Let's Talk Local Podcast | Holy Cabo! La Lupita Hits Dallas!!

00:00

Speaker 1

Hi. I'm Sarah Subiata Bennett. Welcome to Let's Talk Local. Dallas is having a moment and it's not just about cranes in the sky or bustling districts, it's about soul. Today, we're peeling back the layers with three visionaries of the heart of the city's most exciting transformation.

00:15

Speaker 1

Venezuelan born taste maker Carlos Ramirez of Arce is bringing an electric new culinary concept to life. Right here where El Bolero once stood, totally revived, reimagined, and pulsing with history, flame, and rhythm. Helping him manifest that vision, the powerhouse team from premier design to completion. VP of interior design, Gael Naul, and VP of architecture, Chris Kreisler, who understand that to shape the future of Dallas, he must also honor its history. Together, they're helping turn a raw space into an immersive multi sensory experience rooted in craftsmanship, storytelling, and Latin American heat.

00:54

Speaker 1

Thanks for being here to learn about it. And as always be sure to like and subscribe so you never miss a moment of Let's Talk Local. I am thrilled. I am thrilled to be here today. So Carlos, you're originally from Venezuela.

01:14

Speaker 1

You're an entrepreneur. You went to Berkeley. All of these fabulous and sexy things. Gail, you're now VP of interior design at premier design and completion. We're just gonna call it premier.

01:25

Speaker 1

Chris Chrysler, you are VP of architecture. Right? So, I am just so enthusiastic and passionate about everything it is that you each are bringing. You're visionaries, you're helping Dallas become kind of a state of the art Mecca, and of course it's my home, I love it here, and I just can't wait to hear each of your respective stories so that we can understand the full some idea of what it is that's being created with each of your help. So, okay, Carlos, we're gonna start with you.

02:01

Speaker 1

What brought you to Dallas? How in the world did you go from being this, you know, CPG entrepreneur to now being this visionary, right? Also in conjunction with your partners, have places in Cabo, in Miami, which I love the place in Miami. Talk to us about how you're here in Dallas, why you're here Okay. Alright.

02:37

Speaker 2

So just about to no. Just about to two years. So yeah. I lived in Miami for fifteen, sixteen years. Sold my company and then I was talking to my friend from Berkeley, like Christian Fuentes.

02:50

Speaker 2

He's owner of a private equity and a visionary, know, self is a great entrepreneur. And Christian, I was like, Christian, I need to do something else right now. You know, I want to sell my company, what's next for me? So I said, yeah, want to introduce you to a very great actually private equities. One of them is here, he's called Kainos.

03:08

Speaker 2

He's a big one in The US actually. And I talked to Kainos, talked to him, seeing one night we're having Venezuelan, you know, we're scotch, having one scotch. Yes.

03:17

Speaker 1

I love scotch.

03:18

Speaker 2

Yeah, we're having one scotch, he's like, you know La Lupita, La Lupita, La Lupita. He's talking talking to me. He's like, what are you talking about? So he started showing me the menu, showing me the the logos and the stuff. Was like, this is great.

03:29

Speaker 2

Mhmm. But I don't know anything about restaurants. So I don't it doesn't matter. I mean, are really good at building companies. We have very solid partners through hospitality.

03:39

Speaker 2

We have a very solid team in in Mexico. We can do this. I'm like, let me see. So, know, the deal was I'll help you out with the strategy to enter The US market. We did that.

03:51

Speaker 2

I'm gonna go to Cabo. I need to understand what the whole deal is about. Uh-huh. So I went to La Lupita in Cabo. Actually, the founder received me there.

04:01

Speaker 2

We went down there, he took me to the place and then I went into this cozy

04:07

Speaker 1

With this menu?

04:08

Speaker 2

With that menu.

04:09

Speaker 1

With this menu. Okay.

04:10

Speaker 2

Cozy, non ambitious place, but it's really cool. You know, you have live music in a on a stage. You have a guy playing co play, YouTube covers.

04:21

Speaker 1

Uh-huh. Oh, this

04:21

Speaker 2

is cool. And then you you receive the mezcal and the mezcal they do it the proper way with the jicaras and the entire thing. They explain the time to you like it's getting cooler.

