Episode 5 – From Busboy to Restaurant Owner: A Burger Success Story

Brian Davis 0:05
Victor, I’m so I’m excited for this man, like I’ve known you for over 10 years, yep, and I remember when it first heard about it, I’m like, rock and roll cafe. I gotta check that place out. And my now wife, we were dating back then we walked in, and there’s Victor, and he’s making these hamburgers. And we had we ordered the hamburgers, we ordered the fries, and there was some of the best hamburgers that we’ve had in Simi Valley. And so then what did we do? Well, we kept on coming back, and as we kept on coming back, then we got to know you you know more, and we got to start hearing about your story. And so I’m excited to have you share kind of your business journey. To everybody tell us, like, what is it that got you into starting your own business? Like, starting your own business isn’t something that most people jump into, you know. So like, where, where was it along your kind of journey. You know that where you’re like, Okay, this is something that I want to do, like I want to have, I want to have my own spot.

Victor Cuevas 1:08
So basically it was like when I started working in a restaurant. So when I started working in a restaurant, I see how, like, you start preparing everything, the food, how you take care of the customer, and everything. And so I was living in Newbury Park, and this Chinese place was right there. And I say, okay, yeah, I’m just gonna go and ask if they looking for something, yeah. And then I went, I asked, and oh, yeah, yeah, we can, we can have you from four to to close, so if you’re interesting. And I say, yeah. So then it’s funny, because I started, like, as a kind of like food runner, so I was taking the food out to the customers and all that, yeah. And then I was seeing the Chinese they cook, so they were doing the food and everything. And I kind of like it. They say, okay, one day I’m going to start, like, learning how to do it, because it’s different, like, it’s a lot of like, ingredients, like, yeah, soy sauce, ginger, and a lot of different sauces. And I say, okay, one day I will start doing it. So when I was my day off, I always go over there and I was behind the the cooks, wow, just checking and making notes and everything.

Brian Davis 2:22
Did it? Did anybody tell you to do that? Or, like, where did you get the idea? Like, on your day off, to come out and just take notes, just shadow? Yeah,

Victor Cuevas 2:30
it was basically my idea. Sometimes, like, I told people, like, you need to do something, like, not thinking about, like, Oh, you’re gonna get paid. No, sometimes you just need to, like, if like, you want to learn something. Just Just do it. Yes, don’t worry about the pay or anything. So just do it. Just and that’s why I was started doing it. Yeah, on my day off, start learning and everything. So I learned how to cook. I learned how to prep all the food and all the ingredients and everything. So now it’s funny, because I was like learning everything. Then I learned how to take orders in the register. And one day I was talking to the manager, and I say, Okay, I want to learn how to how you do the paperwork, yeah. He said really? I say, yeah. So he said, Okay, I came every day in the morning, so I went over there and I started taking notes on my free time. I didn’t get paid or anything. So I learned how to do the paperwork, cook everything. So one day, I think the guy got fired,

Brian Davis 3:37
and did you learn how to get fired too?

Victor Cuevas 3:40
No, no. And they asked him, I think the company was kind of growing, and he was making kind of, like, a lot of money. So when that happens, they always, like, kind of tried to cut the people that are making more money. And they asked him and say, Oh, who do you think is ready to take your job? And he named me.

Brian Davis 4:01
And, of course, he said, Victor. So how did that feel? Man, how, how long was it from the point where you started showing up on Saturdays so that you can learn what the cooks were doing to when they you had the opportunity to take that manager job?

Victor Cuevas 4:17
total together, it was two years.

Brian Davis 4:19
Two years. Man,

Victor Cuevas 4:21
we came from like not knowing anything about the Chinese food, to learning everything, paperwork, everything, ingredients, ordering everything. Yeah, so it took me two years too.

Brian Davis 4:33
Were you expecting that that call to come in, or was it, was it just like a surprise?

Victor Cuevas 4:39
No, it was, it was a surprise, especially because I was that time was I was 20 20 or 21 I started there when I was 18,

Brian Davis 4:49
dang.

Victor Cuevas 4:50
So I was 18 in 20, when I turned 20, that’s when I was my first time being a manager.

Brian Davis 4:56
So how was it with the other employees? Right? Like. Was how, how were they when you were showing the initiative to come in on your own time and learn all this stuff?

Victor Cuevas 5:08
Sometimes it is going to be always those employees that say, oh, oh, you’re going to be nice, You want to be nice withthe boss.. I say, No, it’s they don’t pay me. I’m here on my free time. Oh, okay, but it’s gonna be always those employees there. Yeah, they don’t, they don’t say, Oh, good job, thank you. No, they always try like, to say things about like, Okay, you are not doing like this for for fun, I don’t know. So it’s, it’s, it’s hard, like, like, I say always, it’s gonna be those employees. Yeah, I

