Samee Dowlatshahi Part 2

God Has a Plan

Part 2 | Samee Dowlatshahi’s Story of Faith, Love, and Resilience

KELLY

On the last episode of Qavah, Samee Dowlatshahi shared about growing up in a home where he saw substance abuse and the overthrow of his country’s government. He, his mother and his brother spent every dollar to leave Iran and come to the United States. They didn’t have a plan and they didn’t know the language. Samee did, however, have one thing that makes all the difference, FAITH.

(from episode 1) SD I really really encourage you to realize God has a plan and he’ll give you what you want he’ll never give you when you want it or how you want it you just Gotta be patient

KELLY

Trusting in God’s plan meant something very different for Samee than it means for most of us. Join us to hear how Samee started to chase his dream after he’d reached the light at the end of the tunnel.

SD I believe that everything happens for a reason I believe there is a bigger plan in place now that I’m where I’m at 

KELLY

Welcome back to Qavah.

(Intro music)

I BELIEVE EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

KELLY

One of Samee’s very first communities here in America was a string of Applebee’s restaurants in the Dallas metroplex. And it was also where he met his wife, who would become his strongest teammate as he chased his dream.

SD I met my wife at Applebee’s Molly yeah she was a bartender. so so it’s a lot of the stuff happened throughout the years you look back at it now before you’re like oh OK well this is what happened because this would happen so I believe that everything happens for a reason I believe there is a bigger plan in place now that I’m where I’m at so back then it was just like oh wow this is what happen when Applebee’s closed down I had to transfer to another one because the one in Plano closed down so I had to transfer to Richardson and I remember the GM at the Richardson at the moment wouldn’t take anyone from plano now because he was one of those old school managers I hire own people you’re not gonna tell me who to bring on and I was a corporate trainer so they have that rule if you’re a corporate trainer they have to take you wherever you wanna go that’s one thing that come with it so I made sure I made a point of it so I went over there and I met him and I said he said no I don’t have any openings and I said you’ve got to have an opening because I’m coming on 

so later on he ended up being one of the best managers I ever had, we had one of the closest bonds. So it worked out well but that’s where I’m at Molly so yeah yeah so want to check the place out so we met and then for six months we got engaged and we got married

KA oh wow

SD And then camera my firstborn was born he was when you were at the time when we realized you know the whole apartment thing is getting old you know we got a find a house we can find a place to live so remember Molly’s like we got to go to Rockwall I saw this house so I’m like OK so we come over here come across like I remember I was like this is really help me feel this is a great community and never worked here before there’s an Applebee’s here so I could transfer The GM I knew the GM real well because I traded him years ago when he started so so we used to work together a different location because I worked at a different Applebee’s out in Louisville different places so I came in and told him hey I wanna work and he was like yeah OK so worked both places Richardson and here I work two jobs and then at that point Cameron had Gastro thing so Molly couldn’t work so I had to work two jobs to make sure so I work two places in seven days a week for a couple years or about 18 months that way she could be with Cameron I couldn’t put Cameron in a daycare yet so then I became a bartender here you know bartended and you know pack that bar you know 

KELLY

With a sick son and a wife taking care of him at home, Samee was slaving away every hour just to pay the bills. He loved his family, and he loved his job, but he couldn’t help but dream of more.

While he waited on God’s timing, he learned a few secrets that would help him get to that dream one day.

