The Do’s and Don’ts of Hospitality with Zack Cranford, Cranford Hospitality

[00:00:02] What you want when you want it, where you want it. This is the MESH. It's a restaurant or bar, right? Right, Gary? I'm not saying that now. Okay. But today's guest, Zach Cranford is not only succeeded in opening restaurants, he's up in a distillery and brewery.

[00:00:45] We'll talk about the challenges of starting a food and beverage business with Zach and we'll also be highlighting some small businesses on our small business of the month feature

[00:00:53] that you should be checking out. Hello, my name is Jeff Neuvel. I'm your co-host. I'm director of the Manufacturing Solutions Center in kind of a North Carolina. I'm joined by my co-host Gary Muller, who is executive dean of economic development

[00:01:07] and corporate education at Continental Value Community College in Hickory, North Carolina. Gary, how's it going today? I'm doing great. I'm with two of my favorite people for our podcast today. You and of course, that Cranford.

[00:01:20] Well, best partners we have in the world from hospitality standpoint for college. Well, very good. It's we're talking here in late May as beautiful weather here in Western North Carolina. You're getting out. You haven't a good time, Gary?

[00:01:35] I am. I love this kind of weather. You're hitting the golf course? Now I'm not hitting the golf course like I used to. Okay. Well, yeah, you need to get back there. I know we're going to be back.

[00:01:45] You still look young. So that's good for you. But let's welcome again. Zach Cranford. Zach, how are you doing? Great. Glad to be here today. We're happy to have you and Zach, you graduated from North Carolina State's pool college management.

[00:02:02] So you're a wolf packer? That's right. Yeah, we just got back from Phoenix. So they were going down there and watching play in the Final Four. I made it. Made it. I went to Virginia. Congratulations to the wolf pack.

[00:02:13] You know, I wanted to Chapel Hill. Gary went to Wake Forest. But go ACC when we get into the tournament. There we go. It was a fun run.

[00:02:21] It was a great run by state and like I just said, it's the NCAA baseball and all three of our schools are in the tournament. Zach founded the foot hillsthe stillery in 2014 and the distillery is known for producing North Carolina's first legal bourbon whiskey 1712,

[00:02:39] which I have sampled not probably done more than sample it. I have it's very, very good stuff. You can find it in ABC stores in North Carolina, Michigan and Washington, D.C., maybe other places. Yeah, okay.

[00:02:53] And 2016 you opened the standard oyster factory in Hickory, North Carolina relying on local fishermen to fill up much of the menu and you've revitalized and renovated Hickory's oldest state counts, the Charle, and most recently you and your family open the city walk brewery

[00:03:14] and grandfather's barbecue here in Hickory, North Carolina. In addition to being a restaurant tour, you also work with entrepreneurs who are entering the hospitality business. Then I get that right. Yeah, absolutely. We wear many hats. Okay. Well, we appreciate you joining us today.

[00:03:29] So your business major, how did you get into the hospitality industry? Yes. I grew up in the hospitality industry. Our family has granny's mom and dad, we're one of the founders of that.

[00:03:45] And the hospitality industry is just an industry that for many of those that are in it will understand what I'm saying for those who haven't been in it, they won't. It just kind of draws you into it.

[00:03:57] You either made for that and cut out of that claw through your knot. There's no better feeling than having a perfectly executed shift. I want to say it organized chaos. First day, and when you hit it right in your fire and all the cylinders,

[00:04:12] I think that how you get from it, that's what keeps the folks that love hospitality in hospitality. So did you sort of know that you're going to be getting into the hospitality industry?

[00:04:23] Was in your roots and they figured to pick up a little business knowledge and apply it? Yeah, I think this happens to a lot of folks. You grow up in it and you live in it.

[00:04:33] I went to business school thinking maybe I wanted to be an accountant or maybe be some type of professional and you go there and study it and more or the language of business than anything.

[00:04:47] It kind of draws you back in because you love that feeling, you love executing, you love that team atmosphere. It's just a hard feeling to explain. I think those that are in it will kind of fill where I'm coming from. You've got a passion for it. Absolutely.

[00:05:05] Patients are great work for that. So you started with a distillery and why did the stillary and what challenges did you have in getting that one up and running? Yeah, so going through our entrepreneurship program there, we had to work with a business

[00:05:24] and one of our teachers at the time or professors at the time was had a really great idea. You know, work with a business that's in the real world. You learn more from that class than you do for anything else.

