Kahlil Arnold

00:00Welcome to Nashville Restaurant Radio, the tastiest hour of talk in Music City. Now here's your host, Brandon Styll. Hello Music City and welcome to Nashville Restaurant Radio. My name is Brandon Styll and we are powered by Gordon Food Service. We're going to be joined shortly with our amazing co-host, Caroline Galzin and we will be talking with Khalil Arnold. Now it's been a little while since we've had Khalil on the show. He came on in the middle of the pandemic when just everything was going down and he was and it was a really interesting show and a really good insight into what a small business owner was going through in the middle of the pandemic and taxes and just what was happening to restaurateurs.

01:05You think these guys just make money hand over fist, but there's a lot of overhead that goes on there and it was really good insight. And so this episode, we're going to be talking to Khalil about reopening of Arnold's today, January the 8th. It is a Monday and Arnold's Country Kitchen is officially going to be open for business. So you've seen the ads, you've seen articles. I think there's one in the scene, the Nashville Business Journal, that kind of talk about it. This is an hour long conversation with Khalil about all of the details. We learn everything in this conversation and we go into a lot about what's going to happen after this portion of Arnold's is done and he's looking for the spot for the next Arnold's and he gives a ton of insight into what that is going to look like. Who's going to operate it? Will it stay in the family? Who's going to be there? We get an update on Rose, how she's doing and lots of fun things.

02:09So thank you everybody who came out to see us the other day at the dry January market. I tell you what, it's official. The Fat Bottom Hop Fizz is a hit. Everybody loved that product. If you have a restaurant, you need to have this because 100% of people thought it was delicious. It is zero calories, there is zero sugar, there is zero carbs, there is zero alcohol. This is sparkling water brewed with fresh hops. So it's a cold, crisp, sparkling water that kind of tastes like a beer. I mean it's kind of brilliant and you can get it right now through debt distributing and fine restaurants like the Green Hills Grill. We are carrying it and you can also get it at Killjoy, my sister's shop. So go to Killjoy. It is still dry January. We hope that you are sticking in there with it.

03:10I am still nicotine free, still going after it. It's gotten a lot easier once I got past the first few days. Thank you guys for checking in on me and I don't have a lot more announcements today. I will tell you next week we're talking with Brian Baxter and this was like one of my favorite interviews I've done in a long time and it was like an hour and 45 minutes so it's a marathon interview and we talk about all the things and he is really amazing. And the catbird seat is really amazing. It's a very unique dining experience if you haven't done it. Highly recommend it. I hope that you guys have a wonderful week. Hopefully your new year is starting off on a positive front. We are excited to get this thing going. Let's jump in with Khalil Arnold. Eww. And there's nothing better. There's nothing better. I get the Americana double.

04:12There's nothing better. The problem is you've got to go do something afterwards because you're just like I've got all this energy. Yeah. You're wired. Like Beavis and Butthead back in the day. That's how we're going to start the show today. People are like what the hell are they talking about and who are they talking about? We are here right now live. You're talking about Beavis and Butthead. I think that was pretty clear. We are live with Khalil Arnold. Welcome back to the show Khalil. Thank you. It's been a while. It's you know I think the last time I was really here you and I were talking about the Arnold's After Dark. Which was absolutely amazing that you made. He made the announcement that they were doing Arnold's After Dark and brunch on the podcast. He came on the podcast world exclusive and announced it. It's amazing.

05:12Thank you for that. Hey you're the best. So I knew you were coming in today and listen don't let me get right into it if you have a different agenda please Brandon. But something that I was thinking about was you know kind of all of these changes that so many of us have gone over the last four years right with the pandemic and this pivot and that pivot and you're somebody who has gone through so many of those changes from all the way up to saying hey we're closing Arnold's to now there's some recent news that that is not necessarily the case maybe maybe not. But it did get me thinking about the Arnold's After Dark and the brunch pivot you guys did and it was so curious I just I don't know I just want to hear more about that. Did you feel like that was a success for you. Is it something that you're glad you did. It was I would say it was a learning experience and it was definitely I think you know at first it was like you open the doors you're busy then you've got to figure out how to maintain people. And it was definitely I mean at the end we were busy as could be at night it just as you know it was an evolving process which some you make mistakes and my dad always said someone you make a mistake that's that's when that's when you really learn.

06:25And I learned a lot. I'm glad we did it. Having Ford it helped me figure out what I wanted to do for the future when this is all over and we had a good time met a lot of great new people coming in I mean which was even more exciting as we had our day crowd of regular customers and then starting all over again was like you know starting the relationships with totally new people at night. And so got to meet a lot of people and I wouldn't change it. I mean we had a great time met a lot of new people made some money you know. Do you like that. Did you like that side of the business. Did you like that kind of like nighttime more bar style service. Is that something that you have an interest in. I you know I did have I did have a lot of fun. It's something that I would want to do one or two days a week. I wouldn't want to sustain that every day. You know I guess it's a whole different animal. It is a whole different animal. You know if I was going to only do night then I would be fine.