04:31

Speaker 1

Mhmm.

04:32

Speaker 2

And then it's like you start trying the food.

04:34

Speaker 1

Mhmm.

04:35

Speaker 2

Another level. Yeah. So the experience goes to another level. Like the music sounds better. Yes.

04:40

Speaker 2

You can have a lot more fun.

04:41

Speaker 3

Yes.

04:41

Speaker 2

I mean the drinks just like woah. Or is that the

04:44

Speaker 4

It's all of it. Is the mezcal hidden? Because

04:46

Speaker 1

it's taco and mezcal.

04:49

Speaker 2

Correct.

04:50

Speaker 1

Okay. So the mezcal must be

04:52

Speaker 2

A focus on the the founder David David Kami. Uh-huh. He's a free ego mascot. He knows everything about it. Yes.

04:58

Speaker 2

So that's kind of the the story there. And then came back and said, Christian, I think we have to do this. It's interesting because I raised capital for my powerful yoga was my company before. Talked to 50 private equities, raised $70,000,000 in in cash Uh-huh. And then I was ready to raise capital for this one.

05:20

Speaker 2

And one of the guys, you ask actually the celebrity guy that that goes out to Lolupita. He's our potential investor and Christian is like, gotta pitch this guy. I know the guy is very tough in business. I was preparing myself for that pitch, like crazy, like I was studying all the numbers, all the stuff. Send the email and the guy replied back, I'm in.

05:36

Speaker 2

I like the team. I'm in with this amount of money. I'm like, that was the easiest pitch ever. I'm a Christian. He's like, yeah man, because they understand.

05:44

Speaker 2

Yeah. Yeah. They live like the experience and they understand how this translate to The US. Yes. So that's the whole point.

05:50

Speaker 1

I Amazing. Amazing. Okay. So this beautiful culturally rich story is now going to be opening in the Design District. And so, before I get into the nuts and bolts of that entire story, which I mean the area is so sexy, It's right?

06:06

Speaker 1

I mean it's just burgeoning with so much complex culture, but like rich layered culture. But both of you. So both of you have been in Dallas for quite some time and you've helped breathe breath into so many landmarks. So if you can individually just talk to me about how you've helped shape so many different stories. Talk to me about some of the iconic properties and projects that you've worked on, if you can.

06:32

Speaker 1

Just so that we can have an understanding and appreciation for why it was that Carlos and his team chose you all to build and represent what they're doing.

06:41

Speaker 3

Well, I've been in the interior design industry for twenty four years. I was born and raised here in Fort Worth, not in Dallas. Yeah. But, you know, so this is my home. It's, It has always been something that I really wanted to do, was to work a lot in Dallas.

06:58

Speaker 3

I spent the probably close to fifteen years of my career working and living internationally. So I worked and lived in Asia for six years. I did all of this, you know, work in Hong Kong and Macau and all these different areas and then I came home when I moved back to The US and got a job downtown here in Downtown Dallas with Merriman Architects at the time and and really Jerry Merriman who was the founder had this just really not his number one passion was to revitalize downtown. Yes. And one of I think one of the more interesting stories about Merriman is during the downturn in you know kind of 'seven, 'eight and they didn't have a lot of work, one of the things that they did and they decided they they decided to to do in lieu of layoffs was they took the employees and assigned them projects, landmarks in downtown.

07:56

Speaker 3

Whether it was the First National or the Statler or whatever and they created these projects out of them even though, you know, there wasn't an owner, there wasn't a buyer, there wasn't a project and did the design work on them. And so, in a very full circle moment, we ended up getting a lot of those projects because we had already done the due diligence. We knew the buildings, we had studied them, we had designed them. So the thing that I worked on really was the Statler. That opened in 2017.

08:29

Speaker 3

That led to what is now the St. Elm renovating and doing historic work on that and then that really turned into the National. So the National here in Downtown Dallas is, you know, 51 story building. Was so many years of my life. Yep.

08:47

Speaker 3

Yeah. Was For

08:49

Speaker 4

four owners, right?