[00:05:36] And I remember like day one, you come in there and the different businesses pitch. You know, these are our problems that you're trying to solve. And then he flips it around and you get your team together and you pitch why you want to work for that business.

[00:05:50] And so we got paired up with the cool business. It was kind of alcohol beverage related at the time. So that kind of got the gears turned on what I want to do. I really enjoyed that work there.

[00:06:00] And looked at the distilling industry and it was very young at the time from a, when I say young, the North Carolina side of it. The stillary said been around forever.

[00:06:11] I would think that the breweries were probably bigger, more growth going on there at that time than in the stillaries. Yeah, that was kind of what the researchers learned into. The stillaries were 10 or 15 years behind the breweries.

[00:06:24] So it was kind of like the next potential way to get on a good end there early. Yeah. And matter of fact, you know, you get your issued your DSP with the distilled spirits plant. We were like number 16 ever in North Carolina at that time.

[00:06:37] Now I think citywap brewing in the stillary. We applied for ours in like 2020, I think it's 2023. We're 152. So you think about the growth from 16 to 152 and eight or 10 years, it's tremendous. Yeah. And that's just for distilled alcohol not for beer. Yes, correct. That's only only for distilled spirits.

[00:06:59] I think there's a lot. You're probably 123 just an Asheville when you come to breweries. Absolutely. And I think part of that was like legislation. breweries had more flexibility at that time. So it was a little more easier to enter for them. Word distilleries were lagging.

[00:07:15] Just because there probably weren't a bunch of distilleries around pushing legislators for help. Yeah. So you always come stand to pallet. So you, you, I guess, sounds like you sort of when you're in college just sort of worked with a distillery or...

[00:07:34] It was actually brewery at the time, but that kind of got me thinking in that direction, I was staying in the hospitality field. So it was definitely a fun business to open and to get going off the ground.

[00:07:47] So what challenges to get it open initially did you happen? It sounds like, yeah, I work with some small businesses and just there's a lot to navigate when it comes to selling any type of alcohol. So, yes.

[00:08:01] Yeah, I got to think that this sort of amaze that you had to figure out. Yeah, you have to turn over all the rocks to figure out, especially not knowing where the rocks are. He just kind of got to keep your head down.

[00:08:11] There's a lot of legal side of that, a lot of permitting required. That was probably one of the biggest challenges and then once you're open, I think the second biggest challenge was understand in how the system works specifically in North Carolina.

[00:08:26] It's a controlled state, how to best navigate that. And I would say it's changed so much in the past 10 years. You can do tastings at ABC stores now where you couldn't do. They don't allow here in Catabac County because it's ever off for sale.

[00:08:42] It's up to the core. But that's a big thing outside of Catabac County that we've kind of found out since we're hitting the market again. So back then was the only way to distribute through ABC. Correct. You couldn't sell a bottle out of the facility.

[00:08:58] You could not think that just seemed crazy now. You could sell a bottle of the facility. It was only through the stores. And then there was at the time when some groundbreaking legislation passed where you could sell one bottle per person per year.

[00:09:14] And then it went to, you can sell one bottle per person per day. And then next thing you know there's cocktails involved and next thing you know.

[00:09:23] And that's one of the reasons that led us to being able to want to make the investment that we did at our new facility. So I'm not an expert when it comes to producing liquor of tasted songs.

[00:09:41] Are there from a business perspective? Are there cash flow issues if you're if you're just selling liquor in that. How long does it take to produce and I assume there's some time lag between the investments you're making in generating revenue? Absolutely absolutely.

[00:09:57] So you know beyond the normal accounts for civil accounts payable. Deliver that goes on in businesses. That's that's a challenge for any brewery that's getting in wholesale or any distillery that's getting in there. You're also just continually invest in and product investment and product.

[00:10:13] No one that you're literally burying money in the ground. That's going to, you know, hopefully grow and turn into something else. But you got to be able to withstand the burn. You also got to know your numbers and plan for that burn.

[00:10:25] It's a unique business to being, especially coming from the restaurant world because you can get, you know, a burger patty in. Hopefully you're cooking that burger patty in the next day or two.