DREAMING OF MORE

I remember you know that throughout the years you know my customers and I will talk about yeah but I was talk about yeah because it open your own place up it was like you know it was always a dream obviously didn’t have the means so left at that place went to Carraba‘s by eight months or so until they sold the place and then went to a place called agave at the Harbor work there Barton in there manage that place there for years and then I worked for I remember the owner then at that point was drunk all the time you know I remember every moment in life you learned what not to do here for my dad I learned what kind of father I don’t want to be you know what I mean so but at the same time I learned how to be hospitable you know a lot of people you know they take bad experiences and they you can blame it on that and find yourself in that you know crazy and I became a drug attic because my dad was a drug at it or I became an alcoholic because my dad was an alcoholic I am who I am because of my past because I was poor I was brought up poor and you know you can make excuses for anything so I learned you know to use those negative things in my life to how I don’t want to be but also find a positive in it you know my dad has Amount of his I won’t say had that has amount of enormous amount of love or his friends I got that from him which is amazing because through the years my friends is what supported me to get here so you know I had enormous amount of love for being loyal you know when he was very loyal person is a very loyal friend so to dad he kind of sacrifice his family but at the same time we just take that one part and just realize OK I can that was good so I can and then take the bad and realize that’s what I don’t want to do so when I came here you know like throughout the bosses I had you know the first guy you know our God bless his soul invest away but he ended up being one of my best managers ever. When he passed away probably hit the hardest losses I’ve ever had. So The thing was I learned that I like that old school of managing you know it’s hard-core you don’t make a lot of friends and you always get bad reputation of being that probably bad boss to work for but through it you make some hard-core people and they stay with you for years and they know how you are and they like you pretty much eliminate slackers so that’s how it works and so throughout the years you know where at at agave I realize what kind of boss I don’t wanna be I don’t wanna be that boss that 

To this day I don’t drink in my own bar you know now I do when I’m off but I don’t drink my own bar because that’s I don’t wanna be that drunk boss sitting in the corner of the bar being drunk you know you wanna see that 

KELLY

Samee knew how he wanted to run things - with excellence. Unfortunately, however, the owner of the bar where Samee worked didn’t see eye to eye with him.

I GOT FIRED

so anyway what happened me and him didn’t get along and I got fired at the age of 40 and 54 now 45. 

KA oh golly!

SD There’s a good story there and I really so 45

KA You got fired! 

KELLY

Samee’s faith was tested. After all his years of hard work, being fired was crushing. And on top of this, his family was about to be blindsided by a deep loss.

SD My wife was pregnant about six months before that we lost the baby unfortunately took it really hard toll on her so she was going through all of that you know so you try to be the strong person whatever at the same time it took a lot of toll on me because we’ve got to the 3 months four months into the pregnancy I don’t even know if she wants me to share this but anyway three months four months in the pregnancy we were like they told us hey baby may not make it you need to make a call we’re not gonna make a call it’s not gonna happen because we live believe in miracles we believe Jesus we believe in our beliefs and we’re not gonna make that call so we’re gonna hope they’re wrong and so she lost the baby during the pregnancy so that happened in about January

KA And so but you have One that sickly is your Cameron still sick

SD No just a first year

KA So Cameron‘s good

SD He’s good just the very first year yeah we just couldn’t leave many deaths Descartes because he had to be watched now he’s good now he’s good and then so you know at that point you know we’re about May or so so we just had this happen so we’re going through that

KA You’re grieving

SD Yeah she was she took it very hard and it was very hard on her so may have a go in one day I work Friday night I close and then Monday one of the partners you know give me a call said hey we need to talk and I got fired I got let go so you know came home that was probably one of my lowest part of my life because you’re over here you’ve done this for close to 20 some ideas 30 years you’ve turned bars around at least four or five of them from nothing to you know like agave was third highest liquor sales in Rockwall County and when I got it there they had to borrow money to buy their first liquor order that’s how bad they were doing so she keep turning them around and then you just finally it’s like when do I get my break? Every birthday would have to make goals, you know like 10 goals. You know people that usually do New Year’s resolution I do it on my birthday so it’s like OK this year is what I want to accomplish it I would do fill out goals I always been that way when you said goals you have the goals whatever that is whatever that is you could be anything so I remember number one my goal is to get your own place you got to get your own place you got a find get your own place so when I left Applebee’s I had a chance have you know when I talk to a lot of investors try to you know get somebody in the restaurant business is probably the worst business to try to get people to invest in so because of ratio of failing so every I believe everyone every five restaurant shut down every day so it’s not a good it’s not like investment not a lot to so that didn’t work out so I came out I remember I was the worst place in my life I was pretty down I don’t know what to do 

KELLY

Samee had a lot of thinking to do. At a time like this, when his world was falling apart, a lot of people would have thrown in the towel. But not Samee. Instead, he chose to press in with bigger faith than he’d ever had before. It was time to bring his dream to life.

