this your staple menu item. All of a sudden, something happens to the croc, you know, over here, and then you're feeling the effects.

SPEAKER_00 30:33

I mean, any little bit of things that there's just so many minute details that I used to watch some cooking shows like with Robert Irvine and what is it, restaurant impossible or something. Anyway, he would come in and save restaurants and get it.

SPEAKER_01 30:46

Oh yeah, we actually got an invite for that show in 2018. Yeah.

Fears Of Paperwork And Trusting Team

SPEAKER_00 30:52

What I found over and over on shows like that was people that got into it not knowing what they were getting into. Exactly. Exactly what they were saying. Like we know how to cook, we make amazing food. Yeah, you can. So let's open a restaurant. And man, if unless you've been in the restaurant business, not other businesses, specifically the restaurant business, that's potentially a really bad idea.

SPEAKER_01 31:13

Yeah, it'll take your passion for cooking and smash it into the grill.

SPEAKER_00 31:20

Oh my goodness. So, what's the hardest lesson the business has taught you? They that now you're grateful for.

SPEAKER_01 31:29

Yeah, I'm trying to think. The hardest lesson is just you know, if you're not consistent, it'll pile up on you and just eat you alive. And so the hardest lesson I had to learn is is to to be very consistent with all our things, looking at our schedules, looking at what jobs we have going on, every little aspect of you know who's called for what, you know, you have reservations. Um, but when you fall behind on that, it it really turns to hell, and um and it takes a while to get out of it sometimes. Yeah, and so I've I've done that more than once in the past few years, and so um the more consistent being done, reviewing everything, you know, just being ahead of the game is yeah, is the biggest lesson I've learned for it.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

Yeah, it's real easy for one small thing that isn't really, you know, it's not a big deal to anything, but it's a a thing, it's a small thing, and it's real easy for that one small thing to turn into two things. And if that happens, it's gonna turn into four things. My buddy calls it's not a small thing anymore.

Expanding Off-Site And Civic Center Wins

SPEAKER_01 32:43

My buddy calls that situation, those kind of situations, he calls them A1 emergencies because he was laughing at me one day. We had a 350-person steak catering, and uh we didn't have any steak sauce for it, and so when you're running around looking for you know, 50 bottles of A1 sauce in a very 40,000-person town, you know, right? It is all of a sudden an emergency. Yeah, it's a very small detail turns into an A1 emergency. A1 emergency, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 33:17

Is there anything that that you thought you thought would be a problem, but it turned out it wasn't?

SPEAKER_01 33:23

Yeah. Um I'm a hands-on working kind of people talking guy, you know, and uh once it really became time to take over the business and you know the paperwork started coming out and everything, I was terrified of the logistics of paperwork, taxes, filing, you know, all the things that have to be done because I I don't really I know little bits about it enough to get me in trouble. Um, but you know, that was my biggest worry. Um, but that relies back to your team, you know, and uh I have a great office person that is um takes care of a lot of that. I still am kind of unaware of a lot of that and trying to learn here and there, but right that was the biggest fear. I mean, it it like I said, the team comes into play and it becomes not a worry, yeah. But yeah, I was terrified of that.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

There's a lot into that that just that's awesome that you can lean on on your team for that, yeah. Just you know, continue learning because the more you learn, the more protected you are. Because so true. I mean, people are people sometimes they fall into different searches situations. So, what could be a good person today? Their own personal situation could turn them into making one bad choice that expands, and now you're you know being taken for yeah, and see, it's still one of those current problems.

SPEAKER_01 34:46

I so the person that's doing it now learned from my mom, which she's done it from the yeah, the very beginning, which I'm that's blessed to have that as who yeah. So she trained with my mom for years before we did the business transfer, and she's also the my office lady's also also worked for us for 18 years. Wow. Um, as a bartender server, and now she's running the back with us. Um so yeah, but I do need to learn.

SPEAKER_00 35:11

And I'm not saying that she would ever do it.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

No, no, no, no, but it is that is one of the that is on my mind all the time. Yeah, hope it never have to use it, but yeah, and so that's another reason why I've been you know consistently trying to slowly learn the workings of the backs, just so I have an idea of it. But yeah, yeah, that's one of the big worries for me. But I'm blessed to have such an amazing team and and partners that help out. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:37

So is there something that you're working on now that customers will definitely notice later?

Vision For The Next Five Years

SPEAKER_01 35:44

Yeah. Um, I'm working on a few things. Uh one of them would be uh, you know, kind of piggybacking on my my uh main first mission with the bar trailer is is uh food chuck. That's the next thing we're gonna start building, is you know, to enhance our off-site presence with food is a big mobile kitchen. And so um I think once we get that nailed down and out and you know, operating, people will notice we're gonna be in a lot of places. Would that be for events or an event of a more regular basis? So, I mean, if you have a food truck, you're silly if you're not running at every opportunity you get. So its main focus will be events, um, bigger events, off-site events, oil field, off-site caterings. Um, we have a lot of business out there that we can't grasp right now just simply because we can't, we don't, we're we can't facilitate. Sure. You know, um anyways, I think that will be that's something I've been working on for a few years, uh, designing. And uh once we start building it and actually get it on, I think a lot of people will definitely notice. Yeah, for sure. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 36:58

Yeah, right on, man. Um so again, you've been in multiple aspects of being involved with the business now, all the way up to owner. Um, what does success look like now and how has that changed over time?