[00:10:36] And then you're turning that into money to be able to pay your staff and be able to live off of. Or this one you're putting it in the barrel, you got to be patient, you got to wait, you got to, you have a new found appreciation for patients.

[00:10:52] But you went through school and learned the financial side. Yeah. So that had helped you a lot because what you're saying is just described. You tend to invest in the future.

[00:11:05] And so a lot of people in entrepreneurs, as a whole, don't realize the financial obligations or don't know how to put those projections together. And they may have a great idea, but they don't realize how much money they're going to have to have to get started.

[00:11:21] Yeah, absolutely. Good point. So I was a double major study entrepreneurship, which was kind of like filling the business admin side. But also then, major in accounting there as well and. Yeah, so learn the language of it, learn how worked. Everything's against her perfect.

[00:11:37] On to your worst end of counts, I can't think of anything better. But the biggest tool I learned from doing that dual major was being able to plan, being able to understand how cash flow statement works and what it does.

[00:11:51] So about she and how things balance in between because if you don't understand that a lot of times you can kind of get lost. And you know, so you don't understand that you probably go on to get lost. Yes.

[00:12:03] Some people might say, because it's hard. They money's coming in, but then my bank account's going down. They don't understand the dynamics of inventory and there's a bunch of, there's just a bunch of different. So it's good to, good to know that.

[00:12:15] And I would assume that, you know, starting a brewery, I don't know how long it takes to brew beer by assuming that that time frame is shorter than just selling liquor. Yeah, we can, we can turn those grains into product that's sellable in 14 days relatively speaking to me.

[00:12:31] What about the, what about just filling a bourbon or whatever other spirits that you might be making?

[00:12:36] So from a strategy standpoint, it's good to have, it's good to have vodka, it's good to have gin things that are quick, better clear to help cash flow it for a little bit. Because bourbon you're talking to minimum two years essentially. Yeah, I do not realize.

[00:12:54] And the more, the more you can fill up, the better off you're going to be, it's literally like just plant in the seeds, plant in the seeds for later on, don't they? Right.

[00:13:02] So that's a perfect coming back to, I'm sorry, I'm not back in the accounting bank account. There's a two year lead time. You're real, I were putting it in the ground, like you say. Yeah, guys, so you've got to have enough cash flow or coming in from something.

[00:13:17] Yeah, because you're else. Absolutely, you've got to pay rent on the, on the building or you've got to pay a mortgage payment on that, on that building. So yeah, you got to, I mean there's a lot of aspects to, to factor in.

[00:13:28] So you've got to be really sharp and also be, set yourself up for success when you do it.

[00:13:33] Be conservative, you know, don't have over at, I love entrepreneurs that are over ambitious, but when it comes time to do the planning and budgeting side, we need to be realistic. Right. Yeah.

[00:13:45] And understanding how much you need and start up funds that, you know, before you, before you start planning those season is very important. You know, you would like to be able to harvest them at the end of the cycle, yeah. Absolutely.

[00:13:56] So so you've, you purchased existing restaurants and now you're started a new restaurant, Tom's talked to us, you know, from a, from a business perspective, the different challenges folks run into when it comes to modifying or, and improving an existing location versus starting something that's brand new.

[00:14:14] What, what, what are the different challenges that you ran into? Yeah. Absolutely. So I guess let's talk about an existing restaurant first if that's okay. So in that scenario, likely the hoods are in place likely a lot of the bones are already in place.

[00:14:32] So you have to think outside the box, but you already have the box kind of conformed and there. So the way you think in that mindset's a little bit different than if it's a blank canvas, which both post challenges in their own regard.

[00:14:48] If you're, you know, if you have limitations, I don't know, it's just, it's just a different set of challenges when it comes time to draw it up.

[00:14:58] I feel like when we draw a per restaurant floor plan, we'll draw it up 100 times either either side of the spectrum and then we'll discuss flow of the process. Then we'll discuss flow dynamics, we'll discuss, you know, execution from the kitchen, how to make it.

[00:15:12] There's just so many things, you know, we said in the beginning an organized chaos. There's a lot of things that go on in a day-to-day restaurant.

[00:15:19] You got to think about, and if you are, this is kind of more of an entrepreneur wanting to get in the hospitality industry. If you've never worked in it, you need to work in it before you just go out and say, hey, I want to own a restaurant.

