The Funky Panther
The Funky Panther podcast: Chad, Javier, and Tim deliver high-energy, hilarious banter with random commentary, raunchy humor, and featured guests. Join the fun for an hour-long show that takes you on a refreshing, informative journey through the colorful world of music, news, arts, and entertainment.
The Funky Panther
Recipe for Success with Michael Ferrari Le & Dannie Riel
Crack open a stout and get ready for a wild ride through Fort Worth, because we're bringing the heat with an episode that's as flavorful as it is insightful. We recount a photo development saga that's too funny to miss—nudity, vinegar strokes, and all. But that's just the appetizer. Our special guests, Michael Ferrari Le and Dannie Riel, join us at the table, sharing their tales from the nightlife to the limelight, dishing on everything from tech troubles to the thrill of local sports.
It's a buffet of entrepreneurial spirit as we savor stories of sheer ambition leading to the succulent success of local ventures like Ampersand. Digest the hard-earned lessons from a coffee shop that made its mark in West 7th, grossing $1.6 million in its first year, despite a financial drought that left the tank on E. We're not just talking shop—we're taking you through Fort Worth's culinary landscape, where Vietnamese dishes get a Texan twist and burgers duke it out with sushi for the top spot on our must-eat list.
By the time we wrap up, you'll feel like Dannie Riel's personal journey from model to mogul has given you a front-row seat to the evolution of social media fame and mindful business practices. And if you're curious about the ins and outs of bringing a dash of local flavor to an airport near you, buckle up; we're taking off with the behind-the-scenes on how to land a coffee spot in the travel hub hustle. Stay tuned for this episode of the Funky Panther, and remember to follow us—because with friends like Michael and Dannie sharing tequila toasts to new endeavors, you never know where the next opportunity will land.
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Chad:All here. What I say. We are the business today. What was it called? It's a peanut butter chocolate. It's like a peanut butter stout. So it's this like dark beer, but they do like graham crapper.
Michael Ferrari Le:Graham, crapper Jesus, shit, damn that's crazy.
Tim:That's crazy. You're gonna love this.
Chad:That's why they shut down for crapper. They just started having this in Amsterdam. This is crapper situation.
Javier:We ought to pay you to trust it ain't work. Hooking up curses is smart. Oh, and it's funny because I had pictures of it, not the actual thing. So there's a, you're getting attention. Well, so, like my, he flipped up his phone, right. My vinegar stroke face was in one of the pictures and I remember because I got it developed over here at Eckerd's and so they had a thing. They put a note in there that said we cannot develop some pictures on this because it has nudity.
Chad:Let's kick it off without Javier, because you better hurry, javier. Let's go Get in here. We gotta start the show. We gotta start the show. Oh, hello everyone, and welcome to the Funky Panther Coming to you from Fort Worth, texas. We have got a hell of a show for you here on episode 173. We have got two, yes, two, phenomenal guests tonight. We got stuck with the second one, and we're here for it. That's me. We have got Michael of Amberstand here in the building.
Chad:You gotta say the full name Michael Ferrari Lee, Michael Ferrari Lee.
Dannie Riel:You should know it by now Should I.
Javier:Yes, bow, bitch, sorry, my bad, danny, do you say, is it real? It's Riel, riel, sorry.
Dannie Riel:I've never heard you say your name before. I know that's like hi, it's me, danny Riel.
Javier:There we go. I'm just kidding.
Dannie Riel:Yes, yeah, danny Riel.
Chad:And the guest that doesn't need introduction and she's got to get an introduction anyway. She's here, all right. So if you already caught us a little bit on YouTube, we did already get started. We've been drinking a little bit, we've been having a good time, but if you're not listening to us on YouTube, you're listening. Follow us on our YouTube channel, subscribe. We'd appreciate that and let's get into it. Sit back, relax and enjoy. I'm Chad, I'm Javier and we are the Funky Panther.
Michael Ferrari Le:That was a weak ass.
Tim:I'm sorry, dude, was it just me.
Michael Ferrari Le:Let's do it again.
Tim:I cut my audio out.
Javier:And we are the Funky Panther.
Tim:There we go. I cut my audio out. Why would you do that? I don't know.
Chad:You are not doing well tonight. I am not, are you okay? No, you got this letter, kenny.
Dannie Riel:Your audio was in my ears the whole time.
Chad:That's weird. He did that on purpose.
Tim:Can you hear me? I can still hear everybody I've just put my voice into just your ears right now. No, I don't know if I'm okay. I don't know, I mean'm okay. I don't know, I mean we've had a lot of technical difficulties.
Chad:I'm not saying it's your fault, it's not just that.
Tim:It's not just I mean not to get into all the business, but with the city and all that stuff, I'm just still trying to deal with all that that's okay.
Chad:He got this jersey from Temu Temu, so that's pretty cool. Oh, wow, yeah.
Tim:Letterkenny. I'm surprised you know that one. I got a Mighty Ducks one too.
Dannie Riel:Mighty Ducks, that's pretty legit. I know Mighty Ducks, that is sick.
Javier:You should have worn your Mighty Ducks one. I don't know why you wore your.
Chad:Letterkenny one More people know that than Letterkenny.
Michael Ferrari Le:She's Canadian, so she knows hockey.
Chad:Yes, okay.
Michael Ferrari Le:She should know that one. I'm sorry.
Dannie Riel:Should I'm the Jets, winnipeg Jets, winnipeg Jets, which I know we did really well this year.
Javier:I don't know how are y'all doing right now?
Michael Ferrari Le:not like the Dallas Stars. Well, honestly.
Dannie Riel:I have not been following, I just know, because it's the white house, everybody's getting all fucked up.
Chad:I'm back home, so we're so excited to have y'all on that. We're missing both of those games right now you know Mavs are two and two stars and two and two.
Javier:Both of them are tonight, right yeah, stars are going on right now.
Chad:Mavs is at nine o'clock yeah, so that's how excited we are to have you all on. Yeah, so we've actually had so many people come on our podcast talking about Amber Sand I'm pretty sure that quote. Crazy rich Asians came up on one of Ernie's freestyles talking about some of the guys, and so you know it's about time that you came on, shout out to Mitch for hooking this up and so appreciate y'all coming on.
Michael Ferrari Le:Mitch yeah, mitch, he's good people.