Brian Davis 5:42
remember, I was working at this one place. It was, man I was, I can’t even remember how old I was. I might have been, like, 18 or something like that. I was, I was doing data entry, and so, like, I was processing these returns. And if I was processing, processing the returns too slow, you know, then it was stacking up. And then, you know, the people that were like, working in the warehouse, they’d come in and, you know, they’d be like, Hey, you got to pick it up. You got to pick it up, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s stacking up. And so then I, I applied myself to try to figure out what was the fastest and most efficient way that I could process these orders or these returns to enter in this data. And I got really quick, like, really quick at it, yeah, to the point where, like, I was getting all my all my stuff done, and then I’m just sitting there waiting. And then they came in and they started saying, like, dude, like you’re going too fast, you know, it’s like, you got to slow down. You’re making us look bad. And it’s like, what, like, what is it that you want, you know? So, yeah, you’re, you’re always gonna, like, kind of have that tension when you know you’re really trying to do something different than everybody else that’s that’s working there. So how was it, after doing that for two years, and then you got that opportunity, you got that call to become the manager. How was it managing these employees? Now,

Victor Cuevas 7:08
it was a challenge because it was funny, because I was 20 20, years old, and it was employees that were, like, 30 35, so older than me, and it’s hard like for you to be a leader for them to say oh you’re just a kid, how you’re gonna teach me things? So I always told them, I say, Okay, what do you need from me? There is anything I can help you to to, to make your job more easy than right now? And since I get all the experience and I know how to do like cooking and everything. So it was easy for me to to talk to them, because they know I can do what they we’re doing, because sometimes it’s hard when you are a manager, yeah, and you don’t know how to do, like cooking or anything, and tell them and say, Hey, can you do that? Okay, you don’t know how to do it, so how you’re gonna teach me? So it was easy for me with them, like teaching them, because I was already knowing how to make it easy,

Brian Davis 8:09
yeah. So

Victor Cuevas 8:10
that’s why I was telling them. I say, Okay, what do you need from me to make it easy for you? Where

Brian Davis 8:16
did you get that perspective from? You know, Because, I mean, that’s, that’s like textbook servant leadership, you know, where you’re not looking at yourself as Okay, now I’m the manager. Now I’m in charge. Now I just get to tell everybody what to do, and everybody’s serving me, but you’re stepping into that role, and you’re taking upon you’re taking the responsibility on yourself and to make everybody else’s job easier there, you know, so that you could serve them, make sure that they have what it is that they need in order to do the job that they’re supposed to be doing there.

Victor Cuevas 8:44
So basically, when I was 18, I was I always like to read like, leadership books. So I was reading books about, like, how to become a leader, how to do the things, how to work with people, with different people, and all that. So that way, like that the book that was reading on that time, it was helping me to know how to lead the people.

Brian Davis 9:08
So, like, how did, how did it feel, like, because, because you get the knowledge in the book, but then sometimes you don’t have opportunity to, like, really put it into practice. Like, how did it feel to like, Okay, now I’m in this situation where I’m leading these people, and then you face this challenge where you’re getting this pushback, and then you’re like, let me, let me do what I’ve been reading. And then all of a sudden you see it start working. Like, how was that for you?

Victor Cuevas 9:33
I don’t know. It’s sometimes, like, you think that the things you are doing right now, is not gonna affect it in the future. And it affects it, like, for example, like I was reading a book at that time, I said, Okay, maybe one day I will put it like to work. And when that happened, I was ready. So sometimes you just need to be ready. Sometimes, like, you’re doing one thing right now, yeah. And thinking or say, Oh, I don’t think it’s gonna do anything in the future, but eventually it’s gonna, it’s gonna happen so

Brian Davis 10:06
and so did you, did you see this in any family members? Did you see this Like, were your parents like this, or was this just kind of like, a like, like, something that just kind of hit you one day?

Victor Cuevas 10:18
No, its something that just gonna hit me one day and I say, I think now it’s time for me to become a leader. And it’s funny, because before, before 18, when it was like, I was not like, I say, I don’t think I’m gonna be a leader, because I was kind of like, angry all the time, grumpy, everything I had, I know everything about life and everything.

Brian Davis 10:43
What were you angry about?

Victor Cuevas 10:45
Just like being like being 17 16,

Brian Davis 10:52
yeah, typical, typical teenage experience where you just, you know everything, and you’re angry at every at the whole entire world,

Victor Cuevas 11:00
yeah, but 1 day, like I say, when I started working in a restaurant, I see customer service and everything and how you need to be friendly and nice with everybody, and knowing that customer always is right. So that that hit me and say, Okay, I need to change the way I am. I need to be more friendly. I need to make sure I do the right thing all the time. And that’s, that’s a transition that I get

Brian Davis 11:28
that’s amazing, man. And so, like, do we have, like, burger-Chinese food fusion to look forward to in the in the near future? Over at Rock and Roll cafe, I had no idea that you cooked Chinese food. Yeah,

Victor Cuevas 11:42
I don’t know. Maybe in the future, it can be something, as soon

Brian Davis 11:45
as you want to test something, just let me know.

Victor Cuevas 11:47
Absolutely

Brian Davis 11:48
I’ll be, I’ll be over there. I’ll check. I will definitely let you know. So then, so then you’re over at the you’re now the manager. What happens? Like, what? What’s that Transition from being manager over over there to then getting into burgers?

Victor Cuevas 12:04
It was funny, because after six months being a manager, so there it was the burger place next to the restaurant. So the people around there, they were, like, trying to hire new, new people for, like, growing the company and everything. Yeah. So one of the managers went to the Chinese place and asked me, you want to be part of this big company now?

Brian Davis 12:32
right next door? That’s interesting, man. And

Victor Cuevas 12:36
I say, Yeah, because I always want to, like, grow, yeah, totally. And I say, Okay, I think I can see potential in this company. So it’s when I decided I talked to the people from the Chinese place. I say, i think it’s time for me to go to the next level.