[00:15:32] Make sure you like it. I like food. Therefore, I should run a restaurant. Yeah, yeah, that goes well for a lot of people. I'm sure.

[00:15:42] So, you're talking about having an existing box and I guess that sort of helps you when it comes to the equipment that you have to purchase. But do you have to do in your mind? Do you do some rebranding?

[00:15:55] Do you know, you talk about figuring out how to change the concept a little bit? What, you know, how to... Yeah, every situation is different. Every building is different. Every brand is different. So again, I've got to look at it. Take a step back.

[00:16:10] I know entrepreneurs can get really, I guess, we're passionate about what we do and we can kind of be blinded by our emotions. So you've got to really step back on that. I think a good example would be the Charley for that one.

[00:16:23] That's a business that's been there forever. A lot of customers that had spent special moments there. So it was like, how do we capture those customers? How do we make them feel comfortable? But also, how do we capture new customers that maybe they previously weren't doing?

[00:16:38] And that's a challenge to blend an old business and a new business together and do it effectively. Because you want to keep those customers that had their special moments in different things

[00:16:51] and then bring in the other folks that they all, I guess they're going to have different views of what they're looking for. Yeah, but of course if it's a great atmosphere and great food then that's going to be the mall in. You didn't change the name?

[00:17:04] I mean, you know, so I mean, you're maintaining that connection to old customers to do change other things in that situation. Yeah, so we thought that the name, the legacy that they had was very important.

[00:17:17] You know, one of the things that they did well was having that cart digo table son that experienced experience there was very rich.

[00:17:24] You had the salad bar, you had an old school atmosphere, it was dated, it needed a face lift and it needed some light to just carry the torch of what they were doing and bring it to the 21st century.

[00:17:38] So when you're starting a new venture, you talked about a blank canvas, you know, what do you think about it in terms of Layout, do you think about it in terms of concept and brand?

[00:17:51] You know, or are there certain steps you take or just sort of hit you all at the same time? Yeah, all of that kind of work together. We have stuff in our back pocket from a concept perspective that we'd like to do based on the fit.

[00:18:05] I think we're a little unique in most restaurants tours, least we decide to own our property and kind of control our destiny in that regard.

[00:18:15] So we have a different perspective, we may find a building and then come up with the concept or some people may just have their first concept and they're going to how about it.

[00:18:24] And this is what they want to do and then they find it in that space where we try to personalize it to the space. That's interesting. Which is maybe a different perspective. Yes, that sounds like a little bit different perspective than maybe some folks.

[00:18:38] And not every that not everybody can be in a position where they're able to do that, you know, sometimes you may just have to lease it.

[00:18:43] You know, that may not be a position where you can or it may just not be a, it may be in a location that's desirable that's a good fit.

[00:18:50] There's a lot of factors that go into that, but that's just how we decided to me and my family decided to grow. Do you want to set up person that manages the properties? With the business? We do it that's mom, dad, me and my brother.

[00:19:06] We're we're a closely held family business. But we're also in this weird dynamic where, you know, we started with one location and then we've grown into now a lot of locations. So the way we manage things are a little bit different. It pushes the envelope.

[00:19:24] It's one of them where it's like more sales, more locations should in theory make our life a little easier because we can kind of begin. To afford the levels underneath us to better take care of our customers.

[00:19:36] It's kind of an odd dynamic because you think more money, more problems. But in some regards we're looking at it as, you know, more locations, more sales that will allow us to opportunity to better serve our customers.

[00:19:50] Well, I would thank that from, you know, when your, a family owned business and you're trying to scale that can create some, some issues and tensions and that you probably have to rely on more people than you did when you just had one restaurant.

[00:20:07] And, you know, sometimes it's hard to find the right people. Sometimes it's hard to delegate and let go of things. Absolutely. That's, that's a thing being, you know, very small for a long time is you're very involved in the business.

[00:20:20] So you know, every aspect of the day to day. And then as you get larger, you just can't, there's just no way possible. So we've had to learn how to, how to lead differently. How to empower people.

[00:20:32] And I think once you get to our position that we're in, that's more of what we do is leading people. Then cook in this or cook in that or, you know, touch and tables. We're empowering our employees and our team to take care of the others.

