Don't Even Bother

#35: Cult Attractions: The Yellow Deli (Experience + Belief Breakdown)

• Katiuscia + Megan • Episode 35

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0:00 | 47:01

This episode explores the Yellow Deli through a firsthand visit—what it’s like, why it feels so welcoming, and what stands out.

From there, we break down the faith-based organization behind it, including their beliefs, structure, and why some consider it a cult.

Part experience, part analysis, and a deeper look at how places like this exist in everyday life.

00:00 Intro: Cult Attractions
 01:20 Visiting the Yellow Deli
 06:10 First impressions
 11:30 The environment & atmosphere
 17:45 Who runs it
 22:30 Beliefs explained
 29:10 Red flags & concerns
 35:40 Cult vs community
 41:30 Final thoughts

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Speaker:

Don't even bother.

Katiuscia:

Uh, how culty are you feeling today

Megan:

on a scale of one to Jonestown?

Katiuscia:

Remind me if you've ever had any experience visiting any kind of cult or been around any like, real life cult

Megan:

other than one I'm not willing to name out.

Katiuscia:

Okay. Okay. Um, no. So, where I grew up or I guess where I'm from, 'cause it started there in 2010, they brought it, there was this really cool place called the Yellow Deli and I've talked about it before. Mm-hmm. Because it's just like fascinating to me. And when I was back in San Diego in December, visiting my family, I went there because one of my nephews had never been. And we're like, you got this an experience. We're gonna go and we went and it was just like,

Megan:

so it's an actual deli.

Katiuscia:

It's a deli you can never owned, I'm sorry, run by this cult. But they like, part of the business, ventures are that they've got these delis that. The first one was in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And so you just kind of learn a little bit about the history when you go to it, when it pops up in your town in 2010, because who's really deep diving in the internet in 2010? Not many of us. Not many of us are diving as much as we are now.

Megan:

Sure.

Katiuscia:

But there's this deli and it's really cool in this group of people, which we always knew it was a cult. Uh, I mean, you could tell, you just kind of tell without, and that's not being judgy or anything, but you could tell if you see cult members, you know. The shit's not. Yeah. So these people all, you know, they're dressing in a certain way. It's not a modern way. It's a cross between like an Amish dressing style, but I don't even wanna give it that. It's just very, like we made our own mc hammer pants.

Megan:

Oh,

Katiuscia:

for lack of a better description. That's how I'd probably like Genie in a bottle type shit. But weird with the concept of like. Curtains from Sound of Music play outfits.

Megan:

Okay, sure. If

Katiuscia:

you're getting where this is going,

Megan:

like you can tell when people have made their own clothes most of the time, unfortunately,

Katiuscia:

but like it also felt very hippie and this,

Megan:

okay. And

Katiuscia:

the cool thing about this deli is in 2010, I don't know how old I was, I was in my twenties, so they were open 24 hours a day, five days a week. So it was 24 5 and then they closed at, I believe, noon or three o'clock on Friday. They closed at three o'clock on Friday, and then they 00 PM So that was their Sabbath. That was like their time off for their Sabbath, where the deli would just shut. But any other day that you went, this place was open 24 hours, so it was really cool. So there it was downtown Vista where I lived, and there's bars and breweries and tap houses and all these things around there. So people are like going there after the bar is closed because they're open if it's not a Friday or Saturday night, you know? So just really interesting,

Megan:

which seems like if you, that'd be peak middle of the night hours.

Katiuscia:

Amazing. And I, I actually brought a friend once who came to visit me. I was like, let's go out. And then in the middle of the night when we're coming back from the bars, we're gonna go to Yellow Deli and we're gonna see what kind of crowd is going there. Okay.

Megan:

What kind of food do they serve?

Katiuscia:

Amazing food. That's the problem. Okay. Sandwiches, soups, salads, their baked goods are amazing. Their teas are amazing. They have this thing that it's called, matè, it's like a South American. I don't know if it's if there's like purpose to this tea, but they have matè. So as the years go on, I start to realize, because there was Chattanooga, Tennessee is where this first started, and this is run by the 12 tribes faith organization. A little brief background on 12 Tribes is that it was started by Gene Spriggs in 1972 in Chattanooga. His, he was known as the prophet. They kind of refer themselves as the Commonwealth of Israel. The group calls itself an attempt to recreate the First Century Church as described in the Book of Acts. And Gene Spriggs was like this prophet, and they called him, his name was like, Yoneq, if I'm getting that wrong. Sorry Gene, but you're dead and it doesn't matter now. So there's estimated to be about three and 5,000 members worldwide. It's everything that you would think a cult is in the sense of not dangerous, like a, um. Jonestown not that extreme as a Jonestown, but still, uh, there have been cases of child abuse. Uh, it's very authoritarian, like all these cults are, and they all live in community, so it's, they give all their belongings to this cult. And what else? They're, oh, they're known. They've been accused of racist teachings, they also. Are very anti-homosexual. So homosexuals are shunned. So then there are people in the cults that are, or I'm sorry, in the group, sorry, that are referred to themselves as formerly gay. Okay. So they're very, and this is all documented shit. I mean, the internet is wild with it today. But when I was living there, it was just a cool place to go that you knew something was off. And everyone that we would go, everyone I would go with, we'd always refer to it as Jonestown. Like we'd go to the gym, we'd have heavy workouts. You wanna go get salads and sandwiches at Jonestown, you wanna go get a banana and peanut butter and honey sandwich and a Jonestown, so good. Banana, PB, banana, and honey. Yeah, it was on the kids' menu and we loved it. So have you never had it? You're giving me that look.