08:50

Speaker 3

There are many owners. There are different

08:52

Speaker 1

resets. Oh

08:53

Speaker 3

yeah. Many different resets. You know, we went from all apartments to hospitality to, you know, all this stuff. When we opened that in 2020, which that was a feat just to get it open, right? December of twenty twenty it opened.

09:05

Speaker 3

It was, you know, kind of what, at the time, sort of a really big pinnacle in my career simply because we had been able to really, really start to affect a change in Downtown Dallas.

09:18

Speaker 4

To tag onto that, so I've been working with Gail and Amy Sanborn, our senior VP of architecture for about a decade now. So we've been kind of around the bend on a few of these projects. Mhmm. I and I Mary meant it. You know, they during that time, it was let's focus on kind of the adaptive reuse structure, and then that pivoted to we're now pulling those developers in that were managing those projects into the new construction.

09:40

Speaker 4

Like the East Quarter project Yep. A couple of the Design District projects with where, with quadrant investments, and those were I mean, we put, I think, 300,000 of office in in Design District and Yep. You know, that idea is to spur that. That's you can see Virgin Hotel. You can see the multi family that's going in right on the corners and all that just driving the restaurant scene, everybody is, you know, Dallas specifically for sure.

10:03

Speaker 4

Really loves that experience of, you know, coming in and they're willing to to pay a little bit extra for that for that event, whether that's you're staying in a hotel for the night, you're going to a nice dinner and and we're we're doing the whole thing. Specifically, did the River Edge Project thirteen thirty three right there. Mhmm. And that's hopefully that is really spurring a lot of the restaurant movement in the area.

10:27

Speaker 1

Absolutely. Tell us, Carlos, you can, just a little bit about how you all chose the Design District as the space and the place in which you wanted to plant your

10:38

Speaker 2

Yeah. Mean, we wanted to plant the seed there. Number one, I mean, we started like Dallas. I mean, Dallas in on itself, it's on fire. And you know better than me, mean it's on fire.

10:49

Speaker 2

We think that

10:50

Speaker 1

In a good way,

10:51

Speaker 4

on fire.

10:51

Speaker 2

In a good way, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. That's a little bit Venezuelan coming out, but in a good way. We think that consumers, the palate is actually getting

11:04

Speaker 1

More refined.

11:05

Speaker 2

Is more refined, it's getting ready, they're ready and they're actually asking for these type of things. Then we started narrowing down, narrowing down. The sand district, I see a sand district I've been living in Miami for seventeen years as a sand district in Miami ten years ago. Yeah. So the potential is there.

11:21

Speaker 2

It's like I see how this is coming is coming together, it's gonna be there. So it's the place to be. The other thing is that we need because of the concept in and of itself, 30 foot ceilings. Yep. I mean in Cabo, it doesn't rain.

11:33

Speaker 2

Uh-huh. So you go to La Lupita, there's no roof. So you have open doors all

11:37

Speaker 4

the Of course.

11:38

Speaker 1

So talk to us about what people are gonna experience. So it's gonna have 30 foot ceilings.

11:43

Speaker 2

So initially, we wanted to do it like 30 foot ceiling control environment because Yep. Here you have aggressive weather. Yeah. So initially, we wanted to have like a retractable roof.

11:52

Speaker 1

Uh-huh. Yeah. I remember you

11:54

Speaker 2

saying Right. But then we said, you know, the architects found a great idea and then you guys actually came with these skylights. That initially because the retro roof was like $300,000 investment plus installation plus so it was very complicated. And then somebody remember one conference call, somebody said, oh, but there's this prefabricated skylights you could put over here and then I was like, that's genius. It's great.

12:18

Speaker 1

Amazing. I wanna hear about it. Do you mind? Yeah. Like, I I wanna hear.

12:21

Speaker 4

So it's just aluminum frame structure coming off the shelf, it's just got a retractable canvas. So it's I think it's five, six foot sections.

12:27

Speaker 2

And it cuts the light because if the light goes in and out in a way that you know we're gonna open at noon and and you know we need

12:33

Speaker 4

So throughout the

12:34

Speaker 2

In the morning.