[00:20:47] Just like you say, you're growing, you can't. Four of you no matter how hard you try, can't have your fingers like in the middle of things like you did before. As much as we want to because that's, you know, going back to, you know, you love the industry.

[00:21:03] That's one of the reasons we're in it is because we love Ben and there and we love Ben and the weeds. Yeah. Well, in addition to operating your own establishments, you also provide some consulting assistance to people that are going into the hospitality industry.

[00:21:19] You know, when you're working with them or are there specific challenges that you sort of see come up on a regular basis and then obstacles that they have.

[00:21:29] And obviously one that quickly comes to mind is access to capital just because that's any business that's a challenge and particularly in the hospitality industry. That's, you know, the a lot of the lenders are a little skeptical of that as well. Yeah, absolutely.

[00:21:46] So, um, access to capital is always a tough one. If you're a first time restaurant tour, I would try to bootstrap as much as you can. Bootstrap bootstrap bootstrap bootstrap.

[00:21:55] Okay, said enough. You've by used equipment by something that doesn't need to have shiny brand new tires to function properly. Figure out how to be as resourceful as possible with your how much you're spending and it'll help you in the long run.

[00:22:10] You won't have a big payment. You won't have whatever the issues that may be if you bootstrap properly.

[00:22:15] So I can't preach that enough. The other thing that we see is just simply knowing your numbers, knowing where you need to be tracking it daily, understanding that people that do that will be just fine.

[00:22:28] So, you know, one's that don't take care of that. They're going to have issues because they're just not watching it like they should. And it's a tough thing to say and to do because the restaurant world is so demanding.

[00:22:39] So it can be pulling you from so many different directions, but you have to stay focused on knowing your numbers. Doesn't sound like it's important to focus that. Like I said, when everything's coming down on you from the operation standpoint, I get to the numbers later.

[00:22:55] And when you know in your type of business, when you say look at the numbers, are you looking at. I'm sure your monitoring expenses or you're looking at like the number of customers that come in, what's sort of metrics do you focus on most quickly?

[00:23:13] Yeah for sure. So the two biggest things in the restaurant industry we call it our prom costs. Like your fixed costs, what's your rent is? It's what your gas bill is. It's what your gas bill is. That's not going to relatively change too much.

[00:23:26] So we're worried about that variable cost and that's what we call prom. So our food cost and our labor cost and that's in essence a restaurant as a pass through business.

[00:23:37] The majority of the money that comes through passes out to employees, passes out the food vendors to whatever.

[00:23:43] So we're going to make sure that we are budget and properly, and that we're spending exactly what we need to spend on food and labor. If we do that, then we'll be just fine.

[00:23:53] There are other specifics that you track on the top line in terms of sales or you just do. Yeah, and of course we want to sell is are just as important.

[00:24:03] I did not know if you break it out in a certain way. So look at the number of customer visits or, or, you know, is the, the pontoon, logger or selling better than the other.

[00:24:16] Yeah, we know and that's going back to knowing your numbers. We know exactly what beers are number one seller. We know exactly what the second place. So it depends on the day of the week depends on the crowd in there.

[00:24:26] Pantoon and opposite of the spectrum are Fanny Pack Hazy in the tap room are good neck and neck. Yeah, because you're pontoon, you're going to get your domestic drinkers that's maybe not a craft beer guy.

[00:24:39] They're going to drink that pontoon where somebody hazys are just popular beers right now. So, you know, a craft craft person is going to want that hazy. And then from the restaurant, you're running a barbecue restaurant. Now you know what the top dishes are there.

[00:24:55] Yeah, yeah, you're going to know exactly and that's something with barbecue. You're planning ahead of you got a really, you're smoking the meat for the next day.

[00:25:03] That night, you know. So you got a plan and budget and put exactly what you need in because you don't want to have leftovers, but then also you don't want to be short enough to miss out on sales. So it's an interesting dynamic.

[00:25:16] So you have to know your numbers are the demand because like say the inventory is going to be a big number for you and if you forecast right then it works out.

[00:25:27] Also, you know, that's something I hadn't mentioned was and you said word inventory were highly perishable in a restaurant world. So you have to, and you have to know where your margin should be on that because it's not like you can just. Can't use it next month.

