Episode 3 - Mark Spears

swifTEA Podcast | Episode 3: Mark Spears

Hosts Landree Hills, Mike Swift, and Nikki Sorenson sits down with Lake of the Ozarks legend Mark Spears for another wild episode of swifTEA — and this one is loaded with unforgettable stories, lake history, nightlife memories, and behind-the-scenes moments from some of the most iconic on newest spots at the lake.

Mark talks about his days as a professional soccer player, how he met his wife and reality TV star McCartan, the early days of Shorty Pants, and how the legendary White Party first came to life. The crew also dives into Mark’s time with Dog Days and Topsider, crazy stories from the golden era of lake nightlife, and the vision behind the incredible 1932 Reserve restaurant and lofts.

The episode also features:
 ⚽ Mark’s professional soccer journey
 ❤️ How Mark & McCartan met
 🎉 The origin stories behind the famous White Party
 🍹 Stories from Shorty Pants, Dog Days & Top-Sider
 🏨 Behind the scenes of 1932 Reserve Restaurant & Lofts
 🍣 Talk about the new Sushi by R & Driftwood
 ⚓ This year’s Yacht Gala with Kelly Sport
 🌊 Classic Lake of the Ozarks stories, laughs, and chaos

If you love lake life, nightlife stories, local legends, entrepreneurship, and hilarious conversations with some of the biggest personalities at the Lake of the Ozarks, Episode 3 is one you won’t want to miss.

🎙️ Grab a drink, kick back, and enjoy another episode of swifTEA.

🌊 Follow Swift & Co Realty for more unfiltered tea from the Lake of the Ozarks!

📍 Powered by Swift & Co Realty
 🌐 www.swiftandcorealty.com

Follow us on social:

😎 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swiftandcorealty/
📸 Instagram: @swift_and_co_realty
🎥 TikTok: @swiftandco

Thinking about buying or selling at the Lake of the Ozarks? Reach out anytime!

🌊 Follow Swift & Co Realty for more unfiltered tea from the Lake of the Ozarks!

📍 Powered by Swift & Co Realty
 🌐 www.swiftandcorealty.com

Follow us on social:

😎 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swiftandcorealty/
 📸 Instagram: @swift_and_co_realty
🎥 TikTok: @SwifTeaReal

Thinking about buying or selling at the Lake of the Ozarks? Reach out anytime!

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:13

What's up, guys? You're listening to Swift T podcast. Well, Memorial Weekend came and went. So did my voice. Our field research was pretty on par, and uh this podcast is going better than we thought.

SPEAKER_01 0:25

So our next guest was an all-American soccer player. He was directed by the Kansas City Wizards and went on to play by Dairy FC. I don't know if that's how you say it, in the Irish Premier League. But his biggest win has been off the field as one of the lake's best restaurants. I actually ate at his restaurant three days in a row last week. Ladies and gentlemen, Mark Spears.

SPEAKER_02 0:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

Welcome to the podcast. Thanks for having me. Thanks for uh sitting through some technical difficulties to get started. And also thanks for, in my opinion, the best drink of the lake.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

Bramble Ramble It Up, Ramble It Up.

SPEAKER_04 1:00

Yay. Cheers. Um it's three o'clock, right? Yeah. Five o'clock? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

It's five o'clock somewhere. In context, it's not 11:30 in the morning. So yeah. But I guess we're starting going into uh or coming out of Memorial Day weekend. How was Memorial Day week? Exhausting.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Yeah, it was uh it was good. I mean, looking at the forecast, I know JG hit on that last week, but I mean I was looking at the forecast all week, being like, you gotta be kidding me. Um, and then all of a sudden it just disappeared off the forecast, which was great. Um Saturday was a little bit of a nightmare with the rain coming in right during dinner, of course. It was a beautiful day for everyone, so I'm happy and congratulations to all the you know pool bars, and I'm glad it didn't rain on Saturday for them. Um fortunately for us, you know, with the reservations and being the cover patio on inside, we still stay pretty busy. But just we bring tables up in the lower patio and we jam as many people in there as possible. And most people when they come in that weather are pretty understanding of what we've got going on.

SPEAKER_03 2:00

Did you have any people kills it though? I mean, they're they know go with the flow. Yeah, they're great. They're dialed in for stuff.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

I mean, we've got we've we've been fortunate to retain and and keep majority of our stuff. We don't hire a ton of people every summer. Um, you know, we've got a handful that work for us through the winter, and then you know, we bring back the goodies a lot of people, and then usually layer in two or three people to kind of complete the team every year.

SPEAKER_04 2:23

Did you have a lot of boat traffic still you all weekends? Yeah. Even that that rainy night.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

I mean, there was a few boats out that night, you know, it was like people chasing it, or you know, it's like you fly in, run off the boat, and then you just kind of sit there and watch the rain come in and figure out when you're gonna leave.

SPEAKER_02 2:39

That wasn't just a tap.

SPEAKER_03 2:40

Yeah. That's what I have enough. I go there for an hour and we were there for three hours.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

We got kind of stranded there, and then we're like, we're just gonna have to go in the rain. And we went out there and just cranked up uh Rihanna umbrella. We just did rain playlists the whole way back.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Yeah, we got caught leaving the dog for I think the flip-o' pink party or something like that last year. And it was like, do we go, do we wait? And then there was like a pocket where we're like, let's go. And then we left the dog, and before we even got to the bridge, it was just fun.

SPEAKER_04 3:09

We had the kids with us and everything, and they had kind of fun. The kids we were all on the time of his life. I was just in the back of the house.

SPEAKER_00 3:15

I was looking like not having undercover, like everyone else had a seat covered up, and I was just standing in the back.

SPEAKER_04 3:20

It's getting pelted, it hurts actually. It does hurt.

SPEAKER_00 3:23

I was just doing dad work in the back, you know.

SPEAKER_04 3:24

Somebody's gotta do it.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Yeah, and I was at uh Lake House 13 Sunday night, and I wore a sweatshirt like an idiot, and uh, I was sitting next to Dustin. I go, hey man, I am dying. I'm like, I'm gonna sweat this thing out. I was like, Can I go grab a shirt from the gift shop? And he's like, for sure. So I go in the gift shop, Lake House 13 is right next to the bar and it's just you know packed. And so I just take my shirt off and I'm looking for another shirt. I can't find a large, and I finally find one and I put it on, and this lady goes, Hey, and I like turn and I think she's gonna yell at me, like, you can't grab one of those shirts. And uh I like put it on, I go, look at her, and she goes, Love the podcast. And just kept walking on and I was like, Oh my god. It was really funny.

SPEAKER_04 4:01

He's been smiling about that for a day. Did you leave your shirt there?

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Like, or did you put your actually left it on the rack and then I grabbed one of the shit? There's no way he brought it home. Yeah, he sleeps things everywhere. Yeah. Cards, shirts, and I actually have a reserve shirt uh from somebody because sometimes if I've been drinking, I'll do jersey swaps with people because I think like at a soccer game, I'll hold it up, and then uh somebody had a reserve polo and I jersey swapped them, took a picture, and should have wanted some closet.

SPEAKER_04 4:26

Yeah, speaking of jerseys, let's uh let's uh hear your your soccer. You were a professional soccer player. Big deal. First, for many people know that.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Counts.

SPEAKER_04 4:38

You're in the Hall of Fame.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

All American Hall of Fame.

SPEAKER_04 4:40

I mean, that's pretty legit.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

Tell us about that. I mean, uh so locally, I went to State Fair Community College, and then we uh my sophomore year there, we won the national championship. Uh, and then I went to uh Wayne Carrey University uh down in Gulfport Biloxi area.

SPEAKER_03 4:58

You offense, defense, what was it?

SPEAKER_00 5:00

It was a goalie.

SPEAKER_03 5:01

Ooh, that's pressure. Yeah. No wonder.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Usually they say that's not right in the head. That's why he has four kids, too. So uh I was down there for I blew my knee out leaving the lake my right before I got down there water skiing. Ugh. Oh, I'd already had I'd already had issues, so then I ended up redshirt in one year, and then uh had a good career down there, was all American down there, and then got drafted by Kans City, which was the Wizards at the time. Now it's sporting KC. Uh was with them through camp and uh some preseason games and then went and played two seasons in Indianapolis. Um and then the season was ended, and I when I was in college, I played with a ton of guys that were foreigners. Like I think we had two or three Americans that started on the team. There's guys from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Australia, uh, New Zealand, South Africa, Jamaica. So I called one of my Irish buddies.

