Latest / The Weekly Run / Rose Colored Glasses | #26
Transcript
- Jeff Perera: Welcome to the weekly run. I'm Jeff. And we are talking about what's hot at Jeff's Bagel Run this week. And Aaron, it has been a couple of weeks since we've been together. Aaron: I'm Aaron. It is. I was wondering if you're gonna remember the intro. If you had to like dig it out of the the memory bank, if you were gonna be ready for it. Mine's easy, I just say my name, but you know. ⁓ You crammed. Jeff Perera: I studied I studied before just to make sure I had it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I d I didn't have my no no teleprompter. No Just made sure. Aaron: Well I'm I'm impressed that you know that you're you're dialed in. You've been ⁓ a man about the world recently. It's been a lot of traveling. The the the great bagel tour of summer twenty six continues. Jeff Perera: Yeah. It it continues. Yeah, we Danielle and I wrapped up North Carolina just last week. We visited the stores in Forest and Rollsville and then opened the Glenlake location, which is like downtown Raleigh or is to downtown Raleigh, ⁓ and then we popped over to Wilmington and opened a brand new store there. ⁓ So it and she Aaron: Crazy. It's good. Jeff Perera: She's she's in Charlotte, finishing up. So all six stores in North Carolina ⁓ been will have been visited by the end of this week and got to see got seen by us, which is crazy. First of all, six stores in North Carolina, that's the largest market of Jeff's Bagel Run stores outside of Florida. Aaron: Well Which is saying something because we've got we have now i it's about to be four in Texas and four in South Carolina. So it's like it's not like it's getting it as a freebie. Like there's other markets that are ready to challenge that So it's wild how region is growing. Jeff Perera: I'm excited for growth we're about to have ⁓ the market, North Georgia, ⁓ We've got a couple of franchisees have been onboarded and we've got a store that's gonna open probably in August up in that area ⁓ and ⁓ like ⁓ or three more that are just ⁓ chomping at the bit get started up there. So ⁓ such a ⁓ such concentration of in the Atlanto Metro market that ⁓ Aaron: Yeah. Jeff Perera: when I look at maps now and I try to figure out where a place like Cumming Georgia is, it's it's just like another huge suburb. It's the twenty twenty six version of what in my two thousand and two mind Alpharetta, Georgia was. Like I didn't if anybody who's listening in the the Atlanta area, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Everyone else was like, what are these suburbs? Nobody cares. But it's the it's like the radial rings of a of a tree growing out the Atlanta. Aaron: Yeah. Well and and I think we've really proven just through you know, experience is sort of backed into it, i it's all really following a lot of the same patterns that that the original market here in Orlando did, where it really it's it's that broader metro area. ⁓ And know, sometimes those stores in those towns that you might not know unless you're a local ⁓ are ones that ⁓ that And just do the absolute best. It's, you know, because again, it we've talked about this bunch of times, but as really a sort of a community focused establishment, like we're not looking for the highest foot traffic just randomly. It's got to be the right customer base, the right fit, a community that really wants to embrace a place like a Jeff's. And and that model's proven out time and time again. It's just funny to see it as you like, sure, it's how it happened here, but then to see that proven in other geographies, you know, that are not here, it's cool. Jeff Perera: It is fun to see like the Wake Forest location was our first franchise first opening outside of Florida. And, has now his third store in the Raleigh market, but Forest was a lot like Ocoee ⁓ It was ⁓ kinda like just okay estate in neighborhood, definitely not like corner main. ⁓ his next door a little bit Aaron: Yeah. Jeff Perera: And then this third store is like in an office complex behind a mall with a hundred thousand cars driving by it every day. Like it's in s it's wild. ⁓ ⁓ correct. Yes. ⁓ Yes. Just in Raleigh. Yeah, it's pretty neat to see. And ⁓ I'm excited for that growth. I think it's fun. The team in Wilmington did an amazing job getting the store open. ⁓ had Aaron: It's like the difference between a Ocoee and colonial in Orlando, just out, you know, in in Raleigh. ⁓ Yeah. Yeah, that store was was I saw some early pictures of that store was beautiful. Jeff Perera: Great location. It is it's such a neat like it's a beach town. Aaron: Yeah. We've talked about this. The