Brandon Cavanagh - SWADE

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Brandon Cavanagh, Senior Director of Marketing at SWADE Dispensary, one of Missouri’s leading cannabis brands.

Brandon shares his journey from the St. Louis hospitality scene, including owning a popular bar in The Grove, to transitioning into the cannabis industry. He talks about how that background shaped his approach to marketing, community engagement, and creating experiences that connect people in new ways.

The conversation explores the growth of SWADE, from early days in Missouri’s medical market to becoming a vertically integrated company with locations across the state. Brandon also dives into the brand’s focus on community partnerships, unique events, and breaking the stigma around cannabis.

From restaurant collaborations like the Best Buds series to large-scale activations at festivals and new concepts like The Church on Delmar, this episode highlights how cannabis culture is evolving and becoming more integrated into everyday life.

In this episode:
 - Brandon’s journey from bar owner to cannabis marketing leader
 - The growth of SWADE and Missouri’s cannabis industry
 - What it means to be a vertically integrated cannabis company
 - Community partnerships and the Best Buds event series
 - New concepts like The Church on Delmar
 - Breaking the stigma around cannabis use

Come for the conversation. Stay for the culture. 🌿
 ✨ Presented by SWADE Dispensary, with 11 locations across Missouri. Learn more at swadecannabis.com.

Come for the conversation. Stay for the culture. 🌿
 ✨ Presented by SWADE Dispensary, with 12 locations across Missouri. Learn more at swadecannabis.com. Our other podcast sponsors are 4 Hands Brewing Co. and LHM.

🎧 Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and all major platforms.
 📅 New episodes drop every Tuesday.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

And the the worst thing that I've done on a gummy is get the munchies and go to bed early.

SPEAKER_00 0:05

So it's like I've never made any questionable decisions while drinking. Not true.

SPEAKER_02 0:13

Our podcast sponsor is Suede Dispensary with 11 locations across Missouri. They are debuting a new passport membership program where you'll be able to collect stamps as you explore new Delhi style strains and unlock monthly travel stipends, exclusive swag, and free flour along the way. Head to your nearest Suede location for more information or visit suedecannabis.com. Hello, welcome to the Sauce Podcast. I'm your host, Lauren. I'm here with Brandon Kavanaugh, and he is the Senior Director of Marketing at Suede Dispensary, which is our wonderful podcast host. So, Brandon, why don't you just tell us a little bit about the dispensary?

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Yeah, um, we uh we have 11 locations across the state, um, five in the greater Kansas City area, uh, five in the St. Louis area, and one in Rolla. And then um we are actually going to be opening a 12th location very soon uh in Overland. Um so another St. Louis area location, but which is uh yeah, happening coming together quickly and um pretty excited about that. So okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

And I know um, so it's Bee Leaf Medical, which is the parent company, and you were telling me this is a vertical vertically integrated company.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

Yep, fully uh vertically integrated. Uh and uh that means we have um cultivation licenses, manufacturing licenses, and retail. So we have three cultivation sites, um, mostly are all on this side of the state, uh, two manufacturing licenses, and then uh the 11 soon to be 12 retail.

SPEAKER_02 1:58

Okay. And I think that this is one of the preeminent dispensaries here in Missouri. Is that right?

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Sure, yeah. I mean, that's that's what I think for sure.

SPEAKER_02 2:06

I mean, I just remember when, you know, medical first came out. It was, I mean, I was hearing a lot about Suede. So what do you think sort of put you guys at the forefront?

SPEAKER_00 2:15

Yeah, I think it has a lot to do with the founders. Um, you know, the uh Mitch Myers is uh is a very uh familiar name and and prominent name um in the not just cannabis, certainly in the cannabis space, but in St. Louis marketing in general. She was uh she was the one who came up with Spuds Mackenzie. Oh and a little brand called Bud Light.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

Uh really, yeah. No way.

SPEAKER_00 2:40

Yeah. So um it's really, you know, we're we uh we're kind of uh not just figuratively, literally on the on the shoulders of giants. Um and uh um actually that is figuratively. Um but either way, uh yeah, she also she was very involved early on uh in CBD. I believe she had the first CBD license in the state.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Really?