SPEAKER_03 5:54

Do you uh speak any other languages? Then did you pick up all the time?

SPEAKER_00 5:57

No, I mean I can I can Do you speak Irish? I can speak some I can speak some good Irish. Uh but I just I called one of the buddies from Ireland and I was like, hey, I'm wrapping up here. Can I get a uh can I get a trial over there? And he's like, Yeah, I'll set you up. Uh and I think I it was like on a Thursday, and I think I called my mom and I'm like, hey, I'm moving to Ireland on Monday. And she's like, what? I'm like, yeah, can you will you uh she was a flat tenant for the colour? So I'm like, I need a ticket, uh, I need you to book me on a flight on Monday to Ireland, and then I just packed some gear and showed up over there and then spent a little over a year, played for a couple teams. I was in I started with Half Lone Town, um, played some cup games with them, and then there was a team from the which is in the south, kind of about an hour from Dublin, and then there was a team uh in the Premier Division called Derry City, which is in Northern Ireland.

SPEAKER_03 6:51

Uh Dairy City.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

And they were London Dairy is the name of the official name of the town, but they were went by Dairy City. The Dairy City Cows. We had candy stripers, red and white striped jerseys. So yeah, we played at the uh it was crazy because it was like a dog track with a soccer field in the middle of it.

SPEAKER_03 7:07

I know you love that.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

Yeah, I don't know why I love that. They they basically got my rights and I'm hopped on a a bus and went all the way to North Ireland and then made the team up there and then lived up there for another nine months or something like that.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

It's very interesting. When was it uh when did you like decide to call it call it a day on that? Was it just you wanted to come home or was it like yeah, it's a good thing.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

Well, the season was over like December ish, so I came home for Christmas, and then it was like I'd kind of bounced around for what, like four seasons. What age are you at this point like in life? Probably mid to late twenties. Okay, I think probably twenty five twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, somewhere around there, I guess. And I'd bounced around and like that back like then with the MLS, there was I think 10, 12 teams, something like that. So it was really it was smaller. It wasn't, you know, the professional game hadn't taken off in the States.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

Um so it was kind of like, and as a goalie, they're usually gonna keep like maybe two on a team. Um and then like the in you know, I when I got back, so then I was like, okay, well, go make some money. So I ended up uh coming down the lake and working for Mark and Brian at Dog Days. And then they'd literally the summer that they had just one summer it's kind of ending, and then they were like, hey, we want you to like kind of bartend and manage at the same time or whatever. And then like I was like, all right, I'm in, and then did you even know what you're doing then?

SPEAKER_03 8:32

What was your experience leading up to that?

SPEAKER_00 8:34

For in the restaurant business? Yeah. Oh, um, I mean, I've grown up, like as soon as I was 16, the bus tables waited. Uh I mean, I bar backed at shooters in the heyday, bartended at Topsider, like back when it was crazy.

SPEAKER_03 8:50

Three minutes before kicking.

SPEAKER_00 8:51

Yeah, and then Friday nights. Um and then had worked at Dog Days for a few years, like bartending and all that sort of stuff. But then right after I was like, Yeah, I'll stay. Uh one of the clubs from Ireland called and asked me to come back. And I was just like, I mean, I I wanted to, and I was also like, You're over it. Yeah, I was like, dude, I've moved like eight times in the last three or four years, and sometimes like like living out of the you know, I'm like, I'm done.

SPEAKER_03 9:19

Well, that's why I asked what H because when you're early 20s, you'll do anything, right? You just like sleep and sleep in a corner in the bathtub and you're fine. But you just start to get up there, you're like, I want to be comfortable.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

Oh, I've slept on a lot of floors on that. But was uh that Paul Abrach days?

SPEAKER_00 9:31

Yeah, oh yeah, so so abrash um well he was my we lived together when one on I opened Shorty Pants for Mark and Bryant. He was my we lived in the house like right at the back of the parking lot.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

This is very ironic, and I just realized this. But there's two original Paul Abrach paintings that he actually painted. And one threat.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

Oh, I see it.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:51

Signed and everything.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

I'm a fine art collector if you didn't know. I wouldn't pick Paul Abrach to have done that. That's why it's that's why it's awesome. The other one's a lighthouse. Yeah. He's killing himself then. So I don't know how or why. This is the most random story, but I have a laundry basket that we still use to this day, and it's got a sticker on it that says like abrash or Paul Abraham. I don't know. We lived together and I'm sure he took laundry. He, you know, Paul's not gonna do his own laundry.

SPEAKER_03 10:18

Shout out to Paul.

SPEAKER_00 10:19

He's gonna he's gonna take it to Beach Laundry, and then they're gonna write it, they're gonna put a sticker on it that has his name on it. I thought he was claiming his laundry basket. He took it to Beach Laundry.

SPEAKER_03 10:29

Can you please take a picture of that and share that with us?

SPEAKER_01 10:32

Last time Abrach was hanging out at the lake, we were on like a party bus, and Jordan McPherson, Abrach uh was just like, Man, I just want to go home and see my family. He's like over partying, and then McPherson pops up and he's like, Where's Paul Abrach? And someone probably just walked over, slapped him, and then walked off the bus.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

But I wish you'd come down and hang out so McPherson probably riding around on a unicycle. Who knows? I just talented with some random talents.

SPEAKER_01 10:53

Who was it just you and Abrah or who was your uh roommates? Because I live with the 90 people on a two-bedroom.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

When we that year, that summer that we opened Shorty Pants. Um it was me and Paul worked there too. I think he worked there or he worked at a dog, I can't remember. And then Jordan, but like we it was only a two-bedroom. It's like this, it was like that glass house. It was like a like a fishbowl, so hot. And for a while, Jordan with there was like a little shed out back. And Jordan like that's where he slept. Yeah, he made a little room out of the shed and put like a bed in there, and then but then and then he also had like a bed like underneath the stairs for when it got too hot out. I don't know. It was I mean, when you're in your early 20s, you don't care. You don't at the lake, you know, it's just kind of you know, you want to be part of it all. You make you make do. I mean, I've I mean, I'm sure you've dealt with it. You people come down for the summer and it's like wherever they can throw a bed, if they can have a place to live.

SPEAKER_01 11:51

We had a six and a two-bedroom at Compass Point, and we accidentally got evicted. But we weren't there when we got evicted. Our buddies came down and had a party at the house when we were there, or we were still working at the Horny Soad at the time. But but yeah, and but what's crazy is like it sounds miserable, but it was honestly some of the funnest times I've ever had.

SPEAKER_00 12:06

I mean, if you're down in your early 20s and you're working at the lake, you're hardly home anyways. No, yeah, for sure. I mean, you're you're pumping. You're basically working doubles almost every shift. You know, you you you go in at 10 o'clock in the morning, you leave, you know, after midnight, or you know, and if you have a day off, you're gonna go do something. So it's like you're just basically using it as a place to take a shower.

SPEAKER_03 12:25

We were so stoked when I had some girlfriends from St. Louis come down like a shooters, and we're like, this is gonna be the greatest summer of our life, but we never saw them. Like if you want to see them, and then they were just so over it because then you show up and it's late at night and you're drunk and they're tired of everybody else. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

But the one thing we were talking about the other day is like how much I feel like the lake misses Topsider just because it was like one place for all the industry kids like get together where it's like that's where you'd meet everybody from dog days if you worked at Shady's or whatever. And there's not like a melting pot, I feel like, for every Monday nights.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

Yeah, now everyone just kind of does their own things are good back in the day. Yeah, you got to hang out with everybody. Yeah, and then it was like it was weird because it was much like tighter knit like industry group of for sure for everywhere, yeah, because you had that one place you were gonna go on like Mondays or Wednesdays or whatever, and you know, I mean now it's you know that's how people got through the weekend.

SPEAKER_04 13:15

They were like, if I can just make it through so I can go to dollar.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

You may not meet people or know people from other side because they just it's just different now.

SPEAKER_01 13:22

Yeah. What was uh so the white party's coming up this Tuesday, which we're excited about. We're doing some really cool AI weird video we're putting out today, but uh but uh it's one of my favorite parties, I'd say.

SPEAKER_03 13:33

It's like party, it's lake prom is what it is for everybody.