I had it was area director at Applebee’s once again another manager I worked with started from bottom now he was like the head honcho and he gave me a call he goes hey let me get your own store. You know become a GM

KA oh wow

SD A GM or whatever but I didn’t wanna work for anybody else I just I told Molly this is this is the time I need to find to get my own place I just not I don’t wanna go through that rabbit hole again appreciate his offer always had that so I just like I need time to go see if I can make this happen again so called the few friends of mine that I worked with say I’m thinking about getting my own place or whatever if I do would y’all come and all these people that work with me in the past were like oh yeah I’m game so I had six or seven people they were like oh yeah I drop you know whenever I’m doing right now we go get your make your dream happen soon as as you have the place let me know. So I’m like ok, so I started going out and you know I remember friends of mine called me they always call me hey let’s go out whatever I was always like I go to work and go home so I was like OK you don’t have a job now so go out so we go out with my friends and just hang out try to get my mind off of it because I was a pretty bad way pretty bad mentally and so I remember you know mollies like so what do you want what would make you happy and I was like I got to get my own place but we’re living paycheck to paycheck and with everything we’ve been through I don’t have time to have that to go find investors try to find a place try to get this get my own place I remember we got like 6000 like five, 6000 $6000 savings for the kids throughout the year so she wouldn’t close those accounts brought the money and she goes here you go the bills are paid for a month and a half go find a place 

KELLY

Samee’s wife and his friends had caught his vision. Now that he had their support, he was on fire.

so I started going around Man I had millionaire France they go over there give them a spiel what I wanna do this place was for sale the place was doing nothing not doing any business wasn’t doing good the guy had it up for sale for like over a year nobody wanted to buy it because you know they didn’t have enough business it’s just a bad investment a lot of people to me i’ve been waiting for this for 35 years I want my own place I don’t care what it looks like I don’t care what is that I’m ready to go so it was a matter of getting investor so I remember I had to pitch to everybody I had to BART all of it everybody’s like now that place is done find a new place them in or Samee bartended you know there’s a whole difference from running a restaurant you know you worked in the kitchen but it’s different when you work in a restaurant and you run a restaurant you can’t do it there’s no way this place there’s no way you’re gonna make it in there you gotta pick a different place and I’m like no I really feel like I can do this. And so I had a customer that was a friend of mine his wife was one of the bartenders that I called and she’s like yeah I’m there i’ll help you out Megan so this place wasn’t happening I couldn’t get investor so remember calling Megan she had my speaker is she said hang this place is not gonna happen something I forgot to tell you so when I couldn’t find these investors I remember Molly came out to me saying hey somethings going to happen by the seventh by June 7 somethings going to happen because just be patient since it’s going to happen when she’s talking about so call up Megan and tell her hey it’s not gonna happen we don’t have the investor so I’m just gonna go take that job at Applebee’s and GB the gym and whatever the manager over there and I remember her husband in the background see Megan in the bar we used to work together and he was my customer and that’s how me and they met. So Kyle turn around and said what do you need what are you trying to get and I told him he goes well we’re going to be in town tomorrow is there anyway we can go see this place and I go yeah OK he was a war veteran he worked for L3 and he just you know and he goes well he came in we sat down I didn’t do the spiel for him I remember just writing everything down a piece a napkin that’s what we do in this mood I don’t think I’m serious this is what we do we just wanna be nice you now and he goes OK he goes let’s go see the place so we come see the place not a soul in here it was whole lunch they had like one table and I was like this is not helping my clothes up here he doesn’t see what I see and call me back and he goes hey I have a saving that I saved everything that’s my nest if something happened me up when I go overseas to Megan and the kids can be OK and all that kind of stuff but I’m in I trust you I believe in you I think you can do this I don’t know nothing about restaurant business so it’s all you just don’t mess it up and I’m like OK let’s roll so we did all that June 7 5 PM we signed the papers

KA Oh my goodness

SD And I remember when I got in the car and I’ll ask her go how did you know how did you know the date well that was the due date of the baby. Crazy so that’s why I believe everything happens in life for a reason it’s timing somebody else is in charge 

SOMEBODY ELSE IS IN CHARGE

KELLY

The years of waiting had seemed like lifetimes. But now Samee had a place of his own. God had made it clear that the timing was his and his alone. And little did Samee know that this humble little storefront was soon to become one of Rockwall’s very favorite restaurants. They called it Samee’s Pizza Getti.