beach towns need bagel shops, man. This is a it's a necessary element. Jeff Perera: They do. It's a part of your ride to work, it's a part of your Saturday at the beach, it's you know, after church on Sunday. These are the things that we saw while we were there and it's exciting to know that franchise owners in these communities can connect with their neighbors and their friends and they can really build something out of out of Jeff's Bagel Run. for themselves, which is really neat. So great to see it. I'm excited for They've had a just a fantastic week, ⁓ you post opening and ⁓ they're great. ⁓ Aaron: And now comes the the next wave of openings. Brace ourselves. Jeff Perera: I'm headed to Houston this week to open the Tanglewood location on Friday. I'm excited about that. And I'm pretty sure there's one a week until maybe honestly, maybe 'til the end of the year. I I really Aaron: Yeah, I think I think that's the way they've all spread out. I mean with with construction you never know. So it's always the question of whether or not that's gonna be one a week or three in one week, but you know, but they as it's as it's been before. But but yeah, we've got a pretty busy schedule from here on out. ⁓ it's it's wild. Jeff Perera: Ha ha ha ha ha. Yeah, it looks like we're I'm gonna have to go back to episode one to see what the prediction model was, but like I can't I don't remember what I said but I think we're tracking towards like fifty five right now, so Aaron: ⁓ yeah, that's right. We're gett ⁓ god, I can't believe we're at this point in the year. Which I think is higher. We'd have to check the tapes, but I believe that we were conservative in the forties. Telling you, man. Jeff Perera: I think I was conservative, but I I think I might have put a stretch goal like sixty-two or something ridiculous. I can't I don't it's the fact that we've done so many episodes we have to go back and review Erin is fascinating. Just check it. Yeah. ⁓ Aaron: Possibly. Review the tapes, man. Didn't you did you always wanna say that? And w and by review the tapes we don't just mean like last episode, 'cause there's three. Jeff Perera: I mean, when you say review the tapes, it definitely ages us. Aaron: It does. I don't even like I don't even know what the equivalent today is. Jeff Perera: I don't even know if the kids are say ⁓ today the equivalent is do you have the receipts? Yeah. Aaron's not keeping receipts. He's like, I don't what I need those for? That's ridiculous. great opening ⁓ in in Wilmington, ⁓ fantastic in Glen the week before that. Just ⁓ really exciting to see the growth the franchisees are having and stores Aaron: I don't I don't know that. I s I Jeff Perera: continue to perform. It's awesome. So ⁓ I'm really happy, I'm thrilled. It's been a fun summer. Kids tagged along to North Carolina. It was super fun ⁓ and it's exciting see them ⁓ participate in the process and ⁓ get in there and, ⁓ wanna cut a ribbon and sweep a floor and the which is really great. it's been fun. Aaron: Yeah. You c you can't ask for a better experience and for them. ⁓ Again, their own path, but it's just ⁓ for to see what it looks like in practice and for them to ⁓ see you know it ⁓ what like to and and they get to see it do two levels. What you guys have done, ⁓ the business, then these new business owners and what that process looks like is just great for them to ⁓ great ⁓ Jeff Perera: Hundred percent. No, a hundred percent. They love it because, you know, they know our store experience. They they watch us supporting the franchise company and building the systems and the tools to help other franchisees be successful. And then they get to go and meet other franchisees and spend time in their stores and, work the marketing table and do all the stuff. It's ⁓ it's It's it's great for Emily. Lucas is a little like, I'm bored, I wanna go sit sit in the corner and play at my iPad but the Emily loves it. Emily loves it. So You know, it's part of the journey. Aaron: He you know, he just might be into maybe he's more on like the menu and the flavor tasting and he just gotta find the right role. Jeff Perera: Yeah, he's he's young still, so we'll get there. But been an exciting ⁓ summer tour ⁓ ⁓ week we have a great bagel of the day lineup. And I know we usually drop these episodes on Thursday, so we'll be deep into this menu by the time anybody hears this podcast, but blueberry week is upon us. And it is ⁓ it is f hot lineup. Today was blueberry lemon. Aaron: Is upon us. Jeff Perera: Tomorrow blueberry pancake. Aaron: Which is a winner. That one just is so good. Jeff Perera: Well well which is which is your favorite of the