SPEAKER_01 13:36

Did you were you there when it started, or how did do you know like the origins of the white party? Because that's always kind of yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Uh so I think it was the first, so we we it was random because we got shorty pants. So like I was at the dog managing and and bartending over there, and then when Mark and Brian and and uh the Kendalls, Larry, and and Dravace were bought that it was a marina, it was like a shorty pants used to be like a shop that they'd pull boats into and work on them. Um and then they were like, hey, we'd like for you to go over there and man it, like, you know, be the gym or whatever and open it. So then we got it open, I think the week after Labor Day. Which is perfect timing for a restaurant on the water, right?

unknown 14:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

Right when it gets busy. I was talking to Mark last week and I was like, I don't know what's worse, open uh after Labor Day or doing what I'm doing and open them right at Memorial Day. So um, but yeah, so then we kind of we were we stayed open on the weekends, you know, through the winter. Where like that's how like Brian and I became really close because he would literally come over and then we had the fireplace in the TV. So like first winter, there's not a whole lot going on. We'd literally just watch football. We'd start a fire and we'd just watch football basically all day long. Oh, it sounds lovely. Yeah, yeah, it was great. Um nice and cozy. But then that next summer, I don't just you just look for different promotions and different parties and you know stuff to throw. And and you know, back then it was like I think you had to get all of your info out of like Maxim Magazine or like all the magazines, and you see stuff, and you're like, that looks like it'd be a pretty fun party to to do and and be pretty easy to execute. So I remember going to you know, planning it, getting all the you know, flyers and everything printed, and then like the night before it was literally up until like three or four o'clock in the morning. I'd gone to uh Joann's and bought like every stitch of like white fabric that they had. And I was up on a ladder, like staple gunning white fabric to the walls and hanging it everywhere so that when you walked in, it was like just covered in white.

SPEAKER_03 15:32

And then truly is my favorite. Like, I will remember that. I know it's gotten way bigger than that, and you can't necessarily just cloak dog days in white, but to have that in the black lights, like that was just so that was good stuff.

SPEAKER_00 15:42

It's funny because you start you see you've you've probably been a part of these, you know. You create a party and then like you can tell instantly this thing is gonna get some legs for sure. And I mean the first year was you know, it was busy, it was, you know, all of the friends and and people, it was like something to do on like a Tuesday, and then and then the next year it was like you know, now the whole not just the inside's packed, but like the entire packed that's a small place.

SPEAKER_04 16:07

I mean, I can remember it just being so packed every you know, inside and out.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

I was bummed out when they were talking about moving it to dog days. I was like, it's gonna take away from it.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

And now it's like there's no if you put that at shorty pants, no way. I mean, yeah, you'd be like one in, one out all night, and no one would ever leave. So no line standing out.

SPEAKER_01 16:25

You'd have to have a parking lot party. It is like like probably like everybody's there, it's so cool. So I'm excited this year.

SPEAKER_00 16:30

It's fun because to see where it's grown, you know, because now it's like people plan their summers around it that that aren't that don't live here. Live here, yeah. Yeah, like the people that have second homes or whatever. You know, we've got friends that you know they have some rentals that they do, like condos, and it's like they'll block off that week because they they're gonna come down for it.

SPEAKER_01 16:49

I mean, it's like when we do the get down guide, everyone's like first question is when's the white party? Because then they like move the dates around it because they're like, we're not doing anything close to that. But it's usually always it's the second one. Second Tuesday. Second Tuesday would have been yesterday because stock knockers did that. So it's like the second Tuesday afternoon.

SPEAKER_04 17:06

That's not June yet.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

No, second Tuesday after Memorial Day. Oh, so Memorial Day was early this year, so that's why it kind of sits like that.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

I mean, it's it's crazy to see how big it is. I mean, it's obvious I I would say, I mean, you guys should probably know I don't get to the other side of the lake a lot, especially during the week, because if I'm off spending it with the kids and the family, but I know like Georgia's summer solstice over at Tucker's is spending up, yeah. Um, but it's like it's wild that that thing's on a Tuesday. It's a life of I mean it's crazy. It's so big. I mean, it's it's awesome. I mean, it was cool, you know. I think when I first got back after I was in San Diego, I was kind of I was smoked, you know. I was like, I'm just I don't think I want to go or whatever. And then I think Brian's like, dude, you like you're back and you started this party and you're not gonna come.

SPEAKER_03 17:52

That would have been late.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Like and I'm like, fine, I'll go. And then instantly regretted it the next morning.

SPEAKER_01 17:59

For the shorty pants one, we would Brian would take the boat and we'd go, and it would always be like 40 people, 50 people. And then it got when we were working at the gator, it got to the point where there was like 80, 90 people that was like you knew that wanted to go, and you're like, how are we gonna? So we had like I think for three or four years we rented out the celebration just to move people. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:17

So and that was a day like, how did in the world JE played? Like he was that was my favorite coming from St. Louis because he used to produce for Nelly, and then he was in there for a minute. But I don't even remember who else around that time.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

He did a couple of the first ones that did it. Well, and I think we became really good friends.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

I met him one night randomly when I was working at the dog, and then um and then that's like for like three summers, like we just hung out non-stop because he'd come down and then he had a boat, he had his boat uh basement beats thing, right? Yeah, over over by um Z Power Sports, that little marina down there on off Passover. And then when we opened Shorty Pants, we had to modify the dock. I had to get up there and cut the the I don't know, brace for the to get his boat in there.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

Oh, that was uh Tatiana Ali days, right? Yeah, she hanging out too. Yeah. I always thought that was so cool because I love Fresh Prince of Belair.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

Yeah, yeah, yeah. She was there. Her and then you get Carl, you know, the whole crew down and so I mean we were just running around the lake, you know, bouncing around on his boat for everywhere, and then it was like, hey, we're gonna do this, you wanna play? And he's like, Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

So dude, that one day uh the one last one that Jay played, um, I had a real wild night, but he ended up getting on the boat and DJing it the way back for the after party when we had the celebration, and it was insane. And then I ended up that's the night I woke up in our neighbor's house. That's great story.

SPEAKER_03 19:43

Yeah, it was he would bring screens and everything like you're already hitting your screen. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:48

Well, no, I woke up because I remember seeing Jay at the gas station the next day. He's like, Man, that boat was crazy, and I was like, get this. Anyway. But uh but yeah, but the soccer stuff with the World Cup coming up, everyone's talking about how crazy it's gonna be in Kansas City and here and whatnot.

SPEAKER_03 20:05

You have a favorite team? Because we looked at the odds, we looked up the odds already. Like, so France is like the favorite to win right now, and then Spain, I believe.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

I would guess your favorite team is the United States of America.

SPEAKER_00 20:16

But the last one, so I the last one I really remember. When we were when McCartney and I were in San Diego, the watch parties were wild. And I remember like you'd have to get you'd have to get in line, like if it was a morning game, or you'd have to be because we'd we'd live just a couple blocks off the beach, so we'd walk down to like a couple like sports bars or whatever. And I mean as packed as like Lake House 13 gets on a Sunday, these are like just to watch soccer. And it just people screaming and going nuts, and I mean it was a blast, but like obviously root for the US. I'd like for them to to do all it'd be great to see them get out of the group and then you know if you can win a game out of the group and advance a little bit, that's but I mean I think the first goal's gotta be just get out of the group because that's been a challenge for for us in the past. So but I mean it's I just uh just yesterday, I I think I'm uh I think I'm going to the quarterfinal game who in uh in Kansas City.

SPEAKER_03 21:13

You're gonna break any of your old jerseys that wears a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 21:18

But uh the cool thing about it is I didn't even realize this. Uh uh the guy that uh was inviting me, the way the brackets lay out is if everything goes like it like it possibly could, the quarterfinal could be Argentina versus Portugal, which would be Messi versus Ronaldo in one of their it would be one of their last men's national team game ever, probably. That'd be huge. After the World Cup, I'd say neither one of them played played national team soccer again. That'd be like as big as the final, right? I mean I mean it'd be it'd be wild to see that. So two OGs going after it.

SPEAKER_02 21:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:53

OG OG like goats going at it.

SPEAKER_02 21:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

Yeah. So we were talking about um the I sent those. Pictures over because the reserve building, when we were getting into real estate, we actually um sold it for the Pentaparters to Sean and Whittle, your business partners, who are awesome dudes. And it was the whole building had such a cool story when we listed it. It was like one of my favorite listings ever, and that building's just got so much history to it, and it was just so wild. And it was like when they brought you in there, what was your first thoughts when you were looking at it? Because it's it's a lot, and it's just that it's dripping history, and there's not a lot of old stuff at the lake, just because the lake's not that old, but it's just that place just it's got a vibe and like a spirit to it, like even before they didn't. For sure. For sure.