SPEAKER_00 3:07

With uh at that time it was B Leaf Life Oils. Okay, and then uh and then they put together um, you know, a series of um of submittals for for licenses when it became medical and uh ended up getting all of them. Uh she tells the story much better than I do, but uh yeah, they ended up getting the three cultivation sites, two manufacturing at that time five stores uh in the St. Louis area.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

That's so awesome. And so help me remember when when did medical become legal?

SPEAKER_00 3:36

Uh well I wasn't in the industry then, so you'll have to forgive me, but I feel like it was just before COVID.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Uh so I feel like it was right around 18 or 19. Okay. Um and uh and then rec went into place. It may have been 2020, um, but rec went into place in uh gosh, was that I think that was January, February of 23.

SPEAKER_02 4:03

I think it was 23. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

And that's when yeah, everything switched over. Uh and then I joined shortly after that. Um but yeah, going back to um you know, Mitch had really paved the way, I think, in this industry. And so it's been it's been uh really a perfect landing spot for me uh to come into a marketing position in a company with such a um prolific marketer as a founder. So definitely um it's been it's been cool to learn from her and to uh uh get to know this industry.

SPEAKER_02 4:39

Yeah. Now tell us about your journey because I know you used to own a really popular bar over in the grove. So how did that lead to this?

SPEAKER_00 4:48

I did. Shout out to Gazalig, uh Craft Beer Bar, RIP. RIP. Um, yeah, that was that was a good run. Um so uh before that, so we had that for about seven years uh in the grove. It was uh thought that was what I was gonna be doing the rest of my life, honestly. And then before that I had been involved with a couple music venues in St. Louis, uh 2720 and the demo uh on Cherokee and in the Grove, respectively. And um uh yeah, I thought that was gonna be happening, and then COVID happened, uh, which is you know a very familiar story in the food and beverage industry in that time. And uh we we were able to weather it. Um, and then um some things some things unfortunately happened with uh some disagreements with us and the landlord in the wake of COVID, and uh and then in in December of 22 we realized that we were really at an impasse and we weren't gonna be able to come up with any sort of uh tenable solution. So uh unfortunately we had to dissolve that company and close it up in March of 23. And at that time, uh good friend of mine was director of marketing with Bee Leaf, and uh he reached out, he was kind of like, What are you thinking next steps are? And I had still still some days well often think about this plan. I had a great plan with some great people for what was next, and I was gonna kind of take uh Gazelle's concept and expand upon it, and uh was working with some great partners, and we were pretty far along in the planning stages and had a location and had um we had a really cool concept. Uh so I kind of shared that with him. He's like, Well, why don't you uh come and work for me just for the spring and summer uh as a contractor, help me out with event marketing. He's like, I've got a bunch of stuff lined up, we just went wreck, we're trying to be in as many places as we can, and I need someone who knows that world. So it was really like a perfect soft landing for me. And uh the temporary nature of it was perfect while we got this other project going. And um I think I was on board there, I had been on board a month, and he called me and he was like, Let's make this permanent. Um, and and at that point, that was after years and years of uh being an owner operator and like just kind of always being on and always dealing with stuff, I would and writing your own paychecks and paying all the bills and handling all of that stuff. I had really enjoyed a month of working for someone else. It was the first time in a long time I'd worked for someone else, and I was just like, yeah, let's do it.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

Um kind of takes some pressure off, huh?

SPEAKER_00 7:35

Yeah, yeah, it's a different thing. And again, you know, there are some freedoms that you have. Um there, there's there's there's trade-offs for sure. Um, but I really liked it. I liked the group of people that I was working with. Uh, I liked the new industry. It's a lot like the food and bev industry, it's very fast-paced and changing and evolving. Um, so yeah, I I accepted the job offer and really haven't looked back. And um I think uh he went uh he left the company um toward the end of that year, I think, or maybe the beginning of 24, and then shortly after um I became director and have just been running with it since. And we've got a a fantastic team now. Um and really still absolutely love my job and love the people that I work with.

SPEAKER_02 8:23

It's nice when you can say that.