Brian Davis 12:54
Yeah. And so what did that look like? You know, like, what was, what was that next level, over at the burger place.

Victor Cuevas 13:02
Next Level. I mean, like, for example, for me, like having more restaurant, like the Chinese place, it was only just one restaurant, okay, yeah, and the burger place was already with six restaurants, so it was a company now, yeah. So it was more rules, more like, like, everything needs to be like the

Brian Davis 13:22
other processes are all established.

Victor Cuevas 13:25
So I say, Okay, I think now for me, it’s, I’m ready for the next level. So I started working out there, please.

Brian Davis 13:35
So then, how was it? How was that for you? What? What position was it that you transitioned into?

Victor Cuevas 13:40
It’s funny because I went from being a manager at the Chinese place to being an assistant, because it was a three levels on the burger place. It was a level three, level two and level one, yeah, so I started as a level three, so basically the closing manager. So I was a closing manager, then you need to work hard to start, like becoming the second level, the first level, and then become a store manager. So it was a challenge, because it was more employees, it was more procedures, it was a lot of more different things, and basically a different like food, from Chinese to burgers. So it was, it was a challenge. Well,

Brian Davis 14:23
so how long, How long did it take? Did you make it? Did you work all the way up to that highest position? Yeah,

Victor Cuevas 14:29
I worked with that company. I can say about eight years, eight years, 10 years. And I started as a like, I say, I started as a level three, then level two, level one. I never become a manager there.

Brian Davis 14:42
Yeah,

Victor Cuevas 14:43
they never gave me the opportunity to kind of manager, so one, one time. So I was working there and I learned everything, like how to train people, how to like, close the restaurant, open the restaurant, and manage all the numbers and percentage and, the numbers that you need to know about it, yeah? And it’s when, like, people was telling me about, like, okay, Victor, so customer were talking to me like, Okay, what is your goal? Okay, how do you see the future? And I was working with the company I say, one day I want to have a restaurant like this, yeah, your own location, totally. So that’s when I started thinking about, like, Okay, I want, now, I want to go to the next level and open my own, yeah,

Brian Davis 15:32
and so, was it your own restaurant, where you had ownership, or was it that, you know, like, what was there opportunity? Like, what company was it? What burger company was it that you were working for?

Victor Cuevas 15:43
The Habit burger.

Brian Davis 15:44
Oh The Habit. Okay,

Victor Cuevas 15:46
so I worked with them.

Brian Davis 15:49
Okay. Was there, I’m not familiar with their business model, but is it all just wholly owned, or do they franchise? Do they so

Victor Cuevas 15:57
when I was working with them, it was like a kind of family owned, it was two brothers. Two brothers. They started in Santa Barbara. And

Brian Davis 16:06
so you were working there as they were growing that, you know, and then you got to where it was the you’d gained all this experience, and you’re like, I want to go and I want to do this for myself. And so what did, what did that transition look like it was

Victor Cuevas 16:21
funny, because when I started with the ha-, the the habit, like the guy that was my mentor, the guy that teach me how to like do everything, in the beginning, I was with him for one month, then I don’t see him for a long time. And then after eight years, I saw him at the restaurant,

Brian Davis 16:41
Yeah, which one

Victor Cuevas 16:42
The Habit. okay. And he told me, like, hey, Victor, I want to open a restaurant. You want to help me? And I was telling him, I say, what kind of restaurant? And he say, it’s going to be a burger place like this one. And I said, and I say, okay, something came into my head. I say, okay, if I’m next to him, I will learn more about, like, how to become owner, because right now I’m gonna with a company. They it’s different, because the owners are right here, and you are like, right here, yeah. But I was thinking myself, I say, okay, I can be next to him and learn more about paperwork, permits and everything. And then he told me. He said, okay, Victor, but I know you’re like a manager level one right here. I can offer you to be a cook with me. And I say, okay, it’s okay. So I went from being a manager, yes, man, to be a cook.

Brian Davis 17:39
So you So, Chinese restaurant, you go from running orders to becoming the manager, and then you get the opportunity to go into The Habit. You start as an assistant, and then work up to manager. And now you have the opportunity to kind of get into, you know this, this new burger place that’s starting, but instead of you coming in as a manager, you come in as a cook.

Victor Cuevas 18:08
As a cook,

Brian Davis 18:08
wow.

Victor Cuevas 18:09
So it’s funny, because sometimes you need to go a little bit back,

Brian Davis 18:13
totally man, totally. That just speaks of, like, a lot of humility, and like a lot of you know, just like you’re not thinking about today, but you’re thinking about what’s going to happen in the future, you

Victor Cuevas 18:26
know. And it was funny, because when I started with him, I say, Okay, let’s do it. So I was very excited ready, because I had the experience and everything. And it was, it was good for two years, yeah, but after that, I was kind of like getting down a little bit, so it wasn’t enough hours for me. So then I, I decided to go to another restaurant, because I say, Okay, I don’t have enough hours right here.

Brian Davis 18:54
And so was it. So what? What was going on with the restaurant? So you go over there, he’s kind of leading it. You know you’re working as a cook, you’re not you’re not getting the hours that you need. Like, is the restaurant not doing well? Like, is it struggling?