SPEAKER_02 22:34

For sure. Are there people? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:36

I mean, it's weird because uh I mean the building's so cool, right? I mean, yeah, built the year after the dam was done. You know, I mean, it and you it's weird to look at some of the like the steel and like the concrete, and then imagine, you know, stories have been told, right? Is there steels that like have like eye hooks in them that there's really no reason they would have, you know, it's like was some of the stuff that that was used to build that like used to build the dam? I think so, like I've been told, you know, and then you look at like the concrete uh like walls like in the reserve, like in the restaurant, and there you can see like the forms where they would have like board form concrete back then, and then the that then they use those same that same pattern board to then use as subfloors underneath like the hardwoods upstairs, like in the in the hotel room. So when you walk in, the wood that you're standing on is is what they would have framed the the walls with, and then what that we pulled out as as subfloors, and that goes like along the floor when you walk in and then up the bar, and then like the hostess stand is built out of it too. And like some of it has like handwritten and cursive like Franklin job because it was originally the like the Franklin Franklin Lodge. The Franklin Lodge, and then it says some of them have stamp like AM Pope uh Bagnell like lumberyard or whatever, and so we have some of that that we the ones we could kind of read we put on the front of the bar, and there's one that's on like the hostess stand, and then like the the the chase that has the reserve that goes like where the beer tower comes out of, and then like the lighting that we made. Um that's all like were the hardwoods that were in the hotel rooms upstairs that we yeah, it's really cool that you guys can incorporate a lot of that. Yeah, it was it was fun. I mean, like we were trying to use more of it, like it's flooring, and we had a couple people come out and look at it and like dude when you start looking at like a cost to like lay this, they're like, This is gonna be a nightmare to get like straight and lay, and like you're not gonna want to. So we just kind of we've got some super talented, like woodworking guys that were able to kind of utilize what we could, and those like lanterns that are above the bar. Like those things are super cool. I found like those were at one point like in a shed that went down like where the driveway is that was sitting over there. Kind of dug those things out and had those refurbished. But we call the we call the Franklin the uh the alive, because it's like you'll just be sitting there and all of a sudden like those those lanterns will like just start wiggling a little bit or lights will flicker, you know. So it's like being at the garrison. Yeah, oh yeah, you know, we went to the garrison family farms in Springfield down in Ozark or whatever.

SPEAKER_04 25:11

Johnny Morris.

SPEAKER_00 25:12

Like we've been there like late reservation been like one of the last tables, and like you're just be sitting there.

SPEAKER_04 25:16

They'll tell us all these ghost stories and we'll be able to do it.

SPEAKER_00 25:18

A glass will just fall off the bar and shatter, and you're like, and you're literally sitting sitting there, and there's no one around.

SPEAKER_04 25:23

And it's like, okay, all right, time to go.

SPEAKER_01 25:26

Check place So it was the Franklin Lodge, it was from 1932 to 46. Uh, and then Franklin died like in the mid-30s, and then his wife ran it to 46. It was the Osage Beach Lodge from 46 to 60, and then like a family bought it. The Bruners, right? Yeah, and then but not the Bruners from different different Bruners. But then like two siblings, I think, lived there for most of their lives, so it was just full of like stuff. And I know when the guys that we sold for bought it, they were like, Oh man, we have to clean out all this stuff. And the story was that they get to the bottom of it and it was like a storage wars win that they found like a Tiffany chandelier, Tiffany Lamps, a bunch of like all kinds of cool stuff. But it's crazy because we show real estate all the time, and you know, it's a house that's built in 1990, and like the doors falling apart and stuff, like every like hinge, everything there was just like it's still in such good quality, it's just nuts. I mean, they made that thing crazy back in the day.

SPEAKER_03 26:19

Yeah, because they didn't have the tools to do it, right? The machinery to do it, but all those guys, I mean, that's hard work. They brought all that in there, and it's still standing this day.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

No, I mean the the the doors, the doors in the in the lofts were all original doors. A bunch of like the the hinges and the hardware for the doors are original. Um the restroom doors at Driftwood and Sushi Bayar were original to the to the Franklin Lodge that we call it. Uh and I think the hardware, I know the hardware is different there, but so you've been saving some of the stuff because you already had a vision that you're gonna do something. Okay, I think some of it's just so cool that you don't want to get rid of it, right? So uh, I mean and Joey and and Sean and Jason, I think they've Joey had a bunch of stuff in that we'd that was still good that we just pulled out and threw in storage in what in a building somewhere, and then it's like, oh hey, let's go, you know. I think Joey went or someone went and took a look to see what we had, and it was like, okay, well, let's use these for the bathroom doors.

SPEAKER_04 27:18

So cool you guys did that, though. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:20

One of the weirdest parts of it was in like if you're coming in like you normally would to the bar from downstairs, on the left side, it was like a root beer manufacturing deal called the worst name for a root beer deal ever, rainbow flavors for like a light brown beverage. But uh, you can still buy the concentrate on Amazon. I bought some and then you have to get seltzer water, and I never used it because he had a good idea though, because he said they should actually like make a drink with it and try to it's just weird there was a root like how bizarre that was.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

I still get surveillance sometime for rainbow, whatever it is. It's like random like catalogs and stuff, you know.

SPEAKER_04 27:57

And then never use it.

SPEAKER_00 27:58

Well, I was like, concentrate.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

I ain't doing that. Yeah, I can't concentrating it. Concentrating or using train not to knock this out. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 28:05

What do you mean?

SPEAKER_01 28:05

Yeah, yeah. I took a seven, it was too much. I took a seven little rich, but then uh the guys that before they sold it to your partners, there was another guy that owner financed it, and I think I have a drawing of on like a pizza box that the guy made, but it was supposed to be I forget his name's Pizza Castle, and he wanted to put a drawbridge. Like, I'm not if I can find it, I'll put it. Like I'll put a picture of it in here. But uh, but it's just it's like one of my favorite. Oh, probably is one of my favorite like fine dining restaurant at the lake, but the fact that it could have been a pizza castle, it's like with a drawbridge. Yeah, I'm I'm team drawbridge, but yeah, I've never had the reserve there.

SPEAKER_00 28:40

Everyone's team drawbridge, but yeah, I mean it was it's it was a fun project. Um, you know, so at some point, I guess after like kind of we talked a little bit about like the soccer and all that. Um so I was opened shorter pants was there for years, and then I decided to move to San Diego. Okay, so then I spent like 10 plus years out there. Uh, you know, that's where McCartney and I got married. We had Harper and Sloan, shout out Harper and Sloan. Shout out to Shout out Cruz and Rosin too, you know, Pablo. Shout out Cruz for real. All day cruise is legit. Yeah. Um but we I was out there and I was like chef-driven restaurants and boutique hotels was kind of the business that I was in. Like, you know, upscale fine dining, you know, steakhouses, like like crazy steakhouses, you know, where you you we bought a box to your table and there was like seven different knives that you got to select your knife for the night.

SPEAKER_03 29:36

I don't think I've ever done anything like that.

SPEAKER_00 29:38

You know, like that that stylist. And the knives were like shuns and and woostoffs, like they were all like super high end like knives, and you got to like select your weapon for the evening.

SPEAKER_04 29:47

What was the place called? I can't remember.

SPEAKER_00 29:49

That one was called Steak. Uh and then there was uh Top House. Um, and then I worked for Kempton Hotels and Restaurants.

SPEAKER_01 29:55

Before we get any further, Nikki, would you rather go with a Shun or a Wustoff?

SPEAKER_03 29:59

Wustoff. Okay. Sure.

SPEAKER_01 30:01

I don't know what that is.

SPEAKER_00 30:04

I like the Shuns, I like the Japanese blades.

SPEAKER_02 30:06

There we go. Ale.

SPEAKER_00 30:08

But no, no, I mean they're I have I have both in my house. So you know.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

Well no, you you definitely brought all that to the reserve because yeah, that was the goal.

SPEAKER_00 30:16

Like, you know, I think, you know, with uh with my business partners, you know, um with the the Whittles and the Denny's and and the Hills, um you know, we were at like a stage in our life all have kids and you know wanted a place to to go. One, I would all foodies and you know, want to eat good food. Also want a place to go. You can either, you know, take your family or take your wife on a date, and you know, you're not having to walk, you know, not that there's anything wrong with, but like through a pool bar to get to your table, and then it's a different vibe.

SPEAKER_04 30:48

Yeah, you know, and it's some a place that's you know it's just casual, it's outdoor, you know, the indoor, the outdoor, the patio vibe. It's just nice, you know.