SPEAKER_00 8:25

Yeah, yeah, and mean it. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 8:27

So I feel like Suede is kind of just the front runner as far as like being involved in you know, community outreach and and a lot of cool events. So tell us about that.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

Yeah, I we definitely um we try to focus on that. Um I think that just comes from my uh my history of of working in the food and beverage space, right? And being that owner operator of a small business in a small local neighborhood, whether it was Cherokee or the Grove, uh, you quickly learn that that your lifeblood is your community, right? And um not even knowingly, uh at least in my case, not even knowingly uh integrating myself into the community for a marketing purpose, but just because it is a it just felt like a natural extension of running a business. And I think that's important um on any scale, and especially as as you get to a larger scale business, like we've, you know, we've gone from five locations to soon to be 12. I think it becomes ever more important to not lose sight of who you are and what neighborhoods you're in and kind of um those those neighborhoods really make you. And so recognizing that and and trying to again further like integrate ourselves into those neighborhoods, but also be there for those neighborhoods and support different events that the neighborhoods, you know, just off the top of my head, Cherokee Street has Cinco every year, various events, but that's their big one, and we always try to support that. And the Grove with Grove Fest, Delmar has numerous events that we always try to be a part of. Uh, and then the same, we're we're exploring. Um I unf I live in the city, so I have uh a little bit of an unfortunate bias, and I've always focused on like these are the areas I know, and I know how we can do community marketing in these spaces. And the challenge has really been learning these other spaces like St. Peter's and Eureka and Rala and now all of these Kansas City locations. And it's been a it's been a fun challenge, but learning how to market in those communities is uh is something we're working through now and actually really excited about some plans we have in place. But um I think uh I think it's an extremely important thing to recognize the communities that you're in and and try and um holster them as well as uh be a part of them.

SPEAKER_02 10:54

Our podcast sponsor is Four Hands Brewing Company, which is celebrating 10 years of citywide here in St. Louis. The 10th anniversary celebration will feature collaborations with fellow iconic St. Louis companies, including Sauce on the Side, High Point Drive In, Sugar Fire Smokehouse, Gus's Pretzel Shop, Fitz's Root Beer, Blue City Deli, STL Toasted, Strange Donuts, Peacemaker, Lobster and Crab Company, Clementine's Ice Cream, Strange Donuts, and more. Yeah, well, you also do some really cool partnerships with restaurants around town through the Best Bud series, which I went to the one at Lazy Tiger and I thought it was just so fun that you can go out, you know, and catch a little buzz, but nobody's gonna be hungover tomorrow. You know, it was like a a super mild, you know, hi. We didn't get too crazy with it.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

Um, but it's just fun to go out and have that connection.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

You know, which one did you go to? Um, it was recently or um, I think it was last fall.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

Okay, yeah. I all the dates of this most recent run. I was busy, unfortunately. But I didn't you partner with Brosis as well?

SPEAKER_00 11:57

We did, yep. We we have to have been there. Yeah, uh, love his food. Big shout out to Andrew. Uh uh, I'm a probably my favorite cuisine is Peruvian cuisine. And he's doing it right. Killing it, yeah. Absolutely killing it. Um, that was a great time too. Uh yeah, we've we've partnered with quite a quite a few uh fantastic chefs, Nick Wagner. Um uh but their name escapes me, but El Molino, um, the Henries. Oh, Alex Henry.

SPEAKER_02 12:28

Yeah, uh huh. Um I was just there, it was so good. So good.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

And yeah, that is maybe one of the most underrated restaurants in St. Louis.

SPEAKER_02 12:36

And I'm gonna work to get them some coverage.

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Yeah, yeah. Um, and then Tim Wiggins, love Tim. Yeah, he's killing it. For for a long, long time we used to be going way back regulars at retreat when they first met.

SPEAKER_02 12:48

Oh, nice, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:49

Um, followed his uh his various adventures and um extra wavy now is awesome too. And um anyway, yeah, working with several of them and trying to find um, you know, again, just chefs and locations within some of the neighborhoods that we're in or adjacent to, and finding different ways to like part of the challenge still and will be, I think, for years, is is uh in cannabis in the cannabis space is is normalization. Yeah. Right? Like so many people still think it's so taboo. And and I suppose it is in a lot of regards, but only because we all just grew up with it being illegal, I think. It's so silly. Yeah, uh, when you think about I mean, not to not to disparage alcohol, but when you think about how normalized that is, yeah, and how acceptable it is everywhere, and then people are just like, oh no, we can't have cannabis. It's like, well, I think I think we can, and I think you find, like you mentioned, uh, sometimes that can be, oftentimes, that can be an even more pleasant experience um than drinking. You know, there's there's none of the argumentative nature, there's there's no um there's no hostility or aggression. Uh it's like one of the one of my favorite things about those best buds events, and I've been to almost every one we've done, is you know, you kind of start to look around the room as the evening progresses, and everyone's just grinning, ear to ear, giggling, and talking and just looking around and having a fantastic time. And not that that doesn't also happen in bars, um, but it's just a different kind of vibe.