Megan:

I hate bananas. So that's a hard pass.

Katiuscia:

That's a hard part. Well, they also had banana milk, which you would also not like.

Megan:

No.

Katiuscia:

But all these things you would find college students studying.

Megan:

But that's also a fascinating menu item.

Katiuscia:

Oh yeah. Well, it was on the, it was on the kids' menu.

Megan:

Unless it was like an Elvis themed restaurant.

Katiuscia:

No, no, no, because then it would be bacon. Right? If it was, I think Elvis needed bacon on his banana peanut butter. So. Just really cool. And then you'd have the younger kids going there and they'd be studying, like the college students would be studying in the middle of the night for, you know, drinking tea, having snacks, doing all this stuff because it was this accessible place.

Megan:

I'm so fascinated by this. It's like a whole vibe.

Katiuscia:

They built everything by hand in that place, like they are the construction crew. So you go to this place and it looks like a hobbit village, but building in, you know, in a hobbit village. The iron, the everything is just,

Megan:

is it like standalone or is it in a strip mall?

Katiuscia:

Standalone.

Megan:

Okay.

Katiuscia:

No, no. They're, they're better than a strip mall.

Megan:

Okay.

Katiuscia:

They're, you know, it's better. Um, you rarely would see them out in the public world unless you're seeing them. I remember seeing some members at a Costco once and being like's happening, but buying ingredients for things, butter, eggs, buying things, and then they would have a stand at our farmer's market. They would be selling these green energy bars. Remember there was a whole phase. I'm pretty sure it's still active now, but it's evolved with the green bars and all the like nutrient stuff, get your veggies and whatever. So they would be selling these things there. Energy bars probably, and it had, you know, spirulina and shit where you're just like, okay.

Megan:

This, apparently not

Katiuscia:

kale, this is not good, but slaps some peanut butter in anything and it's gonna make it a little bit more, um, I guess digestible. Palatable. So fascinating because Chattanooga is all I knew of. And then Vista comes along and I'm like, okay. And then they

Megan:

like the two kind of random locations

Katiuscia:

and then they opened, but it was founded in Chattanooga.

Megan:

Right.

Katiuscia:

So you're like, okay,

Megan:

sure.

Katiuscia:

And then Valley Center, which is another area of North San Diego and kind of the hills. And so they had another thing there, and I think they might've had a farm in Valley Center because then it became, they're growing their own things. But where we,

Megan:

I bet they were.

Katiuscia:

I bet they were. Where we used to have our business in Vista, right down the street is where they had their house. And so you would go there and if they were engaging with you and you were talking to them, and keep in mind this was not a place that you could go have a business meeting, like I have an hour for lunch. I have an hour lunch break. No girl, like, you better sit down, because this place was, there was no concept of time. So they had all of these pamphlets, brochures, assets, we call them marketing assets at the front on the benches when you wait outside. There were cool fire pits outside. They always had this great music. This, I'm gonna just say hobbity comforting, almost Irish vibe rainy day in the woods, music playing. And then these fire pits outside. So there was seating outside and Very cool. Very cool. And all the pamphlet propaganda at the entrance. So when you're waiting for a table, this is the material that you could read. So if you talked to them and really engaged and asked questions or they felt comfortable with you, they would always invite you to their Friday night celebration. And it was just basically because Friday's at three, they closed and then they had this whole celebration at how did they call it? Ooh, I think they just called it Friday Celebration. I'm trying to think if they said the commune or anything. I think it was just like at our, at our home. Because of course they all lived together. Of course, they all gave up all kinds of worldly belongings and lived and gave all the money to this organization and their faith, and they lived together. And they also, by the way, worked at this deli for no fees, or I'm sorry, no money. It was all for basically room and board. So what you make is true commune, communal living. It's all just going into the business. This guy's dead at this point.

Megan:

So there's no W 2's,

Katiuscia:

nothing. No one's on paper.

Megan:

Wonder if they have a 5 0 1 C3 or

Katiuscia:

something as a worker. They've got something. And then so, okay, so to, I'll fast, I'll fast forward in a minute, but they refer to Jesus as Yahshua, Yahshua, and,

Megan:

okay.

Katiuscia:

Yeah. So there were all these different things. Here's where I find it fascinating. I didn't go for a while. Because I think I got weirded out and I'm like, I don't have three hours to go get

Megan:

Wait. They would invite you to their party?

Katiuscia:

I didn't go.

Megan:

Okay.

Katiuscia:

I didn't go. I never went. I've been invited so many times and fun fact, when we were there in San Diego in uh, um, what's it called? December, my aunt and uncle. Was it my aunt and uncle? Yes. Wait, so my uncle was so annoyed with us because my aunt and my mom kept asking questions. We are a family of, I think we were seven people there that night. We all know what this place is about.