12:34

Speaker 4

To make

12:35

Speaker 1

those adjustments. Yeah.

12:35

Speaker 2

Well you won't have any, you'll have a heating for it, but then it cuts the So that's very well thought out. It's gonna be a 30 foot ceiling like I said. Then you have a you have a mezzanine.

12:45

Speaker 1

Mhmm.

12:45

Speaker 2

So you have the band. So you have a stage, then a place. So you have a forty forty seats on the mezzanine. It's gonna be like that. So you're gonna see straight to the band, but then if you are on the Main Floor, can see the band.

12:59

Speaker 2

You can again have the good time of seeing the band playing live all the time. Mhmm. And it's not on top of you.

13:04

Speaker 1

That's right.

13:04

Speaker 2

You can see them over there. Sure. You can have a conversation. I think the design dish is also the place where it is right now because it's gonna be that high. Uh-huh.

13:13

Speaker 2

It's gonna be a billboard for us.

13:15

Speaker 4

Yeah. That's right.

13:16

Speaker 2

That skull head

13:17

Speaker 1

Uh-huh.

13:18

Speaker 2

Lakalaka Yeah. Would be huge out there. So you will pass by, you can't miss it. You will see it over there. So it's gonna be, I think it's gonna be iconic.

13:26

Speaker 2

Uh-huh. Literally iconic over there. Of course. And then when people go and have experiences that, wow, that's the place I wanna go back. The whole valuable position is, I mean, a great experience in terms of food.

13:39

Speaker 3

Yes.

13:40

Speaker 2

Service. This I was explaining a little bit the service in on itself because behind the scenes, these guys are the clock. Mean, so you have the process very well established. He's always coming and I'm your server, you get the same experience that if Chris is coming and then another person is Of service. So it's the same experience.

13:55

Speaker 2

And then the vibe, the music also. So all that compliments a little bit. But then when I saw that I was like, guys, I mean the chef takes three days doing the mole.

14:05

Speaker 1

Uh-huh.

14:06

Speaker 2

The tortillas are made two days in a row and then they handcraft and then they grind it and it's like and then the stones, they actually grind those stones. It's like, you gotta tell the story. Because this food is so good. Yep. Because all the stuff you do in your, you know, backstage that for you guys is, oh yeah, this is what we do.

14:25

Speaker 2

Yes. So you know, like, the pastor, this is what we do. You know, the other thing, this is what we do. No. No.

14:30

Speaker 2

It showed that I would really like to have like in the restaurant some recipes written. Like, so you see three days in a row doing a mole. So when you have the mole, it's like, wow, you appreciate what you're eating. Part of the research that we did thinking about how we customize this to The US was the and I'm gonna probably mess up with the translation, I mean the pronunciations, instagrammable

14:52

Speaker 4

moment.

14:52

Speaker 1

Oh yeah. No, that's right. Instagrammable moment, of Okay. Yes.

14:56

Speaker 2

So basically we know that La Lupita has tons of places to do that.

14:59

Speaker 1

Uh-huh.

15:00

Speaker 2

Starting with La Lupita. I mean, the La Lupita story is because these guys, they signed the location the day of La Vida de Guadalupe. So that day they signed the contract. It was so hard to get that they named Hola Lupita because of that. So they had a virgin in each and every location.

15:14

Speaker 2

So we're have the virgin here. So we're gonna have all those elements and I'm sure there's gonna be like Instagram moments. Mhmm. So it's it's all those little elements elements that you go and you wanna go there. That's your go to place all the time.

15:28

Speaker 2

So that's the idea. And again, with thing, hopefully, with your help, we're be open by October, November. Either

15:38

Speaker 1

with bells on.

15:39

Speaker 4

Right? Right.

15:39

Speaker 2

Yeah.

15:40

Speaker 1

So tell me how you both. So clearly, he's he's been to all of these places. How are you all gonna help honor this history by bringing this story to life? Talk to me about the the way that you're gonna infuse that story here in Dallas.