Victor Cuevas 19:08
The thing with the restaurant its always, like, the first year something, it’s always going to go up. Yeah, but it’s going to be hard to keep it on the same level. If you don’t work hard to keep it, like, on the same level, it’s gonna start going down,

Brian Davis 19:23
so it’s gonna be really inconsistent.

Victor Cuevas 19:26
And that’s why, like, he was thinking about like, Okay, I need to cut hours and everything to manage. Like, it’s not making good so, yeah, okay, cutting hours and everything. So that’s why it was kind of like, I say, Okay, no problem. I will definitely. So I talked to him and say, Hey, I think I need to find another job, because right here it’s not gonna it’s not working for me. So then I find another like a restaurant. It’s funny, because these guys were Armenian. They are Armenian, and they want to open a Restaurant, but they don’t have experience. They have the money, but they don’t have experience to open a restaurant.

Brian Davis 20:05
What kind of restaurant is it that they want to open up?

Victor Cuevas 20:07
And it was like a Barbecue, barbecue restaurant, okay. And somebody like told me, Hey, Victor, you definitely need to go and talk to them. So I went there and I talked to them. I introduced myself. I say, I’m Victor. I’m I’ve been working in a restaurant for this this this. So it’s I tell them all my experience and all that. I say, Okay, you’re gonna, you’re gonna be our manager. Wow. So okay, so I started, like training with them, with the company. It was, I don’t know if you remember Dickey’s BBQ pit that used to be here in Simi Valley.

Brian Davis 20:43
Vaguely familiar. I don’t know if I ever went to it. Yeah, it

Victor Cuevas 20:45
was pretty much like right here on top of Tapo Canyon. Okay, okay, so that, that restaurant it was, was really good, yeah. So I started training with the company. They trained me for like six two months until they opened the Simi Valley location, I was in Ventura training, and then I went to Simi Valley when they opened it, and they say, okay, Victor, it’s your time. So I hire people, and I do everything. And it was great. The food was excellent. We used to cook brisket 14 hours every day, pulled pork, everything. So it was, it was a really good restaurant, a little expensive, but it was a good restaurant. And then I was there for, like, for one year.

Brian Davis 21:32
Okay, how did, how did that? How did that feel? I mean, going from, like, your journey, I didn’t know all these details of your journey. I mean, we’ve known each other for like, 10 years, but like, I didn’t, I didn’t know all of this history. How did it feel to, like, go from, you know, like, all of the experience that you’ve had to now being a cook, to not even having the hours that you need to survive, and then, like, now you’re like, given the keys, and they’re like, Victor, you do it, and now you’re hiring your team, you’re running your team. You’re running everything, like, I’m sure, probably full time, if not even more than full time, like, how, how was that for you? It

Victor Cuevas 22:14
was good, I always see that like, as experience. I know it was something very different from being a cook, and then they become a manager, train people and everything. So I say, yeah, it was, it was a challenge for me, but like I say, I accept it, so let’s do it, and it works so, so and I was there for like a year, until one time, I remember him. He asked me one time and say, okay, Victor, you are my manager right here. So what is your goal? What is your dream? What you What do you want to do, like in your future? Yeah, so I told him and say, Okay, I want to have my own restaurant, like right now you have yours. I know I’m your manager. And he asked me to say, why you don’t have it? so yeah, I told him and say, because I don’t have money, yeah, and he told me, Victor, never say that. Never say that you don’t have money. Just focus on your dream and it will happen. I say, okay, so I just remembered that. And then two months later, the guy from Rock N Roll Cafe called me say, Victor, you want to take over the restaurant? I wanna, I’m maybe I’m gonna close out.

Brian Davis 23:35
Wow.

Victor Cuevas 23:36
And I told him, the first thing I told him and say, I don’t have money, yeah, He said Don’t worry.

Brian Davis 23:42
Wow,

Victor Cuevas 23:43
you can pay me the restaurant every month as soon as you start working. Yeah. End of the month, you can pay me the first payment for the restaurant.

Brian Davis 23:51
So, like, owner finance, wow. And I said,

Victor Cuevas 23:55
really? He said, yeah. So he, he told me the amount and everything. And say, Okay, it’s, um, it’s a little it’s up there, and it wasn’t making like money, like, it was kind of like a so I say, Okay, I was excited, nervous. So the first thing i i, I went, I talked to the, like, the Armenian guy and say, Hey, I have this opportunity. I think I’m gonna, I’m gonna quit right here. And he say, Okay, let me ask you this. Do you need money to to take over the restaurant? And I say, No. He said See, see, I told you, never focus on money and just focus on your dream and eventually will happen so and then it’s, I say, Okay, this is this is me now. This is all. then in 2014 November 1 2014 that’s when I started working at the hab-, uh, rock and roll cafe.

Brian Davis 24:58
Ah man.

Victor Cuevas 25:00
As the owner.

Brian Davis 25:01
Yeah,

Victor Cuevas 25:02
so. And it’s when I realized that life sometimes is is give you like, your life is not gonna go like, like that. No, it’s gonna go like that. Sometimes, like, all the way down, and then boom. And now, like, I say, it’s been 10 years.

Brian Davis 25:19
That’s amazing, man.