Megan:

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia:

We all know the deeper diving. It's 2025 at that point. We know this. why are you getting them to talk about it? And I think they just made it their mission, my mom and my aunt to get information. And my uncle is sitting there like, I want, can we put our order in? can we order drinks? Can we do anything? Because it just takes forever. And then by the time they get it in and he gets it all right. They're good, man. they learned. He wanted to know all of our names. He told us his name and it was not a standard name. Right. It wasn't John or Ben. It was like a weird biblical created g. Adopted, yeah. Like adopted. Yeah, like Jebediah type deal. So he had that name, but yet he remembered all of our names. And so then of course they're all impressed. And then I don't know if my aunt was like, we should tip him more, he's not getting. What are you tipping. Like, you're not there. Nobody's getting this money. This money is going to, like whoever is running this location, this show. So,

Megan:

okay, wait. So they have this commune in San Diego and then they have another one in Chattanooga and then they have a third one. This is wild to me. So then they have like a regional manager,

Katiuscia:

so, and the guy's dead now, right?

Megan:

Okay. Yeah.

Katiuscia:

But there's someone who runs every household, every business. These aren't the only businesses. So they have a welding company, because I remember

Megan:

as you do

Katiuscia:

as one does, they have a lot, a couple construction companies.

Megan:

Okay.

Katiuscia:

They have what they're called matè factor cafes, so it's probably just for matè. But the yellow deli, I was shocked and com just shooketh to my bone and my core. I finally went back and looked on the website because I brought it up for something. It might have been for this. Yeah. in the beginning. And I looked it up and I looked up the locations. I can't even tell you how many in the USA, Canada, Australia, Spain, and other European countries. Brazil, Argentina, Japan, everywhere.

Megan:

Wow.

Katiuscia:

So now you're thinking, okay, only three to 5,000 members worldwide reported. Um, maybe, I dunno, is there. Like how many people are they finding the people that we would find there, and what it always struck me as was what you want in a cult, which is what? Belonging.

Megan:

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia:

You want home. That's why people end up joining cults and getting sucked in. So it was people that were like, I don't know, probably addicts that they found Probably people who'd been isolated and chastised from their family. These are all the types of people that you would see because they weren't like clean cut people coming in. I mean, you could tell that they've lived some life. All of them have lived some life. So the children, they were raising kids in this organization and apparently there was no schooling past the age of 13.

Megan:

Cool.

Katiuscia:

So here's where it gets nuts now because all of a sudden it's being talked about. Widely, I'd say not promoted, but widely discussed, widely uncovered. Things are like coming out with the uncovering. There was apparently a documentary a couple weeks at some point in March. Oh, on, pro or something? Id, what is it? Project Something Id, project id. Oh. Or, um, but it, then it's also on HBO Max that you can find it and it inside, inside something. So that, talking about the 12 tribes. And then I had heard a podcast, a Shawn Ryan episode with Rick Alan Ross, who's this,

Megan:

yeah. Mm-hmm. He's good.

Katiuscia:

And that was a great episode, and I remember when he talked about it. So he's a leading expert of cults. He's been involved in more than 500 deprogramming cases across the world. He shown up on so many things, like different TV shows and different interviews and blah, blah, blah. So he has a book, it's called Cults Inside Out, how People Get In and Can Get Out. He started talking about the 12 tribes in the yellow deli because Shawn Ryan, who lives in Tennessee, said, my wife and I went to this place. We went to get lunch. It was a really weird place. We got a really weird vibe. And

Megan:

I think I listened to that episode.

Katiuscia:

I probably sent it to you. 'cause I was like obsessed with all the different cults that he was talking about on that episode. And I'm like, oh my gosh, I, I lived in your yellow deli, so it's just so weird when you hear it. And he was just talking about the different stories in that. Now that it's been probably on, and that was a couple years ago that that episode was recorded.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

But now that it's been, uh, made the documentary of, there's a lot more talk about it. Probably actually since that episode on Shawn Ryan came out, and since people are getting out of cults and dangerous situations if they are talking about it, but. There's so many stories of people who have either number one gotten out or two gone undercover or just had their own experiences with it. And Rick Alan Ross's whole thing was if you go to this deli, which I had heard it right before I went to San Diego, and I remember thinking, I do have a plan though to go with my family and my nephews because the littlest one who's now basically an adult, has never been, and he needs to go experience this. Rick Alan Ross said, I wouldn't support it because if you go to this place, know that you're supporting all of these things, child neglect, like all of the things that you don't want, you're now supporting it. You're funding it,

Megan:

right.

Katiuscia:

But dude, that sandwich is so good. that lentil soup is so good. All their food was just amazing. So that's the pull, that's one of their major businesses. Then plus the construction company, he has said something really interesting. He said, Gene Spriggs died a very wealthy man because all of his people were worker bees and making money and it just goes to, that's it. It's all communal money. So any money that's made at the deli is going to, I mean, we don't know who's running it at this point.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

But. Who's it going to? It's crazy. So I watched, I saw a few videos. It was like a series of videos of these kids in Vista, and I think they have some investigation podcast or YouTube channel or something, Because they were infiltrating the yellow deli and the 12 tribes by getting jobs at the deli with spy glasses. So they were documenting everything. And it was so insane to watch because it's like you watch it and I, I've been there many a time. This wasn't like a, I always, as I learned more, I never wanted to pay with a credit card.