07:25But trying to do both you know and I mean our bread and butter is lunch. You know that's what we're known for. And you know you're not going to change the wheel. So I'm going to try to keep riding that wave. But in the future I can definitely say that my plan is for the next place it will have lunch and dinner. It's just won't be you know geared toward a bar. It will have alcohol you know because that's always a good time. It will be geared toward a bar. I have so many questions. I have so many questions to go back. I mean you've been in the news. I feel like a lot over the last few years. Last time we had John we were celebrating Best Pivot or you were on with Cary Bringo we were talking about how great you are. Everybody knows about Arnold's and then the shocking announcement. Arnold's is closing. Yeah that was just closing. What is going on here? Tell us about that. I can so seeing Cary and Andy and Karen for the past few weeks eating that probably one of my most favorite places in town Josephines I could see you know right after when she when everybody found out I went and saw them as much as I could to get that delicious food before it was gone.

08:47They I could see what I saw in myself and it's almost like it's like the difference we close it wasn't because you know you feel like a failure no matter what and it wasn't because we felt like people it's like you don't fail because you're not making money. They're making money. We were making money. It's good. It's just hard to sustain it and this this economy of Nashville and that's a whole nother subject but to so I could see that you feel like your your gut is sucked out and I mean I felt like a loser let my dad down you know I felt like I felt like I let my my first of my employees and then I felt like I let my customers down and then that's when I was going to be working. That's when really after about a few months I was like man I gotta I gotta do something else but it was it was more abruptly than people think it was yes we knew the property was for sale.

09:52We weren't sure on the closing date. I only knew probably three weeks prior to when it was that it was actually going to be this date and so it wasn't like we had kept it a secret all that time I mean we knew it was coming. We didn't know exactly when could have been even all the way up to the summer and it was just a long story how it all just kind of transpired but the moment I remember it was like sleepwalking for two weeks for me because it was like is this real is this real then this is all I've known that more than I've known anything else in my whole life you know it's like I've been longer than any relationship I've ever had you know I think the only thing I've worked at longer was you know my son is 20 28 now and which is hard to believe it's hard to believe he's going to be well and he's hopefully the next generation he wants to work and take it over so that's one reason why I'm focusing on the next place him and I are going to get this open together and then we're going to focus on the next one so he's ready to carry on the tradition which you know being in the restaurant business you don't want to try to make anybody you're just like are you sure you want this it's a big difference usually like you know my son's going to be in the legal practice and my son is doing this this is great but in the restaurant business like are you sure you're ready every day it's like this is a whole different ballgame when you when you're taking this on but what did your dad tell you when you said I want it did you just always grew up in it or was there well I grew up a talk with you or he was like look dude this is what the expectation is what life is going to be I think my dad told me several times that I'd never be able to hack it I think he told me what I needed to hear but he also you know he'd also be the same one that said if you didn't f up today you didn't learn nothing so when I would beat myself up he'd be like hey you learn more from your mistakes and then your triumphs and he was always right about that but my dad was also the original Gordon Ramsay you know you don't understand I would like bring something out front of it like hey look what I made he'd be like this is bleep this is what you can't he would

11:54always you can say whatever you want to say on the show it's okay oh it's just the main thing what I learned from him was about making mistakes and always if you wouldn't go into a restaurant and think this was great don't ever serve him he was like not just good great and so learned a lot that from him and so when we closed I felt like kind of I was letting him down but I guess everything happens for a reason I spent a lot of time with him the past year before he passed away we had a lot of talks and I mean and I probably wouldn't have been able to do that if I was working full-time I mean I was seeing him two to three days a week hanging out so that's to have that time yeah with them so you have a company that's gonna buy the property and yes bought the properties you own the property of a company it's gonna buy the property they need the property by a certain time which is why I assume you're gonna close the restaurant or they're gonna well I'm not exactly sure but why they kept changing the date but they had it in there I guess the original closing date was supposed to be January and then then they wanted or was it somebody wanted to move it back 30 days and then they were like well let's just put it in here we can go back up to six months and I think the primary reason possibly was they wanted a little time for when for us to be out before they took you know for they bought it maybe you know even though that was you know it wasn't like like my mom said it was great she said it would not be enforced out this is something we know we've all sat there and talked about and it it was but it was also like it's like you know driving down the interstate backwards you can do it but do you really know what you're doing so it's like I wasn't I wasn't really ready to let go yeah you know but I was like this is better for the family this is you saw that you can see the future hey look we can do this again with yes with this financial help I can do something in the future I can recreate this this is not just the location this is who we are we can make this food a different place that's exactly what I was

13:56thinking I get a little break and then I will try to try to recreate in a little different format you know of this place so here we are today as little as much as you want to say that deal somehow fell through so that's not on the table at all yeah I really don't know what happened there I mean to be honest with you there we've a lot of speculation a lot of trying to figure out I just think that maybe the economy I really don't know I mean they were they were supposed to be almost blind us and a couple other areas in the in the area and it just you know just didn't happen okay so it doesn't happen now that this happened prior this happened prior how long ago did that happen when did you know so we wasn't gonna go through well the end of June well I guess the beginning of June we're supposed to close the end and they said that it might be we might need to prolong this even to November so then they started talking about another negotiation between end of January to November we they were balancing trying to figure out if they were gonna close or not and I mean and granted these these these these people had the capability or had the capability of closing and so it wasn't like they were I don't think they were intentionally leading us on it was more like I guess there when you are buying something that big you have several investors and I don't know if an investor fell out I really don't because these this company owns several properties big properties in town and just think it was one of those things that just happens I think it's commercial real estate which is something I've never known you know when you buy a house you're approved you're gonna buy the house you're gonna buy the house I think in commercial there are so many different moving components and I think our real estate agents Lisa Mackey and Henry