SD so remember first when I got here you know I packed the place up I remember the place went from nothing to just hop in because had all these I knew the bar business would be good but nobody knew I could work the restaurant business so all my years it when I was 1617 1819 culinary working in the restaurant cooking all that kind of stuff that came that passion came back and said that dream and all that kind of stuff and I remember at the beginning it was all about OK I work my butt off years I’m here I deserve it I work really hard to get here and have a friend that had gotten a car wreck July 4 and I remember feel I can explain the calling but I felt the need to do something and I can’t remember I never done a fundraiser never done raise money never done anything remotely close and I can’t explain the feeling but I remember I was telling Wally we got to do something we got it so I started doing a fundraiser so I do a fundraiser for him you know he’s in pretty bad shape in the hospital and all that try to raise money so people were coming along you know just donating stuff a portion of the sales the shirt I remember that night when we were counting all the money to give it to his wife the next day that’s when it hit me what this place is all about just a vessel because I remember how it felt that day and never felt so good about doing some thing that I really was meant to do that’s what I wanna do that’s what made me feel felt better than even getting this place so I remember that night I realized OK so this is this is what this place success is all about this is why I’m here so do use it to you know help the community help the community you know why I feel the need to help I don’t help everybody I’m just a small place but there are times throughout the years we start pumping that out we start doing you know through hurricanes or tornadoes you know we you know 

KELLY

Samee and Molly were having so much fun seeing what God was doing, that they just couldn’t stop giving back.

SD I know we start doing while he was doing a process project back in the day when she was a teacher because she taught in a place not very highly it was in Garland so I don’t know they call that kind of

KA Lower Socio

SD Lower social yeah so she would sell donuts in the morning pencils during the time off to raise money to get these kids for Christmas so they can get Christmas presents so we’re like Molly‘s like oh this is what we’re gonna do let’s do Christmas angel fun so we start a Christmas angel project community through hard times and they can’t have Christmas but ours wasn’t about I don’t want to give him socks or anything I just want to blow them away Christmas morning and get them if things weren’t bad what would you get? So yes and you know the community came together and every Christmas it’s crazy some years like that entire room is full of presents so that’s one of our biggest projects and you know just you know a lot of the stuff Steph those are probably the you know you talk about memories that was the first thing remember it was a good memories I remember about this place it’s not about pizza Getti or Sammy‘s pizza getting success as far as sales or how good we’re doing all that kind of stuff it’s not what have we done in the community that’s what I’m most proud of

KELLY

Samee’s dream just kept on multiplying. As the years went by, he and Molly got to build a life for their kids that Samee had never had. It didn’t matter that they’d spent all of their savings on the restaurant; they trusted God, and he was faithful to provide every time.

SD Cameron was born and then Connor was born Chloe was the latest one bedroom do you know they never came in the most greatest time financially for me so you know once they came and then my job was to provide to make sure that they have the opportunities that I didn’t have. So for me I was going back to I’m like I know I could’ve done some thing in soccer but then again if it wasn’t for what I went through or how I got here there wouldn’t be no Cameron Molly Connor and Chloe so I can’t like that so that’s a lesson itself so that’s why a lot of people you know when they go through hard times I tell him you know go through it as much as you kick and scream six months later eight months later you’re gonna look back a few years later you gonna look back and realize if it wasn’t for that thing that happened to you you wouldn’t be where you at today and so what got me through was a you know once I got this place I’ve been working 120 hours a week ever since so I go in late because it’s time to put up I’m just show that hey yes this place was horrible when I took it over but now look at it I did this you know it’s like you know if you got if you got a determination you got the passion for whatever it is that you do that’s what I tell my kids my oldest son play basketball through high school went to play in college one year.  He was the same thing he was the shortest kid nobody gave him a shot I remember seventh grade he came out and he told me hey I don’t have my mask really wanna go what do you mean he goes they won’t pick me whatever so you don’t have the 6 foot tall but other kids have do you have to make up for it and work. Work ethics to have to change. So you Gotta have to work twice as hard that’s where my life came 