Chad:Vision by Mitch Vision by yes he's still never come on, like he's been in the studio how many times and he's never actually come on the show. True.
Dannie Riel:He's just kind of in the background.
Michael Ferrari Le:He doesn't want to. You know what? Hey, I'm going to invite Mitch to come on this show.
Chad:Hell yeah, there you go.
Tim:I think, now that he's been doing more videos of himself just like talking and kind of doing affirmations and stuff, I think he's ready. Yeah, I think so too.
Chad:And they're great.
Javier:He's doing a really good job. So we know, we know a little bit about amber sand and y'all just opened one in DFW Airport, which is fucking huge.
Chad:You know Starbucks right here. That's amazing. So how did you get started with that? Because, as we were talking earlier, there's a lot more history behind you being into like management, things like that. So how do you get started into this entrepreneurial shit?
Michael Ferrari Le:Um, I guess it started back when I was in college. I Did economics and finance my background is in that and then I eventually started, I guess, bartending at that time and promoting.
Michael Ferrari Le:So I was promoting and bartending all the biggest nightclubs in Dallas and I was just kind of going through college and then I got an internship at Merrill Lynch. So I'm in my senior year it's last semester of before I graduate and I'm sitting there and I'm like you know what, Um, I don't think I want to do this. I I'm at this internship and everyone's just very complacent, very comfortable, Uh, their life is just very monotonous. Yeah, Um, and I just was just like I just don't think I want to do this rest of my life.
Michael Ferrari Le:I don't think I want to work for somebody and so I dropped out and then um at uh, I guess, when I was in the bar, like the nightlife industry, I've been the nightlife industry for 16 years now, 18 years, 18 years, 18 years now wow, yeah so the night industry for 18 years now.
Michael Ferrari Le:Um, and then, when I had started and did all of that, uh, we were just kind of just booking and routing like the biggest celebrities and djs in the entire world, uh, so you name it. We probably routed them at some point or another. Um, and so at that time, instagram and YouTube were in its infancy stages. Um, and so I was like, okay, well, I'm going to create this company at 23. So I created Socion Project at 23 and I started routing all of the biggest YouTubers at that time.
Michael Ferrari Le:So, um, imagine, the number one YouTuber at that time was Niga Higa. So we were routing him. We were routing Kev Jumba, we were routing just all the literally the top YouTubers at that time. Timothy De La Ghetto was also one of the big ones too, and so once we started doing that, I started getting really connected into that kind of space and so I started buying all the contracts for, like, hot import nights, america's best dance crew, all the dance, like all those people. So we had Jabba walk, he's quest crew, poor yautics like Kinjas, whoever, like all those dance groups I mean. Then we just started booking all the YouTubers. So, like you know, brian, who's supposed?
Tim:to be see. Uh, they're like super og youtubers. Yeah, yeah. And then, when I got into the hot, important nights, that's where I met danny.
Michael Ferrari Le:Uh, she was miss hot, important nights world, yeah, major, it's like shout out to danny a lot, a lot of tours and stuff, and so I'd met her, um, and then, uh, we just kind of just connected and and clicked and started. I think I booked, uh, tim and danny. So we created like this phenomenon at that time with Timothy Delegato and Danny Riel, where it was just like the biggest thing for YouTube at that time, where they were just getting millions and millions of views together, um, and they were doing skits. We were doing world tours together, like they were just getting routed everywhere we're getting fucked up, honestly it was a good time it was
Michael Ferrari Le:fun, um, and I just kind of just had this monopoly on that entire space, um, and I just started meeting people from all over the country and then I started meeting people from all over the world, um, and I kind of just got stuck in that and now I guess fast forward to now I'm kind of involved in the podcast space and in the tiktok space. Now, uh, so I kind of uh kind of mentor and guide and manage Tik TOK space now, uh, so I kind of uh kind of mentor and guide and manage a lot of those the podcast people in the in, uh, I guess the Tik TOKers and stuff now Got it yeah.
Chad:So how? How did you and Minicon meet? Cause he came on the show and he mentioned Ampersand at one point too, oh wow.
Michael Ferrari Le:So yeah, minicon was my videographer, okay, so I gave him his first gig. He actually shot for Danny and Tony oh, awesome, that was funny. Yeah, we had met Minicon at a meet and greet and, yeah, it was just like this lanky kid and, yeah, he isn't like the person he is now, and so I was heavily involved with him and he was very, very talented at that time.
Dannie Riel:And so we were just like hey, come shoot for this. And so he would travel with us.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, he would travel, he actually did, uh, her documentary for when we did the hot, important nights, uh yeah, documentary on my account now.
Dannie Riel:Yeah, it was dramatic as fuck yeah, so he's he's good people.
Michael Ferrari Le:I mean he's he's always been day one and he's always supported us all throughout and and uh, yeah, I actually he was in a skit with tim, so we kind of started off in LA and moved to LA and we got him a skit uh with him, and then he just kind of just did his own thing and broke off and now his network is massive yeah. And he's like alley-ooping stuff to me, where he's just like, hey, can we make this happen?
Javier:He's good people, man. I mean, like whenever he fought in Austin we drove down there and I mean you know he heard we were there. He wanted us to come up and chat for a bit. I know he was getting prepped and ready for that night, but man, it was really cool for him to at least do that. So we really did appreciate that very much. We got to pop around Austin that night after the matches and stuff like that. That was a good night and stuff like that. That was a good night. It was a good night.
Chad:We were in Austin for all of 24 hours, javier, and.
Javier:I I had FOMO and then the Green Ranger died and I got really depressed.
Tim:Oh no, I wasn't. I can't remember what I was doing that night. You were probably going to sleep early.
Javier:I want to make sure you're in the actual like good video.
Tim:Okay, so all right Okay all right, good, good, good.
Dannie Riel:Oh, you're fine, you're fine, you're fine. Where are you at? No, but you need to come.
Javier:Ha ha, you're the important one. I mean both of y'all, we're all equal.
Michael Ferrari Le:The actual funny thing about Minicon was he had actually reached out and asked me if I could manage him and I was like, but I, I know these two guys, mitch and Blake, from trend. I've been kind of mentoring them, like maybe they could, you know, kind of take you, you know, under their wing and and kind of guide you. But I'll provide guidance and and uh, yeah, he. I actually talked to Minicon about uh, blake and his management and he's been happy and he's like, yeah, he's, he's good and everything and yeah, it's working out for him that's great.