Megan:

Oh yeah.

Katiuscia:

Because I didn't want my name documented somewhere, so it was like, try to bring cash. It was not cheap. It's not a cheap place. It's very on board with, it's following inflation for sure. Um, so it's just so interesting to see these people and they went in, they got jobs there and their only qualification or qualifying factor for getting the jobs there was they asked if they were Jewish and they said no, and then they hired them. But it's like,

Megan:

that's the only question on your job interview.

Katiuscia:

Yeah, and it was just a verbal, and they said, do you, um, uh, they never gave a last name. I mean, you don't really have to if you're not getting paid, right? If you're just showing up. Well,

Megan:

how do you get a job there if you're not getting paid? What's the point? I mean, other than infiltrate, like I get that, but like,

Katiuscia:

well, you're live, you're room and board. So it's usually, but to work

Megan:

there, you have to live with them

Katiuscia:

so, well, that's what people were finding weird. 'cause they were, you know, and they presented themselves as these two surfer guys who felt like almost shunned by their surf community because they said that, oh, they were like, we get made fun of for being virgins. So they were playing into something that they knew, oh, the 12 tribes wanted that information. Like we value these people. Whatever it was, they were playing into everything. And then one of them said, oh, you didn't have glasses the other day. And he's like, oh, I have a really bad lazy eye and these are glasses that my doctor

Megan:

stop it.

Katiuscia:

Yeah. That my doctor gave me. 'cause So this is the whole, the, the kids who infiltrate, the guys who infiltrate this was their shtick. Like that he has a very lazy eye and therefore he has to wear these glasses that his doctor gave him and I, they must have met when they were surfing. Because the guy that was like, I never saw these glasses before said, well what about when you're surfing? Do you wear the glasses also? And he goes, no, I have special goggles for that that like my doctor gave me. 'cause he felt bad because I told him about all the people making fun of me. So they really doubled down and went in on this story and they got in to just work there and they weren't getting paid. But as each episode is kind of unfolding. They start asking more questions to the people that they're working with, just in a casual way. So it was, oh, like how is this set up? And, oh, well, we're, we are all owners of this. So it's something, some kind of documents in their LLC that if you're working there, you're a part owner of this place, right? Like they're, they're not getting money, but basically anything. The deli is making is technically a poor, it's yours too, because you're an owner, but you're just never seeing it because it's going to the actual whatever. I dunno if it's the housing or the what, but you're never seeing this money. You're just basically provided for, which is wild.

Megan:

That's so wild.

Katiuscia:

You're not getting anything. No money.

Megan:

I just have to feel like if I was running that kind of a business and some people came in and they were like, well, we wanna work here. Like how do you, well, I'm not gonna pay you. You can come live at our house if you want. Like I, my, that's a huge red flag. You wanna come work for me? Quote unquote work for me, volunteer for me, just for funsies.

Katiuscia:

Well, I think like,

Megan:

that's so weird.

Katiuscia:

I think anyone walking in there and asking for a job is you're there. So these guys also said, because they went to, I think they went to a Friday celebration and they said their goal is really to get you to stay. Stay the night.

Megan:

Sure.

Katiuscia:

Stay. You can stay as many days we have rooms, you can just stay here. One guy was like, how, how big is

Megan:

this house?

Katiuscia:

I don't know. 'cause I never went because I was convinced that I would get kidnapped and trafficked and

Megan:

end up in a bathtub. Full ice.

Katiuscia:

Sold. Yes.

Megan:

Sold

Katiuscia:

into some weird, weird cult, which is my, was my ultimate fear. And what definitely would've happened. 'cause that's exactly what it was. But I never went, and I mean, depending on the people that I went with also, like I'd been with a good friend of mine who had. She had her second son at that point, and his name was Judah, and they had a table and it was one of the biggest tables. And they're like, this is the table. This is, this table is called Judah and you really should come to our celebration on Friday. And I just kept looking at her and being like, do you wanna enter into this cult life with your children? No, dude, we don't wanna be here. But we knew we just, I mean, you have to go very aware if you're going to go at all. But I think the more aware you get, it's a bummer because you just think, oh, shucks. I don't wanna support a cult. Yeah. But that banana milk is really good and their cinnamon rolls are bombed and it's just all these things, whatever they put on their bread or their butter, and so you just start thinking like, dang it, I don't wanna support this. Like I feel guilty supporting this, but so I probably won't go back. I think that that was my last time of going in December with the family. And I think because it wasn't pleasant in the sense of this guy just started getting a little too like sharing. And I can't even remember what he was sharing because it was, you're sharing something to make a point, and in order to make a point sometimes on something that is so wildly insane, you have to go to some pretty farfetched concepts. And so what he was saying, I was in one ear out the other because I just thought, we're gonna be here all night. And remember, they don't close. there's no time limit for them on 24 hour stints. Like they're, oh. They're just there. I'm pretty sure they're not following like labor laws. I was just gonna say, when you have to clock out after six hours, hours or break a 30

Megan:

minute break.