KA So your kids lived a very different life than you did

SD I made sure of it

KA Yeah did they have any idea how good they have it

SD That’s what we’re doing I know they don’t I don’t talk about that so much that’s why I was kind of had a lot of anxiety when you sent me this question I can’t because this is probably one of the first interviews that I’ve done that has nothing to do with the restaurant before that is his name a friend yes but I have never talked in my past so when you asked me what one of your first memories and I’m like I have a good ones and I got bad ones which one you pick so I don’t wanna talk about the bad ones but at the same time it’s good to know you know I was still out of series a list a couple of them I was coming to me this is about doing this about two things number one there’s something there where I tell my story because nobody ever ask nobody ever know and second would be there’s somebody out there that is probably going through the same thing you know it’s probably going through hard times got here never picked to succeed and maybe they’ll listen to this and realize hey there’s a God out there that I should think differently

KELLY

Now of course, Samee’s story is far from over. In fact, he was recently forced to cling tight to that same faith that got him to his dream. The Covid-19 pandemic was not exactly kind to the restaurant business, and Samee’s Pizza Getti was no exception.

FAITH OVER FEAR DURING COVID-19

KA So your shirt says faith over fear and what what does that mean?

SD Well I didn’t know what it meant till about eight months ago you know I thought I did I thought I did I you know I always been through their community project we work I felt the calling I did it and really really like to think I really really close relationship with my creator like when he needs me I feel the car usually have been wrong so usually I move on it have I got burned before of course it happens but I usually gift for the sake of giving that who do I give it to and what they do with it so my thought process on that is totally different but when the pandemic happened you know I remember it was horrible it was you know to go is 10% of my business 90% and my business just shut down 52 employees, Close to $30,000 every two weeks in payroll. All I have to do this through 10% of my business which is impossible so I remember you know thinking what are you gonna do because at one point you got to figure out OK so we got a shut it down we had to shut it down and just come back in a couple months but nobody knew when it goes away at what point the uncertainty was horrible but the main part was I had employees in here that didn’t qualify for all everything everybody was getting for me it would’ve been easy just cost me a couple months rent I probably could work that out with some kind of form and fashion and just go home and then come back and but you know I remember telling Molly I’m like you know we have 20 some odd employees that their families depend on us you know and never mind the fact that everything that I work for for 35 years I’m about to lose everything everything it’s hard to get here what it took to get here so you know I remember saying OK you just Gotta give it to God you just Gotta do everything in your power that’s what I’ve done all my life I do I can only work as hard as I can I can only work so many hours I can but if I give it all then there’s no bigger that’s what I can tell my kids all the time whatever you do in life I don’t care if it’s tennis basketball you know whatever degree whatever you gonna do just give it all when there’s no regrets because regret is probably one of the most immersion you could ever deal with I don’t care win this morning great more than anything regrets is the worst when you look back and you go I wish I wander what F and so like I told Molly at that point I said you know what I just Gotta make this happen I don’t know how it’s gonna happen I don’t know how I’m gonna pay the payroll and I’m gonna pay my vendors I know how you to pay 10% business doing 10% of your business and some of the other day it’s kind like putting a 5 gallon water through a straw try to do all your business from here to go only so I realized OK I got to get innovative start new videos start doing whatever I’m gonna do everything I can in my power so when they shut down I’m gonna say hey I gave it all.  I fought for my people. 