Victor Cuevas 25:20
Since we’ve been running rock and roll, yeah. How

Brian Davis 25:25
long did it take you to pay off the other owner?

Victor Cuevas 25:29
It was about four years.

Brian Davis 25:30
Okay. How does it feel after you got that whole entire thing just done?

Victor Cuevas 25:36
It was like, say, okay, it was already, let’s say them, I’m ready, and I’m owning now this. And then it’s funny, because I finished paying the restaurant, yeah, and then the pandemic happened. So it was like, I say, I think I was excited, like, a little bit too early for it, because when I finished paying it. Yeah, then the pandemic. This

Brian Davis 26:02
is one thing after another with you Victor,

Victor Cuevas 26:04
I know,

Brian Davis 26:05
man, it is

Victor Cuevas 26:06
still here. Rock and roll still here it

Brian Davis 26:10
is. And, I mean, that’s, that’s a rarity, you know, like, I, I’ve lived in Simi Valley for decades, and, like, I’ve seen restaurants pop up and then go away. And for rock and roll cafe, it’s been, you’ve, you’ve been running it for 10 years,

Victor Cuevas 26:29
10 years, yeah, you know.

Brian Davis 26:33
And it’s still here. And, I mean, even over at that even over at that mall, that area, like I drive by, and there’s empty business after empty business after empty business, you know. But, like, I always know, right at that corner rock and roll Cafe is there. You’ve had a lot of experience. You’ve, you know, obviously, has developed yourself as a leader in your own perspective. Like, why is rock and roll cafe, like, still here after 10 years?

Victor Cuevas 27:01
since it was one on my passion to, like, have my own business and all that. But I think rock and roll Cafe is still here because of the community. Like us helping the community, being involved with the community, and pretty much like keeping involved with the community, schools, everything. So, yeah, helping the community, and pretty much

Brian Davis 27:27
So tell me, like, what are the ways that you’re involved with the community? So

Victor Cuevas 27:31
we will do, always do, like, a fundraisers. Fundraiser, we donate 20% back to the schools every time there is a carnival or anything at the schools. We go over there and we always donate 20% back to the schools. So that’s, that’s the way we, we’ve been helping the schools here too, in Simi Valley. And

Brian Davis 27:51
so then the schools keep on coming back, yeah. And then, you know, like, I also, I mean, you’re involved with other organizations like, as well, right?

Victor Cuevas 28:00
Yep. So it’s like, I say it’s been being, keep involved with everybody here in in the town. So, yeah, that’s, that’s how to keep the place,

Brian Davis 28:16
keep it running. You realize that you’re not just, you know, you’re not just a business, but you’re part of a community. You know? It’s like you realized that it’s not, it’s not about selling a burger, but it’s about creating a relationship.

Victor Cuevas 28:30
It’s funny, because I remember when I took over the place, and I was working, working people, that don’t know about rock and roll, yeah, so they say, What is, what is rock and roll? Sometimes people, like, they saw our name, and they think that we have coffee or we sell, like, sushi something.

Brian Davis 28:52
Yeah, that’s what I thought when I first drove by. Like, I’m like, oh, rock and roll cafe. I was like, oh, maybe, you know, yeah, maybe it’s maybe some coffee or something like that. And then I was talking to my wife, Charlene, but I was like, Hey, I just saw the rock and roll, like, this new place over off of tapo street rock and roll cafe. Like, we could, let’s, let’s go check it out. And she’s like, like, I don’t want coffee. And I’m like, It’s not coffee, it’s burgers. Like, let’s, let’s go try it. Yeah,

Victor Cuevas 29:17
so, because I was asking people and say, Oh, this is your first time? And they say, Yeah, this is my first time here. And I told him, I say, how do you hear about rock and roll? They say, Oh, I’ve been passing by, but I don’t know what was it, like I thought it was like Chinese, like sushi place or coffee place. So we decided to try it, and now we find out that it’s burgers. They say, okay, they’re good burgers. Now, it’s funny, because everywhere I go, like, when they see rock and roll, they say, Wow, best burger in town. But it take me 10 years to to build that because, like I said before, they don’t know nothing about rock and roll, yeah. And then after 10 years, they say, wow. Wow, everything. Victor, wow. Best burgers in town. Best burgers in town. And they feel good right now. The acorn, the paper, the newspaper right here from Simi Valley and Moorpark, yeah, totally. They create something that say the best, the best of the business, or something. And it was different, like things like Mexican food restaurants, any business, yeah. And it comes the it, okay, what is the best burger? And we were like, the best burger of coordinators burger and more part in Simi Valley, yeah. So that feel like, wow. And that keep me motivated to keep going, to keep making sure the quality is there, yeah, the service is there, and make sure the restaurant is clean all the time. So that’s how excited. That’s the

Brian Davis 30:51
important thing, man. It’s the customer experience. You know, like every single time I walk in to rock and roll cafe, like I not only get the same quality of food, but people that are working behind the counter, like, it’s always just a pleasant experience. You know, it’s like, I walk in, they always have a smile. They’re always nice. Like, I just got back from a trip up to San Francisco, and, you know, like, I definitely interacted with some people that were having some bad days. And I get it, like, people have bad days. I totally, I completely understand, you know. And so I give, I give people grace, you know, for that. But like, I don’t think anybody ever has bad days over at Rock and Roll cafe, at least they don’t show it, yeah,

Victor Cuevas 31:37
sometimes it’s hard. The thing is, when I hired them, I told them. I say guys, I know everybody has bad days, yeah, but as soon as you open the door, let’s forget about it, and let’s have a nice day right here at restaurant. And that’s, that’s why they are happy. And the thing it’s when you’re the leader, you need to show them, yeah, they always told me, Oh, Victor, you’re always like, happy. You’re never like, like, telling things or anything. I say, yeah, that’s that’s why you need to be a leader to show them, like, how to really be nice with the customers. So it’s nice, it too, because, like, I say, I usually have bad days too.