Chad:So after all of this, right, uh, then you got really into amberson. I guess was it the seventh street, or was it the uh tcu one first, so the seventh street location was the first one.
Michael Ferrari Le:So we conceptualized amberson about eight years ago okay so my entire career was in dallas.
Michael Ferrari Le:um, I get a, I get a call from my buddy tong, which is my business partner, and he was was like hey, uh, can you design a consult a bar for me? And I'm like, okay. So I designed a consultant. The last part that I did was citizen in Dallas, and so I was like, yeah, I'll come down and check out the space or whatever. And so I come down and check out the space and I'm just spending a lot of time like just consulting and designing and like just inputting a lot of stuff. And he was like, do you just want to be a partner? And I'm like, fuck it.
Dannie Riel:I was like you know what.
Michael Ferrari Le:And I was like just gave my last penny into the, into the business, and I moved to this city in Fort Worth where, like I didn't have any network, I didn't know anybody, um, and I was like you know what this is going to prove, to see if I'm the real deal or not? So I'm, I'm wildly successful in dallas, like we. We actually still do events out there in dallas and and they, they do extremely well. Um, and this is even after the fact that I haven't even been in dallas for so long. So I'm very, very grateful and I'm very, you know, uh, super grateful for the support that I've received. But, um, and so this happens, and so I'm like okay, and so I, we kind of get done, and we actually run out of money and I'm like dang, so I'm like injecting even more and more money and I literally have nothing left, like I I don't know how I'm gonna eat. I'm going to my mom's house I'm like hey mom, can I, can I eat some food?
Michael Ferrari Le:um, she's like yeah, of course, and stuff. And she's like is everything like? Yeah, everything's fine I'm just so hungry and I miss your cooking.
Michael Ferrari Le:I miss your cooking, you know, and so yeah, and so that happens and, uh, we open up and we get this wild, wild support. Everyone from doubt they. Actually, we booked like two or three party buses from Dallas to come down to ampersand and completely sold out night. And this is ampersand in its barest form, so it doesn't even look anything like it looks now. It's literally just a bar plain ground, like no elevated anything no lights there's like no moving lights, no moving heads, nothing.
Michael Ferrari Le:The dj booth was actually um, if you walk in up to the right with those tables that's where the first location was okay um, so, man, just the amount of love that we got from that, which is, was tremendous.
Michael Ferrari Le:Um and so that happens. And then, like the first year, um, I'm like going out every single day, I'm meeting people, I'm networking with people. I'm going to TCU, I'm meeting, you know, the sororities, the fraternities, like whoever the social chairs are. And the first year, like, we did $1.6 million gross for something that we didn't even like had zero network in, but it was just pure grit yeah. Sheer hard work and we're just like damn it makes you feel good.
Tim:Yeah, it was like to see a concept. I mean, yeah, you're tired, but like you see this concept come to fruition and like actually be successful.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, it's just because there wasn't a rubric to like it's not a franchise. We're like, okay, we know exactly what it is. We're literally figuring this out on the go. And Ampersand was one of those concepts. It was supposed to be a donut shop at first and then it was supposed to be a donut shop in a bar. And then we're like, do we want to wake up at 3 am to fucking cook donuts? And we're just like, nah, and so, yeah, right, and you find your hangover cure, whatever it is. I mean, it just kind of worked out and it just kind of took everything by storm in West 7th and it took the coffee side that people started fucking hating us. I'm not going to mention names of other coffee shops, but they really had a target on our backs and some of them don't even exist anymore.
Tim:Because of the bar concept added to it, or just because you all were the new people trying to bring in this coffee?
Michael Ferrari Le:because we were this new coffee group coming into fort worth, um, and the thing is people would think, oh, that's you know dallas people coming to fort worth.
Tim:I was actually born in fort worth.
Michael Ferrari Le:My business partners are actually born in fort worth and live in fort worth but they knew you were coming from dallas. So yeah, and so I think it was more of like a don't dallas my fort worth.
Tim:Yeah, I get that.
Michael Ferrari Le:Which I fucking. I prefer Fort Worth over Dallas 100%. I moved over here for that reason. It's just so much less pretentious and I love it. Don't get me wrong. I love Dallas in that kind of sense still, and I will always appreciate my roots over there. They're coming for you.
Tim:Yeah, watch out. It's a weird thing, though, because I remember seeing that with what was it? Cane Rosso, I think went through the same concept when they were going to open up their pizza and were like we're going to have this Dallas I think it was Cane Rosso, we're going to have this Dallas entity coming over here to Magnolia and hoping no, and people were wanting to boycott them. It's stupid. Same thing with Deep Bell and Brewing.
Chad:And I get it. I get the beef, I appreciate the beef. We are very different than Dallas.
Dannie Riel:You sure do, buddy. I appreciate the beef too, you know what.
Javier:I mean, I appreciate the beef and you know I'm commuting to Dallas regularly.
Chad:Like I love both cities, this is home, but there's almost like too much of the like don't fuck up same time. Like we're never gonna grow as a city if we're not gonna like appreciate and like really allow others. And ampersand didn't have a dallas location, right, it started in fort worth, which is bizarre yeah, it's just because y'all had done things in dallas. Yeah, they just appreciate it and enjoy the new things and and try to you know I mean the coffee's great coffee oh, it is fantastic.
Javier:And now you also do running too yeah, y'all do that's so yeah.
Dannie Riel:Oh my gosh, that's so crazy.
Javier:Yeah, it's like my best friend's wife, like every running event that they do, she's always there. Well, we appreciate that.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, it means a lot to us.
Dannie Riel:Yeah, we're very it started from us being sober, getting into running, and then we were like, let's do a half marathon together. And then we started the amber center running club and it was like 10, 20 people and now it's like you see yeah, it's insane, y'all have like runs, y'all have runs. That's how much it grew, you know and she's like a big disney freak.
Javier:So she's always like well damn, shout out to natasha, shout out to you thank you, natasha, for support.
Michael Ferrari Le:Appreciate it. It's cool. No, she's just a freak, she just, she just runs marathons like crazy.
Dannie Riel:she's a great, know, she's just a freak, she just runs marathons like crazy.