Katiuscia:

Mm-hmm. They're not following any of that because there's not even money and no one who's reporting it.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

So these guys who infiltrated, and I'm gonna have to find the YouTube episode and watch the full thing because they basically did a takeover and I, I don't, I doubt it lasted because the yellow deli is still operating. But it's just known as, I mean, people know the yellow deli is associated with the 12 tribes. Is this a religion? Some is gonna, some are people, oh my God, some people are going to call it that. Other people are gonna call it a cult. Like if you're isolating people and taking them away. So Rick Alan Ross had said a really sad story of this husband and wife join and they have kids and the wife wants to get out of it eventually. And the husband doesn't. So the wife goes and does the whole custody battle.

Megan:

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia:

Gets custody of the two kids. Husband disappears with the two kids.

Megan:

Oh.

Katiuscia:

She searched for them for nine years, and finally they found the kids and they were hidden in one of the communities in Florida. So wherever they were from, I don't think it was Florida, but they were hidden in another community and then there was documented stuff. 'cause I think this was an episode he said he might've been on Jerry Springer about, and the cult or 12 tribes members were there. But they said Gene Spriggs absolutely knew, deliberately kept the children, kept the mom from finding the children. And he said he worked with the kids. And I mean, I can't imagine as a child if you're getting out of something. Pulled like that parent to parent.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

The amount of deprogramming and just therapy and all of the help that you're going to need survive in a normal life. Now it's kind of like Eli, what was Elizabeth Smart?

Megan:

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia:

When she got taken and now, I mean I now I think she speaks everywhere and she's written books and stuff. Yeah. And that's amazing, but I can't imagine the trauma. These people are going through. I know that they don't believe in western medicine. So there were some stories, and I didn't have a chance to watch the full documentary, but I did see some clips and I think people were saying how, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. And they were like, oh, absolutely. you can't see doctors for this. we're gonna pray. We're gonna give you like beet juice. So it's like herbal remedies. Um. The fork thing, whatever. The vibration, the vibrations.

Megan:

Oh yeah.

Katiuscia:

so all these different kinds of, I guess holistic in quotations, remedies and things that you would do that way to heal people. And then I'm pretty sure, is that the one who died or she got worse and worse and then I didn't finish. So maybe she did die. Maybe she didn't. Maybe she had a miracle. But then there was another story that I heard that it was a kid falls out of a like a Homemade, not up to code, probably bunk bed falls off the top, ruins her neck, The parents, the dad wants to take her to the hospital or something. They're like, you can't take her to the hospital. You are going to get in a lot of trouble for neglect and then we're all gonna be investigated. So it was never really about

Megan:

That's convenient.

Katiuscia:

Yeah. It was never really about, your child might be paralyzed unless we get her help. Now it was more about, well, you're gonna get us under scrutiny right now. we can't do that. and so they didn't, and they just, I guess the people prayed over her and like, whatever. And then she ended up getting better, which only solidified the moms. Oh my God. Yes. It worked like this is the way this is. So just like you hear of all these stories what is happening? And I think the wild part to me is that it's still operating under all these businesses. I don't think anything there might have been like, oh, there were some things that were shut down. Hold on. So Rick Alan Ross had said that there was a time that Gene Spriggs had contracts with big companies like Trader Joe's, Estee Lauder, for packaging deals. And he would make all this money, but what he was doing was using his people as slave labor to make the money. So it was like exploitation of the people to have these big packaging deals 'cause he is not paying them.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

So all those facilities I think were shut down. But that's just, that's the craziest part to me is. I get it. If you're, if it's, if it's just a deli that we're working at and we have room and board, we have everything we need. First of all, we've discovered and we've, you know, dived in where it takes a certain person to go into that lifestyle

Megan:

mm-hmm.

Katiuscia:

And crave that and yearn for it and want it and know that, okay, maybe this is the home I never had, the belonging, I never felt. Whatever the situation and everything is taken care of for me. I don't need anything of the world. I just need what's right here.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

So you join this and you give over all your shit. That's how these people make it though. That's why cults have money even. All the research you can do on any cults. I don't think there's ever one that's like broke ass, broke cults. Yeah. They all have money because it's show money and they also usually will have some kind of business where anything you make, you just turn it right over to them. So it's, you don't exist on paper, I don't think. you're obviously don't gotta pay taxes and stuff, but well just go crazy.

Megan:

They find all the loopholes.

Katiuscia:

Mm-hmm.

Megan:

Like the ones that have, you know, plural marriages. Anybody after the first wife, the second, third, whatever, wife is now a single mom. So she qualifies for wic, for food stamps, for welfare, for all of that, and that money just goes right back into the machine.

Katiuscia:

So it's just a really weird money laundering scheme.

Megan:

That's

Katiuscia:

to me, where it's like it's all just filtering right back. But what is it being used for?