15:56

Speaker 4

Well, like you said, it's the tactile experience. Right? Yep. It's it's the materials, it's the civil war that you're using. With the 30 foot space in there, just that volume and like you said, creating those moments.

16:06

Speaker 4

Know, it's a tall wall that you're gonna go take a picture against, you know, using using the branding elements here.

16:11

Speaker 1

What are the primary colors in the in the space? Orange and black.

16:14

Speaker 2

Orange and black. We're rocking it today.

16:18

Speaker 3

Yes. Orange and black. Yeah. Okay. I mean, and and what we really wanna do here, at because we are coming into Texas.

16:24

Speaker 3

Yes. Right? Is is, you know, it's all about being softly lit and, you know, you're going to have so much daylight but then you're going to transition to the evening and, you know, so orange can be pretty harsh so how do we then, how do we then light it properly, how do we layer it properly, how do we bring in some, you know, handcrafted leather and things like that that can start to speak back to Texas and Dallas? And what's so nice about the Design District is it has its character established now. Yeah, it does.

16:58

Speaker 3

And like you said, it is pretty, it's, you know, sexy and it's all those things but, La Lupita is gonna be on top of Carlos Alagante and all of that. It is going to start to help really craft the personality and the layering because it is a really rich layered neighborhood. Yep. And so that is, that's our goal, right? It's to honor Lallopita, express it within Dallas and the area that it's within and then really create that spot where the community wants to constantly come back to.

17:35

Speaker 3

We all know Dallas can be fickle. Right? Of Dallas can be quite fickle. So you have to have every part of it Mhmm. Kind of figured out, which you do.

17:44

Speaker 3

It's it's inherently within La Lupita.

17:47

Speaker 1

What do you believe is going to really set this place and space apart? Of course, it's the entire experience, I get that. It's the music, it's the ambiance, it's the incredible food, and the fact that we're gonna have something kind of solely I mean, I get the whole experience. What else? What else is going to do you believe drive home that originality?

18:11

Speaker 1

The fact that this is something new and different?

18:15

Speaker 2

I think that like I mentioned before, all the consumer touch points Uh-huh. Speak volumes to this. So like you already mentioned before, like the dishes.

18:25

Speaker 1

Yes.

18:25

Speaker 2

The the glasses we're gonna use. The ingredients. We're actually bringing ingredient from Mexico, which is a challenge. Mean, some of the challenges are

18:33

Speaker 1

You are.

18:34

Speaker 2

We're bringing some stuff that I and again, Venezuelan, I'm learning with my partners here. There's one thing they use the Ricardo, there is a sauce I use for trompe al pastor. The chef is like, I can't find this stuff in The US. I'm like, I don't believe it. Uh-huh.

18:49

Speaker 2

It's like, but then he proved me wrong. It's like, no, I can't find this the seed that is needed for this and this sauce and the lady that does the sauce. So we're actually building the entire supply chain to have from Eddie, from Yucatan bringing that sauce for him

19:02

Speaker 1

That's incredible.

19:02

Speaker 2

To do this type of stuff. So that's what set us apart. And and and the fact that, you know, the chef and and and David and Christian and the the COO is like, we are not gonna cut corners. Yep. We want to have the exact same experience, so we need that sauce.

19:17

Speaker 2

By the way, one thing that we're gonna have to fight with is we are not gonna cream the tacos, no cheese, no chips. So you know, you go to a restaurant, it's like chips. Yep.

19:25

Speaker 3

Yeah. We live in by Midwest. Right?

19:28

Speaker 4

Yeah. Chips.

19:29

Speaker 1

So what's gonna be there in place for all of these sauces? They

19:34

Speaker 2

do what they do is I mean, again, part of the experience is you come in, they give you a nice little soup that is amazing. Uh-huh. But you try, it's accompanied by a chef, then they bring all these sauces like, know, the mole and they explain the entire thing. And then, if you order guacamole, they give you the chips. Yep.

19:52

Speaker 2

But, you know, they want you to live the entire experience. So, the chip is kind of in the middle. There's a little bit of noise in such a nice gourmet menu that they're preparing for you. So all those little things are again, it's part of the personality. Yeah.