SPEAKER_01 37:16

So I don't know, it's kind of a hard question.

SPEAKER_00 37:23

Because I a lot of business owners they have a viewpoint of success, like as they're putting the business together and getting ready to open it, they have this vision of what success looks like. And then they're in the business for two, five years, and that isn't exactly the same picture of what success is anymore. And then 10 years in, it's a totally different picture, 20 years in, it's another picture entirely. So I'm just wondering like, how has that changed in your mind?

Making Life Better In The Four Corners

SPEAKER_01 37:49

It so it's changed, like so. When I started doing it, um we like I said, we did small caterings and everything like that. Um and I figured the only way, because we are in a small town, you know what I mean? And we are one restaurant, and so I figured the the only way for us to keep growing successful is to start our mobile footprint and um getting ourselves out there any way we can. We also operate a uh a separate liquor license for the city of Farmington over at the Civic Center, and so that was one of those things that I figured, you know, we can stretch out, we'll get more jobs and be more successful, um, you know, taking on that contract, in which anything that happens at the Civic Center, alcohol related, we do. Um and it has opened a lot of doors for us, it gets us bigger caterings, it puts us in the works with the city. Um, and naturally we just kind of get into a lot of events that they're doing. Yeah, you know, um, and so at first I thought it was, you know, everyone thought it was kind of gonna be a downfall of us, but it has opened many, many doors for us, and we've, you know, been very lucky to get some of these jobs we've gotten, and we've absolutely nailed them, and it just takes us forward. And so it it makes our success, I mean, makes me feel very successful that not only are we killing it always here on site, but off-site as well, right? And you know, growing those contracts and event dates, you know, every year has got us to the point where it's almost like a total separate business, and to being doing that is you know, has brought us a lot of success here in town for sure. Like I said, in many different ways.

Community Support Through Tough Times

SPEAKER_00 39:41

Um I mean I can understand some people's trepidation about it because anytime you're working with a government entity of any kind, they have so many rules, regulations, red tape, and everything that just make it difficult for some people. And so oftentimes that can be a disaster to get in bad with that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_01 40:00

We've jumped on it really well.

SPEAKER_00 40:02

But you're just looking at it as a business relationship, so you're you've developed a relationship with um which gives you it may not be exactly exclusive access, but close to exclusive access. Yeah. So yeah, for sure. That's amazing. Yeah, I mean, what business owner doesn't want exclusive access to their client?

SPEAKER_01 40:25

So this is this is true. Yeah, so yeah, we try to take little Clancy's and kind of put us anywhere and everywhere. We get in a lot of places you wouldn't expect to see a restaurant doing stuff, but yeah, get out there and do it.

SPEAKER_00 40:37

That's awesome, man. Very cool. What's one thing, especially now that you're you're one of the owners, what's one thing that you hope Clancy's is known for five years from now?

SPEAKER_01 40:50

The place to be, the place that everyone wants to go, and you know, um just keeping and maintaining our the reputation we have now, yeah, you know, um local friendly place to be. Yeah, you know, comfortable. I want people to feel comfortable.

SPEAKER_00 41:09

Cool. Um how do you it's so it's somewhat related. How do you hope your business like makes life better in the four corners?

SPEAKER_01 41:21

How say that one more time?

SPEAKER_00 41:23

Um how do you hope Clante's makes life better in the four corners?

Advice To Small Business Owners

SPEAKER_01 41:32

I just hope it does. I mean, because in the four corners, there's I mean, it's there's not a whole lot out here, you know. I mean, it is in a very outdoorsy place as far as places and businesses to go and visit and see, you know, we want to be that place. Like, I don't know. I have a lot of people that call me and just tell me how amazing it is to sit out here on the patio in the midsummer in the shade and just, you know, it just makes their day. And yeah, they'll tell me how terrible their day's been and how they just feel like they're in paradise out here on the patio. And so, you know, I I don't know. That's a tough question.

SPEAKER_00 42:14

So, yeah, I mean, you've got the Oasis aspect, you're already, you know, kind of a little bit under the radar donating to someone who's well, yeah, the donations, things like that, and you know, just just helping our community kind of anywhere we can.

SPEAKER_01 42:27

It's kind of weird. I mean, a lot of a lot of our help comes to like, you know, our employees. Our employees will help them out. I can't tell you how many times we've helped out with uh, you know, the Deaf and Family funeral. Someone, I mean, we've had employees be evicted to where we had to take them in, you know what I mean, until for a couple weeks until we can find or they can find another place to go. People are gonna be on the streets, help them with money for you know, for rent and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00 42:57

Um that builds loyalty.