Brian Davis 32:23
Yeah,

Victor Cuevas 32:24
I try to when I’m working, I’m just having fun.

Brian Davis 32:29
So talk to me a bit about your approach when you’re when you developed, you know, your team over at Rock and Roll cafe, kind of like your principles, your philosophy, with, you know, working with your employees, because it does it like it’s a good experience when we go over there, the

Victor Cuevas 32:49
i think its I always tell them and say, we need to focus on couple things right here at the restaurant, like, friendly is the most important thing, Quality is another thing, and have the restaurant clean all the time. So that’s other things. Like, for example, when I do the orientation with employees, that’s the first thing I always tell them. Say, you’re going to be part of rock and roll. Let’s let’s be friendly. Add it to the 100% all the time, and then make sure the quality is right there all the time too. And then make sure the restaurant is clean all the time also. So those are the main focus that We need to, like, take care of the restaurant right there. And I always tell them, Hey, make sure you focus always on these things. And you will see the restaurant is gonna be busy all

Brian Davis 33:43
the time. Yeah, do you ever walk in and, like, it’s just kind of, like, not, not up to, up to standard?,

Victor Cuevas 33:50
hmm sometimes but usually, like, No, not really, always. Like, they take care of the restaurant. Like, that’s why I’m happy with the employees, because they know what to do, right there.

Brian Davis 34:02
That’s good man. That speaks a lot. I mean, that means that they, they enjoy being there, yeah, you know, they enjoy being a part of the team youve created. So

Victor Cuevas 34:10
I told them to, I say, we need to have a great atmosphere in our workplace. Because I told them say, Okay, I want you to, like, for example, it’s going to be your time to come in like 11. I want you to say, Wow, I want to go over there. I don’t want you to say, Oh, my God, it’s 11. Victor is going to be there. I don’t want to go there. No, I want you to be, be excited to be here. Yeah. And so far, they are excited to be there. So of

Brian Davis 34:40
course, they get to, they get to work at the place that has the best burgers in Simi Valley. You know. I mean, how can they, how can they not be excited about that? They get to make people happy, right? Like the customers come in and they’re looking forward to getting that at Rock and Roll Cafe burger.

Victor Cuevas 34:58
It’s like I told them when I do the Orientation, and say, Okay, how many restaurants do you think we have here in Simi Valley? And they say, oh, like, all together, I say, like, any kind of restaurant. So they throw a number, like, for example, 200 restaurants here in Simi or maybe less. I say, okay, so what do you think it means to us when a customer open the door? yeah. That means, from the 200 choices that they have, we were the winners, yeah. So I want you guys to make sure every time somebody opened that door, let’s make sure that the customer satisfaction is right there, because we were the winners from because they can go anywhere, but when they open the door at Rock and Roll cafe, that means that from those 200 restaurants, yeah, we were the ones. So

Brian Davis 35:51
that’s a fantastic perspective, man,

Victor Cuevas 35:54
and I always tell them to say every time Please, somebody open the door, means we are the winners from all the restaurants, even the best, like, for example, like In N Out, The Habit. Yeah, somebody opened the restaurant that means, we are doing something, right. So,

Brian Davis 36:14
like, talk to me about because every once in a while, usually on weekends, and hanging out with the kids, you know, so I’m at home, but there’s been a couple of times where I’ve driven by on on Saturday and I’ve seen your parking lot just completely full of all of these, like, really cool looking cars. Yeah, what’s, what’s, what’s going

Victor Cuevas 36:39
on with that? So basically, we have, like a group of guys. The name of the group, it’s a coachman Car Club. And we do, like a car shows the first Saturday of every month, yeah. So it’s cool classic cars right there. And I think it’s a good to have those because it go with the name rock and roll, broken roll from the fifth 50s. So when they bring those classic cars, I think it’s a good food stream with the restaurant. But we always have that, like, the first Saturday above every month.

Brian Davis 37:11
How did that start? Was it something where they came in, the approach to you, like, what? What started that?

Victor Cuevas 37:18
I think that started, like, then, yeah, they just came, came right there and say, Okay, can we start doing a car show right here? And they said, Yeah, just bring the cars and everything. And it was funny, because when I was working for the habit, yeah, anybody Park? It was a car shows over there too. And then when I was talking to them, when I was right here at rock and roll, they say, I remember you from over there. Wow. I said, yeah. So now they say, Yeah, let’s keep supporting this guy. So and they they bring all the cool cars and everything. And, yeah, are

Brian Davis 37:56
you a car guy? Uh, no, neither am I. Like, I see the cars and I’m like, that looks really cool. I have no idea what it is that looks

Victor Cuevas 38:06
awesome. It’s funny because they always ask me, Hey, when are you gonna have your classic cars? Yeah, maybe one day. I i really like the cars and everything, but I don’t know if I definitely like and I don’t know anything about cars.