blueberry? Aaron: Probably the blueberry pancake. I mean some of the new ones are w are wild and I thought they were interesting. But the blueberry pancake is just it's classic. Jeff Perera: Is it? Okay, so blueberry muffin has been my my new favorite of the bagels of the day that are in the in the mix. And that's just ⁓ blueberry bagel topped with ⁓ brown sugar, graham cracker crumble, and then we drizzle it with the blueberry icing. That one to me has been my favorite, but the we have th three new ones that launch. I think they star Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. So blueberry lavender. Blueberry bagel top of the lavender icing, very good. Blueberry everything, which Aaron: Which is a controversial one. Jeff Perera: I mean there's a lot of I I can't wait to see what my DMs look like on f on Friday morning for blueberry. Aaron: Which is a good warm up for the pumpkin season coming up and some of the exciting things associated with that. So I'm Jeff Perera: I can't I still can't wait to share that episode. I've got like I keep going back and like I'm like waiting to edit it because I know we did all the pumpkin taste testing together a few weeks ago live. It was super fun, but blueberry everything is gonna mess with people's brains. And then I think my and might end up being like a a new favorite is blueberry ricotta honey. Aaron: Tip saying so this is a good this is a good warm up. Jeff Perera: This is a blueberry bagel where we spread ricotta cheese, bake it on, and then drizzle it with honey after. I there's something about that cheese and honey that just I don't know, the blueberry it it makes me think like charcuterie board. Aaron: Yeah. I haven't had that what what day is that one on? I haven't had that one yet. I didn't taste that one. Saturday? Jeff Perera: That that's Saturday. Yeah. So and then we close the week out with a classic blueberry cinnamon sugar. So you can't go wrong. Like and we have like honestly the whole blueberry lineup is awesome. Aaron: So my wife is a huge blueberry bagel fan, so I gotta get her I gotta get some of these for her. If she once she finds out that it's blueberry week, then I'm gonna have to make a lot of trips to the store. Jeff Perera: Yeah, sh yeah, don't don't miss this one. Or she might be blue. Aaron: ⁓ that's terrible. That's terrible. I mean Father's Day's been recent, but that's still No, that's gonna stay. That's gonna stay. That one you need credit for that one. Jeff Perera: Sorry. I gotta throw ⁓ that was a bad one. That was I can edit that, right? ⁓ So I'll take credit for it, even if it was bad. We're rolling right from Blueberry into like an international flavors week or World Cup week. I'm not exactly sure how the marketing team is going to spin this one, but we have a week full of international inspired There are three new ones as well in the mix that I'm really, really excited about. The first one is the Chimichuri Bagel. Aaron: Which sound like should ⁓ or even together. Jeff Perera: It's a this one's a dough, so a lot of times we'll put toppings to achieve the flavor profile, but this one's a new dough, so this is parsley, garlic, oregano, all mixed into the dough. It's very good. Aaron: Mm-hmm. So I for one am ⁓ big fan of when we introduce new dough. I'll tell you why. Because I feel like every time we introduce a new dough, ⁓ like this ⁓ ⁓ of new flavors and new ⁓ new bagels of the day that come from that dough because that like everything gets riffed off that dough. So once you introduce like a really like like our scallion dough did that. ⁓ the ⁓ this the tomato bag sun dried tomato dough ⁓ had a couple of great variants. So like I'm always excited when a new dough comes into the mix because I feel like it's always it always ends up being more than that that one bagel. Jeff Perera: Yes. Sun dried tomato. Mm-hmm. Yeah, and there's already another bagel planned, I think, for it in the future. There this this dough has got some legs to it. I think the the combination Chimichuri's just a dough. It's it's very nice. there's some red pepper flakes in there as well, so it gives a little bit of heat. The other one that I'm I I hate to say I'm really excited for because I think both of these two bagels are good, but the one that I'm most looking forward to is the miso sesame. Aaron: That was the Chimichuri just the j just the dough? Ooh, and you know why I've I've had this one. This one I've had. Jeff Perera: This this is the one that this is the one that ⁓ when we did the taste testing I served it to you while you were on a call out on the patio at the office and so ⁓ Aaron: Yeah. And quite frankly, just