SPEAKER_00 30:56

But I mean, like we wanted to be, you know, real glass, wine glasses, take reservations, you know, high-end, upscale food, chef driven. And then, you know, it was like the Bramble and like our smoke pig. Like they're like what we opened in 19. Like, would you have ever thought anywhere at the lake that was on the water, like their signature cocktails are gonna be gin-based or whiskey based? No, I hate gin, and this is my favorite. Like, never, never that, like I remember like people like we have one vodka cocktail on our list because it was like, we're gonna do this differently, like we're gonna do craft cocktails, we're gonna squeeze. Like my bartenders probably hate me because I make them we squeeze cases of lemons and lines. As long as the effort is there, everyone it shows. Like, yeah. It's like it's it's the the citrus doesn't come off of a gun, it comes out of a actual lime or lemon.

SPEAKER_03 31:45

And and your presentation is like top-notch, whether it's the cocktails or the food. I think there is definitely attention to detail there.

SPEAKER_00 31:52

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and I mean that's the other fun thing, is mixing the menu up. I mean, like you eat there three days in a row. I did. I know I you've I've seen you multiple days in a row. I've seen you multiple days in a row there. So um, you know, you get sick of eating the same thing or choosing the same thing. So I mean we we we switch it up in the spring, and that's our summer menu, and then we'll switch it up again in the fall, and then we'll have a winter menu so that that way, you know, it's just we usually keep the proteins the same, but it's like the mix up.

SPEAKER_03 32:22

And now switching it up the whole time.

SPEAKER_04 32:24

Yeah, now you're bringing a whole different thing to us, which we're all really excited about.

SPEAKER_00 32:30

Yeah, yeah. The things that wake you up at 3 a.m. that you can't go back to.

SPEAKER_04 32:36

So you just opened sushi by r, kind of soft opening-ish, and then um have been rolling that out, and it's really good. I think we've all we all came to the family family and friends thing. I don't know what's going on. Brant was a little sack on that. He didn't get it.

SPEAKER_01 32:50

I didn't have his local well no he's bad about it.

SPEAKER_04 32:53

He's so mad.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

I talked to Leo his dad, and he said he got the invitation for sale.

SPEAKER_00 32:56

So that was uh yeah, we opened um was it two Thursdays, I think. Yeah. So we had we had some, you know, we wanted to to get the the staff some some practice. So we did some invitations and had, you know, and had some people come in like you guys and uh were able to try it. And you know, the goals of those night were to like like let's fail now. You know, let's when things go wrong, okay, what do we got to do better? Um and then we took a Wednesday off and then Thursday uh I had a sign made night at like 4 45. I went and just kind of nailed it into the into the yard very, very quietly and didn't tell anyone that was all. Uh and then it was like literally like 20 minutes later.

SPEAKER_04 33:37

Someone's like, wait a minute. Are you I mean I had several people ask me, you know, that the night we win, and then I had a bunch of people ask, are they open? Are they open? And I'm like, I don't know. So that's why I called you. I was like, I don't know what you want me to say.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

Yeah, so I didn't say anything to anyone and we opened that Thursday and we've been open since. So like even that weekend, I said here's the goal, we're just gonna open the doors. We're not gonna advertise anything, we're just gonna let the weekend happen. Um, and then on Monday, we finally the week before not this Monday, but the previous, uh finally, you know, went live like on our socials that were officially open. So smart. You know, and then we had you know the week, which kind of built into the weekend. Um, but yeah, so right now we're open uh seven days a week at five o'clock. Um eventually we'll we'll open at eleven seven days a week, so we'll do lunch and dinner.

SPEAKER_04 34:23

Nice. That's really good.

SPEAKER_01 34:25

So that uh scallop was one of the best things I've ever tasted. Which one that scallop, that meeting. So the scallop, yeah, it's yummy. It blew me away.

SPEAKER_00 34:36

Yeah. I'm uh I don't know. I dumplings. The Krabby Salmon roll is one of my favorites, the Baja roll. Um, you know, there's but I mean I think all the rolls are are really tasty.

SPEAKER_04 34:47

Um how many rolls do you when you go, how many rolls do you eat in like one sitting?

SPEAKER_01 34:53

Claire will order like a bazillion, but I usually just eat one or two.

SPEAKER_03 34:56

I love going to eat with Claire because she gets all the appetite.

SPEAKER_01 34:58

She goes hard, but I usually can do two. But I'm like, I'm uh I'm not too exotic when it comes to the rolls, so I like to kind of stick with the palette. Nope.

SPEAKER_03 35:09

Try something.

SPEAKER_01 35:10

You have California roll gotcha. Yeah, I'll try it. Yeah. But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:14

No, it's funny because like that's how like when I when like McCartney and I go to sushi, it's like we wait over order. Yeah. Because like the you want all the apps because they all look tasty. Like, you know, Cruz will eat a whole thing of edamame by himself. So if he doesn't get his own edamame, he's he's pretty irritated. I love edamame. Yeah, to get his own. Um, but it's always a bunch of apps, and then like just go berserk with the rolls, and then I'm looking at it being like, that was a little excessive.

SPEAKER_04 35:40

But question, are you gonna have uh miso soup?

SPEAKER_00 35:43

Uh eventually, yeah. So right now we've got basically just sushi rolls, shish uh sashimi um and uh nigiri, but then once we get driftwood open, we'll add like some hot items. So we'll add like fried rice, uh like all of our tempora rolls and tempora, like shrimp tempura in the rolls and stuff like that.

unknown 36:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:03

But right now, uh we were able to just you know, we put you we could tell that like the sushi side was coming along faster. So it was kind of like, okay, let's put all of our focus into the sushi side and let's get at first I had a conversation with like the health department and the city and and fire, and it's like, hey, is it possible if this is done can we can we open and you know, and then why this is still under construction, being it in the same building, yeah. Um and utilizing some of the same facilities, and they all agreed that we could. So thanks, city. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, thank you. Thank you, all those people. Um, so yeah, so then we got it open, and then now, you know, we're like I walked into Driftwood today, and uh there was like the farm table that we're putting in front of the bar.

SPEAKER_03 36:48

That's my that's my MO for is that like that's definitely is that like a West Coast thing that you brought in.

SPEAKER_00 36:55

I mean it's I I think it it's pretty popular in in some of the restaurants out there. It's just like what do you you can put three like round tall tops there, but then you know it's like, or you just put one big long table and now two people find it.

SPEAKER_04 37:07

You know, some people like just sitting at the bar but don't really want to sit at the bar, so it's kind of like a separate little bar, it's just a conversation, you know. But it sets a good vibe and it makes people socialize, you know.

SPEAKER_00 37:16

So it's it's a good for the rest of the stuff. You know, you can have like three or four different groups, and if they're like kind of friends, they'll all mingle and then they become friends, or or if you've got a large group, it's like the perfect spot where you're not, you know, at three or four different round tables. So makes it wax. But that got delivered today. They were setting the uh the granite on that today, and then the countertop behind the butcher shop was going in today.

SPEAKER_03 37:37

Well, you put the big sign up so it was more people asking you now when this is going to open, like it's just probably constant.

SPEAKER_00 37:43

Yeah, the phone uh for sushi just rings nonstop and it's like, Can I make a reservation?

SPEAKER_04 37:48

And it's which they are not taking reservations, so FYI.

SPEAKER_00 37:53

No reservations at sushi, it's walk-in only. Yep, first come, first. Um, you know, it's just a sm it's a small space, it'd be really hard to manage rest reservations there. So um, and right now we're not doing takeout. That's the other it's questions either can I get a reservation or can I order to go to food? And we're just trying to focus on like quality, quality and being fast, you know, for the people that are are dining in with us.

SPEAKER_04 38:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:15

Um I think eventually we'll we'll get to a point where we can do to go, but we just kind of held off for now. But yeah, and then the other ones when's when's driftwood opening?

SPEAKER_04 38:24

Um so and so driftwood is going to be it's a scratch kitchen, yeah, butcher shop, or butcher counter, pizza, flatbreads, flatbreads, yeah, okay, keywords, no pizza gang.

SPEAKER_00 38:39

Um, like uh which is like I like flatbreads too. And I don't want to be I mean, I don't we're do we want to be a pizzeria, so we just like the the scratch kitchen portion is is like burgers and pastas.

SPEAKER_04 38:51

I think chef's making homemade pastas, which is awesome. I'm here for that.