KA Right

SD For my employees and they fall along with me. It’s not about me I just wanna make sure make this clear because it took 3035 of them they say worked they knew what it took they were seven days a week day and night because half of your staff just leaves because they were but their families they worry about hell and let’s be honest they’re getting paid sitting at home and they’re making more sitting at home than working so you know that comes to it and so all the sudden you know you’re about to shut down you have no business and you know that’s 40% of your business and then all the sudden all you have is to go and half the staff and I remember I didn’t have a delivery driver so I had to tell my son Cameron‘s friend they’re all college that have come back and I called their parents and I’m like hey because we’ve been friends for years I’m like hey are you afraid of Covid can your sons help me out in there oh yeah get them out of my house and I remember looking back a picture of my office it’s like all these kids that you know used to be their coach back in seventh grade basketball now they’re helping me out to save my livelihood and to save you know I am forever grateful for those kids and you know so they start working here with all my family coming and I wasn’t best person to be around because I was so stressed out I remember at one point I realize OK so what has got us here do you know doing community work project giving back, doing gods work in that to me was important because that’s what made my heart warm and so the minute you do that you forget about it . So mollies like we need to do some thing we need to start getting back into but how how do I pay for this how do we do this I don’t know we just Gotta do it I don’t know how we just got it and that’s when I realize what faith over fear was because at that point the fear has taken over and you can’t think straight if you just give it to God you realize I know it sounds cliché I really do but it works and the minute you give it to God 

KELLY

Once Samee put faith over fear, he began to see even this as an opportunity. 

I remember one story is always like OK we’re gonna start heading because the elderly they were cooped up and see their family members can see all the senior citizen places you know we’re like we got to start serving food they’re making them feel loved you know she was talking about at that point meals on wheels was stopped because of the pandemic so it’s like what about meals on wheels? You’re talking about hundreds of pieces afford it and she’s like we’re at our best when we gift in that that’s when we do our best to know our in our business where when we’re doing our most community workers are doing house that’s what we doing I saw another way to think differently that’s just how it works so I remember the guy called me 8 o’clock at night we had that conversation of time this guy called me in the middle of dinner hey Siri he goes well I wanna die like 100 pieces and I’m like Bro stop messing with me I don’t have time for jokes he has no no call me when you have time to talk. My name is Shawn I’m like OK I’ll call you afterwards. So I called him back and I got him in he goes here’s my credit card number whatever I want to help out your cause I like the faith over fear I like the projects you’re doing and I wanna help this is 5 o’clock we had that conversation about helping the elderly 8 o’clock I get the call I can’t make this up. It can’t be a coincidence I never met the guy I don’t know the guy. He never he never seen my videos never met me before so yeah 8 o’clock I call him and I said OK I have an idea. What do you think about this because I’m in so so the next day you know he pay I’ll pay for half whatever together me and him were able to serve elderly citizens I’ll walk I’m talking about there were thousands of pizza.

KA Loaves and fishes 

SD It’s crazy and so we had a neighbor of mine who does my T-shirts and everything he owns a company and he came up to me said hey I’m at Holt he does sports uniforms had no business no sports for the pain he said I am at home so if you need anything at all let me know cause I’m I’m like OK so I told Molly I want to start making these uniforms I can’t imagine living without it so why don’t we just get this and she goes how we’re gonna pay for it I said we’ll figure it out so we start making the shirts start selling the shirts and yard signs we have a friend of ours who had a yard sign business and shared some she need some help as well make any money out of it whatever we sold we gave it to them so then he came back and he goes are you Gotta keep a couple dollars out of the shirt so use it for the project use it so we start helping out the Covid families started doing freightliner sitting up pizzas to nurses and telling you during those 23 weeks we started getting back we start doing gods work I couldn’t tell you how I pay my payroll you I can’t tell you we just we just start doing good we start you know increasing that 10% the business to 70% and said we weren’t making any money but we kept the light on hamburger and I remember we did it start in March April May June yeah about June I remember sitting there here I was all by myself and thinking that’s what that faith over fear you know that’s what giving it all I never have done that I never have actually gave it or not knowing what tomorrow brings and it still doing it I remember we served Lakepointe drive-through with they had a drive-through so I called the pastor a good friend of mine I called him OK I want to serve food there. And he was like are you sure that’s a lot of people I said yeah I know so what are you guys I got about 70 to 100 cars come through the families and I said that’s fine I’m in a game with somebody we didn’t tell anybody somebody end up sending an email from the school is this is for the family is this is where the food from school so they do a drive-through at Lakepointe provides mailbox key no access to help great great church and so somebody tell them so that day they had a record cars come through because pizza has been given away for dinner that night so I remember we were like cooked over and I can’t remember two and 300 I can’t remember how many. So the pizzas keep coming get given to the families but it was the greatest feeling now Chloe my six year old was able to help You know those are the things like you know we did with the riots happen and they happen in Dallas I remember there was a lot of front liners officers they were here over there trying to stop the looting or whatever and there was a Friday night and I think we cooked over 100 some pizzas and sent them down there so the things that you know to me that’s what faith over fear is because I have no idea what people tell me how do you how are you able to do it m? I have no idea it’s just I just watch his work I just watch his worK