almost left the call. Just stopped it right there. It's a good thing. It was good. Jeff Perera: Yeah, you were you were into this one. It's a good bagel. And it's such a simple bagel. It's just a regular sesame bagel. And then post bake, we hit it with a little bit of we're calling it Japanese barbecue sauce, but it's essentially like a soy sauce ginger mix of onion, garlic flavors. It's a really, really good. Aaron: It's good though, but I think what makes it so good is it kinda gets that it's it's like it's just a little sticky like a like a good glaze would be. So it just and then the sesame on it gives you that toastiness. It's good. It's just it's just a banger. Jeff Perera: It's real good. And the third new one is guava cheese. This was a bagel that came out of our apopka store during National Bagel Day back in January as their baker's choice. And this one is also delicious. I I think if Aaron: This one surprised me. Jeff Perera: If you're a fan of Latin pastries ⁓ this is going to hit the mark for you as like a pastelito, is that what they call it? I think it's pastelito. ⁓ it is guava thin the top the bagel. And then we melt a slice of mozzarella cheese on top. And when you melt that cheese and it gets crispy with the chewiness of the dough and the sweetness of the guava, you you feel like you're eating like a flaky pastry. I c it's hard to describe it. It's just ugh so good. Aaron: That was what got me as so as a transplanted northerner that is in the south, I had like my first experience with guava pastries was as an adult. So I remember it, you know, clearly and I'm like, wow, this is magic. This has been hiding down here the whole time. Had no idea. And I think that's when I first had the bagel, that's what really hit me was the the cheese isn't really like cheese. It I mean it's there and the flavor profile is there, but like Jeff Perera: Ha ha ha. Aaron: Like you said, it it acts more as it makes you feel like you're eating like a flaky pastry. 'Cause it just locks everything in and has a little bit of crisp and a little bit of crumble as you bite in and yeah, it was awesome. It w that's another one of those ones where there's there's a very small subset, we talked about this a little bit before, but like there's a very small subset of of bagels where it's like you can just kinda eat it and there's just really no need for cream cheese. And this is one of those bagels where 'cause you diced it up in the office and I just kept Jeff Perera: Yes. ⁓ Hundred percent. Aaron: grabbing little squares and I'm just like, this is just good. Just doesn't need anything else. Jeff Perera: It's it doesn't need anything else. It is an a it's just a it's like eat it like a donut. Just eat it like a donut. Eat it like a pastry. 'Cause that's what it is. It's a pastry. Aaron: Listen, don't desserts need to be a w be on notice because we're starting to build up a little bit of a backlog of of sweet bagels that really are defining the logic of you know the crossing boundaries. And I I I I worry, I worry for these other these other breakfast Jeff Perera: I know, but but I If you're a purveyor of sweet breakfast goods, watch out. That's what I'm saying. Aaron's like watch out. Aaron: That's what I'm saying. Why do I need to go to more than one place? That's what I'm saying. Jeff Perera: I love it. I love it. Well those are the exciting things I think that are happening. The rest of the week is ⁓ I wish maybe I talked about the rest of the week. Or just tease the three new ones and let it let it drop. Let's do that. We'll tease the three new ones. There's some other international flavors coming. We got a couple more flavors in them in the mix that I'm really excited about. But those three new ones have got me just ready for World Cup week or whatever we're calling it. Aaron: I can't wait until, you know, four years now ⁓ when, you know, Jeff's is ⁓ all over United States and World Cup back around and then everybody can have the international flavors ⁓ Jeff Perera: the World Cup in general, I mean, we are a sports podcast as well, so we should talk briefly about the World Cup. The games have been just awesome to watch. Even if you're not ⁓ a you know, devout follower of the beautiful game, there's been enough buzz around what's happening in the Cup this year that if you catch highlights, you've gotta be impressed with what's happening out there. It's such great games. Aaron: It's true. All my friends are now soccer people who were not before. They're all experts, so it's great to have these conversations. And they're like, ⁓ yeah, and like I remember you liking soccer three months ago. But you