SPEAKER_00 38:56

What other kind of things are like yeah, so I mean the homemade pasta. So we bought a pasta extruder, which is like this little R2 D2 looking thing that you you know, you throw like semolina flour, double zero flour, and a little bit of water in it, and then it just mixes up, and then you put you screw these uh dyes on, so you can buy like 30, you know, all the different noodle shapes, and then you hit a button, then it extrude, and then there's this little wheel with like a blade on it that I want to see that cuts, and then as it extrudes the pasta out of these little holes, it just cuts it at the whatever link you want, and then so you got homemade fresh pasta that so we'll have some of those on the menu. We'll also do like in the market area, eventually we'll do like pasta kit, right? So, you know, you can come in, grab a bag of pasta, some of our like red sauce, and you know, we've we've got our own butcher shop and we've got our own like butcher room. So Jeff's making his own um like Italian sausage, Italian sauce and stuff like that. So like you come and get like everything you need, like fresh pasta, sauce, and like meat, go home and like one pot wonder that thing. They're just gonna get all our money. Yeah, seriously. One day a week, yeah. Yeah, so uh we're doing a like a smash burger menu up there. Um, and then we'll have you know, just a handful of sandwiches and salads, um you know, that's and then we'll have flatbreads going in. So the the the flatbread oven is uh is like right in the middle of the dining room. So it's cool because you'll be able to sit like it's bar height, so you could sit at the counter and watch that guy like throw, make the flatbreads, throw them in the oven, and then he'll do like big pastas and meatballs and stuff out of that out of that big oven, and then you know, so it'll be chef driven, but like American Fair type restaurant, and then it and then we'll also have like what we'll call the butcher's menu. So then like all the different cuts that we have in the butcher case, like you can order those. Like, do you want a ribeye, do you want a flay, do you want a pork chop, do you want a this, and then like you know, and then all the stuff that comes with that? So it I think the goal is to to have it be a restaurant for everyone, right? You come in if you want to, you know, if Chuck wants to get his his double his double smash burger, no bun, nothing, nothing of color.

SPEAKER_02 41:05

Yeah, simply driftwood guy.

SPEAKER_00 41:08

And and you know, and you want uh, you know, a salmon or something like that. Like it it, you know, and then we'll have you know, I don't think I don't plan like for the whiskey to get out of control like I've done at the reserve.

SPEAKER_04 41:21

Are we kind of drinks? Are they gonna be kind of the craft cocktails?

SPEAKER_00 41:23

Yeah, I mean it's all the same. I mean that's that's I think the you know, the commitment to the quality with the juicing and making your own syrups and and all that sort of thing. And we're back.

SPEAKER_01 41:32

So you were talking about all that delicious food and Cassie took a bite out of the camera. At the end of it. She got a counter some technical difficulties back on, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:41

She's hungry. So for you being such a foodie and you having these restaurants, would you ever who would you fangirl out like if a chef or a celebrity or something came to your restaurant? Like, what would be the ultimate compliment for somebody to walk in to your doors?

SPEAKER_00 41:55

Like chef-wise?

SPEAKER_01 41:57

I mean, if anyone I mean, obviously you being a foodie would know uh I was getting my haircut at Sean's the other day, and the guy came in with Jenny. His name was Scott, he's on Joe Rogan. Yeah, and I love Joe Rogan, and I went and I introduced myself at the end of it, and I was like, hey uh, my name's uh um Mike, and then I did that, and then I saw Jenny later and she's like, Hey, my name's uh Mike. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 42:25

I know, I joked.

SPEAKER_03 42:26

I love it.

SPEAKER_01 42:27

She's lasting out of you.

SPEAKER_00 42:28

I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 42:28

I mean it's the the I mean it couldn't even be like a soccer player, it could be yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:32

I mean it's it'd be cool. I mean, I I don't know. I mean we've we've been fortunate enough to have I mean we had a bunch of like uh Indianapolis Colt players come in a couple years ago, which was fun.

SPEAKER_04 42:43

What if it was like Patrick Mahomes or Kelsey Taylor Swift? I'd have to go on.

SPEAKER_00 42:48

I'd have to uh call JG immediately. Yeah. Um, I mean it I mean it was cool to have I mean we had um uh Brian Hills multiple times come in.

SPEAKER_02 43:01

That's pretty legit.

SPEAKER_00 43:02

He's probably there right now. Completely like lost a brain part. But when we did the Yakala uh a couple years ago, oh the yakala's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 43:10

Um like somebody a chef that was there for that or there visit or like doing the yakala.

SPEAKER_00 43:16

I mean, so I think personally, like we're fortunate in this community to have like Scotty, Jeff Romano, you know, like a dude cooked in, you know, worked for Charlie Palmer, was Charlie Palmer's like right hand person for decades, you know, worked for worked at Cut at Beverly Wills or like for Wolfgang Puck. Uh cooked all over the world, he's cooked at the James Beard House. Um amazing talent. You know, had his own like sarcutry line up in Sonoma and everything for a while. And he's here. And he's and he's here, you know. And uh you know, so it's like he's like he knows and and he used to he used to run Pigs and Pinot, um, which is in Sonoma or at the Hillsburg Hotel. We went up there a couple years for it. It's just like it's like a three-day event with like all you eat is stuff that comes from a pig and drink Pinot Noir. It's why it's pretty good.

SPEAKER_02 44:09

That's my kind of it's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 44:10

I mean, it is so cool. And there's like take me. I mean, like um Manit Shohan, like she's like huge on the food network. Like sat down and talked to her for a while.

SPEAKER_04 44:19

Um I mean, you've honestly probably have had a lot of yeah, different famous people come in or just big names of you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_00 44:28

I mean, I did we did a lot in San Diego too. It was like because we you know dude some did some events and like we did Comic-Con parties in San Diego with like really like when I ran J6, which was a rooftop pool bar, like right out right above like the stadium for the Padres. I mean, you start talking like Hollywood budgets, you know, like you do some crazy like activations and events, and like they bring in some some wild talent, and then that was like like that that Comic Con, like that's huge. I mean, the amount of like people that were you know, I think McCartney was there one time, and I don't know, I have to figure out who the picture was, but I mean she met some weird people and and you know they're just crazy, but I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 45:08

I mean speaking of my best my bestie cart, uh I mean a reality star.

SPEAKER_01 45:14

Yeah, I mean she's basically pretty big one in your marriage her now. Yeah, did she get with you because you were a uh global soccer superstar? Did you get with her because she was a big reality star?

SPEAKER_03 45:23

Yeah, how did this meeting happen?

SPEAKER_00 45:25

I mean, uh I was a soccer player before she must have been a jersey chaser. I'm like friend.

SPEAKER_04 45:32

Here we go. How'd this how'd this work out?

SPEAKER_00 45:35

So I was I was uh I graduated high school with her brother, so I was friends with her brother Sean. Um so she's a couple years younger. Um I don't know, we just every when you're back like in your home, it's like the ultimate like Christmas, you know, like the Hallmark movie. No, it's like you could you come back to you go back to St. Louis over Christmas and you go to the the restaurants or bars you used to hang out with. Like see everyone's portraits and you're like, we started hanging out and like snuck around on a few dates and didn't really tell anyone, and then uh and she was in San Diego at the time, and then I was like, you know what? I it was back when the winters really, really sucked down here, so I'm like, I don't want to do another winter here. Yeah, I'm like, I'm out, I'm going to San Diego. So moved out there, and then But she went on the Yeah, we were together and then we kind of broke up, and then uh her and her roommates, there was like a casting call for The Bachelor, and like she got she kept getting called back, and then like we kind of got back together a little bit, you know, and then and then she kept going, and then all of a sudden I somehow figured it out.

SPEAKER_03 46:36

Oh, she didn't tell you?

SPEAKER_00 46:37

Well, she she had just going through like the like the progressive phases. It may be like I don't know how many casting calls, but I handled it. She were rude against that guy for sure. Well, I was just you know, and it was like I was like, look, this is a you know, and then it was it happened, and then I was like, look, like we you know, could kind of been on and off. And I was like, this is a once-in-lifetime opportunity, like go for it, you know. For sure. Like whatever happens, happens.

SPEAKER_02 46:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:59

Um, and then yeah, so then she you know, took off to LA for I don't know how long she was gone for.

SPEAKER_04 47:06

Um I mean, she made it like pretty far on it. And this is until she realized she loved Mark Spears.

SPEAKER_00 47:12

Yeah, I called Uncle Brad. I always tell the kids, I was like, You're lucky.