Javier:She's a great soul, she's a good person, but that's like I mean seeing all those people do all that. I think I like it.
Tim:I don't run, but I, yeah, I can't run. I wish I could do that.
Michael Ferrari Le:I mean, I can't, you guys can run, you can, everyone can run If something's chasing me, I guess I could run, I'm going to take the first step.
Chad:It's cool to be able to have something and then you just get into it we're going to start running, and then all of a sudden it becomes a thing because you already have this brand, you already have this image and now you can kind of do whatever the fuck you want, which is really, really cool. But I also like what you mentioned a moment ago, which was like you didn't know what was going to happen with Ambersand. Right, I think a lot of people going into creating a business, they assume that they've got to have it all worked out on day one. Realistically, you've just got to be really able to pivot and be agile and figure out what people like, right? Yes, because that's what it sounds like.
Michael Ferrari Le:So the way that I look at businesses now and to kind of segue with everything is we do everything vertically. So I have an idea and ideas are just ideas unless you execute them. Yeah. But if I have a loose kind of just plan on something, then I have a direction on where I can kind of go with that and that's how I kind of execute and create these, these kinds of concepts. So even with Ampersand, we were just like okay, well, we know coffee, we know bar, let's kind of fuse this all together and then not compromise our values, morals and ethics. So that was the biggest proponent. It was like I've I've worked with a lot of people in Dallas where it's got. They do a little questionable things.
Tim:And.
Michael Ferrari Le:I'm like I don't want to kind of incorporate that in, because I want longevity for a bar to, you know, be open for two to three years is incredible of open. And so it's just like it's mind-blowing, the things that we kind of incorporate. And it all starts with the values. And so what we do is when we create businesses so like with Ampersand Running Club, we were just kind of like, okay, well, we're already running, we're already investing a lot of our time into this running. Why don't we just create a community around it?
Michael Ferrari Le:so that way people can enjoy it too with us, and so why don't we just create a community around it so that way people can enjoy it too with us? And so that's kind of like what it was born out of, um, our gc company. So we have ampm concepts as well. Uh, so we do. We do build outs for residential, commercial, and we specialize in a lot of people's like food and beverage. So we've built a lot of stuff around dfw, um, and so that was also born out of necessity.
Michael Ferrari Le:We got fucked over by two gs in our entire career where we're losing so much money and we're like how are these people, how does this person have a business doing this? And I'm just like, okay, well, we can do this, let's figure this out. So we started learning how to do carpentry, learn how to tile, learn how to floor work all through YouTube. And then we just kind of took them like, okay, well, now we can be GCs. Was that the fine subs that specialize in their thing? That kind of wants to grow with us? So that happened. We did. We do all our own in-house marketing, so we own a digital marketing company now, and so we're just like we'll do other people's marketing, and so it's just like it, we're already doing these things, why not we just do it ourselves?
Tim:why not expand and just build it? So those general contractors.
Javier:Like, what were they doing? Like to, kind of like, because you, there's a lot of fuckery with that. What were they?
Michael Ferrari Le:doing Cheapening out on materials, stealing money from us. Not even showing up, not abiding by the contracts, not following through with a lot of things. Our first one we actually lost almost $60,000. Shit, this is when we were super cash-strapped. We had no money. Then we had another GC incident, we incident that we brought okay, we'll find this new GC, but he was also fucking us over and so, yeah, it's just a lot of a very, a lot of shady tactics, because you have to kind of pay for things in advance.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah so there's like a 25, 50, 75, 100 percent completion no-transcript hightailing out of there yep, we had that happen.
Javier:Uh, somebody was using our money to pay their dui and just like, didn't like, oh, I'll be there next week, I'll be there next week, you know and they just like did shitty work and booked it, like I mean whenever I remodeled the inside of the house, um, so I redid the inside.
Tim:like two years ago we hired, we got someone recommended to us, right, and this guy would show up whenever he felt like it. He would work maybe three hours or four hours, or maybe he'd be there all day and then maybe he wouldn't show up and so what? So with this three-month or two months turns into three months, turns into six months, and he's wanting more money from me and I'm kind of you're almost held hostage at that point Because your house is in shambles or your building's in shambles or whatever. So that is one of the most I hate general contractors because of that.
Michael Ferrari Le:That's exactly why we created our company. We wanted to be so transparent, Even on our numbers, like our bids and stuff. You know exactly how much money we're making. It's right there for you. So that way it's like hey, this is going to cover our superintendent costs, this is going to cover our labor to come in and our time and everything like that as well too. And so it's very, very transparent. So you know exactly what's going on. And if you're like, hey, I have a mechanical guy that's actually cheaper, Cool, Bring them on. That's cool, that's fine, We'll, we'll figure it out, We'll, we'll kind of make this happen. We just don't.
Michael Ferrari Le:We want to be able to help them and also consult for them, because a lot of these people that you know get into business and they want to build a business, they don't understand the first thing about business because it and so our job is to come in there and we'll help consult for them too. Like, hey, based off of our experiences, this is what we kind of went through. Maybe this is something you might want to avoid. Or, hey, did you make sure to handle all your IT and your AV stuff and your sound? Because you're probably oh my God, I completely forgot about that. They're so high strung on just trying to figure that out.
Michael Ferrari Le:Or, hey, do you guys understand your operating costs? So, because of my economics and finance background, like I help people do cost analysis, I help people do their inventory management, I understand. Like I help them like develop their performance, Like, how much money do you intend to make within the first year? Are you going to survive? Are you going to bleed? Like every time someone's like, oh, I found a space. I'm like okay, cool, Like cool, how much money do you intend to make for this month? And they're like oh, I really don't know.
Michael Ferrari Le:I'm like okay, well, technically space though it is cool space and it's like yeah, but you know technically for you know a performer for us to kind of achieve like a certain EBITDA like you want to hit, you know a 6% to 8% in rent, and so it's like if it exceeds that, well then you're going to have to either make sure you have extremely high margins or whatever it is, and so we kind of just kind of consult them through all that entire process so that way they feel a bit more comfortable. And that's just an added thing, it's not something we charge them for by any means it's just like a hey, we want you to succeed.
Michael Ferrari Le:We don't want you to open up a business and we build it out for you and you shut down in like a year or two, because that doesn't make us look right it doesn't help anybody, people doing good things yeah, and the the biggest thing is when that happens they go and tell all their friends and like they're the best.