16:00Trouse did fantastic job brought good people to the table kept it very discreet so you know this would go smoothly and it's just one of those things it's just it's one of those anomalies that just randomly happens but it's a good anomaly yeah because I mean I get to feed some more people and I get to really say a good goodbye and and hopefully hello before hello yeah hopefully a goodbye and a hello in the same period of time because I mean I am looking and but you know I just saw McCabe's hub I know it's funny which is terrible that it's going away but if you're talking about it the most amazing spot for us the Westsiders I love number one I love the Dean family they are fantastic you run McCabe's pub I think you know I actually saw was reading an article son of salt yesterday and I was reading a little bit about it and I saw this lady put it best everybody was like oh my gosh can't believe they're closing and you know and they everybody first assumes that you're closing your you can't make it it's like that wasn't the case I think the base is 40 years cases you've been there 40 years and you're ready to move on yeah I guess I'm not not gonna answer for them or anything but I mean it's like yeah appreciate the time you had with this place pay your respect to them be grateful to me because it's all as I was saying about my son passing on the torch this is a lot of work you don't go eight to five and walk away it's just something you sleep with as you know it's like it never ends and it's like three jobs in one I mean this is this is your life it's either you want it to be a part of your life because you can't ever walk away from it so it's in the blood I mean this is either what you do you can't be halfway in you know it's kind of you know you got and for you I mean so you decide to open on Thanksgiving you decide to do this limited hell yeah we're gonna do a Thanksgiving deal well I thought that was number one the perfect time because a lot of families are in town and to

18:01me that's what Arnold's has kind of always been about we got generational we have seen you know we've been there for 40 years we've got to see people grow up and we got to see their kids grow up because even kids having kids grandkids and it's like so to us it was and we're busy always busy because we get to see all the families that come in I mean we've always been a family restaurant so it's like you know we've we've gotten to see families grow up and we thought no better time than to do that the difference was we usually have a lot more people working with us for us it was we couldn't we all when we when we are opening January 8th we are getting some of our old cut old employees back but at this time there wasn't it was they all have jobs so we couldn't be like hey we want to poach you for you know a week yeah I think your job with mine so it was all family opening this and it was it was it was fantastic we had we had all kinds of customers and I mean people and it's it's you know at one point I think I cried because it was just so beautiful it's like people are just grateful you know and I think that's you know that's my motto going into you know 2024 just being grateful I mean I have this opportunity to to do it again I have the best the people of Nashville are the best supporting most supportive just I mean it break it melts my heart and it breaks my heart at the same time I I have three restaurants that I'm in a lot and I know you're in there too and you have regulars and people that you see and I love keeping up with them I've watched kids from babies that you put in there were like in a car seat grew up to be kids that are you know going to school now and you see this happen for you who's so visible right there walking through the line saying hi to people you you're such a face you're the mayor of that place seeing all of these people through all fix highs and lows and just part of

20:03the community that was Arnold's and then that's gone and that's gone so then you come back for Thanksgiving was that like it just the moment where you get to kind of reconnect with all this but did you just miss that was that like a pace in an empty hole in your heart I mean there is there's no question you missed that I mean it's just it's like a part of your soul that was gone that all the sudden got reawoken that you forgot this is what it's like you know how I missed it I mean I would sit there at times at my house just looking at the wall and it was like something's missing you know and that was it I mean it was it's surreal to see it's number one to never think you're going to be in that building again you know and a lot of in and then number two to just after all those emotions of closing to be like oh my gosh you know here I am again this is you know it's it's I like okay so I always said the closing felt like being at your own funeral you know and it was and it was the most beautiful funeral I'd ever wanted to ever could have thought about being it it was it was filled with love and support and just I had so much respect and appreciation for everybody because it was just it was like you couldn't have asked for a place filled with more love and just it was beautiful so it's like I actually wasn't quite sure about reopening and everything because I didn't want to it was like it was so beautiful how can you go back and try to you know that's that's one reason my new restaurant won't be exactly like the old ones I don't want to try to recreate something was so beautiful you know people like you know you had Chet Adkins all these different people dollar all these different people have been in there you know I'm at that you know Porter Wagner all these old greats John Prine John Prine is number one we did a pop-up for him in

22:04October and it was because his wife Fiona they called my mom and she was like you know we're thinking about doing that we love to have an Arnold's is the building still there and my mom was like she asked me and I was like let's do it you know I was like John Prine and my dad have the same birthday they're actually buried in the same place and it was like so it's like John Prine you know it's kind of funny because they have the same birthday but they're both total opposites not to get off track but I'm year no not the same year but the same day oh like the same day same year I was like well that was crazy yeah crazy but it was just it was surreal that I didn't know about opening that chapter back up and that actually I talked to you know I worked for Tom Morales at the Lovelace and I you know he is like somebody I admire and you know and an advisor I actually called went to lunch with him and I was like this is what's going on they're not closing you know we're thinking about doing pop-ups not quite sure you know but it was so beautiful how it ended I don't know if I want to I don't know if I want to open that chapter back up and Tom was just like son what are you thinking about it was like just freaking up in the restaurant right there he was like who cares it was like you can't you can't you can't change what happened you can't change the cars that were dealt to you he was like just go in there and and do what you do you know he's like quit worrying about it and so I guess it was kind of helped me get over my mental part about okay I can't help it what happened this is never the plan and so it's kind of like just get there and do what I love and get to see the people that I've grown to love and that have you know grown to love us and it's it's just kind of surreal just kind of thinking about it all over again and how this year is transpired and are where we were mentally a year ago because mentally a year ago this is when a couple weeks before this is when we found out we