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

To buy new buildings, to buy real estate, to make new buildings and new delis and new whatever it is that you're making. Oh, I was gonna say about the iron company or the welding, iron, welding, whatever it was called. what was it? Commonwealth Construction Probably might have been that. So we were looking at their, all their iron work and we're like, this is beautiful wrought iron. We want something for our house. I believe it was some kind of fencing. And so we asked one day when we were there, we asked who, who did this? And they were like, oh, we have a company they did it. We call them. We get a bid. It is the most astronomically priced bid I've ever seen in my life where you're like, oh my God, if people are paying this, no wonder you guys have money.

Megan:

That's pretty wild.

Katiuscia:

'cause it's just insanely expensive and it's not, well, who's it going to?

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

Who's it going to? Not you, not the guy who's working it.

Megan:

Like what's the goal? You know what I mean? It's not like, it's clearly not like world domination. Like what

Katiuscia:

I, what's I wish I knew, I wish there was an active person who was the new prophet.

Megan:

Right?

Katiuscia:

Yeah. There's always. There's always someone in religions when the prophet dies, the new prophet takes over. FLDS. Warren Jeffs took over from, was it his father? I le believe.

Megan:

Rulon,

Katiuscia:

yes. So, okay, so you've got the, who's the new one after Gene Spriggs.

Megan:

That's what I'm saying. Do they just have a bunch of regional manager

Katiuscia:

kind of and, and then you're global. So the fact that this went globally

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

Is beyond me.

Megan:

Is there a chain of command? Is there somebody running the whole thing? Or is it just all these little individual, each individual

Katiuscia:

operation, that

Megan:

household, like, I'm so fascinated by this.

Katiuscia:

I know. It's really interesting. It's, I can't promote it. I can't say it's worth a visit because I don't even wanna promote it anymore, knowing how much of my money they probably have had for all the years that I lived there. It is an experience like no other, and I'm not saying that it's amazing and life changing, but it is an experience like no other because nobody normal is going there and trying to join something. I mean, we're all, I think when it came up in Vista, we were all cool downtown Vista. It's kind of an up like of an up and coming place. Oh, that's nice. It's open 24 hours, five days a week, and then you. Freedom of religion. They close at three o'clock on Friday. They open at 12 on Sunday. That's That's awesome. Good for them. Good for them that they take off their Sabbath and then you start hearing the stories.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

And you start seeing it and you're like, wait. Wait a minute. Now, the one thing I did find weird was that even though they would be closed at the deli, our farmer's market was on Saturday morning. Well, that's technically Sabbath day. You shouldn't be working during the Sabbath. I mean, if you're trying to live by the Bible, you don't. So they were there working at the farmer's market selling

Megan:

hmm.

Katiuscia:

their items.

Megan:

That's weird.

Katiuscia:

So I think, I love that it's getting a lot of exposure. Mm-hmm. Is the word that I was looking for earlier. I love that people are talking about it. I am sorry that people have had such horrific experiences in it, but I'm happy that they figured it out and got out. That's always my thing with any religious organization that poses itself as wonderful and then ends up being maybe a little detrimental. But I mean, I won't even name it, but like when Leah did a whole series on another one. That was great.

Megan:

The very litigious one.

Katiuscia:

You're you're, you're learning a lot. Yeah. That's a lot of insight and I mean, I get it. The whole point of these is to isolate, we've discussed this, obviously you wanna isolate your people. You wanna make them think that you're the only ones mm-hmm. That this is the only place for you, but. In actuality, it's not a healthy place for you. Yeah. you're making no life for yourself. If someone left that, they would have literally nothing to their names. So then it's, it becomes that choke hold of you are in financial prison, you are now a financial prisoner to this organization that you donated willingly

Megan:

your stuff and

Katiuscia:

you dont, all of your stuff, you

Megan:

don have a resume.

Katiuscia:

You have nothing.

Megan:

You have nothing. You have no record, no work, Chris history, no credit.

Katiuscia:

Nothing. No. And you've given them everything you did have.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

So unfortunately now you don't even have a nest egg and you can't even be taking money and putting it on the side to have your escape money. Like your escape fund.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

Because they take all the, you're not seeing the money ever. So that to me is very terrifying. The fact that those guys found out that everyone's a part owner and they found some loophole. Got, they got to use it against them, which I'm sure they were never expecting. Yeah. And people in there, it's just, you go and they're friendly or you go, and in my experience, it's you go and they're ultra friendly or you go and they forget about you for 17 minutes, or they're literally moving through quicksand to do anything, or it's just one thing after another. So you have to go with patience if anyone is gonna go to any one of these locations. Because the comments online are great. some of the comments are I would never support like I used to go until I knew what it was and then I'll never support it again. And some of them are like, I'm sorry for what it is, but damn, those sandwiches are good. So the food is, I would say is excellent food. They just do it with a weird kind of love of the spirit of the commonwealth. What is it? The commonwealth of Israel.

Megan:

But wait, so the Commonwealth of Israel and the 12 tribes, which I get historically, but. Their only question is, are you Jewish? I know. Which is, and if you say no, you're hired.