don't care because it's not it's like that's not the point. The point is is it's about identity and culture and countries and just seeing this sort of play out on you know on this tableau of this game, and it's it's it's a lot of fun. And I Jeff Perera: Yeah. Aaron: I I don't know, it's it's been really exciting to watch and it's neat culturally just to have people some visit. I can't wait for again you talk about the the Scots in in Boston or you know, the Moroccan team in nowhere, Missouri. And I just can't wait for you know the future when they come in and you know I we've got international people inside of ⁓ you know, I want I want a a Scott in in in in a Jess Bagel run in Wyoming to have a haggis bagel, you like just I can't wait till all of that comes together. ⁓ I think we'll be ready for twenty thirty. We'll be ready. Jeff Perera: Ha ha ha. That'll be really fun. We'll be ready. definitely ⁓ been fun. The way the world has gotten so small with communication between TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, whatever, like all the social media platforms really allow this instant access to what's happening around ⁓ us any given time and it is so fun and I have been ⁓ riveted the storytelling ⁓ of in America, people coming to follow their teams and then like ⁓ Aaron: ⁓ my favorite part. Jeff Perera: What do you mean? This is nothing like what I was told or you know, ⁓ I can't believe they allow you to have these energy drinks or like the the it's just so fun to see someone put it on the internet. It was like a great little meme. It was like this is like when cousins get together but their parents don't like each other. ⁓ They have best time ever ⁓ and ⁓ know, they can't tell anybody. But ⁓ it's been fun. The World Cup has been great ⁓ and it's been a nice ⁓ it's been a nice distraction from a relatively quiet sports summer usually. So I mean baseball you can only watch so much baseball. So Aaron: Yes, I I saw that. ⁓ sh well, you know. Jeff Perera: That's we'll just leave it there. We don't wanna make the ⁓ baseball fans mad. They play a lot of baseball. So yeah, there's a lot of games. ⁓ A lot games. ⁓ but not is like roses at the bagel run all the time. ⁓ We ⁓ we've been ⁓ some challenges this around, supply chain and technology and new store stuff and I don't know, it's just ⁓ Aaron: They play a lot of baseball, that's all I can say. A lot a lot of baseball is played. I refuse to believe it. Well you you just visited a bunch of stores. What's what's the biggest pain point that you're hearing or feeling? So maybe if you're not even hearing it directly, like what is what is top of mind for you right now after being like in store in a bunch of locations so recently? Jeff Perera: Yeah, so I think it if I was gonna boil it down to one thing, it's probably staffing and people. shows that because it's training new people on new ⁓ technology, it's ⁓ having ⁓ resources the teams ⁓ you know, to draw And so I think ⁓ what we're where we're the gaps ⁓ in ⁓ operations and I know Danielle and her team have done an incredible job of rebuilding ⁓ playbook ⁓ ⁓ it ⁓ the same time that we're ⁓ these technology pieces and adding these enhancements. ⁓ that's all happening, sales are still growing, so stores are just getting busier while happening, So ⁓ I think it's just there's a lot of moving parts and and because of that the people become part of the challenge, whether it's, stores have, a gap in leadership or stores have a gap in the amount of people on the team that they need and they're trying to chase that because summer staffing can be difficult. ⁓ I think the the last couple of weeks have been a little bit softer. I think travel around the holidays specifically, so ⁓ Aaron: Yeah. Jeff Perera: I think we might have been down slightly in door swings but hasn't really reflected in in sales, so store teams are just trying to like keep their heads above water. Aaron: And that reminds me sort of of the way that I always like to think about technology and and ⁓ side of the ⁓ house, so to speak, ⁓ it's tough to when you're building something, ⁓ whether be a piece of software, a piece of technology, an entire business ⁓ like ⁓ it's easy like solving problems is the sort of the name of the game. That's the the job is. And so it's very easy to get sort of ⁓ overwhelmed that. And feel like nothing's right and nothing is like, ⁓ my goodness, we're never gonna get dig ourselves out of this hole or solve this thing because there's always the next thing. Because you're building. That's that's what it is. But it doesn't feel like that. It's hard to have that perspective when you're sort of in