SPEAKER_01 43:00

It does, it really does. I mean, it and it takes it to a personal level. Like, I mean, if you can help someone and and you don't, and you watch these people, it's just hard. I could never supposed to be at work, so I would I could never do that.

SPEAKER_00 43:15

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it says something about you as a person, not just the business operations, yeah. Whichever way you go on that.

SPEAKER_01 43:23

Good morals as a person, put them into your business as well, and they will thrive. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:28

Is there something that the community has done for you that you won't forget?

St. Patrick’s Day And What’s Next

SPEAKER_01 43:33

They have always had uh great support for us. Um, they have always been here for us during COVID, during everything. Um, the community has always been there for us. Anything we've ever needed, we've always pulled through, and a lot of it has to do with the community. I mean, great example is COVID. Um, they shut us down, all restaurants. Um, so what we did is is uh I had I had bands scheduled for you know, booked out months in advance and stuff like that. And you know, we had employees that wanted to work, so we just opened our parking lot and we had a lot of people show up. We it was great, you know, we followed all the COVID rules um and did all kinds of stuff, but we were just trying to keep a positive mindset in such a gloomy time, you know. But yeah, it won't none of that would have happened if we didn't, you know, the community support everywhere in any aspect we're doing, um, anything we're doing, we have great support. So that's awesome. It is so cool, very cool. It's so cool. I'm so grateful for that.

SPEAKER_00 44:36

Well, as we wrap up, is there is there anything that you want other small business owners to hear? Not just restaurant owners, but like small business owners.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

Just keep at it, keep going for your passions, and you know, if if you stay true to yourself and true to what you're doing, it will it'll f fruit for you and come to fruition, you know, and and your goals will be met. But you know, consistency and you know, every corner you turn, there's an issue, just Slow it down, figure it out, and keep on moving at a snail's pace if that's what it takes. Sooner or later you'll get there.

SPEAKER_00 45:11

You have those really corny um sayings like you only you only lose if you quit. That's true. You you don't lose because you failed. If you don't quit after a failure, you don't lose. That's true.

SPEAKER_01 45:25

And that's it's the only way you can learn sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 45:28

They're so cheesy. There's so many of them, and but that there's truth behind all of that.

SPEAKER_01 45:32

There is. There's little aspects of truth in every one of those little sayings.

SPEAKER_00 45:36

Um business ownership is not for the faint of heart. And so I think a lot of people don't understand that when they go into it, and it becomes really hard, and that's who that's what dictates who is still around in 20 years and who goes out of business in five years is can you gut it through that difficult, really difficult time?

Where To Find Clancy’s

SPEAKER_01 45:56

Yeah, this is true. I mean, but like I said, if you keep a positive mindset and uh surround yourself with you know good positive people, it will happen and it makes it very easy, you know, a lot easier, not very easy, but a lot easier and doable, copable.

SPEAKER_00 46:12

At least gives you some hope. Yeah, for sure. Oh, is there anything that you're celebrating right now? Big or small?

SPEAKER_01 46:20

Uh St. Patrick's stays right around the corner, and that's our that's our uh number one for the year right there.

SPEAKER_00 46:26

It's an Irish pub. Yeah, so that's coming around the corner.

SPEAKER_01 46:31

Yeah, we're celebrating that. That's what we're doing right now. We're gearing up for all that. And of course, I mean, there's a huge event this weekend uh over at the Civic Center Mayor's Ball. Um so we'll be bartending that event. Yeah, we have five different bar locations for that event. So yeah, we're getting ready for that and St. Pat's. So beautiful. Yeah, can't wait.

SPEAKER_00 46:51

All right on, man. Well, glad to meet you. I haven't met you before. I knew I knew your parents, but uh I may have run into you, but I didn't know that was you, and so um now we know each other formally meet you and know who you are and all that kind of stuff. Well, I appreciate it. Um I can't wait to see what you continue doing. Yeah, come check us out. It's not like it's a new thing for you, but no, no, it's not.

SPEAKER_01 47:12

This has been my life, and so I figured, you know, if this is the hardest thing I have to do in life, then oh well, yeah. I mean, I I I do, I have great joy in what I do. I I get great satisfaction from all the people I work with. Um, it's just I enjoy it so much.

SPEAKER_00 47:29

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 47:30

Most people don't, but I do.

SPEAKER_00 47:31

Makes showing up to work a lot easier. It does.

SPEAKER_01 47:33

Hey, if you're you know, it's it's not really work whenever you enjoy it that much. So awesome. For sure.

SPEAKER_00 47:40

Well, great, man. Well, thanks for coming on the show. Yeah. Well, thanks for having me. Um for that person that's been living under a rock for like 50 years. How do uh how do people find you?

SPEAKER_01 47:50

They find us at uh 20th in Hutton um in Farmington, New Mexico, or you can check us out online at Clancy's.net and on the socials, uh, Facebook and Insta, those are the ones that we're on the most. Very cool.

SPEAKER_00 48:06

Yeah, right on. Cool. All right, well, good luck and everything, and uh I'll still keep coming here. Cool. Well, yeah, collar at me. I'll come have a beer with you one day if I have two seconds.