SPEAKER_02 14:28

I will say that, you know, I like to have a drink and I like to have a gummy here and there. And I think that I have made some questionable decisions while drinking. And the the worst thing that I've done on a gummy is get the munchies and go to bed early.

SPEAKER_00 14:42

So it's like I've never made any questionable decisions while drinking. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

Not true. So are you gonna be doing another uh best of buds series?

SPEAKER_00 14:54

Yeah, we will. It's definitely um a series that we uh that we want to keep going, you know, in perpetuity right now. Uh I don't have anything currently planned. We just recently expanded it into the Kansas City market, um, which went over extremely well, better than I had even anticipated. We've done three out there now and they've all sold out. Um, and just really uh that market has taken to it. Uh I mean, so has this market. It's just because it's a great, it's just a great event. Um and uh so we just we just did one over Valentine's weekend out there. It was like a a Galantine's high tea. Uh oh cute. Yeah, yeah. And it turned out, I didn't make it out, uh, but it turned out uh incredibly. Um a lot of positive feedback from that. So um we will get to work planning the next round. It'll probably be we'll probably, I think we've kind of fallen into a cadence of doing a couple in the early winter uh and then in the fall and maybe a series in the summer.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

So we need something 420 adjacent.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

Yep. Uh we are planning. Uh just was talking with someone this morning about it. We are planning uh that 420 weekend, I think on the Sunday, 419, uh, a cannabis market.

SPEAKER_02 16:10

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

Um, so that will be exciting. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:13

Do you have details yet?

SPEAKER_00 16:14

Um, I can tell you that we're hoping it's gonna be at Atomic.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

Uh in the Grove. Cool. And uh we're hoping to have a few brands involved with it and um and then quite a bit of vendors.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

So we did something very similar uh around Christmas time. I saw that. Yeah. Okay. So we'll do that again there, and uh hopefully we'll do that again there. I think it's gonna happen. Okay. And have some live music elements. Um, with it being April, you know, the patio should be rocking. It should be uh should be a good time. Consumption lounge.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

Good patio over there.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

Yeah, it's fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

Oh, do you have a consumption lounge there too?

SPEAKER_00 16:52

That's that's the plan. Like outside, we'll have we'll have something set up.

SPEAKER_02 16:55

Okay, that's fun. Yeah, and I I uh went to one of your consumption lounges at music at the intersection, and I thought that was so cool. Like, what a time we're living in.

SPEAKER_00 17:05

Um yeah, that was that was an awesome year. That was that first year of rec, and it really felt like we just needed to announce ourselves in a big way at these big festivals. We were at Evolution that year, we were at music at the intersection, uh, a couple things out in the Kansas City area before we even had stores out there. We still had our our our brand out there since like our products were out there, and uh yeah, it felt like we needed to um we needed to be really loud and splashy, but also show people what we were about as a brand. And so uh setting up those big, huge, that big double decker stage where you could look over the the music stages and have it as a lounge and then also have uh uh you know our flowers, some of our pre-rolls, some of our concentrates, various things available for people to sample.

SPEAKER_02 17:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

Um, and that was uh that was a lot of fun that year.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

Because you were just giving that away, you weren't selling it, were you?

SPEAKER_00 18:04

Correct, no, we can't legally sell anything outside of the dispensary. So we were just giving it away. Uh we had uh we had contracted a third party to sort of run that consumption lounge because I can't even legally uh the way the state works, I can't even legally like give you product outside of a dispensary.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

So much red tape.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

Yeah, but but a third person can't or third party can't. Okay, so yeah, so we contracted a third party to run all of that for us, and uh yeah, it went really well. We just had people, it was also a way to get people to sign up for our um our email program.

SPEAKER_01 18:39

Smart.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

And so, yeah, as if people wanted to come and experience the the lounge, they signed up for the email program and our our loyalty and rewards program, and they got to go up and hang out for you know 20, 30 minutes at a time. And um, I I thought it was a very successful campaign that summer. It was a lot of fun for sure.