Michael Ferrari Le:Or if they build a second location, they they're like we're going to just use you guys. And so it goes a long way. We don't do much marketing on that, we just kind of just do by word of mouth basis and then we just kind of just help out all the homies.
Chad:So I was going to ask you we've noticed recently there's a lot of businesses closing down. We're in a weird time right now A lot of layoffs and like corporate level jobs and things like that and then, just like your favorite local spots are starting to close down, which is sad to see, and so I was going to ask like why are you all still doing so well, when others might not be, but it sounds like you know one you are ethical, which is, I think, that's a huge point. Right. Also, you find opportunity. It sounds because you're not just doing one thing, you're doing a dozen things because you had to, or you saw this opportunity where there was a need, and so you just jumped on it. And three, you're just hardworking. You know you're not just going to be lazy and sit back and just like I hope the cash comes in, you're like continuing to like make shit happen, which is just really cool. And I think that that's all. Three of those things are extremely important. Um, I don't know, would you say that those were the top three?
Michael Ferrari Le:Cause I just kind of listen to what you're saying right. I think the biggest thing is is having an understanding of business fundamentals, so like understanding that cost analysis. So we actually pivot in the way that I have like a certain markup I need to hit, a certain margin that I need to hit.
Michael Ferrari Le:I need to understand exactly where my labor costs is. I need to understand where my cogs are at and like, let's say, if a vendor increases their pricing, I don't know, like a hundred dollars on something, well, that a hundred dollars needs to kind of equate to make sure that, hey, am I bleeding from that situation. Do I need to find a new vendor? Do I need to negotiate with this vendor? Do I need to change this product? Do I need to take this off the menu? Yeah, so we're constantly doing this throughout. That's why I think ampersand.
Michael Ferrari Le:Uh, the reason why we're so successful in fort worth is we're constantly innovating a seasonal menu, a different monthly menu. We want to incorporate things, to kind of change things up. It's not just like a okay, you go to starbucks and it's like a set menu, or you go to a local coffee shop and it's just like your basics. You know, whatever it is, we'll still have those things, but we kind of always want to kind of play with things, so to keep things fresh. Same thing with Maestro Tacos. When we opened up Maestro Tacos, oh, yeah, I know.
Tim:I didn't realize that was y'all we actually ended up selling it in December.
Michael Ferrari Le:Get into it. Force me Okay whatever it was a different taco concept that was from Dallas. It didn't do well at all. They were only doing about $30K a month in sales and they were only doing that based off of our late nights from Ampersand.
Michael Ferrari Le:So people would get drunk and pour over to it and they would make $30,000 a month in just sales. And so we eventually ended up taking it over. We bought it and then we ended up injecting a little bit less than $200,000 to remodel, to make it Maestro, and we were very, very stringent on how we wanted to kind of deliver this right. So we had a business partner from Monterey who wanted to make it extremely authentic. We didn't want it to be like my stepfather is also from Monterey.
Javier:No kidding, oh, from where?
Michael Ferrari Le:From Monterey, oh, from Monterrey, no kidding.
Javier:So I grew up from.
Michael Ferrari Le:Monterrey. So I grew up eating a lot of that food and so we did a lot of R&D, and so we had to make sure that everything was authentic when you walk in, we wanted to be like hey, it feels like it smells like it, so you flew to Monterrey, yeah so a lot of the decorations that are actually inside Maestro are from Monterey.
Javier:What part, what part?
Michael Ferrari Le:I actually have no idea exactly which part.
Javier:Monterey. Monterey, Because my family's from Nuevo.
Michael Ferrari Le:Leon, I'm sorry.
Javier:No.
Michael Ferrari Le:I actually have no idea.
Dannie Riel:Tell me more.
Michael Ferrari Le:So we've never been to Monterey to do that, but we had our designer, denise, shout out Denise. She is her family's also from Monterey too, so it was very, very easy for her to kind of just get these products over there. Yeah, but the reason why Maestro did so wildly successful is because I was just very stringent on our cost analysis too, and then in six months we ended up turning into a million-dollar company, and then it was just doing stupid numbers. Yeah, it was just absolutely wild. We won Best Tac tacos of Fort.
Michael Ferrari Le:Worth Yep Margarita we went to Dallas Margarita Festival, won best margarita and beat every big shot that was over there. I actually created that margarita and it's like yeah.
Dannie Riel:This guy's got some drinks. He's got some like he. I have to.
Michael Ferrari Le:I have to give it to him on that one I've curated a lot of bar programs too, and so that's kind of like where I was like it's got to be all fresh ingredients yeah, um, and so we just kind of just went super ham into it and then we're like, okay, well, literally mexican food is literally the same ingredients, just rehashed and resold as a different product. So we were like doing everything in that kind of way. So it's like, okay, well, burritos is literally a bigger taco like well, we haveos.
Michael Ferrari Le:Let's just put the same meats and stuff that we were using from that and it just turns into nachos, and then we're like, oh well, let's just bring fries in, and then we'll just call them super fries, and it's literally the same stuff that was on the nachos. And so it just made so much sense, and I think that's why it got so successful, and then we just couldn't refuse. Um, it was just, it was a seven figure deal and we were just like okay, yeah, everybody's got their price right yeah man, the innovation man, just really just changes things, just try different.
Tim:You know ways to do stuff and I always think of, um, the collective brewing whenever, whenever I think of, like businesses that started off like really strong right um, I don't know if you're familiar with collective it's actually where? Um, tulips, tulips, yeah. Yeah, they had this market and they had some great stuff, and then they started.
Michael Ferrari Le:I don't know if you're familiar with Collective. It's actually where Tulips is now. Tulips, yeah.
Tim:They had this market and they had some great stuff and then they started putting out all this sour stuff and I think they had to do that. Just I think they honestly got their whole brewery infected with the yeast and all that stuff, so they had to go sour, but they didn't pivot fast enough and I think that was what was detrimental. It. They didn't pivot fast enough, and I think that was what was detrimental. It was towards the end and all of a sudden it starts adding that wine and adding other things. It seemed like they always did good business, but just that lack of being able to pivot.
Michael Ferrari Le:It's much easier to pivot when you have a much more simplified menu. I think I think when you're doing too much, I go to a lot of restaurants that have like Cheesecake Factory, for example. It's like dude. This is ridiculous.