24:08were gonna be closing so we are going to be we actually closed July 6 which we partied till July 7th so we were there to like three or four in the morning that day and we are gonna be opening again July 8th. July 8th or January? I mean I'm sorry sorry thank you January 8th. So I mean Carolyn I'm taking over right now so sorry I want you to jump in. No I'll chime in I'm just I'm listening. I just think in a world where we are inundated with restaurant closings going into 2024 what hope do we have the news I think everybody needs is Arnold's is coming back not not forever but the fact that you can go stand in that line and eat all the great food again January the 8th. January we're reopening. It is nice to feel like we're getting a win for the independent community because you're right we I feel like there has been so much in the conversation I mean obviously Josephine was a huge blow to our community and I I'm glad that we haven't seen this so much in Nashville yet but something we talked about on our couple episodes ago with Ben Whitlock is that a lot of other markets that we kind of follow those trends are having a lot of closures of independent restaurants and I I fear I really fear that Nashville may not be far behind I hope that I'm wrong but just I feel like we see the writing on the wall with the developers and the rents rising and all of these kind of you know places with more corporate structures are the only ones that can kind of come in and afford the the economics of running a business here you know it's I agree with you 100% I mean you got McCabe's Josephine's um I mean you would have us you would have had there's so many that eventually have have closed in and it's it's uh Wild Cow just announced yeah Wild Cow it's another one I think that

26:11is beloved by the community and the vegan and vegetarian community also yeah I mean I it's the ongoing society let's I mean for instance I remember right before uh we closed there was a pack of uh a pint plastic containers were like 40 bucks and now we did over Thanksgiving and they were 200 dollars so it's like there are so many that's just the tip of the iceberg meats gone up you know 50% of what it used to be it's like rent uh tax taxes okay so I just unfortunately had to figure this out recently our cam when we started our lease seven years ago was 1200 a month and Caroline's gonna finish to tell you what she's paying now right after this word from our sponsors I am so excited to tell you about what chefs want and what chefs want they are transforming food service by eliminating minimum orders offering split cases and providing daily delivery with 24 seven customer support that means that chefs have the flexibility to order what they need when they need it experiment with new ingredients and keep their kitchens consistently stocked with fresh supplies they are all about empowering culinary creativity while streamlining operations this is what they do this is why they're called what chefs want and if you're not working with them you are missing out on quality availability service they're really crushing it in all ways give them a call 800-600-8510 or visit them at what chefs want.com hey I also want to tell you all about Cytex and Cytex wants you to know first impressions are instant nowhere are they more important than food service where visual appeal greets the customer wets the appetite and adds sizzle they have a large variety of napkins tablecloths and apparel

28:14to outfit your staff and restaurants all Cytex linens for our kitchen linen and apparel services are made of non-toxic textiles that have been approved by the American society for testing and materials to be used in health care and medical services food processing and food service they know running a restaurant takes a lot of work so they make it their job to take one more thing off your plate your linen service you can trust them to deliver everything you need on time in an excellent condition guys I'm telling you Cytex is legit they are they're the real deal when it comes to working with a partner in a linen company and I highly recommend them check the the show notes for your contact information but give Ross Chandler a call today last one is Sharpier's Bakery and let me tell you Sharpier's Bakery is a locally owned and family operated wholesale bakery providing bread to Nashville's best eateries they have been operating in Nashville since 1986 they've been providing high quality fresh bread daily for restaurants catering companies hospitals and universities their bread is free from any preservatives or artificial additives I want to tell you guys go check out Sharpier's.com if you haven't been there it's c-h-a-r-p-i-e-r-s.com just check it out they have all there's mobile friendly so if you go to Sharpier's.com you'll see there all the different types of round buns that they have you'll see all the brioche the ciabattas pull aparts multi-grains and then it goes into their loaf bread with sourdough and wheat and rye marble rye brioche multi-grain pumpernickel Pullman there's so many you can check them all out and they are just doing amazing things delivering to your restaurant every day fresh baked bread check the contact information in the show notes our cam when we started our lease seven years ago was $1,200 a month

30:18I am now paying $4,000 a month wow for what cam and taxes oh my gosh four thousand a month I can imagine I mean we're paying $80,000 right now on property $79,000 and change for that and for our building and that little bitty beautiful smooth parking lot we have beautiful smooth parking lot listen that y'all have a parking lot at all in that location is miraculous and by the way I saw somebody post the other day if you're eating at Arnold's you ain't got to pay for the parking lot but if you're not you will get to know but you if you're eating at Arnold's you're you're it's free and somebody was like they don't have a parking lot to pay if you're eating at Arnold's that's what it's there for it's fair for us but it is it's great to even have a parking lot and that was the thing that was so many things came to mind it's like yeah we're going to reopen we don't want to spend a gazillion dollars fixing it but we just kind of we patched it up and it was definitely better than what it was but anyway it is it is hopefully not going to be the trim but I think it is going to be with everything just running a restaurant has just gotten so much more expensive it's it's it's rough it's going to be the I mean I've told unfortunately said that's to people I think the only places that will eventually survive will a be a places that have been there forever and are fortunate enough to not be in the $80,000 $80,000 to your property bubble or places that are owned by big pockets they have big people so it's okay if they lose money that they need a brand in Nashville to put on their own it's it's so hard too because it's like I can look at our numbers year over year and if you look at what we're doing in sales I mean what we're doing in sales right now I only would have dreamed of when we opened right but everything else is so much more expensive it's not like you know we're killing it that's a great point yeah it's like yeah we're if I was selling this much seven years