Brian Davis 38:20
Yeah, neither do I. So I appreciate them. You know, I change oil, but that’s, that’s pretty much the extent of it. So what is it that you’re into? I mean, besides, besides work and, you know, working on your business and stuff like that right now,

Victor Cuevas 38:37
a five have a day of, yeah, I do road road bike. Ah,

Brian Davis 38:43
road bike like. Lance Armstrong, yeah, dang man. How’d you get into that? I used to do that back in the day. It’s funny,

Victor Cuevas 38:49
because I always, I always, when I always saw the guys like doing the bicycles and everything. I said, One day I will definitely start doing that. Then I met one, one guy and say, Hey, I have my team in Santa Clarita, you want to be a part of that? I never been. So I buy, I buy my my bike. Yeah, and yeah. So every time now that I have, like, a layoff or anything I do,

Brian Davis 39:16
how was how was the first time when you used your clipping pedals.

Victor Cuevas 39:21
It was, it was, it was hard, because if you don’t know how to use it, yeah,

Brian Davis 39:26
yeah, people, yeah, did you fall at all?

Victor Cuevas 39:28
I think one time. Okay, okay, well, then that’s, it’s cool. That’s, it’s,

Brian Davis 39:33
it’s a trip, man, because, like you used to, you’re growing up, like, you got your pedals, but then you’re able to get your feet off, you know, and then all of a sudden, you’re clipping them in, and it’s like,

Victor Cuevas 39:42
oh man, yeah, you need to make sure how to, like, unclip it, because you don’t know how to do it. Beautiful. Yeah, totally. It’s, I’m very excited. I like it. Sometimes I go from from Simi Valley to Santa Barbara,

Brian Davis 39:57
oh my goodness. How many miles is that?

Victor Cuevas 39:59
It’s about. 65 man, look at you, look at you, and it’s, this is fun. Because for me, it’s fun because, like, I’m driving, I see things they before on the car is different. So now on my bicycle is more different. So I started driving and everything, and thinking about, like, life and everything. So it’s, it’s a good therapy for me.

Brian Davis 40:23
Oh, totally student. I never knew that you cycled. That’s awesome. That’s super cool. I’ll have to look for you, like when I’m driving around. Do you cycle through see me? Yeah, on a regular, okay, yeah, yeah, I’ll, I’ll look for you. That’d be, that’d be fun. But you’ve talked about, you know, that you have this goal for cycling, you know, and you’ve walked us through kind of like your, your the goals that you had for yourself as you were leading up to rock and roll cafe. What are some of the goals that you have for rock and roll cafe right now, like, what? What is rock and roll Cafe going to look like, you know, in the next 510, years?

Victor Cuevas 41:01
So the goal is, like, I say, I want to open more more locations, so I just want to keep working hard and eventually, like when I had the opportunity, and make sure they go under heating team is established 100% then I’m going to start looking for a second location, yeah, and go from there to where. When do you think that’s going to happen? I think, like, my goal is pretty much like, either 1000 Oaks, wooden hills or Santa Clarita, yeah. So those are like, kind of my my goal like Santa Clarita, 1000 Oaks or Woodland Hills. Yeah, that’s super good. So open a second location. Because people always ask me. I say, okay, Victor, you want to open more restaurant? And say, Yeah, because I want to be an owner, yeah. And they say, you are not owner right now. I say, Yes, I’m an owner right now, but kind of like I can say I’m a sell employee, because owner is that, for example, if I had three restaurants, then I will hire managers to run the restaurant, and I’m gonna be the owner. I’m gonna make sure they doing the right things and everything. So it’s when you become an owner. So that’s why I want to open more, yeah, more location and all that. Because I want to become a owner. It’s nicey, but like, I say, Yeah, that’s the other call, like rock and roll cafe. Like, I want them. Like, people know about like rock and roll cafe, like, here in Ventura County, LA County, everywhere,

Brian Davis 42:36
that’s awesome, man, you’re gonna have a rock and roll empire. Yeah, that’s

Victor Cuevas 42:40
the goal. A lot of people say sometimes you need to, like, be scary about your goals. And my goal is like, for example, to be the like, like, complete with the in and out, yeah, all the habit. So that’s one of my big goals. And eventually, one day, maybe we can be a good, like, best burger in California, straight

Brian Davis 43:04
up, man. So, yeah, it’s already in Simi Valley, Moore Park. Like, next is California, yeah? So

Victor Cuevas 43:10
that’s, that’s the goal. So that’s a big goal, but we’re gonna keep working hard. Yeah, make sure we follow the being friendly and quality and everything. And eventually it’s, it will happen.