Dannie Riel:They're known for that, though that's like their thing, yeah and they know exactly what they're doing.
Michael Ferrari Le:So it's great. But a lot of these restaurants are like okay, well, let me just put 100 items on my menu. Well then, you're like well, you just stick with it.
Tim:Four items in a chef special or something like that.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, just keep it simple, Keep it simple stupid.
Tim:I think it's. I mean, Joe T's has done that for years Just a couple of items, well, and they've got a beautiful patio.
Javier:I don't even want to speak on it, I know, I know, but I will say this. Shout out to Lanny I did ask him because he's part of the Joe T's family.
Michael Ferrari Le:Oh yeah, I love Joe T's.
Javier:We asked him. We're like, hey, what's the one thing you would change if you could change anything on the menu? And he's like fajitas, I'll change the fajitas, I'll do mine. Mine are way better.
Chad:Oh, his fajitas are legit.
Michael Ferrari Le:I don't understand, like how they've gotten this far by doing what they're doing. It's the patio.
Chad:It's the patio which is beautiful, right yeah?
Tim:And the margaritas, and that's it Everclear.
Javier:It's Everclear right.
Tim:Yeah, it's Everclear in triple seconds.
Javier:I'll fuck with Everclear. Remember we used to blow fireballs over here with Everclear.
Michael Ferrari Le:Shit, but to be fair if they had even just slightly better food it, but my God, they would just be just swimming in it Call Michael, guys, call Michael.
Dannie Riel:What is it Now?
Tim:they're saying what Tyler Sheridan's buying it. Yeah, I heard. Yeah, I don't think that's really happening, though he's got more money than sin and he's just buying up things man. That is facts.
Javier:Let the sin come in. I say.
Michael Ferrari Le:Is that the guy from Paramount?
Tim:Yellowstone yeah.
Chad:Yellowstone in 1880. Yeah, he's gotten. He is swimming in money at this point. It's ridiculous, it's kind of obnoxious.
Tim:It's crazy that Jotis I mean Jotis is a staple in Fort Worth because it's been there forever and it's got the patio and all that stuff and they have all these celebrities that come through there. But I think they need to try some other places, make some other places there.
Javier:Like Esperanza's, go to Esperanza's and eat and then go to Jotty's and have some, have some margaritas.
Michael Ferrari Le:Their environment, their ambiance is just you can't beat it. There's nothing that can even come remotely close to it, I would even say, even in Dallas.
Dannie Riel:Where is this place?
Michael Ferrari Le:It's called Jotty Garcia's. It's down by Stockyards have.
Dannie Riel:I been there. No, you haven't. I was about to ask Danny. Oh no, their patio, their flowers. Well, thanks so much for all the times that I've been here.
Michael Ferrari Le:Well, because you would go there and she would love the environment so much she would get so fucked up yes, it took too much.
Chad:Is there a bad part of this? Like I don't understand, I'm blacked out.
Javier:We always bring them to the ghetto stockyard area. So we were like, hey, take a shot here and get the fuck out, so during COVID, like they were doing, like to go and we would get the margaritas during COVID and I would black out at a buddy's house and I would do the dumbest things, like there are life-regretting things that I've done.
Dannie Riel:Like what? Give us one. I cannot Come on. Just one, my girlfriend, I can't Statue of elimination.
Michael Ferrari Le:I'm kidding, no, she's no, no.
Javier:But you know just you know, getting too drunk and picking people up and throwing tables or Into the fountain.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yes, oh nice. No, very nice. Nobody knows. I support that. I support that.
Dannie Riel:I don't have anything.
Tim:I drink all my Mother fucker.
Javier:What a fool.
Michael Ferrari Le:Let me ask you this All right, so everybody's got their comfort meal, the real one. We started getting on food. What is your comfort like? What's comfort food for you? So I have like a food that I could eat almost every single day.
Dannie Riel:Oh, let me guess it. I don't know Huh. I know it's a chicken, okay, or a tea, or whatever.
Michael Ferrari Le:So there's a place in Arlington called. It's called PTT. It's called PTT, but the Vietnamese name is Pham Thi Thuc. I don't really know, but they have a dish called Com Ga Roti. That is undeniably delicious.
Javier:Really.
Michael Ferrari Le:If it was my last meal on earth?
Javier:I would just eat that meal. Roti is Indian right.
Dannie Riel:What makes it different? It's a little bit different than Vietnamese. So it's like this caramelized like sticky chicken, really like very flavorful. Marinated sticky like a sticky chicken type vibe.
Michael Ferrari Le:She's a big foodie, she can probably explain it better.
Dannie Riel:And it's like thigh, it's like good meat, it's like it's very juicy, tender, very brined like nice little dark soy up in that it's really good.
Michael Ferrari Le:Let me take you guys, take me on the journey.
Dannie Riel:It's served with a tomato-based rice kind of thing, fried rice. They have a little garnish on the side of the salad to keep it fresh.
Chad:That sounds fucking awesome, I love food.
Javier:I want to hear you describe it very badly. Okay, I'm sorry, danny, it's maybe three or four pieces of like dark meat.
Michael Ferrari Le:Um, it's on a bed of like a red tomato rice and there's like a very basic garden salad with just like iceberg lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes with like this homemade italian dressing that goes on to it. It's insane, like it's I literally every time I'm there. Okay, you have to go at a certain time because they will run out. Oh okay, People literally will go to this establishment just to eat there.
Tim:And it's in Arlington. Is it like North Arlington, Central Arlington?
Michael Ferrari Le:It's off of Arkansas, so it's a little bit. I guess Michael is now collecting royalties. It's delicious, but if I were to name my top top three favorite, like foods that I literally eat all the time in Fort.
Dannie Riel:Worth.
Michael Ferrari Le:I would say like number one would be Asian Nights yes, yeah, that place is fantastic.
Tim:Paul Rogers got us turned into that.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, he did number two would be Pho Hop so Pho Hop, but they're just close to no, they're on vacation there in Vietnam. So it's like this hole in the wall fuss spot, probably the best spot in fort worth, and the third spot is like a super hard tie between hatsuyuki and dane's barbecue dane's specifically just for the burger yes, only for the burger.
Javier:Like the burger goes so hard, I had to tell somebody they're like. Should I go to m&o burger you?