the trenches. I always like to tell myself wanna keep an eye out for the quality of the problems. And as long as the quality of the problems is continually lifting, everything's great. You're you know, you're seriously, like you're you're you're you're getting there. But ⁓ if you if you in introspect those and you're like, no, is not the same problems again. And they're a higher order, higher quality of problems than Jeff Perera: Yeah, yeah. Aaron: Then that's a progress. ⁓ we're recognizing the fact that we have that next tier of problems that tier of challenges. so when I think about Danielle redoing ⁓ lot of operation manuals, perfect, that means we outgrew previous ones, Because the core problems have were solved, but they're no longer solved because ⁓ we do more volume there's more complexity in the store or ⁓ there's new tools that are available. Jeff Perera: Yeah. Aaron: So let's improve. Same thing with us on the software side, a lot of what we're doing right now around data ⁓ and just providing a lot more data to and a lot more data to operators ⁓ and Jeff Perera: Mm-hmm. Aaron: It's just it's it's there's a ton of stuff we're working on, but it's data that we didn't even consider. Nobody cared to even ask a year and a half ago. It's like that data was not even relevant. We're not even mature enough to even think about that data. Jeff Perera: Yeah. Yeah. Aaron: I also think we're really getting challenged by new by n by new franchisees in, which is ⁓ again, I I to see it. ⁓ it it can be hard in the moment when, ⁓ people come in then they raise the bar. ⁓ You know, they raise the they raise their on every side. ⁓ Jeff Perera: No doubt. Aaron: of sort of the you know, every every sort of piece of the the operation. so it's it's great to see ⁓ that challenge because I again I ⁓ at this year feels ⁓ completely different ⁓ than last year. Jeff Perera: I mean we are halfway through the year, right? We're like right at the halfway mark. It's July. It's July. And it is a it's kinda hard to look back to January and think like, ⁓ well, I don't even remember what we were working on. Aaron: I know, we're not I'm reflecting on the year and it's June or July. I couldn't tell ya. 'Cause I would probably get it wrong by like a year. I'd be like, ⁓ we did this It's like, No, we did that two years ago or two weeks ago. Jeff Perera: I couldn't tell you. Yeah. But I can't even remember what a prediction was for how many stores we might open. I that because of the pace of the business and how fast we're moving and new operators onboarding, ⁓ ⁓ honestly, stores getting busier. And I think as stores get busier it adds complexity ⁓ to supply chain. adds ⁓ you know, it's thing to grow the business ⁓ by store count. another thing to grow the business by volume. But to do those two things together ⁓ Aaron: Mm-hmm. Jeff Perera: and try to run predictive analytics on how many cold cups you're gonna need when the cold cup drinks are selling at, I don't know, a a make up a number, seventy percent more than we anticipated. So that's a and it's outpacing the Aaron: Hello. Jeff Perera: the trajectory of s total sales, right? Is there's so many layers to the to the to what's happening. So so we run out of things like Cold Cops or we didn't have enough catering boxes or, you know, one distribution center had three new stores pop into it and so suddenly they're ⁓ sucking inventory of the pool ⁓ Aaron: Yeah. Just taps them immediately. Jeff Perera: No, it's it's quite fascinating and I'm I'm sitting in a honestly in a seat of privilege watching Danielle be the that manages all this 'cause, you know, ⁓ I mean, she's the best. It's cool to to watch the business grow and see her talent shine and team are just ⁓ the best, Aaron: And I think that you you bring up a good point about that dual dimension. And I think that's probably one of the most challenging things of this stage is that you really sort of are employing two different strategies because growing volume is a completely different animal than than growing breadth, like of the stores. And so everything that we do to increase the store count. Jeff Perera: Yeah. Aaron: I won't say doesn't apply to the other and vice versa, but they're not the overlap's not as as much as you'd you'd want to to be efficient. There really are two sort of strategies. No, because you know, when you think about expanding geographies Jeff Perera: It's not as c It's not as Yeah, it's not as clean as you want it to be. Yeah. Aaron: That's things like, okay, we need new distribution centers. We need to stand all these things up. Well you can't optimize something as you stand it up. That