SPEAKER_04 47:16

And that was what season, I can't remember. Well, we tried to find it. I used to watch The Bachelor all the time. Like I was a big Bachelorette fan. Before The Bachelorette even started, but I was a huge fan. And I remember watching that season, eleven was it 11? I can't remember.

SPEAKER_01 47:33

That's like before there was a million of them.

SPEAKER_04 47:35

There was like yeah, no, it was like a newer threatening Fred Womack. And um he had two years. Yeah, he came back a second time. Um but I remember watching, and then she had a little nickname, I don't know, Mc McNasty. Um, and I'm like, and when I met her, and she told me that she was on there, and I'm like, I remember you. Yeah, you were a little scoundrel.

SPEAKER_00 47:59

Yeah, but she was friends with like uh the one that the one of the girls that made it to the final was Deanna Papas, and that was like her bestie on the show. And they're so good friends, yeah. I mean, so we've like we've stayed with him in LA when we've gone up there and like done some crazy like us weekly parties a few like a while ago when we were there, you know. She he didn't pick anyone the first season, and then but she was like one of the finalists, and then they made her the bachelorette like was she the the first one that did bachelorette?

SPEAKER_04 48:30

I can't remember who was the first one, but anyway.

SPEAKER_00 48:32

So, yeah, so um, but yeah, so she's I'm glad she lost.

SPEAKER_03 48:37

Shout out, shout out to McNasty.

SPEAKER_01 48:39

Yeah, shout out to McCarty B. Yeah. McCarty B. Otherwise, we would have been in a pickle.

SPEAKER_03 48:45

Oh, speaking of, do we need more? Oh no.

SPEAKER_04 48:49

No, our sponsor this week.

SPEAKER_01 48:50

We got another sponsor.

SPEAKER_04 48:52

Oh, we got another sponsor. Brian Voltazio.

SPEAKER_01 48:56

Oh, the chef? Yeah, it just hit me. Okay, we got a sponsor. It is the Pickle Shot, the Dirty Sanchez. It's a local pickle shot.

SPEAKER_03 49:05

He's actually our our guy Kirk. He owns Off the Cliff in town here. And this is his run at um his new biz, and he's doing out of St. Louis. And so he's you'll see him around the lake. He had uh the infamous instead of riding an electric bull, you can ride the pickle. So he did that at uh he did it at Chicks and Dicks last night. I guess it was a big event.

SPEAKER_04 49:25

Um was that the first the first time they brought it out? No, I think they've had it somewhere else.

SPEAKER_03 49:30

Well, that would be the first time here. Uh I think they're gonna do it at Shady Gator at some point, and I'm just considering doing it for the horsepower hottie party just because it's obnoxious.

SPEAKER_01 49:39

And he said he wanted to try and get out for make party cove great again. Put the pickle out there and a barge. It'd be pretty impressive. I mean, I've got your tank.

SPEAKER_03 49:50

There's no other better way to make party cove great again. Yes, we got it.

SPEAKER_01 49:54

It would really make party cove great again.

SPEAKER_03 49:56

So he's got lots of gear. They're gonna do a uh big tasty Namacadoodles this weekend. You can give that to it. No, it's gonna hold it. There you go.

SPEAKER_00 50:03

Yeah.

unknown 50:04

Dirty girls.

SPEAKER_00 50:05

Dirty girls, three.

SPEAKER_03 50:08

Yeah. But so yeah.

SPEAKER_04 50:09

I love I actually like pickle shots a lot. They're delicious. I've got pots. Sponsors, sponsors.

SPEAKER_03 50:14

But anyway, thanks, Kirk, for dropping that off and making us feel important. That was nice.

SPEAKER_04 50:19

Well, uh, I guess your your guys' next big event is maybe the yacht. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:24

So the chef I was talking about. That's always really fun. Yeah. So Brian Voltagio, like, he just won, I think, um, what is it? Masters, chef, master, master chef. Uh, that's Guy Fierra, like the big, like all of the like celebrity chefs compete in it. And he's been on it a number of years. He's got a brother, they own a bunch of restaurants in uh Maryland, like DC area, and he's been on like Top Chef, Top Chef Masters. I think he and then uh Master Chef, I think it's what it is. So just a mainstay on Food Network. So he came down. Uh he was like one of Scotty's like great friends and went to CIA together. Um so you know, we do the yacht gala. We all we were you know, we brought him in one year, and like it was kind of like mirrored after pigs and Pinot's kind of you know, we've we've done some of those big like tasting events. Uh, you know, we were in California and he did Scott did a bunch. So um, and then last year Voltagio couldn't make it back, so we auctioned off a dinner and then he flew in town, and then we went to like this family's house. And I bet that didn't suck. No, I mean you got like Voltagio who's like, you know, I mean it's just a wasn't like you boy would be here.

SPEAKER_03 51:31

Is he coming?

SPEAKER_00 51:32

I think he's coming back. Yeah, I mean like he literally like last year he was he was cooking on a cruise ship in like Norway or something like that, and they were he was trying to sort out like they were gonna pick him up on a helicopter and take him to a plane, and then it was but he was gonna fly by the time everything worked out, he was gonna land at Springfield at like five o'clock. And I'm like, dude, you're gonna miss it. But he was gonna jump through all these hoops to come because he it just like the scheduling just got got wacky. But I mean he's doing events like he ever the last two years he's been in town. He shows up, he cooks, and then literally uh he's on the road at like four or five o'clock in the morning because he's got to catch a plane because he's got an event he's cooking for like a like a Vegas DJ.

SPEAKER_03 52:11

Yeah, yeah, back out to another two months.

SPEAKER_00 52:14

So, yeah, the yacht gal, I mean, I um do it with Kelly's port, right? Yeah, so I mean it's awesome. It's a it's a really cool event, you know, working with Kyle and Ryan and and Paul Spica and and then Julie is kind of like the the glue that holds it all together uh over there. And I mean, I think what we're year three years into it, I mean, I think we've raised over a couple hundred thousand dollars.

SPEAKER_04 52:38

And it's it's great. Like I I guess last year was our first year because I think we need to get a lot of things. You guys were out of town, I think. We were out of town, but I really enjoyed it because you had how many, I mean, you had how many different restaurants or chefs come in and I didn't know it was gonna be that awesome.

SPEAKER_01 52:52

There was just so much stuff to sample and then the drinks. It's wild.

SPEAKER_00 52:54

I mean, it's yeah, it's like a so we used to do like Taste of the Cove in La Jolla and chefs done these up in you know, Cali, where it's like you just you basically that you've got like you invite a ton of different local talent and local talent and fly talent in and you know just showcase food, showcase wine, and you just kind of walk around some moving event. There's no tables to really sit at and you you know pair it up with really good food and and good wine and walk around. Well, it's kind of nice.

SPEAKER_04 53:17

I mean, we here at the lake, you know, we we do so much just bars and boating, but it's kind of nice to have that like little higher class city. I mean, we're high class style event, you know what I mean? So we can get dressed up and and all of that. So it is really cool.

SPEAKER_00 53:34

Yeah, I think we've I think we had like 13 different stations, like chef stations, you know, and then we have uh the big seafood station inside, uh the big charcuterie station inside, uh and then wine paired with with every every station. I mean, we basically we tear the entire restaurant down, take uh basically everything out of it, and then kind of you know, I had whiskey barrels I and then tabletops built, and you know, and it's just it's a it's a really cool event, but I mean, so the the tickets will go live on Kelly Sports site. Um, and I wouldn't be surprised if if we get closest. I mean, I think we were pretty much sold out last year.

SPEAKER_03 54:12

What's the date on it? Isn't it July 24th or something?

SPEAKER_00 54:15

I think let's look at that get down guide and see what do you think, Millie?

SPEAKER_01 54:19

Yeah, July 24th. July 24th, July 24th. Yeah, it's the closest thing we have to the Catalina wine mixer, I would say. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:26

So I mean, like, that's one of those we talk about.

SPEAKER_02 54:30

You talk about white party. So many polos and khakis. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:32

So you talk about white party, like that's gonna keep growing to where you get legs, right? Like immediately you know you've got something. So when we did the first one, we did it just on like in the grass area and I think maybe like our lower patio, and we kept the restaurant open. Yeah, and then literally after it was done, Kyle, like they walk, we sat down, just kind of recapped, and he's like, We need we gotta do the whole building. Oh, you guys kill it on that. So then now it's like you know, we close, we close that entire day just to set up. It's crazy because then we flip it, you know, and then it's like it's on a Friday in July, and then you turn around on Saturday and there's like 485 reservations the next night and you gotta put it all back together. Staff is the bound. You gotta put it all back together.