SPEAKER_02 18:56

Awesome, yeah. Like I was I was pleased. My friends were. Um, so and I know we're hoping to try to put something similar together for Food Truck Friday, but I know it's like a little up in the air.

SPEAKER_00 19:08

For sure, for sure. So we are super excited to be involved with Food Truck Friday this year. Um, and I don't think we'll be rolling out a double decker stage. No, not not for this one, but absolutely we'll we'll get something going there. Um, we've got a really cool uh trailer that we own now that's that's branded and set up like um uh almost like a bar kind of vibe. Um, and uh we've used that actually for um for on-site delivery at a few festivals last year, and that went really well. One out in Kansas City, and then at Music at the Intersection this year, we actually had that set up as a mobile storefront, which is almost like a food truck.

SPEAKER_01 19:47

It's so fun.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

Um so it would fit perfectly in with Food Truck Friday. I don't know that we'll be setting up ordering and delivery there, but we'll use that as our base of uh of activations and maybe we can set up a consumption lounge at one of those. We'll see what we can figure out, but we're really looking forward to that.

SPEAKER_02 20:02

Well, I think it's so fun that Sauce is able to help break the stigma because you know, we we reach a wide audience, um, you know, and some of these people skew a little older with our, especially with our print magazine content. For sure. So I think that one of those. Yeah, well, you know, we're just we're just trying to break the stigma because it sh it shouldn't exist. So in my mind it doesn't, but I know for a lot of people it does. But I think as you know, we just produce more content around cannabis, you know, suede or otherwise, it's just helping people see that this is normal, you know, and that maybe, maybe this is a good alternative to alcohol. Not to say that we don't want to, you know, also talk about alcohol because that certainly has its place. But I just think it's it's really nice that we can be a part of this.

SPEAKER_00 20:48

Yeah, and and we uh we really appreciate the partnership. Um, you know, this is uh it's a new partnership for us this year. And um yeah, I I I think um I love what you guys are doing and keeping it alive. Um, and uh we're we're excited that um that you're willing to help us.

SPEAKER_02 21:08

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unknown 21:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:40

I mean, I was writing about CBD back, you know, the moment that was out, I was like, oh, this is you know cannabis. Let's talk about it.

SPEAKER_00 21:47

So for sure, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 21:48

It's been cool seeing the the evolution of everything.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

It's been wild. It's been wild. I um I'm I lived in California in it was 2009. We moved out there and it was medical out there. Okay. And then I never in a million years thought it would happen in Missouri. I thought it would be one of the last ones.

SPEAKER_02 22:08

For sure. Me too.

SPEAKER_00 22:09

And uh so we made it. Yeah, it's been awesome to see. Okay. For sure.

SPEAKER_02 22:13

Now um I know that you guys just opened the church on Del Mar over there above the dispensary right there on Del Mar. Yeah. Uh tell us about that.

SPEAKER_00 22:23

Yeah, so that um our that dispensary is actually in an old church building. And we had had access to that space above there uh for years, but but just weren't really utilizing it. And I don't know if we really had the the lease on it, but it was, you know, it's all one building. And uh our CEO and one of our founders, Kevin Riggs, um, really had the the vision there to, you know, just kept pushing us and saying, why isn't that why aren't we doing something with this? This has the potential to be a really cool and unique uh space for St. Louis, um, and arguably across the country, you know, it's uh it's an event space above a dispensary that can be consumption friendly because it's it is a separate address. Um and uh and really really pushed us to to do something with it. And um uh he was absolutely right, you know. Yeah. Um the uh uh shout out also to Joey Pentozi, um our chief revenue and strategy officer. He really took the reins on it and just made it come to life, made it happen. And uh it's it's been incredible to see the uh the outpouring of support from all different angles in St. Louis for this space. Um so that's that's very cool. There it's been kind of softly open, if you will. Um, and there have been uh several events that have gone very well. I think you said you were just recently.

SPEAKER_02 23:54

Yeah, I was at the uh comedy show on Friday, and I it was so cool. It's just a nice space. And um, Brendan England with the St. Louis Cannabis Club had like a little sample bar set up. You were selling the four hands, infused beverages. Okay. They had some infused food. It was it was really cool.