does that's not how it works. Because if you we have this problem in technology all the time where We want to introduce new workflows, new features into the software, and we literally have to sort of plan when we're gonna release them because we're gonna go and open three new stores. And we've literally held off certain releases because it just felt cruel to open a store and then two days later change the way something works. Or in the worst case, we train them on something. They went back to their store and then the day they're about to open, we change things. And so again, there's Jeff Perera: Yeah. Aaron: just completely two different strategies that we're trying to blend right now as as we grow and you see that conflict pop up all the time. And and actually managing that conflict and that boundary is probably one of the things that we spend most the most time doing. Jeff Perera: Well, we in our little circle as a leadership team spend a lot of time managing that. You know. and just honestly staying focused on, a singular endpoint is something that ⁓ can get lost when we're when we have all these ⁓ kind ⁓ derivatives we want to tackle. And so ⁓ the of ⁓ Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. Jeff Perera: getting to an end result for a franchisee to drive a great experience and sales for their business is really like that's the that's the vision. So how do you how do you stay focused on that? How do you get there? That is the hard part, It's really 'cause ⁓ everyone has little bit of pull ⁓ from ⁓ places, ⁓ Aaron: And this is why I like bagel testing and taste tasting. Because that is be it's pure it's the purest art, Jeff. Like I never feel like I'm making the wrong decision with that. Jeff Perera: It is I I feel really fortunate to have the easiest job at Just Bagel Run. Aaron: You get to be Jeff. Jeff Perera: I'm getting to be Jeff is is great. I think there's there might be a lot of external criticism that I maybe have to deal with more so than some other folks. Like you're 'cause every yeah, so Aaron: Well, because every everything's you. It's being Jeff is a two that's a that's a two edged sword, man. Jeff Perera: Yeah. But it is pretty it is pretty fun to to be able to create new things and communicate and be the face of of a brand as it's growing. It it's exciting. You know what got a lot of excitement actually, this is we can wrap this up on the positive note. our bagels accidentally vegan. ⁓ in full transparency I was I've never really ate vegan or vegetarian, I've always been a consumer of ⁓ Aaron: What? Jeff Perera: animal products. And when we made the bagels, it was a really simple ⁓ recipe. Like it was you know, It was water, flour, salt, malt, yeast. ⁓ That's it. ⁓ And someone asked like, are bagels vegan? Do they contain any eggs or dairy products? And I was like, No, it's just these five ingredients. Like, ⁓ it's so great, you know. ⁓ I love that. That's so fantastic. so ⁓ we've sort of always had a a nice following ⁓ of guests ⁓ eat a vegan lifestyle and they're always asking about the bagel of the day what's vegan, what's not vegan, or what's based, what's vegan friendly. And so ⁓ this week finally introduced ⁓ on our weekly ⁓ that we out for the menu ⁓ a little leaf indicate that it is a ⁓ plant based, vegan item. ⁓ you know, while do in kitchens that ⁓ have animal products ⁓ Aaron: ⁓ interesting. Jeff Perera: around there. We can't guarantee anything is completely free from contact. But, you know, our base bagel and a lot of our flavors are are plant based. And so it's a we finally notated that and I was gonna say, it got a lot of ⁓ a lot of attention on the on the interwebs, yeah. People were very happy. So made me happy. It was great. I know. Aaron: Did it. That's awesome. Yeah, yeah, 'cause we've had our vegan line of spreads for a while now, but we've never really let anybody know on the bagel side, like explicitly. Jeff Perera: Yeah. Maybe don't talk about it. Like I mean I I think to be fair, I mean and I would imagine that a large portion of like folks who exclusively eat vegan would agree with this statement. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm shooting myself in the foot and I should have ended when I could have. But I think a lot of times b eating a vegan lifestyle or eating food that's specifically kind of made to be vegan, there's an assumption that it's not gonna taste as good. And so ⁓ you know, we never set out to build ⁓ product that, ⁓ know, in its base format was ⁓ based, ⁓ ⁓ a ⁓ a nice byproduct and it offers a lot of people ⁓ opportunity to enjoy the bagels and so ⁓ having the dairy free, spreads a ⁓ another nice option and we're gonna Aaron: Yeah. Nice compliment. Jeff Perera: We're gonna have I think a new one this fall, people will be excited about, so pumpkin season will we'll bring another Shh. So, I know. So good. but I th that was fun. That was a nice like ⁓ all right, we did something good. You know. Most of the time the internet is you did something bad. So there's like nobody yeah, everybody wants to hate on well, you know. Aaron: So good. That's you know. That's when I know we're gonna ha we're going to have made it. I ha i it's to my knowledge, I haven't done the research, but to my knowledge nobody hates me on the the internet yet because of this. Hates me, yes. That's what I'm saying. So like I haven't made it yet. Until you've attracted hate on the internet. I mean are you even on the internet? That's what I've led to believe. So I'm just waiting. It'll be like it'll probably be a very equally crushing and Jeff Perera: Hates you? Hates you specifically? ⁓ no not yet. We haven't done enough to make you the villain. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Aaron: You know, momentous occasion. Jeff Perera: It feels good and bad at the same time. Aaron: I was gonna say you've probably already crossed the threshold multiple times. Jeff Perera: I remember the first time I got like a negative piece of feedback that was a personal attack on me. And it was I think it was it was yeah, it was it was on Instagram. It might have been Facebook. ⁓ I can't remember specifically. But I did I got a a ⁓ a message that just said, ⁓ Aaron: With the Instagram, the original JBR Instagram or Jeff Perera: You know, it's National Bagel Day. I can't believe you didn't make enough bagels and you sold out or whatever, blah blah blah blah. Like you should have known better. And like they just kinda leaned in on me and I'm like, you know, and I I made the mistake, I replied. Aaron: She's ⁓ you can't. That's one ⁓ one. Jeff Perera: And it it's like, you know, sorry I woke up at three AM and went and made thousands of delicious bagels that you didn't get to, like, ⁓ yeah, it's just it got worse and then it got like, you know, sleep deprived, ugly and I was just like, Sorry, I'm done. Yeah. I that one that one stung and that one actually made me stop reading reviews and replying to n negativity in general. Aaron: Try to justify too. Jeff Perera: ⁓ good thing was is at that point we had someone reading reviews so I didn't have to anymore. I read reviews now 'cause I've detached myself a little bit more from it. I I don't yeah, I don't think I get attacked personally anymore. ⁓ I don't think I've been attacked personally recently, but Aaron: I Like emotionally, yeah. I think it's that transition period. Like we're now getting to the part where it's the brand. Like you're the face, sure, and you're out there, but like I think people they're attacking a name, not you. In those early days, one store, one you know, one experience online, it must have felt very personal. Especially when you're like you said, hand rolling bagels till three in the morning to try and get through a Saturday and it's some guy saying that you're miserable sack of nothing. Jeff Perera: Yeah. I don't like so sorry, sorry, I know. I yeah, I Like for literally while I'm down, like look look man, I'm just like trying to k put my kids to bed. I shouldn't have replied. Good night. You know But that's out there. Yeah, we gotta get you to that level on the pod, Aaron. You gotta Aaron: It's like I'm trying. Kicking at your weakest. Yeah, literally. I that's I'm just waiting, you know, I'm just waiting. That's when I'll know I've arrived is when I've I've I've inspired somebody, an individual in this world, to hate me. I think there's people out there that probably have hated me throughout my life, you know, just I just unbeknownst to me. But to then be motivated to the point of commenting on a a public platform. That's the that's the arrival point. It's my welcome to the NFL moment. Jeff Perera: Yeah. Yeah. Well now you Yeah, you you've you've got a bit of a public platform now, so yeah. We'll ⁓ I know. Well, the beautiful thing about all this, Aaron, is you don't listen and you don't read the comments and you just sorta show up and host and participate. So I'll just send you all the screenshots when they start flowing in. Aaron: I'm not prepared, to be honest, so I can't wait. I'm already there. Excellent. Excellent. That's all I ask. Jeff Perera: That's awesome. Great. All right, well we'll look for hate for Aaron this week in the comments. And beyond that, bake fresh, bring joy, build community. See you next week. Aaron: Ha ha ha.