KELLY

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see.” Living by faith is the opposite of living by sight. And Samee’s faith completely transformed his community.

In 2020, Samee Dowlatshahi was named the winner of the Rockwall Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Community Involvement award.

KA That’s a sweet spot to be in

SD Yeah yeah

KA And it continues yeah

SD Yeah and that’s a lot of people there like you you know they always say thank you it’s all in his name but I hear today pleasure to get to watch his work probably a lot of success has to do with not me personally or how to run a restaurant or how hard I work it’s that’s why it’s not hard to you know you asked me what time I get here what time I go home you know it’s my purpose honestly as my kids you know my family so I want to make sure you knew because of my choices earlier in life you know or situation in life I don’t have a 401(k) plan so this is their future is this is it so once I got here I realized OK it took me 35 years to get here against all odds I was told I’d never make it even when I got here people were like you’re not gonna make that place girl said to me is all about proving people proving that yes it’s going to be just fine if you work for a hard enough it’s time to step up so for my kids for my family for my 52 employees that’s what gives me

KA Yes and so now are you at 50% capacity

SD We’re at 75% capacity

KA 75%

SD Still things aren’t the same societies absolutely divided you know big time but to me with us it’s never about politics all my customers they’re all friends that’s why I don’t worry about when a competition starts up people always tell me mellow mushroom what are you gonna do like nothing because to us it’s about the support we get is about friendship my whole life is about friendship loyalty you know and I don’t worry about especially especially after last six months I don’t worry about future I worry about what God‘s will is however I do know I have to stay grounded to you know his calling to me that that’s the key because between Wally and I that’s what warms our heart you know when I see a post to my post it over there in the hospital I’ll sit in food and to me that makes my day when I call out almost birthday and I’m OK how old is your boy house OK I’m sending them dinner you know what I mean so it makes them feel it’s to me that’s that’s the least I can do for what he’s done for me

KA But I was saying we have your restaurant has been such a wonderful spot for our family were so many meals and conversations and there was a period of time where our electricity we go out all the time and so we ate dinner here like one whole summer because for some reason at dinner we never had electricity so it has been a wonderful spot for our family great food we love it. We’re so grateful for all that you’ve done for our community you’ve done so much

SD I just told you it wasn’t me

KA Well as a vessel

SD Yes I got to watch his work he provides and I spend it

KA Oh that should be your T-shirt he provides I spend it that’s perfect thank you so much do you have anything else you would like to share

SD No just you know I think for whoever listens to this if you come from a broken house if you come from hardship and you feel like you know you’re at the dead in that’s why I was you feel like OK every year I wrote the same goal I’m never going to get there what it is it gonna be my turn if you feel like the light is not there it doesn’t matter doesn’t have to be where it could be relationship it could be you know you’ve gone through different relationships you feel like you can’t find the right person and all that kind of stuff I really really encourage you to realize God has a plan and he’ll give you what you want he’ll never give you when you want it or how you want it you just Gotta be patient

KA Yes that’s so hard because we like it things fast

SD Yeah we want it on our term his job is to tell us it’s not our term I learned that I learned that the hard way I learned that the hard way I remember years 35 years is a long time to wait but you know what looking back at it now are those times where I had the opportunity I wasn’t ready I don’t think I would’ve been successful because I didn’t get it you know I didn’t get it and how I got here the day we got here how it happened we can’t make that up there’s only so much you can live on quince events and what point you got to realize he’s in charge

KA. Absolutely thank you so much

SD Thank you for your time I feel honored.

KA. I love your story I love it