SPEAKER_00 24:11

Very cool, yeah. So excited to see what more we can do with that. Um, we actually have the grand opening for that is this Friday, um, where uh it's really just kind of introducing the neighborhood to it as a whole, um, and bringing in uh we've had a lot of response from a lot of different event planners uh and promoters from across the city. So that's going on Friday. And then um, I think we just agreed also we are gonna uh host a little event there with um Proper and Head Change and I think some other brands and Forehands. Uh so Proper and Forehands in March are doing this uh two-day event called Shakedown STL.

SPEAKER_02 24:53

Oh, oh, I saw that.

SPEAKER_00 24:55

Yeah, with with like one of the photographers of the last four. J Blakesburg. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, uh at um at 4hands on Thursday.

SPEAKER_01 25:03

Cool.

SPEAKER_00 25:03

And then Friday at the pageant is Melvin Seals and JGB. All right, and so they reached out to us like, hey, we're thinking about having like this. Um you're familiar with like Grateful Dad culture. Very much so. Uh so they're like, we're thinking about having like this like pre-show lot kind of shakedown vibe before the pageant show Friday night.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

So cool.

SPEAKER_00 25:24

What about doing that at the church space? And I was like, that's perfect, it's right across the street. Um, so yeah, we just uh just met with them last week and we're gonna make that happen. Oh and we'll have like a little dab bar up there, and there'll be all kinds of vendors and just be like this whole um shakedown scene.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

So awesome.

SPEAKER_00 25:40

Yeah, so it's really exciting seeing that space come to life and seeing um uh how many people are are really also excited about it.

SPEAKER_02 25:49

Well, and different types of events too, because I was talking to the venue manager when I was there last week, and she said you're having like yoga classes and sound baths and a whole bunch of different kinds of stuff.

SPEAKER_00 26:00

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 26:00

I love to see that.

SPEAKER_00 26:01

Yeah, yeah, it's exciting. Yeah, there's um there are a lot of people who uh love the idea of being able to take different types of events into a cannabis-friendly space.

SPEAKER_02 26:12

So well, and I like that space too because the ceilings are high. So even if people are smoking in there, it doesn't feel like too hotboxy on you. For sure.

SPEAKER_00 26:20

We've got we've got some smoke eaters in there too, which uh you know goes way back to uh dating myself here, but back when you could smoke in restaurants and bars, you know, a lot of restaurants would have those. Um so they hopefully do some of the job, but I I did hear, I think our first official event, uh, I think it was called Smoke and Word. Um, I heard that they did accidentally set the fire alarm off.

SPEAKER_02 26:44

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:45

Uh, but it it got cleared out in a hurry and everybody applauded and the show went on. Um yeah, I do think uh I do think it's it's gonna work out just fine. There are very high ceilings, which makes a little bouncy in there, but they I know that I was just in there last week and they did a fine job of kind of mitigating that, but I I think that's gonna help with the uh with the airflow, and we'll we'll learn as we go and figure that out. But um it's it's definitely been uh been a cool thing to be a part of, even kind of on the periphery of it.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Yeah, totally. Okay. Is there anything else on the horizon for Suede we should be aware of?

SPEAKER_00 27:23

Uh well, I did mention we've got uh a 12th store opening up in Overland um on Page. That's gonna be coming before we know it. Um we'll be in there and getting that going. Uh so I am looking forward to getting that launched. That's gonna be a big store in a way, uh pretty groundbreaking for the St. Louis area. That's gonna be a 24-hour store.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

Yeah. Uh we have a drive-thru built into it. Wow. So this we built this one from the ground up, basically. We took a building and and renovated it ground up and uh put in a drive-thru that'll be open 24-7.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

Amazing.

SPEAKER_00 28:01

And then we'll uh we'll also be uh around the same time very soon expanding all of our delivery service in the St. Louis area. Oh so currently we deliver out of a couple of locations. Uh we'll be expanding to cover the city. Um, and then Rolla will be offering delivery soon. We already offer delivery at all of our Kansas City area locations, and then we'll be adding delivery to that overland location too. So we'll be covering uh the vast majority of the St. Louis area um through through those locations. And uh we offer same day, discrete, usually within a few hours, delivery uh and and never any fees. So um amazing. Yeah, yeah, what a time to be alive.