20:05

Speaker 2

You guys are helping us out right now with, for instance, the tables. Because if I have to bring the table from there, I'm like, ah, these are wooden tables. Yeah. Yeah.

20:12

Speaker 4

Yeah. Can

20:12

Speaker 2

we find them there? So, yeah, we can find them there. I'm like, wow, we can find

20:14

Speaker 4

them here too. So we're trying to Yes.

20:16

Speaker 2

You guys are helping us on on sourcing that and the materials because they really wanna replicate everything like the paintings, floors. And you know, we're trying to see, okay, what we can do here in The US versus there, but there's certain things that we can't compromise.

20:29

Speaker 4

Yeah. In going into those the older buildings, right, it's you've kind of got that built in. Right? Yes. Something that can't be replicated.

20:36

Speaker 4

You've got the you've got the, know, masonry on the walls. You've got the concrete floors. Just all those elements that are just kinda in place for you.

20:42

Speaker 3

I mean, as well though, I think one of the really identifying markers of of this is what, our architects and and your architects specifically out of Mexico have designed on the exterior of it. It's not just another brick building in the design district, There's, you know, there's color and there's, like

21:01

Speaker 4

you said, it's gonna be

21:02

Speaker 3

a billboard in itself because of the, you know, skull artwork that's gonna go on there but the between the topography and the building modifications that you're adding to it, it's like nothing the design district has seen. Yep. We'll make sure to share those with you but they're it's beautiful and it's beautifully done. We don't see people that often willing to risk putting that kind of color in whether it's, you know, or whatever. Right?

21:31

Speaker 1

So glad you are.

21:32

Speaker 3

I love color. Right. Vibrant. But not those like primary colors.

21:36

Speaker 1

For sure.

21:36

Speaker 3

It's these really beautifully sophisticated colors that again in in that site is really right there. Mean, on the corner. Right? It's it's its own beacon. So I think the exterior of it is a really big distinguishing mark Yeah.

21:50

Speaker 1

For La Lupita. So how is it that you all decided to work with Premier? Because I know that you all looked at several people. Yeah. Why their expertise?

21:59

Speaker 2

That's the point because you know I didn't want to on purpose because you know I have partners and and investors and it's like no, no because Hector is not my friend. No. We actually put together a thought process of picking we actually met with five different firms. We got proposal from all of them and we sat down with Christian and we analyzed each one of them and and picked Premier for two reasons. I mean, there are a lot of reasons, of course, in terms of capabilities and but you all can do great stuff.

22:28

Speaker 2

But, you know, for us, you guys are, number one, willing to go above and beyond, which is super important for us. Number two, your capabilities, nationwide capabilities. Yeah. Because we want to this is for the long run. Mhmm.

22:39

Speaker 2

So we're saying it's like we want to create 20 of this. Yeah. 30 of these. I mean, my partner said, go slow. I'm like, I wanna do 300 of these.

22:47

Speaker 4

Yeah. Yeah.

22:48

Speaker 2

I think The US has space for this and then it's it's it's it's that it could be that successful. So the the fact that we can go I'm actually going tomorrow to Scottsdale Mhmm. To see our location there. You can help us right there. Yep.

23:02

Speaker 2

And hopefully, we'll get that location at the end of the year. Yep. So you have to work on it, so it's ready before the work up.

23:08

Speaker 3

Yeah. We've gotta get several of these open

23:11

Speaker 2

before Right. Yes. But you know that the fact that that they can they have a nationwide scope Mhmm. It needs to stay in company and they understand already what we're doing. So that that was one of the major factors.

23:22

Speaker 2

The other thing to be completely transparent when I saw, oh, these guys, they do risk cards and all this stuff. Gonna be so expensive. Forget it. Forget it. Then we saw the proposal was so competitive.

23:31

Speaker 2

Was like, woah.

23:31

Speaker 1

Okay. Good.

23:32

Speaker 2

See, they're good. On top of that, they're we can afford it, so let's do it. Yeah. Yes.

23:36

Speaker 4

Also, Keith. Nice. Yeah.