32:21ago we'd be absolutely killing it but labor's more products are more dry goods every like like you said rent can't all of these things it's it's tough that's everybody that's and it's everybody out there and if you're listening to this and you're a diner and you're the one who complains that everything's too expensive like there's there's a lot of things that are going on we are not killing it diners of the world yeah that's a lot of people don't understand that it's like you want to you know they see that we've raised the 15 to 18 percent for to go stuff and people like that and they're like well I'm having to tip on everything I mean we're just trying to give our employees who work their butts off for us a living wage and you know and if it's hard for us to I mean considering we're losing almost losing money now compared to what we were in goods and you used to spend a third for all your products considering your meat or everything now it's like 50 percent you know so it's like that's like 40 to 50 percent it's like you have less money to pay people you're just trying to you know you're just trying to take care of the people that are taking care of you you know and and fortunately I think Carolina myself place like Josephine's I mean it was like we have great supporting customers that don't ever complain that are just grateful but it's like people just need to understand it's it's kind of it's it's hard on us you know and it's like it's stressing on us because it's like we don't always we're not trying to be expensive we're not trying to you know be greedy it's like we're just trying to find the balance of you know we want to take care of our employees we also want to take care of the people that take care of us our customers and it's like so trying to find that balance it's like you're kind of in like a you know how do you say a tug of war absolutely but I think this is I think if you look at people's it's a business yeah right so they're there you're doing this for a profit but also I think we've already established that part of you coming back to

34:26do this is for the community is because you part of you needs to be there to see these people and to to build this I mean that part of Arnold's is the fabric of that neighborhood I mean you my favorite things about Arnold's is standing in line because you'll have a construction worker and you'll have a politician and then you'll have another restaurant guy and a chef and then a uber driver and they're all standing in line together and you get to say hey man how you doing today that's how communities come together to understand each other and when Arnold's went away that line went away and everybody sitting down together next to each other enjoying a meal breaking bread like all of that is so much more than this expensive this is good this is bad like that's what Arnold's to me was all about and the food's fantastic but really it was a you go in and Khalil's there with a warm smile and he says hi and Rose was there like you just it was a whole thing I think bringing it back isn't hey look I gotta make this money but it's also let's let's create some income for a bunch of people but let's do this for the community am I way off no you're 100 on because I mean it's uh I think it was Tyler and Tandy Tyler Brown and Tandy from City House he uh they were we were did we were at some event and they were always they were kidding one day when there was like we think about all the political deals that have happened at Arnold's throughout the generations you know you've been there such a long time and you know I never really thought about that they were like people sitting at these tables and writing songs and it was yeah I mean John Prine John Prine said his reward for writing a song before two o'clock was going to eat our meatloaf I mean that was like he said that in the New York Times you know and it was uh gotta love that family uh and it I mean you had I remember as a kid uh I was in one I was in Chet Atkins last video you know it's like it was it was surreal the amount of people and then I mean

36:29like you're saying it was all walks of life and that was that was to me that was amazing I'd be I'd be at the DMV and be like oh there's a guy from Arnold's and you know that worked there and it was it was it's an honor almost it's an honor to number one to have gotten to meet so many different people at so many different places in their life and and work at at everywhere you know and it's it's just surreal to get to know these people get to know their families you know and and that was the thing to treat everybody kind of treat everybody the way you want to be treated didn't matter if you you know were a window cleaner or if you you know uh were a tailor or whatever your profession was if you were the governor or if you're the mayor everybody kind of gets treated with the same everybody goes to the line everybody you know everybody just everybody pays their bill and it's it's surreal to be able to to be in a family like that and to me that's what all the customers were are as a family and there's so many people that you know when we announced that we were coming back that we're posting on their page I'm so excited my prayers got answered you know and this and it's like you're just you're just kind of teary-eyed that that you can bring so much joy by doing what you love to so many people and that's what I think so many chefs get into this and so many people in the front of the house and and the hospitality industry get into this because it's almost instant gratification you know and to me like you're saying that's what I was missing and it's like the I feed on that that's what feeds my soul is I get to make people happy doing what I love to do and I think if you're listening to this and this gets you excited if you if you feel a type of way about this conversation you're probably in the right industry if you hear this you're like what's he talking about like I just my pnl doesn't look this and this and this maybe you're not in the right industry because this is hospitality and this is what this is and at the end of the day you do you do because you