SPEAKER_02 28:47

I love it. We we really make I didn't think I was gonna see it in my lifetime either. So it's pretty cool. Okay. Well, let's learn a little bit more about you. What do you like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_00 28:57

Um, what do I like to do for fun? Um love going out to uh to restaurants.

SPEAKER_02 29:03

Um, any top ones for us?

SPEAKER_00 29:06

Um I mentioned a couple already. Um, I I would be remiss not to mention Little Fox.

SPEAKER_02 29:13

Uh my last guest just said that and I was like, I was just there on Friday.

SPEAKER_00 29:16

I I love them. Yeah, they're good. They are fantastic people and a fantastic restaurant. Uh, we live right behind there, so we're a little biased.

SPEAKER_02 29:24

But uh no, it's really good.

SPEAKER_00 29:25

Um, yeah, yeah, it's it's it's incredible. So um I would say that's probably my favorite go-to. Um process, Andrew Cisneros. I don't know if I'm pronouncing it. Cisneros. Uh he's killing it.

SPEAKER_02 29:41

He I don't know if he's been a one to watch, but he he was a one to watch, and we were right because he went on to open his own spots. Actually, I just had him as a guest a few weeks ago. Oh, nice.

SPEAKER_00 29:50

Yeah, I saw that actually.

SPEAKER_02 29:51

Have you had his papa raina there at process? No, we featured that as an eat this, you have to try it. Okay, it's like an appetizer, but it's like one of my favorite dishes in town. It's so, so good.

SPEAKER_00 30:02

Okay, awesome, awesome. Now I just want to go there.

SPEAKER_02 30:04

Yeah, me too.

SPEAKER_00 30:05

Um, so yeah, I would say those are some of my favorites. Um and then uh what else do I? I play disc golf. Um, yep, I go see fish a lot.

SPEAKER_02 30:19

All right, are you going on this summer tour?

SPEAKER_00 30:21

Um, you know, I I've been doing less lately. Um I'm you know, I'm in my 40s now. Uh and it's hard. Yeah, my uh my my my my partner Allison told me the other day because I was lamenting, I didn't get out to see them at all last year. And she was like, you know, um it's okay if that's not like your entire life and identity. Yeah, it's okay.

SPEAKER_02 30:46

I get that.

SPEAKER_00 30:47

Um, but yeah, I think I am gonna try and catch Deer Creek. Okay. And uh yeah, we'll we'll see. That's fun.

SPEAKER_02 30:53

I'm a J-Red girly.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

Oh, yeah, I love them too. Yeah, they're awesome. They're incredible.

SPEAKER_02 30:58

I wish they would come to St. Louis.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

It's been years.

SPEAKER_02 31:00

I don't think we can afford them.

SPEAKER_00 31:04

Um so yeah, that traveling, I I love to uh um kind of over the last maybe five, six years, made a hobby out of visiting national parks.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

Yeah, I've always done that kind of like when it was convenient, like, oh, we're gonna be near here, we should go. But now we uh we've started kind of planning vacations around them or working them into vacations that we have planned. So trying to get them all checked off. Um so uh yeah, that's become cool.

SPEAKER_02 31:33

Yeah, that's there's more to life than fish tour. It's I don't go to all the J Red shows.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

Right, right. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:41

Cool. Is there anything else that you want people to know?

SPEAKER_00 31:44

Um that's that's probably enough.

SPEAKER_02 31:47

That's good. We're good. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 31:48

Soccer. I do love soccer. Oh, soccer, that's that's a big yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:51

That's fun.

SPEAKER_00 31:52

Aston Villa, my promotion.

SPEAKER_02 31:54

So do you go to the SC games?

SPEAKER_00 31:56

Uh yeah, I used to. I was a season ticket holder for the the first three years, but uh I I did not renew this year. Um just a number of things came up and just wasn't able to do it. Uh I didn't have the time to go to all the games. Um, but yeah, still a big fan. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful stadium down there. Um I love the the game experience.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

And how about that food scene over there?

SPEAKER_00 32:19

It's pretty awesome, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:20

Yeah, all local, like nobody's doing that.

SPEAKER_00 32:22

Yeah, it's incredible.

SPEAKER_02 32:23

Good for them, good for us.

SPEAKER_00 32:24

Yeah, for sure. For sure.

SPEAKER_02 32:26

Well, cool. Well, thank you for stopping by.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

Yeah, thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.