Katiuscia:

That was kind of the weird thing to me. 'cause I'm like, but it is the Commonwealth of Israel. Um, what did I find online though? 'cause I screenshotted something that I saw that I thought was interesting. The 12th, this is on their website. So this, this is quite a citing, oh my God. Citing a source. The 12 tribes is a confederation of 12 worldwide. Seven. Oh my God. Hold on everybody. I'm gonna blame this on the root canal that I had yesterday and still can't fully like use function of my mouth. The 12 tribes is a confederation of 12 worldwide self-governing tribes made up of self-governing communities. There it is. We are disciples of the son of God whose name in Hebrew is Yashua. We follow the pattern of the early church written in Acts 2 44 and 4 32. Sharing all things in common. We believe everything that is written in the old and new covenants of the Bible.

Megan:

Hmm.

Katiuscia:

This is another good one. This is a like a different way to just a brief. who we are, the 12 tribes is an emerging spiritual nation. With all of our hearts, we want to do our father's will, which is to love one another and be a light to the nation so that they could see our life of love and know how much their creator loves them. It's very interesting.

Megan:

Okay.

Katiuscia:

I still don't understand. I mean, I know that everyone wants this peaceful life. But once you're in it and you start hearing all these stories or, but I think they're not watching these videos, they're not looking at anything like this. They're not looking at the internet or looking at the documentaries.

Megan:

I was gonna say, are they're allowed to have social media or are they

Katiuscia:

doubt it

Megan:

allowed to have

Katiuscia:

I doubt it. I mean, I don't even think, I don't know if there's a, a page for a social page for them. I know that they've got a website and it's pretty, every website is run pretty nicely, so they definitely have a smart tech team on there, right? Because they're the ones updating everything, sharing new locations, sharing info of locations. The menus are online. I mean, it's someone there is tech savvy, right? A team. But I don't think that the everyday people are allowed to obviously look into all that and like get online and Google or I don't know, get on Instagram and search hashtag 12 tribes or yellow deli and see what comes up.

Megan:

Well I wouldn't think that wouldn't be smart cult management strategy.

Katiuscia:

Well, I know, so I'm just saying they can't see it. They don't know.

Megan:

Are the menus similar from place to place?

Katiuscia:

Um, probably you'd still have the mate and everything, and I haven't looked in all the menus, but it's pretty, it's a pretty basic menu because they have a couple salads. They have, sandwiches, set names set. types of sandwiches with all the things on them. And then where I love is that they have a build your own. So you get to pick everything you want on your sandwich, and that's the most fun 'cause it's like, oh, I want cucumbers on my sandwich. I mean. So it's the bread, the meat, the cheese, the this and everything is an additional, I want cucumber because it's 50 cents. Um, so the base price of the sandwich and then everything you start adding so you're like, cool. It's a $15 sandwich, but it has everything I want on it. It's so good. And then the salads are really good, or the main salad that they have. And then I think they have a vegetarian, they always have a vegetarian option, so they have like a garden burger type deal. Everything. And then they have these phenomenal desserts where you're just like, this, who is baking here? It is so good. Like I just wanna give them a kiss in the kitchen because it's really, really good stuff.

Megan:

Huh?

Katiuscia:

But at what cost?

Megan:

Yeah,

Katiuscia:

what are you eating and what are you supporting? Like child labor, slave labor, because no one's getting paid.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

But they're doing it willingly. So I guess then the question becomes, if you're doing slave labor willingly.

Megan:

You're a volunteer.

Katiuscia:

Are you really a slave?

Megan:

Yeah. I feel like there's a lot, which we don't need to go into, like horrific tales of child abuse, but like it sounds like Gene Spriggs wasn't potentially boning all his members.

Katiuscia:

No. I

Megan:

see. He wasn't like, I'm trying to find the. I don't wanna make it sound good, but like, I'm trying to find the downside or the catch or the, like, what's the,

Katiuscia:

oh, kids were, what's

Megan:

the goal?

Katiuscia:

Oh, sorry. And cases of kids being, um, reprimanded or disciplined with balloon sticks that were dipped in resin and like whipped with that. there was like full on abuse.

Megan:

No, I totally believe you.

Katiuscia:

But yeah, you didn't have the one leader who was

Megan:

Yeah, that's what I'm

Katiuscia:

having. Yeah. So it was just interesting.

Megan:

What's the, what's the mission statement?

Katiuscia:

That.

Megan:

Oh yeah. You, I

Katiuscia:

mean that. Like,

Megan:

but I just, what, why, why?

Katiuscia:

Like a better, you wanna come from a place of love and have this better, like a one love. But that's also why I never wanted to go to a Friday celebration.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

Because I am under the. I don't even wanna call it an assumption, because I feel like that's giving it too much grace. I am under the firm ass belief that if you are living in a commune together, there is wifes and husbands swapping.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

There's gotta be, there is gotta be some dirty business going on. Mm-hmm. And if that's your thing, do you boo. But I'm just saying from a normalcy level. I don't think, I mean, you know that everyone is sharing everything. When you're sharing everything, I think you're sharing everything and that's

Megan:

we'll be done. Like which name on your underwear? So like

Katiuscia:

gross,

Megan:

like are they doing communal laundry? I now, I'm just so ho communal living

Katiuscia:

and it has to, there have to be guidelines on it, but this is just one of the guys showed his room like, oh, this is where I live. And it was. These guys were like, oh, this is your room. I mean, these guys, how they got away with it was wild. Kudos to them. Two blonde surfer guys, and I gotta find their name. But it was just, oh my gosh. And I think what really shook me was that this is the location that I go to, but it was cool to see what the Friday celebration was, 'cause I'd never, or at least what the house and the land was.