38:30love it not because like you said we're not making rich you know if I if I was a not banker or if I was a somebody that invested in stock and I spent that as much time as we do in the restaurant industry doing that I'd probably be driving a Bentley right now in a Lamborghini or something you know not my used GMC 2016 truck you know it's like you know it's like but I do it because this is it's what you do if you if you're lucky enough in life and you get to do what you love it's like even though on paper you're not a millionaire you're a millionaire as far as I'm I'm sad I'm my soul is satisfied and grateful getting to do what I love to do so when you bring back Arnold's on January the 8th are we doing Arnold's after dark probably not to start with you know we let our liquor license go we are going to be doing you know what I'm going to be trying to focus in on is getting everything going Monday through Saturday daytime and then looking for the next spot so I'm I'm I am rigorously looking and talking to people looking around I've talked to my buddy Elliot Kyle who we all know is one of the best commercial real estate absolutely he is the best and he's helped he's been talking to me about a few places and he's been helping me so it's like but I'm kind of like you know knowing what I want and knowing what I don't want what do you want what what I want are you looking what tell me about the next place what do you can you give us any what are we looking forward to what do you want what are you looking for what are you looking for if I got the perfect ideal spot it would be something in the five to ten mile radius of downtown that was a cool old brick building that has character to have to be brick but this that's kind of the if I was to envision this as my perfect place old brick building kind of you know old stone just kind of older looking and I don't want a fancy place I want to dive because that's what we've always been something with soul

40:34something with character and by far definitely a parking lot it's got to have you know we've had people that have talked to us about places and it didn't have a parking lot and I'm like look that's not going to cater to the people that are my customers my customers they like their cars as do most people in Nashville and they gonna have you know we cater to the locals we're not there to cater to the out of towners and that's our bread and butter and so brick building old school vibe preferably something with a that's already had a grease trap and possibly a hood because let's say those are the two most expensive things you know it's like I'm not looking to try to go in debt in this economy trying to survive so it's like I don't want to spend two three million dollars trying to get something right because to me that's gonna then I'm already behind the eight ball and I'm already trying to get out you know get out of the the well alive and it's like I don't I I know that if I hold off right something will land in my lap and that's what you know I'm not going to try to go into somewhere spending millions of dollars and and then be struggling and having to have a 24 22 million dollar I mean 22 000 22 000 payment every month it's like because people you mean you got you got to pay like 20 000 a month rent then you got to pay insurance then you got to pay taxes then you got 30 000 before you even open the door and it's like a month that's a lot of food and people don't realize that's the kind of economy as Caroline was saying we're we kind of going against and a lot of these people who aren't who aren't new in the restaurant business they're like oh well I can make this I can make that and they get in then they get in over their head and it's like oh then you're drowning just by and you you had all good intentions but then it adds up and I guess I've seen enough of that I've been lucky to be unfortunately seen enough of that of people that I've known who've gotten over their head who had a successful brand and then went and did something

42:37and it wasn't because the restaurant was successful it was almost they were behind the eight ball the entire time they were drowning because they got in with too much debt so I'm looking for something where I don't have to spend a gazillion dollars going into and something that you know is is just reasonably priced and and has a lot of the economies of of a restaurant already you know hood grease trap you know or in the vicinity have you seen anything that you feel like you maybe possibly have it narrowed down to a few spaces or are you still just like well I had I had something I mean that was when we were closed I had something on on Charlotte and it was uh it was ready to go and he and I had spoke with the owner I had put money down and uh parked everything I wanted and uh and then the guy who owned it fantastic worked with me was ready to do whatever he could to help me and then even when after this happened and if I could go back six months I probably would have even after we found out we weren't they weren't going to close he offered me uh as people in Nashville do he offered me a good deal and I looking back I didn't take it because I was like well I want to make sure this is finished over here and if I could go back in time I'd probably been like all right I'm gonna take that deal you know but it was it was I have been looking and uh that was on Charlotte uh I've also looked at places in Donaldson and before I wanted I was like I'm definitely gonna own because I was gonna take the money I made a little month the little money I made at the property and 1031 it over here now I'm at the point you know if it's a good deal you know like I said I'm not going to pay $20,000 in profit and rent but you know if it's reasonably priced then I will definitely start looking that just to own it just you know even rental but it's not something that I'm going to have to spend a million dollars to pay for build-up it's that's going to be tough you know fortunately been around

44:42long enough I think that I'm can hold out to find exactly what I want you know so I'm going to get back to restaurant but that's the reason I'm not doing Arnold's after dark it's like I'm going to be focused opening the restaurant and I want and I yeah and I'm going to be there so it's like during the daytime you will I will be there Monday through Saturday there but it's like at night I'm not going to focus as much on that and start trying to get the next place going you know and that's you know now that I have now that my son and my brother mon you know we're going to be kind of doing it they've got my back you know so it's like I'm going to going to be able to focus on something else so the new operationally whatever comes next would you call it Arnold's do you have a name oh yeah it's definitely going to be okay so it's going to be Arnold's 2.0 in the new yes location you kind of mentioned I read the article from Chris Chamberlain in the scene where you said it's not it might not be the same line service it might not be a buffet style what is your thoughts on operationally how it's going to operate the new one if you if in a dream scenario like what would you like to do well it's kind of like it's kind of like what uh Nicky's is doing you know I mean that's what we kind of did at night sometimes you know we would do you'd come there you order uh and then you have people taking care of you making sure if you don't need anything else but it's kind of it's it's you know the lot the line was a brilliant idea from my dad it was the greatest equalizer because you could people were in line they were staying busy going through line then you had people at table so it kind of it was their way of waiting and not realizing you kind of had them put off over here so it's like while the people are in the tables and then the people eat and have a couple drinks and get out and by the time they're done with that it kind of feeds through perfectly you know it's a great equalizer so it's like it'd be something similar to that where you know in this way the the reason