Michael Ferrari Le:know it's right over there should I go to, which is great yeah, no problem.
Tim:Yeah, I mean obviously. But if you get a chance to eat Danes, go to Danes.
Dannie Riel:But Haseyuki, I'm sorry but like it's like, depending on that palate and that and that wallet budge, you know.
Javier:I've never been. I've never been what my girlfriend always it's crazy.
Chad:It's so fucking delicious dude that uni and quail like by myself because, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Michael Ferrari Le:She never ate uni before really until I took her there and she fucking likes uni now.
Dannie Riel:I was food, because I had a bad experience with uni and I almost threw up with it. But then I was like I'll give it another chance and I just I love hot steak.
Tim:If it's done right now, I want to go back.
Javier:I need to go back. It's been like six. I'm probably tomorrow's Thursday, friday's date night, so I might take her.
Chad:I just probably you should, she'll love it. Just do it. The hand rolls.
Dannie Riel:I haven't been there yet and they have like a fresh menu every single time and it's like it's on the board and if they run out, they run out. You get what you get.
Javier:Like you sit around at this like U-shaped bar and it's so good they put it on there bro, I fuck with hotel man, I fuck with, I fuck with all, but you have to get the pickled wasabi the pickled wasabi on top.
Dannie Riel:Of everything is just oh yeah, that's an extra order you have to do that yeah wasabi for me, man.
Javier:I like I'm a glutton for it. I'll just like put a shitload in my mouth or, like you know, just dip it in my soy.
Dannie Riel:something bro like I want. Something Bro.
Javier:I want to hurt Whenever we eat oysters she'll get us both like a horseradish and I'm like no, I need my own and I fucking eat that shit like raw. I like eating it raw.
Michael Ferrari Le:Where are you guys on the top three for Fort Worth restaurants?
Javier:Dane's is one because, of course, with you, I'm with the burgers.
Michael Ferrari Le:Their.
Javier:The sides are amazing also, and not to mention their meats Two Luby's, because I'm a simple man.
Dannie Riel:The Jell-O. The Jell-O goes hard. Wait, is that what you were talking about?
Michael Ferrari Le:before I love the Jell-O Lime, Jell-O no. The red one. The red one was always the best.
Javier:Is this like an all-you-can-eat place, right? Oh no, it really go a lot during date night. I might propose to her over there, but I'm kidding, no, I'm not Surprise.
Tim:What the?
Javier:fuck? Well, because we get prime rib and I just ate prime rib, like a year ago, for the first time, and that shit has changed my life, that's worse than me having uni for the first time.
Dannie Riel:I feel that's crazy.
Javier:I go hard with prime rib.
Michael Ferrari Le:Her mom made us a prime rib in Winnipeg yeah so that was fucking good.
Tim:I have such a hard time picking top restaurants like that I mean we'll go.
Javier:Goldie's. Yeah, okay, goldie's is number one.
Michael Ferrari Le:Okay solid barbecue.
Tim:Just for their. I want the beef rib. The beef rib is so good. The beef rib is so good, so Goldie's is number one. Beef rib is so good, so Goldie's is number one. I'm a big fan of Fred's they're chicken fried steak.
Tim:And then, number three, there's this Bangkok House. Over in White Settlement. They have this weird Bangkok House, so they have a Thai version of orange chicken, which is weird, but it's so good. Okay, my favorite Chinese. There was this Chinese restaurant that I loved that is no longer around. It was China Pagoda and it was a hole-in-the-wall place.
Javier:Oh, I remember China.
Tim:Pagoda you didn't want to like, I wouldn't go in there. I would order stuff.
Dannie Riel:Can you hold your breath?
Tim:Thank you it wasn't like just order things, because I didn't want to see it right Because it was sketch and they closed down so I couldn't find.
Michael Ferrari Le:That's probably a reason why they closed down.
Tim:I'm sure it was good though, but you know whatever. So.
Javier:Bangkok House is pretty close to my job and it's delicious. I forgot to say Hot Pot over there at Asia Times Square, Like at Happy Land. Well, that's not Fort Worth though. Yeah, that's Grand Prairie. I mean, you know, Shout out to Asian Times Square.
Tim:I mean, I'm going to go see pot over in Plano if we're going out that far, we do a lot of work with them.
Michael Ferrari Le:I love getting a little smoke on your face.
Dannie Riel:Shots of smoke and your clothes and you're like yeah, I just came from Asia.
Javier:I can smell you whenever I Prairie Orleans, Because I've always gone out to it's AAPI month. So you I probably should go to that Smoke a.
Tim:J.
Michael Ferrari Le:They're actually doing an AAPI festival May 15th, that's when we went.
Chad:You guys need to go. Right, it was during the festival, because the parking lot was all full.
Javier:Oh yeah, we had to park, like maybe a half a mile away. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you should go.
Tim:Because I always go to Carrollton and go out to H-Mart and all that and hit that area.
Dannie Riel:Okay, you're cultured, I see you. I see you. You like H-Mart. I'm going to get that terrible bug.
Javier:So honestly, like. Oh fuck, my girlfriend loves that shit.
Michael Ferrari Le:Oh, she fucks with it so hard If Asian cuisines or whatever, but I'm a big, I'm a big fan of Curry's. So if I can get like if.
Tim:I can get Thai, like Thai Curry. That's probably like my deathbed meal. That's one that's going to be one of them.
Michael Ferrari Le:So you go go check out Korocha in uh in Ulus Okay.
Javier:Korocha is fire.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, right now, so far.
Dannie Riel:We can now tell everybody because, we can't keep that shit.
Chad:I would say, just because they've already picked two barbecue spots, I'm going to do Panther City Barbecue. I really like Panther City Barbecue. You can get tacos, you can get whatever the fuck you want, plus the barbecue's on point. Their burgers are really good too. Not Dane's good in my opinion, but they're pretty close. Then I would say riyada, just because they're um carne asada with cheese enchilada is just insane and their tamales, the, whatever it is, the caffreys too, and the caffreys are not bad.
Chad:I don't know real caffreys and then, just because I grew up in this area, el paseo, even though it's not the best it's like white people text max I know, but that's what you know when we grew up eating when we could afford it. It's like that was a nice restaurant we would go to every six months or whatever. You know what I mean, and so it was always a big deal. So I love El Paseo.