[00:25:42] Yeah, it's not like the whiskey world where it's going to sit there in age for two years. It's we got to turn it over and we'll get it to a quick.

[00:25:50] That's why you got to say you got products that are going to be there for a long time and then you got ones that are very perishable. So you kind of know it and you got to have the people that are helping you manage understand that well. Absolutely.

[00:26:05] Yeah, yeah, Zac is on the importance of bootstrapping and and you know and trying to minimize them out of outside funding that you need and do it on your own. Is there is there other advice for entrepreneurs that you would have entering the hospitality industry.

[00:26:25] They work in it first. Make make sure you enjoy that and you won't that lifestyle because if you enjoy weekends. And that's that's your lifestyle then, you know, you're probably not this is probably not the right industry for you or the model needs to be shaped words.

[00:26:45] You need to really think about that because your lifestyle is differently. It just is the reality of the industry. I imagine you have some late nights as well absolutely absolutely. You know, my wife is probably an adjustment in the beginning for her.

[00:26:59] Tract because she works well now she works seven on seven off in the hospital but just it's sometimes duty calls and you got to step up and you got to be there at odd hours.

[00:27:10] Sometimes and if you run thin anyways and restaurants generally run thin, you know, you're the next person on the sideline to be entered in if somebody calls out. Your own business is kind of 24 seven even if it's not what your hours are on the side on the wall.

[00:27:24] At last night I got two calls that I got one call at 945 and another one at 1045 at night, you know, you got to take the calls and handle the problems. Yeah, whatever that issue is. They weren't asking to come in bartender or anything were they? No.

[00:27:40] We did an extra bartender you think you're going crazy. All right, kind of getting here. Well, Zach would really appreciate you joining us today on the Entrepreneur Exchange because while we got you, we'd like to do our lightning round with you if you're up for it.

[00:27:55] Yeah, sounds great. Alright, well this month's lightning round is sponsored by Ned Ryerson Insurance, whole life auto flood home. You can't have enough insurance, right Gary? Am I right? Absolutely. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Check out that out a lot.

[00:28:09] Stay safe with Ned Ryerson. Check it out on the internet. So we have some quick questions. Don't don't overthink it. Creek answers question number one. What's your favorite TV show or movie? TV show or movie cash. I'm not being quick here.

[00:28:25] Honestly, I don't want to hold on to. Men they NBA finals right now. Are you an NBA fan? Honestly, I'm normally not, but I like watching the Mavericks right now. I think they're that carry and don't check content. It's just a fun combo to watch.

[00:28:41] Do you think they have a chance against Boston? I hope so. Okay. I'm on form as well. Alright, adult beverage of choice. Whatever's next. Is that a drink or is it? That is not a drink.

[00:28:54] Whatever's next, I'm a big person that if I go into a place and I'm talking to the bartender or wherever, I'm letting them drop the car. So I'm open to trying new things that's just how my taste buds are.

[00:29:07] For cocktails or blues or do you prefer it all? Yeah. Yeah. Hard to tie him down, man. So would people characterize you as sweet, salty or sour? Situationally all the above. I think that's. That's a big set of stories. It's right across here.

[00:29:30] I think from an entrepreneurs standpoint, you wear many hats. And that's why I'm always sometimes I'm working the lawn, sometimes I'm doing an admin, sometimes I need to be sweet, sometimes I need to be sour, I think. What would your wife call you? All of it. Consistent. Consistent.

[00:29:48] Oh God. Last question. If you were an Olympic athlete, we do have the Olympics coming up this summer. What sport would you compete in? I always enjoyed basketball because you can really, I guess just from a team perspective.

[00:30:08] One player can't shine but they still need everybody on the team working together to try to have an X-FIA. Yeah. Two great players and they got different skills. I think in baseball one player can take it over or not necessarily the case in basketball.

[00:30:25] Well, we appreciate you playing our lightning round. We appreciate you joining us today. We always like to end the podcast giving a shout out to small businesses and exactly you have with you any small business you want to give a shout out to. Yeah, for sure.

[00:30:41] One that comes to mind is right now would be Malakah at Teppere Coffee. Young entrepreneur, Al-Hustlin. You see him out as a bus. They make great, they roast great coffee and we did a collab with them recently. We actually called it Willes on the bus.