46:49I was thinking of being able to run out food it gives us a little more time to put a little more love in the food that when you're in line you try to hurry up and you're trying to you know put it all together real fast and this gives and this also opens it up to being able to have a little different stuff on the menu you know you know I've even thought of doing a hybrid where you would have a lunch line and then night so dinner sit down dinner you know uh just allowing us to incorporate you know maybe I wanted to do some ribeye from bear creek or something like that you know so it's like it allows that kind of ideology to behind it you know and uh so that's that's the reason I you know I I've go back and forth because I have a lot of people in the restaurant industry like Jim Myers is like you're not having a line I don't understand you're trying to explain to him and Jim's like no I don't think that's a good idea you have to have the line you have to have the line and it's like you know and so the good thing is I'm opening back up with the line so everybody that wanted it thought I was going away from it there you're getting ready to have it so yeah I mean that's what I think about the new place it's like I yes I'd want a line but it's like this allows me to do a little more at night and uh and impossible in the daytime so that's that's kind of the thinking behind that and uh and let's be honest we like being able to go somewhere at times and being pampered and you don't think of carrying your tray and stuff like that being pampered you know it's like lunchtime I see you just off from work I got time I'm gonna go get my lunch I'm gonna it kind of makes sense yeah dinner time bring the wife and kids or husband and whoever but like going to sitting down and having a formal it's a formal just even like you do Nicky's is perfect well and I will say we do get a line you know when all the tables are full a line forms so which was the last time I

48:51was there like a couple weeks ago well big line different different but I do have to say you know when we switched to that service style during the pandemic we really took that inspiration from martin's and edley's and so much of what we do operationally we really model after those guys you know pat martin in particular is somebody who we look and say hey he's doing great what's he doing how can we try to to emulate that you know and and he's always been such a great I think it's brilliant and the way that when we did it that a couple times and what it did what you know kind of the line or everything the mentality is that everybody you can take care of your employees better you really believe it or not everybody gets everybody gets to share the tip money you don't have people bickering I don't get into that they they get paid more than me you know yes you do have bickering in the restaurant industry and not saying the servers are the ones that always do it but no but it's like you get you get to almost take care your employees better too that way everybody gets to share money everybody gets paid almost the same it's like you get to take that tip money and give it back and it almost feel better I felt great when I was doing night and it was like there was just like five of us there and it was like we would make tips and I was like oh and they I would see them they'd be so much happier like oh we get to share all this money so it's like uh it's it's good in that aspect and as she's saying it's it almost makes it more functioning the more you adapt it and uh and you get to see like you like pat and all these places now pat has several martins and you're like wait a second this guy got to know what he's doing he's onto something he's onto something and he I mean and then pat is very hands-on knows what's going on in his restaurants visits them and and is always trying to see what's the new what's the next thing and uh work for nicky's uh that says a lot it does it's interesting just thinking about that model and and maybe I haven't thought about it

50:57well and being able to pivot like that yeah I mean most restaurants a lot of restaurants I mean once you if you change something you know my my so my ex-father-in-law was the original uncle bud buddy rogers you know so I got to hear when I was first starting up in my 20s I got to hear a lot from him too like you can't you change something and it's it's probably the death of you in a restaurant you can't change like he would he would always his favorite one of his favorite things was saying he would go to he had a server at one of his restaurants or he would either was that there at his or somebody else's and he would go in and once they the server changed that had been there for 20 years everything about the place changed and it was like he was always like change is hard you know and you got to be careful doing it because it can change you can also kill a restaurant it's very easy to kill a restaurant you know one little change and oh he's I don't think he's wrong well listen I really don't think we would have been able to do that if not for the pandemic I think that if the pandemic never happened and we just did that arbitrarily one day I don't think that it would have well and you guys are there though you know too which helps a lot you guys are there you sharing the love I mean that's one reason why like I'm always there you you're there you're taking care of your customers you're sharing the love you're you're given and people reciprocate that and it's like yeah you you had to do it because the pandemic and and it's worked out for you but it's also you guys were there to nurture it along the way too so it's like you know to make sure you guys are there to make sure that it it worked out and it's like I think that's what a lot of people don't realize in a restaurant it's like yeah you could have changed the server or whatever else but were the owners there to make sure everything went the way that this is their baby and usually no usually you have you know it's like you have a people who own restaurants and then you have the people you hire to run it and it's like and they don't have the love you have for it and I think that's one thing that's made Arnold successful is we have always been there some Arnold's whether my dad or my mother my brother

52:58sisters somebody's always been there you guys did you and Tony and it's like you know you've got to be there to to share the love to share your vision and your love and your gratefulness of the people coming in and that I think that shows off no matter kind of what it is is yeah the owner of our restaurant Stephen smithing for Green Hills Grill Marable he's the absolute mayor like and he's it's almost a point towards like a fault you know what I mean where every single Sunday he's at the Green Hills Grill every single Friday night every single every night he's there and he's not there because he's needed operationally he's there because he needs to see the people he needs people come in and they expect to see him there and that's a familiarity he has worked I've told me that I said you've done such an amazing job at the grill of just owning it I mean as literally being an owner but being in the building shaking hands kissing babies but it's almost an addiction I feel like it's like dude you need to go be with your family this Sunday he's like well this is kind of my other family and I need to go see all these people's families it's like he's right I mean that's it though it's the reason that's been there so long successful is because he comes in and people you lead by example you know it's leading by example is huge and people see that and they respect you more if they see you there more they're willing to follow you you know if you're a leader and you're leading by example there is no better way to to have employees they respect you more and they'll work harder for you if they see you you're you're you're willing to do the dishes you're willing to to be there you're not just coming once a month barking at people you're they see you love it and they're your love is you know infectious if you can if you show love other people it'll reciprocate and that's the way you know that's what I've always fed off of Arnold's that's what I missed more than anything in the past year it's and that's what what I was missing in the pandemic when we first talked it