23:39

Speaker 2

Looking at what the type of projects they do, I was expecting a little bit of corporate structure. Mhmm. Like Which

23:48

Speaker 1

they have.

23:49

Speaker 2

Which is great, but but at the same time. But yeah. But you know, for me as an entrepreneur, was like, I want them to think as an entrepreneur too. And you know, we had one meeting where I said, guys, no, this is the time like, it can it can't be that timing. Yep.

24:02

Speaker 2

You know, I I remember that meeting. I was like, I need this to be ready. This we're not gonna have the money to do this. Mhmm. And and I I came out of that meeting a little bit concerned, but then that same day, boom.

24:14

Speaker 2

I had the plans, I had everything in my hands. I was like, wow. So they are now thinking as entrepreneurs too. And you know that is a big plus.

24:21

Speaker 1

Yes.

24:22

Speaker 2

Big plus because then when you're thinking about growing.

24:25

Speaker 1

That turnaround.

24:26

Speaker 2

Twenty, thirty, 40 restaurants, but you still you have to have this entrepreneurial mindset because resources are limited. That makes

24:32

Speaker 4

a difference.

24:33

Speaker 2

Course. That's a partner.

24:34

Speaker 4

And then it's you know growing we're 30 on the architecture side, 30 on the interior side, and just having that capacity in the back end that.

24:40

Speaker 1

30 people?

24:41

Speaker 4

Yeah. 30.

24:42

Speaker 1

Oh,

24:42

Speaker 4

wow. So just having that capacity to be able to to pivot. Yeah. Okay.

24:45

Speaker 2

I'm sorry.

24:45

Speaker 4

30 on architecture.

24:46

Speaker 1

Right. But still yeah.

24:48

Speaker 3

I mean, we're rapidly growing. We are looking to, right, make sure that we have the resources to partner with you all. And one of our, you know, true pillars within Premier is, I mean, do, you're right, we have that corporate infrastructure. We have, I mean, we have a lot of backing and a lot of, you know, I mean, our backbone is very strong. But that said, we also, Premier specifically, have the ability to be agile and be dynamic and say, this is what you need.

25:17

Speaker 3

Okay, let's pivot and let's get that for him, right? Because we do see the long term. Right? Yep. We understand how this Yeah.

25:26

Speaker 3

Will become a potential partnership.

25:28

Speaker 1

Yeah. That that's super special. And so tell me if you can, each of you, what it is right now that you so I know that you're juggling opening hopefully 20 of these. So you're going to be flying to Scottsdale. But then I want to hear from you all as well other projects that you're working on just so that I can garner the full I want to have full appreciation for all it is, all the different plates that you all are in the air at the same time.

25:55

Speaker 1

So talk to me about your other future locations, where you will be expanding?

26:01

Speaker 2

The expansion plan and it's the easy answer is we because I have planned city by city and there's a whole economic analysis that I did behind it, but I throw that out to be honest like, is it path of least resistance? Yep. That's one criteria. The other criteria, clear criteria is we don't wanna be in the major cities like how many rooftops you have in LA, in Miami Yeah. Yeah.

26:25

Speaker 2

Yeah. New York. So we think there are secondary cities that they have enough Mhmm. Affordable disposable income

26:32

Speaker 1

Yep.

26:32

Speaker 2

But not enough offering. And you know, I don't wanna go there now, but you know Minneapolis.

26:37

Speaker 3

Yes. Minneapolis

26:39

Speaker 2

a place where you have a great I mean there's a lot of corporation house there and we could have Alupita Mhmm. For them. And with this concept of you know, closed roof, but you know, having the high ceilings. So this this those two criteria are are right now, I mean, for the long term. In the short term, have Scottsdale, we have Austin, we have we're exploring in the North Of Texas, we have Houston, Denver at some point.

27:05

Speaker 2

There's an opportunity that I can't talk that much yet, but you know, as an opportunity maybe in Napa. Yeah. No, can't talk that. But Okay.

27:14

Speaker 1

Another time. Another time. Yes.

27:16

Speaker 2

There's opportunity there. And then, the idea is to go to the East Coast. Mhmm. And then start developing in the East Coast. Like I said, I think that, you know, we there's space for a lot of these.