[00:30:57] It was a coffee blindstouts, love what he's doing for a community. Also just being a like-minded entrepreneur that's out hustling. Shout out to Malakah. Yeah. Teppere Coffee. That's an Icarre North Carolina. And you know, it's he has a cool bus that he operates out of.

[00:31:15] So check him out at Teppere Coffee. Gary what are you going to give a shout out to this month? I'm going to give a shout out to a variety of ones. First of all, the hospitality partners that help support our community and of course

[00:31:31] sex, a key part of it with the chamber and everything else that all of our hospitality partners out there. We support them all. And then I have one that you'll know, which the person that you may not know the business

[00:31:45] I was working with or this week and it's lovely day studio. And that's Carly Charles. Do you know Carly from Marketing? Yeah. You know, CVCC. She's one of our very good friends. They do a lot of great things to help support our community as well as our college.

[00:32:03] And I'm happy to say she's a CVCC graduate and also skills US national champion. So she's got a lot of good check marks for us, but she's a super nice person. But now we'll talk about our small business, which is lovely day, lovely day studio.

[00:32:19] Make sure I have that right. She aims to provide kindness, good vibes and positivity to all with her art. She sells art on different products and a small creative shop that she's created online. You can check her out at lovely day studio.atc.com.

[00:32:35] She hand illustrates everything, designs and produces everything herself. And then she's right now she's just doing bookmark stickers and buttons. But I'm giving the early shout-out to her because I know she's going to be doing great things and the future she's going to come out with more things.

[00:32:50] She's going to be doing in the next month or so but I wanted to give a shout-out. She's a good friend and starting business from start as tough. Oh, very good. But she'll do great.

[00:33:02] And I'm going to cheat on this isn't really a business but I wanted to give a shout-out to a collaborative that our manufacturing solution centers involved with called the North Carolina Textile Innovation and Sustainability Engine which is several organizations working together to create a circular textile environment.

[00:33:23] And then basically what we're saying is a lot of textile products go into the landfill. We're trying to figure out how they can be reused, repurposed and avoid going into the landfill. The lead organization is a group called the Industrial Commons at a Morganton or a manufacturing solution

[00:33:39] center as part of it along with partners Gaston Textile Technology Center, the North Carolina State School of Textiles, Western Peed Micromanic College and NCI-Dia. You can check it out at NCTISE.org, North Carolina Textile Innovation and Sustainability Engine.

[00:33:58] And you can learn more about it and find ways to get involved and appreciate any support we get there. So check it out. Zach, we want to thank you again for joining us.

[00:34:09] If people are looking for you and the various hats that you wear, where should they be checking you out? My office is basically City Walk Brewing and Distill. I'm spending a lot of time there, but you could see me any place any day.

[00:34:24] But if you go to www.cranfordhospitality.com, they'll also see you and many of the, I guess probably all the things that you're up to. Yeah absolutely. Yes absolutely. So check out Zach there. We see Jack and her community.

[00:34:38] He's doing a lot of things to make our community the best that it can be. Thank you for all of your whole life. There's a lot of people out there doing that. So we're just, we're just all trying to, to row in the boat and make it better.

[00:34:49] For sure. Well, we appreciate your work. We appreciate your food and drink. And I'm sure, and I think I was actually at a van over at the Hickory Art Museum last night. And all nice. We had some guys there, worn some beers.

[00:35:02] Yeah, I had the, like maybe a blueberry weed or something like that. Yeah, honey suck a weed. Honey suck a weed. We call that, we call that Lakeland. Yeah, yeah. I'm doing the miles up. But it was a cool night. So thank you.

[00:35:15] So thank you Zach for joining us. We always want to give a shout out to our friends at the Mesh Podcast Network. You should check them out at theMesh.tv. And you'll see a variety of different podcasts from business entertainment sports,

[00:35:28] but a lot of cool stuff going on there. So check out the Mesh.tv and we'll look forward to talking with you again next month. Thanks very much. Take care of being joined in next month.

[00:35:41] You've been listening to the Mesh and online media network of shows and programs ranging from business to arts, sports to entertainment, music to community. I'll program our available on the website as well as through iTunes and YouTube. Check us out online at themesh.tv.

[00:36:06] Just go to our other network shows and give us feedback on what you just heard.