55:04was like I missed that I missed the reciprocation of people I missed the love from what I was getting from the customers and I think running a good restaurant and aiming and being a good manager running good restaurant is being present in being there I think it's helped any successful business that's important well Khalil I tell you what man I I'm so excited for you I'm excited I know you got butterflies right now you've got so much going on it's gonna be if it's gonna be a fun next few months I mean that's for sure I will I did not come the final week that you guys were open because I felt like and I wanted to but I felt like there are so many people in there and I was like they're gonna run I feel like I don't want to just show up like hey I came to do that and I should have I should have come in and said goodbye to Arnold's formally well I mean not a lot of I was afraid to go to the funeral not a lot of places get a second chance to say a second goodbye I will definitely be there like day one I appreciate it and I appreciate everybody that came and it was amazing that we didn't quite we ran out of food kind of at the last person that Saturday night and it was kind of crazy how that worked out it was kind of it's like been doing it forever and you kind of which I have kind of know exactly how it all worked out and it was like we ran out of some things but we always were able to feed people and it was but I I'm grateful I get a chance to to say goodbye and to to kind of honor the customers and and it's my way of saying thank you to them for now and you get for now you'll get to do it again in a whole yeah yeah I'm excited and I appreciate everybody that all the customers that will take care of us because I mean without them like I said they're my bread and butter they the local people of Nashville are freaking awesome and supportive and and amazing so I'm just grateful well we do a

57:10final thought maybe that's your final thought I don't know but Gordon food service is our title sponsor and they sponsor a final thought so whatever you want to say to take us out I think I think you know 2024 is grateful I appreciate everybody for the love and support uh hopefully they felt it back from Arnold's over the years and this is our way of kind of saying thank you and uh I mean who knows what 2024 has but looking forward to it and if it might have more than one Arnold's open at one time I mean anything's possible in this upcoming year stop that's a tease listen to that they might have more than one Arnold's open at one time what anything it's 2024 baby anything's possible 2023 was great kind of getting over the pandemic and everything involved in it 2024 it's going to be uh any it's going to be a crazy year because you might have more than one Arnold's and you might have a freaking election you know what's more important an election yeah well you never talk about that yet yeah what's more important you know let's let's you know I guess my main thing of 2024 is going out and supporting restaurants locally owned independently owned restaurants by you never know if they're going to be there six months from now so to me that's one of the most important things you know go to the McCabe's go to the Nicky's go to the Arnold's go to the Wildcows go to your place otaku black dynasty you know go to your places that you you enjoy because you don't know if they're going to be there in six months so my favorite thing is when people hear that McCabe's just goes man I haven't been there in years I'm like so that that's the that could be a reason why that could be a reason I think the main reason why is that the family's been there the Dean family's been there a long time and they're just probably ready for the next chapter too I'm sure as my as my mom was you know as my mom is and I mean my mom she's put her time in she's ready to reap the rewards of what she's done and just kind of you know go sit on the beach and with our our mentality was with

59:11eighty thousand dollar property tax a year which will be going up in the next year so it's like it would have been hard for me to carry that note and pay her in retirement you know and that's that was the plan but it was like wait a second she's like you can you can take a break do something else and I can she she would never the problem also the problem she would never going to let it be if that building was still there she was never going to let go we saw it we tried we talked about it like I said we were thinking about time for her to retirement and she was never going to walk away if that building was still and that's her baby yeah you know so it's like you're okay I'm going to go to the beach and blah blah and I was going to pay and then it's like you know wait a second with high property taxes with uh with you even though you're saying you're going to walk away just like right now she's not supposed to be a part of this we'll see can we get an update on what rose is up to uh like what's she been up to the last year like because I think we've talked about this but like she's been she's been up to grand baby she's been up to uh uh she's been up to trying to get that trying to figure out the property trying to figure out what right for you know she takes everything emotionally so it's trying to figure out what's right for her children her grandchildren you know to her that was you know taking care of all her grandchildren and all of her customers you know a lot of those people are like family to her into family to us so it's like you know she's trying to I know it sucked muscle I know it sucked her soul too so you know but she's healthy doing good doing a lot of pilates you know a lot of pilates just trying to figure out what what's what's right and what's what's the next chapter for her amazing uh well cinder are our best I will thank you for thank you for asking about her and uh we again thank you for coming in this has been fun of please come back once you oh I will once I know the next once you know once you get open or whatever it is yeah I might even

01:01:12be like you know before it drops be like I'll drop it here and what better place than do it locally with with great people we'd love that we we would always love that um but thank you thank you again and uh happy new year happy new year happy new year happy new year big thank you goes out to Khalil Arnold for joining us on the podcast today thank you for all that information thank you for listening stay tuned next week as Brian Baxter from the catbird seat will be joining us the following week we're gonna be talking with Max Goldberg from strategic hospitality the owner of the catbird seat and the week after we're talking with Christina who is the owner of the legendary milkshake bar and we may have some testimony from our dry january event that we did where we were uh driving your markets we're gonna have some people talk to us and see if we can't put that upside out as a bonus thank you all for listening hope that you're being safe out there happy new year love you guys bye