SPEAKER_01 55:12

But yeah, that thing's gonna, I think it that events just came down here and peed on the floor. Well, you're supposed to do that outside, I think.

SPEAKER_03 55:29

See you later. That's what I think about your party. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 55:32

Well Millie, you're not invited now.

SPEAKER_01 55:35

Millie, we're just talking about the high class.

SPEAKER_04 55:37

Yeah. Everybody, that's sweet stop if you don't know us. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 55:42

Now now you get the no wieners down here sign. Yeah, they're troublemaker.

SPEAKER_00 55:45

Makes sense. Yeah, that's it. That's that's one of the and I think that you know it's funny because the Hawai Party, like, it's a rip-roar in good time, right? And then, you know, it's like as we get older, or me at least, I'm like I'm there. I like to I like to go eat good food and like drink good wine and kind of hang out, and then it's like and it ends at like 10 o'clock, you know.

SPEAKER_03 56:08

Telling you nothing good happens after 10.

SPEAKER_00 56:10

So it that I mean, that's just a really it's a really cool fun event. We're really proud of it, and we're really proud of like the the amount of money that we've raised for Kitts Harbor. Um, and it's a local charity, which is great. Um so I think that you know, I think McCartan's getting involved in some of the fundraising this year. And you know, if anyone's got any great, you know, cool auction items, well done. Hit them up and send us send us our send them our way.

SPEAKER_03 56:37

Who knows? We got some stuff right here. Speaking of, do you want to break out your present that you got today for the ending from Spears? Apparently we have a gift.

SPEAKER_01 56:46

Wow, yeah, your gift that he brought you? The Jaegermeister Shotsky?

SPEAKER_04 56:50

Yeah, yeah. Well, we were talking about how you uh brought Jaeger back, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_00 56:54

Yes, with uh Swift's been bringing Jaeger back for what, two, two years now, three years now? Again, I don't think it left.

SPEAKER_03 57:01

Oh, it's it's so loud.

SPEAKER_00 57:03

Well, I I came across this uh the other day from one of the vendors that's uh I'm gonna sleep with it. It's a Jaegermeister shotboard or whatever. He's like, Do you want this? And I'm like, well, not for me or any of my businesses, but I know the I know the guy that would be perfect for. So me and Bran are gonna hit this up here pretty soon. I don't know where you want to take that to the house or leave it at the office or hanging up here on this wall of nonsense. There you go. I appreciate the gagger. Thank you. No problem. You and Cruz have the same sunglasses too. The Jager stuff. Oh, anytime I get anything Jaeger, I just bring it to Swift and just drop it off.

SPEAKER_01 57:36

What was uh when you came back to the lake? Like what brought you back here? Like, what was it leaving San Diego with all the the bougie San Diego stuff to come back here?

SPEAKER_00 57:44

Yeah. Well, so we'd had we had uh Harper and Sloan. Harper was like six. And it was just it was like wildly expensive out there, and then it was also our our folks were getting older. Um, so it was like do we want do we want to try and stay out here like like for good for good or you know, kind of get back? And then I was actually just kind of looking around, um, and I was gonna maybe like go into like the selling booths, um, and then nothing kind of popped out, and then I reached out to a few people, and then uh JG and like Andy, you know, caught wind that I was looking to move back, and then they were like, You got an interest in helping us out? Jump on that. So then I I spent a couple years out there when Bree did the helped you know do some different things at the point, put the decks in and do some other random stuff out there and then Baja Bar. Yeah. Baja Bar, and then put the decks around the stage and put the stage up and all that, talk JG into getting rid of the sand. Which was a tough one. Yeah, I'm like, dude, we like come on. Yeah. But uh yeah, and then you know, it was the funny how this the reserve happened was McCartan, who is like one of the most outgoing, personable people you ever meet, like we'll talk to anybody. Um and her and Ashton became friends, and then uh, you know, they had got the building or whatever, and I think the plan was just to put more rental units down there. And then they became friends, and then it like then my name got brought up, and then you know, we kind of went and locked ourselves in a room, kind of talked about some things and you know, like what my vision would be if I was to come on board and if it it all matched up and it's now we're seven years into it. Damn, has it been that long? Yeah, it's not the year before COVID, so that's also scary too. Yeah, that was that was there was there was a like March and April when I was doing to-go food out of the kitchen. Um food was where it was at.

SPEAKER_03 59:52

Yeah, I feel like everywhere to go. Like you get margares. Tucker's a really good, it changed the world.

SPEAKER_00 59:57

We were doing brambles to go.

SPEAKER_03 59:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:00

You guys are drinking our our COVID pack right there.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:04

We ate at uh we ate a reserve that Friday before like that big backwater jacks pool party and stuff, and it was still kind of like nobody knew what was gonna happen with all that. And then by the end of the weekend, everyone was calling. Even my parents were like, What are you guys doing down there?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:17

Well, that's when we got right into real estate, and I'm like, great, the end of the world just happened. End of the world joined Swift and Co. April. April.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:24

We were down March and April, and then my birthday was on the 30th of April, and then I was like, We were good, like the I think the governor was kind of like, you can open up now on like you know, all the kind of little bit of restrictions, but you can open up. So then I think we had some people up there and just kind of hung out, and then that Saturday, I think it was like the first Saturday, like the weather was perfect, perfect. It's all hell broken. Yeah, all of a sudden it was just like backwaters docks kind of filled up, and then our docks started to fill up, infinite, and it was like people just kind of hanging out, and I'm like I kind of went back in the kitchen. I'm like, we're open. Yeah. Like we weren't we're not gonna see it inside, and we kind of moved tables away from each other, but I'm like, dude, we're it's coming. So and I would talk to people and they're like that, like they're like, we've boated down here for it's it was they said it was the roughest they've ever seen the water was that Saturday.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:14

Everybody just went hate wire.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:16

Yeah, it was that Saturday, like that for May 1st or something like that. It was it was just mayhem.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:21

Well, yeah, because I like, but I thought everybody else was gonna open like we did. And then it wasn't until like later that weekend where people were like, What are you guys doing down there? I'm like, What is it? Just us? And they're like, kinda, and we're like, oh shit, really? Like, sorry.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:33

Because you're in your own little bubble down here, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:36

But we were definitely we had the get down, because we weren't gonna do the get down guide that year, and then I was like, You gotta do it, you gotta do it. So people were like, Hey, we don't want to do it. We like try to cut deals or just keep it going to keep it going. So we knew people were gonna do stuff, but I just assumed all the other places were gonna open too, and that wasn't the case. So it was game changer.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:51

Yeah, I mean, it it definitely changed down here, and I mean we were all fortunate that we got to ride that boom. Yeah, for sure. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:59

Life changing.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:01

Well, we appreciate you and we appreciate the the restaurants and all the things that you guys are doing. So keep doing what you're supposed to do. Keep doing all of it.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:09

Appreciate you guys keeping the lights on.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:11

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:12

We're doing all we can.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:14

Truly. I'll see you there three times a week.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:17

Probably sushi soon. Yeah, soon soon. So super good.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:21

So well, we're excited for everything.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:23

And uh you and McCartney go to the white party Tuesday? I'll talk. Okay, cool. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:29

I gotta work, I'm sure. Well, Brian Barrett called you and say, I always like to. I think one year I dropped her off where it's like, I'm not going in. She's she's like, you just come in. And I'm like, I I can't. I can't walk through that place. Yeah. And then leave. Like there's no, you can't.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:43

It's like like the one I'm gonna have one drink. There's no such thing.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:46

Well you couldn't be like, I'm just gonna walk in the white party to people and then leave. Just like doesn't You're right. It's like busy, but you know everybody there, so it's just wild. I mean, so I've I think I've I've been hit or miss. I think I usually like I might go to one and then I skip one or two and then go to you got a lot going on. So if you don't, yeah, we're not gonna I don't know. We'll see. I always say I'm not gonna go and then something changes or we usually shock you into it. Or I get busy and then like I'm not going. So what time do we get to you next?

SPEAKER_04 1:03:13

What time should we pick you up?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:16

10 30, okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:18

Fine.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:19

We'll see you there. But uh thanks again for coming on.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:22

Well, thanks for listening uh to Swift Tut Podcast, and uh we'll see you next time.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:27

Chop more flatbread. Ball guys, ball guys.