{"id":21568,"date":"2017-01-04T03:10:58","date_gmt":"2017-01-04T03:10:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefranchiseking.com\/?p=21568"},"modified":"2021-04-20T20:12:48","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T00:12:48","slug":"because-of-them-part-2-of-my-personal-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefranchiseking.com\/because-of-them-part-2-of-my-personal-story","title":{"rendered":"Because Of Them: Part 2 Of My Personal Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"because<\/a><\/p>\n

In Part 1<\/a> of this post, I shared who and what influenced me as a youngster.<\/p>\n

The people I looked up to most during my younger years were entertainers. The best of the best in my view. They were the ones who had a huge impact on me-and the way I expressed myself then…and now.<\/p>\n

When I reached my mid-teens, other types of people influenced me. As a matter of fact, they helped me get to the place I reside now; the world of small business<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Because Of Them: Part 2 Of My Personal Story<\/h2>\n

At the age of 14 or 15, (I’m not exactly sure<\/em>) Paul Hom, the owner of The Golden Dragon Restaurant in Lyndhurst, Ohio, called me. (I had filled out an application to be a dishwasher, and Mr. Hom told me he’d let me know if he was interested in hiring me<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

The Phone Call<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Hello, is Joel there<\/em>?”<\/p>\n

My mom handed me the phone.<\/p>\n

“Hi…this is Joel.”<\/p>\n

“Joel, this is Paul Hom, from The Golden Dragon. Can you start work tonight<\/em>?”<\/p>\n

“Tonight?”<\/p>\n

“Yes. We are going to be very busy, and we really need you to start work tonight<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

“Can you hold on for a minute?”<\/p>\n

(This is where I asked my mom if it’s okay if I start working tonight and if I can get a ride from her. She said yes to both<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

“Sure. I can start tonight. What time do you need me there?”<\/p>\n

“4:30. Just go through the front door and ask for me<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

“Okay. Thanks and I’ll see you soon.”<\/p>\n

And so began my 15+ year journey in the restaurant business…which sometimes stunk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Money<\/h2>\n

The money was pretty good. (As opposed to making no money<\/em>) That’s why I showed up just about every time Paul Hom called* me to work.<\/p>\n

*The schedule was posted on the bulletin board in the kitchen. But since all of the dishwashers were school-aged kids, they (we<\/em>) sometimes had school activities like sporting events that we couldn’t skip. That’s why all of us were essentially “on call<\/em>” pretty much every day. And I got called a lot<\/em>.<\/p>\n

As I said, I liked the money…but I didn’t like my job very much. (Although we were a pretty crazy bunch of guys<\/em>) We worked hard and played hard-at work. We made it as fun as possible. But it was a dirty job, trust me.<\/p>\n

\"dirty<\/a><\/p>\n

Promoted<\/h2>\n

Eventually, I was promoted to a position in the “front of the house<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

I was now going to be a busboy at The Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant; yes…another dirty job. It just wasn’t as dirty as being a dishwasher.<\/p>\n

It was really enjoyable to work up front. I loved working where the action was…where the customers were. It was a good fit for my outgoing personality. Plus I received tips! (In cash<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Moving On Up<\/h2>\n

A fancy-schmancy shopping mall was located a half a mile up the street from The Golden Dragon. It was called “La Place<\/em>.” In addition to several very upscale retail stores, there were a couple of restaurants. One of them was very-well known at the time; Nate’s Inner Circle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I don’t remember how it happened-or even the interview, but I was hired as a busboy there. It was kind of a big deal, as they wouldn’t hire just anyone. That’s because their clientele was demanding-to say the least. Some of the wealthiest people in Cleveland at the time (middle<\/em>–late 1970’s<\/em>) dined there…the movers and shakers of the business world. Then there were the celebrities. World-famous celebrities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Inner Circle was only two freeway exits from The Front Row Theater, which was a state-of-the-art intimate concert venue. The Front Row featured plush seating, and a round stage which rotated very slowly throughout every performance so everyone could see. It was really an amazing place. Everything…the lighting…the sound system-even the seating, was top-shelf and high-tech. And a lot of the celebrities who performed there visited The Inner Circle after their shows.<\/p>\n

I Wanted More<\/h2>\n

Being a busboy at a fancy restaurant was pretty rewarding. The work was hard; the tips were good. Plus I got to meet a lot of powerful people. But I wanted more.<\/p>\n

Ray Buckantz was the GM. (He was Nate’s son<\/em>) He liked me…he liked my work ethic. I asked him if I could start learning more about the restaurant business, and he was very open to it. A week or so later, he was teaching me how to do the liquor inventory. Eventually, I was ordering all of the liquor. And The Inner Circle went through a lot of it!<\/p>\n

The Place To Be Seen<\/h2>\n

The Inner Circle bar attracted all sorts of people. There were local judges, bankers, high-powered attorneys, and lots<\/em> of beautiful women. Tuesdays and Fridays were the busiest nights. That’s when area “singles<\/em>” showed up in force.<\/p>\n

During the summer months, the lit patio opened up, and the place absolutely rocked. Since I was learning about the liquor end of the restaurant business, it was only natural for Ray to place me in the bar as a “bar-back<\/em>”<\/p>\n

My job was to help the bartenders keep the place stocked, wash the glasses, and help run food. It was a blast. It suited my personality and my high-energy level. I loved the business. Ray was one of “them<\/em>.” He was one of the many people who put their trust in me-and taught me about business. (Thanks, Ray<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

(I really wanted to show you a picture of The Inner Circle’s dining room. It was a special place. But no pictures came up online…I spent 45 minutes searching.<\/em>)<\/p>\n

More Restaurants<\/h2>\n

I stayed in the restaurant business for many years.<\/p>\n

La Place also had a Chinese Restaurant, (Ho Ho’s<\/em>) and I was a busboy there, too. And the mall had a valet parking area. And-you guessed it. I worked there also. For a while, I worked those 3 jobs at the same time. I was always<\/em> working. I liked<\/em> working. I liked having money in my pocket.<\/p>\n

\"valet<\/a><\/p>\n

Celebrities<\/h3>\n

\"bob<\/a>
\n(Speaking of celebrities, when I worked at Ho Ho Chinese Restaurant, Bob Hope<\/strong> came in to eat after he performed at The Front Row. That’s him-and I’m on the left. Nice mustache, eh?<\/em>)<\/p>\n

A Few More Classy Places<\/h2>\n

I’m not going to go into detail about all<\/em> of the other restaurants I worked at. I will tell you that I worked in some really classy ones. The creme of the crop in Cleveland. It was fun. The money was pretty good. I learned a lot about fine food and fine wine. (I had good teachers and supporters.) <\/em><\/p>\n

Some of “them<\/em>” included:<\/p>\n

Kevin Smith, Bob Fishman, Frank Regalbuto, Lee Chin, and others.<\/p>\n

Because of them, I got to work in some of Cleveland’s top restaurants and I got to meet a lot of powerful people.<\/p>\n

A Short Story<\/h2>\n

I was working at a restaurant called The Garland, and one evening I had the opportunity to wait on Don Rickles<\/strong>. You should watch the short video below that I found of Don Rickles roasting Frank Sinatra. It’s pretty funny.<\/p>\n