Brian Davis 43:23
So, yeah, and so then, like, how do you, how do you balance, like, work life and personal life and stuff like that. Like, how are you finding that it’s

Victor Cuevas 43:33
is hard, it’s hard to to to have that is nice it to when you, when you, like, have a business, you need to make sure, like, you focus on, on the business. If you really want to, like, make the business grow, so you need to make sure the business, you start in the business with it like, 100% all the time. It’s hard right now for me, like, for example, like I was married almost two years ago I divorced. Yeah? So because it’s hard, like, work and personal life, yeah? So right now for me, I think I’m just wanna pretty much stay single, focus on the business, and that’s it, yeah? So, because it’s hard when you have a business, it really is. Man, you need to focus 100% if you really want the business to grow. It really

Brian Davis 44:30
is. And it’s so common for that to be a point of of tension, you know, in relationships,

Victor Cuevas 44:37
yeah? Because sometimes people think that, oh, yeah, I’m gonna open a business, and boom, two years, I’m gonna be making a lot of money. It’s nice. It takes time. Yeah, it does. It

Brian Davis 44:48
takes time. It takes it takes a lot of time. Takes a lot of resources. Like, and even when you’re not there, like, at the location, you know, like, it’s still taken out. A lot of space in your mind, like you’re still thinking about it. You know, you’re waking up in the morning thinking about it, you’re going to sleep at night thinking about it, like with my wife and I, it’s, it’s common for her, I’ll just be quiet, and then she’ll be like, oh, like, Babe, what are you thinking about? And it’s just like, I It’s the answer that I always give her, you know, but it’s work, you know, it’s something that’s going on with with work, or something that’s going on with clients, or something, you know, with the project that we have going on, like it’s always there. And I don’t think that it’s necessarily self evident that that’s, that’s the case, or that’s the experience that business owners, you know, are kind of, like, living through. Yeah,

Victor Cuevas 45:46
it’s like, one time I was pretty busy, like, preparing for, like, the next couple days, and I forgot to, like, to rent, like, something that I need to rent. And I wake up like, I think it was three in the morning, and I just remember I say, Okay, I need to and I it was three in the morning, I went into my computer and I do, I do work, yeah, sometimes it’s hard. You usually do, like,

Brian Davis 46:13
yeah, yeah. Just got to get it done, man. So you’re taking, you’re you’re taking this time then like, to really focus on the business, really focus on growing rock and roll cafe, yeah, getting your, getting your additional locations going, yeah, that’s, yeah,

Victor Cuevas 46:32
that’s the goal. So I’m excited for that. Hopefully, like, can say two more years, and maybe we can have a second location.

Brian Davis 46:40
Yeah, that’s, that’s great, man. I’m looking forward to being there for the ribbon cutting.

Victor Cuevas 46:45
Absolutely. Yeah, gonna be one over there, first one.

Brian Davis 46:48
I hope so bar open. I hope so. I’ll ride my bicycle there. There you go. And then, yeah, yeah, that’ll be awesome, man. Well, Victor, I mean, we’ll, we’ll have all of your information in the in the description and everything like that. But you know, just let people know that those, those that don’t anybody watching this that doesn’t know where rock and roll Cafe is. Rock

Victor Cuevas 47:10
and Roll cafe, it’s located at 2196 that was street right here in Simi Valley, California, and we are open seven days a week, from 1030 in the morning to 8pm Yeah. So if anybody decided to go over there, I always recommend to try the Wild West burger. Oh, that’s one of my favorites, the Wild West burger. That’s the most popular burger we have. But we have different like items, like we got a pineapple burger. That’s really good too. It is the chicken poblano. There is a chicken sandwich with poblano chiles, salsa verde on it. That one is really good. The cheese steak sandwich is really good. The rice on your rinse. Definitely. If anybody wants to go over there,

Brian Davis 47:59
they can try and you got the salads, like, sometimes, sometimes I would get the chicken salad, or, yeah, the chicken salad and amazing barbecue chicken salad. Barbecue

Victor Cuevas 48:08
chicken salad is the most popular because it has a barbecue on it with we put some onion rings chop on top, yeah. And it’s a great combination of flavors with the barbecue sauce and the chicken, and if you add rice to it,

Brian Davis 48:24
so good, it’s really good. It’s so good. And then regular fries, of course, but then I typically get the sweet potato fries. Yeah, those things, those things are always on the spot.

Victor Cuevas 48:35
It’s funny, because a lot of people think when they say, Oh, do you add salt to the sweet potato fries? I said, Yes, because when you mix sweet with salty, it’s a great flavor. Because a lot of people think like, oh, well, you don’t put sugar on it. I said, No, you need to add salt with sweet. Yeah, it’s a really great that’s super

Brian Davis 48:55
good. I’ve been to other places. There was a there was a pub down in Burbank, when I was living down in Burbank years ago. And they would do sweet potato fries, but they would put maple syrup on them, and it was way too sweet. Like, it was just like, like the first bite, you’re like, Okay, that’s kind of interesting. But then, like, after the third bite here, no, no. Like, this is way too much.

Victor Cuevas 49:21
Yeah, and there is a, I’ve been to another places they add sugar to it. It’s a no, you need to add salt, yeah? Because when you add salt or season and salt for it, it’s a great combination, the sweet with salt.

Brian Davis 49:35
It’s really good. Yeah, super good.

Victor Cuevas 49:37
And then we always recommend the range for the sweet potato or our rock and roll sauce? Yeah, we have our own rock and roll sauce, so it’s really good flavor right there with the sweet potatoes and all that.

Brian Davis 49:50
So that’s the stuff, man. So anybody rock and roll cafe, go check out Victor. Victor. Thank you so much for spending this time with us.

Victor Cuevas 49:59
Brian Thank you very much for the opportunity to to be here. So, of

Brian Davis 50:05
course, brother, of course. Man, that’s it. Thanks, brother.