27:27

Speaker 2

We think that we have enough funding with our investors to get to, like, $15.20. There's a point in time where we might be, you know, partnering with a private equity, we can take this to the next level. Yep. And that's kind of the plan.

27:39

Speaker 3

We are working on renovation of the Beaman, right, which is up near SMU. That's very art centric. I mean, that's a bold, just fearless project that we're working on certainly. We just opened La Meridian in downtown Fort Yes. Which was, I mean it's just been so well received.

27:59

Speaker 3

So

28:00

Speaker 4

I've got a, Tribute Marriott Hotel in Albuquerque that we're in. We're in Didi right now. So hopefully that's open

28:06

Speaker 1

What is Didi?

28:06

Speaker 4

'27. Design development. Right. So we're, yeah, midpoint of this design drawings.

28:11

Speaker 2

So I Yeah. Know. That was Amy when I Yeah. We met I met Amy. She was like, why did

28:17

Speaker 4

you do I have my language.

28:18

Speaker 1

Oh, I know.

28:19

Speaker 3

My language. I know. I'm starting

28:20

Speaker 1

to learn it. Yes. We're actually about to

28:22

Speaker 3

start we're we're we're kinda missing it right now, but we're about to start, working on a renovation of the Arlington. Tribute in Arlington. So they're turning a older hotel into a tribute which is a Marriott brand. It's an upper upscale kind of a sister to an autograph collection. Mhmm.

28:37

Speaker 3

A little bit younger, know, more fun cousin of an autograph I guess you could I just opened an autograph up Frisco in October 2000. Which was a great project.

28:47

Speaker 1

For me, I I mean clearly, I have such passion and enthusiasm and excitement about stories like yours and all of these other stories, right, that you're working on telling. What I guess if you could leave people with one last thing with respect to any concerns that you have about, like a truthful honest concerns or challenges that you have about this particular project, but also ways that you believe you're gonna be able to overcome them.

29:17

Speaker 3

Dallas is is fickle. Yeah. You know, what I though, to turn that around, what I do believe is exactly what Dallas needs is that authenticity and that experience from the time you pull up through your service and the experience and the memories and all of that. So I don't believe on any level that Lollapita will fall into that, you know, kind of fickle Dallas

29:46

Speaker 1

It will succeed. Category, right? Will I have every bit of faith. Totally agree, Yes. It'll thrive.

29:51

Speaker 3

There is a there has always been a part of me that just worries a little bit about the restaurant scene here in Dallas.

29:57

Speaker 1

Of course Yes.

29:57

Speaker 3

Then when we learned and dug into and really started to experience

30:02

Speaker 2

Mhmm.

30:02

Speaker 3

Everything that has Lallapita, we're like, no, this is born for this city.

30:07

Speaker 4

I think you're gonna have that experience. Right? You know? And you're gonna have to win them back on that one and what's been set up and what you've laid out I think is gonna capture them and

30:15

Speaker 2

do that. Well, I think that I think so. You know, one of the major things as an entrepreneur is that you I mean, the resiliency that you have to have to you know, we have a great concept. We know that we have a great team. He's super strong.

30:27

Speaker 2

Nice about execution. Right? So that's the piece that is not concerning, but we need to be focused on the execution because if not, you know, you don't get you don't make it happen. It doesn't come to fruition and little things here and there. So and then I'm not concerned about that because, you know, I know the team that we have.

30:45

Speaker 2

And Christian Young himself is a very silly guy. You know, I in my company, I started chapter seven twice and then I was almost bought by huge corporations and then you you see all these up and downs. So you've been there on that.

30:57

Speaker 1

I know.

30:58

Speaker 2

And then you have a such a strong team and then you have such a great value proposition and then Dallas. Yeah. That is kind of a lining up for you there. I'm like, it's just a matter of doing your work. Doing your work.

31:08

Speaker 2

And we're gonna have La Lupita in October.

31:11

Speaker 1

Well thank you all for being here with us today. Thank you for listening, tuning in, and that's it. It's a wrap.

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