Megan:

Mm-hmm.

Katiuscia:

'cause I'd never gone to that.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

Because I was terrified, who's gonna go there? A single girl in her twenties is gonna go to this house. You're just asking for it. Yeah, you basically should just like bring the chains yourself, just sits.

Megan:

So what did his room look like? Did it look like an, I'm picturing like a nun cell.

Katiuscia:

It was kind of messy actually. It was dark and dingy and it just looked messy. There was a little bed and then there was piles of clothing that I'm like, you just all have to be, the clothing is the most wild part. Literally, that's all I could ever explain it as is you walk to the deepest, darkest streets of like, and just alleys and twists and turns of like a skid row just, and you're picking up the people who are like half not alive anymore because maybe they're because of their addiction, because of whatever it is, and you give them a hand. And I mean, I can just, I've never been in the throes of addiction, right? So I can't speak to that, but saying. Having someone reach out and being like, I can help you. You're gonna give them everything. that's it. They just pulled you from death's door, right? They pulled you out of it. You're going to be loyal to them because they gave you better than what your life was. So it's just, oh my God. It's a crazy thing. But the fact that I was so close to it. That I've supported it a few times, sad to admit, but the sandwiches are really good. So I, you know, it's that double-edged I wanted my little nephew to experience it because he needed to.

Megan:

Sure.

Katiuscia:

But I also don't wanna go back. I think, and I would even, it got to a point where I was wanting it. When I lived there, I'm like, I'm gonna order this because I don't wanna sit there. I don't have the energy. It just, when something takes. Literal life out of you. Yeah. And you think, how many years did that just take off my life? A lot. So that's the moment I think, where you're like, I'm not gonna do this. I'm gonna order it for pickup. And you would go there in like 30 minutes when they said it was supposed to be ready. And those bitches would make you wait like another 30 minutes because what are you doing when you're waiting? You're sitting, what is there when you're sitting? You're reading. There's, I feel like there is a plan. You're listening to this really calming, you know, elf music near a fireplace, a wood burning fire pit that smells like, oh my God, it's cozy. I'm in the woods. This place is so cool. Everything is done in beautiful wood. I mean, stunning. They've got one of those things. What are those things called? the dumb waiter, whatever that you wheel up 'cause it's two stories. Oh, so they like wheel the food or oh, fancy elevator stuff. The food. There's a word for it. I just can't figure it out.

Megan:

I think it's a dumb waiter.

Katiuscia:

Is it a dumb waiter?

Megan:

I think so.

Katiuscia:

Okay. Well it's pretty smart, but I'm saying the whole experience, one for the one for the memory bank, one for if you've never experienced anything like that and you're not offended at, slave labor, willing, I dunno, elected slave labor, then I guess you can get a good sandwich and have that experience. But if you know, you know, and if it bothers you, then it bothers you. And I just think for me now, I have had my last Turkey sandwich with cucumber and provolone cheese on rye bread with mustard at the yellow deli. And probably, I think I had a banana milk as well. 'cause it was so good.

Megan:

That's wild.

Katiuscia:

Yeah, it's crazy. So that's the story of Yellow Deli and I am probably gonna recommend that everyone watches that if they can get access to,

Megan:

yeah,

Katiuscia:

to that documentary. I'm gonna watch it for sure, because I wanna see what other kind of stories have been uncovered. Not knowing, not knowing, not hearing anything. But I would love to know more because to me, I'm just like. It's the whole fascination anyway of what made you get in there. Right. I just wanna know all of it because I feel close enough to it, because I lived there and supported it for so many years.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

There was a video that the guys did where the cops were, they were like, they're saying you don't work here. And that was after they'd done their loophole of takeover and the cops said. We are okay with this place, they're really good to us. Yeah, of course.

Megan:

Of course they

Katiuscia:

are. Of course they are. of course they're good to the cops and then probably cool for the cops to be open 24 hours. Yeah. And know that you're not having to go to a bar. You're literally going to a sober establishment where you can get tea. anything you want, sandwich, cinnamon, roll, whatever. So anyways, that's, that's the story of the Yellow Deli and how I never almost joined. Never joined, never almost even joined. But food was really good.

Megan:

Wow.

Katiuscia:

Yeah. So that's what I wanted to share today.

Megan:

I appreciate it.

Katiuscia:

Yeah. It's a great place. I'll show you, I'll show you photos 'cause I think I took them last time.

Megan:

Okay.

Katiuscia:

Maybe the music is there too, where you can hear it.

Megan:

Perfect.

Katiuscia:

Yeah. It's all the, all the weird instruments. So yeah. Have a good day, everyone.

Megan:

All right. Have a good day. To everyone except whoever invented the auto start and stop on vehicles.

Katiuscia:

Ugh.

Megan:

Especially the ones where you can't turn it off.

Katiuscia:

it off.

Megan:

Get rid of it.

Katiuscia:

Lame.

Megan:

Yeah.

Katiuscia:

All but you

Megan:

all but you.

Katiuscia:

Bye

Megan:

bye.