Javier:So, danny, you're new to Fort Worth. What kind of place is this?
Dannie Riel:I know I was like you want to ask me. Yeah, because I'm fresh Canadian.
Chad:But let me tell you Wait, are you living in Fort?
Dannie Riel:Worth Well back and forth.
Chad:Okay.
Dannie Riel:Michael can explain why I'm here. So she's, but first.
Javier:Shut up, but first.
Dannie Riel:Haseyuki.
Javier:Yes.
Dannie Riel:What's that? One place that I like with the oysters I know it's Bougie oh, waters, waters.
Javier:Oh, waters, is it John? It's a John John. What's his name?
Dannie Riel:But that's like a John Bonnell John Bonnell's place. That's like a date night, date night. Yeah, that is not like An affordable place.
Javier:Have you been to Walloon's?
Chad:Oh, that place is fantastic On. Magnolia, it's really good For oysters. Yes, I only like small oysters.
Dannie Riel:We went to J&J's and I was like what?
Javier:are these Big ass?
Tim:Too big.
Dannie Riel:I was like no, no, no, but Okay, there's only two. And then Danesburgers.
Michael Ferrari Le:I like, okay, okay, my stomach's coughing If you guys like barbecue like that. I need to take you guys to B4 Barbecue.
Tim:It's in Gun Barrel City.
Michael Ferrari Le:Oh my God, it's fucking delicious.
Tim:I've never been there. I've been to Gun Barrel City but I didn't know they had a.
Michael Ferrari Le:It is probably my favorite barbecue that I've ever had ever, and I've had Goldie's, I've had Terry Black's.
Tim:Yeah.
Michael Ferrari Le:I've had Pecan Lodge, I've had Panther City.
Dannie Riel:I've done it all, and theirs is just so fucking delicious.
Michael Ferrari Le:He's seasoned, it's so good and the platters are just insane.
Tim:I need to take you guys look, we are always down to go on some sort of foodie adventure.
Javier:Look, you invite me anywhere for food, I will go there, I don't care what it is. Calm down.
Chad:I like how at the beginning of the episode, he was just kind of not saying a lot. And now that he's been drinking and we're talking food, he just won't shut the fuck up, bro, like I was telling you.
Dannie Riel:I feel what you're saying out loud. I love it. I'll write that with you.
Chad:Alright, so the whole Fort Worth thing. What were you going to say?
Dannie Riel:We were going to say why I'm here.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, so she lives in Winnipeg in Canada. She travels a lot. She's always traveling doing stuff, because she gets booked around a lot, um, and so I've been managing, or I was managing her for probably about 12 years, um, and I was just like, hey, like you know, you have all this money you are rich, and I was just like you should probably invest into your future. Like she's, I mean not getting any younger yeah um, and so it's just like. Hey, like, if you want to do something, just do it with us.
Dannie Riel:So she's actually one of our partners for ampersand airport, oh shit and and ampersand tc location yes, oh, yeah, yeah, do the kids, do the kids yeah, don't just say that I'm sorry, oh, she can't hear it.
Tim:Oh yeah, we got the kids in there. Do one more kid, okay, one more, one more. Hang on, I gotta make sure get that up and that's fucking awesome, that's awesome yeah.
Dannie Riel:So it's really nice to like, you know, be able to be a part of something too and, like when I did invest into it, it's like I invested into also, like the, the culture and like the community of Ampersand, like it's really it's brought in purpose in my life and I just love like all the business partners and the way they treat their staff and like their outlook on, you know, business and to grow and to make sure everyone's heard and felt and it's like really important. So that's kind of like where my heart went into that. And I'm like just just to see like the the airport is so fucking surreal, like it's crazy to see it from on renderings and then you see in real life, you're like what?
Tim:no, and I'm like that's mine too now I want to fly I like flying out of love just because it's convenient, you know, just easy to navigate. But now I want to fly out at the fw just to be like, hey, I can go have amperes. So which terminals it?
Michael Ferrari Le:ends in terminal c, c36, c37, next to the dirk novitsky's uh bar, yeah, I will tell you, the coffee there is actually better than our ampersand blood location. So we have, uh yeah we, we put a reverse osmosis machine in there, so like oh shit oh my god, everything's like so crisp and clean, it's so good, it's insane.
Michael Ferrari Le:Wow, yeah, so it's everything is just completely reverse, osmosis like, and then it goes through another filter and so it's just going all out, yeah, well we wanted to make a statement and deep w were extremely fortunate yeah I mean like it.
Michael Ferrari Le:It was like a five-year process for us, um, and it was I like, when I start thinking about it, like I can't imagine, like where we were five years ago and then thinking we need to get to the airport did you have to bid on that to get that spot? Yes, yeah, so uh, everyone goes through an rfp process. Well, first of all, you have to like have the right certifications, otherwise everyone would be in there. Another reason why, like not a lot of people are in there is it's a lot of politics oh sure so maybe like three or four companies own pretty much everything inside every single airport, I believe that yeah
Michael Ferrari Le:and, uh, they came out, this program called like, uh, the svec program, where you know small business people could get into it, but it's extremely stringent, it's like it's it's very, very tough to get into it, um, and so it was like this you know, five month or five year process for us to get ac to be, ac to be certified and sbec certified, um, and you have to be obviously minority as well too, and then dfw wants, you know, more presentation from you know fort worth, and so just all kind of just lined up for us and so nice, yeah, we submitted this rfp. It's extremely, extremely expensive, for we have 1550 square feet, you know, inside the airport, and it was like a 2.3 million dollar build out and we're just like what the, and we're just like how the are we gonna better work, oh yeah so we?
Michael Ferrari Le:we signed everything without even like securing any kind of money because we're just like we we can't miss this opportunity. Yeah, yeah. And so we signed everything without even securing any kind of money, because we were just like we can't miss this opportunity.
Michael Ferrari Le:And so we signed everything. We spent like $30,000 on the RFP. It's like this huge fucking booklet that you have to spend Literally thousands of pages of you explaining who you are, what your business is. They're very particular about what you do for the community and so, thank God, we already knew we were going into this and we're just like oh my god, like we're set on this because we work with, you know the north turn, you know county food bank. We worked with a lot of fort worth businesses. We're part of the chamber of commerce. Um, we created like the ampersand running club.
Michael Ferrari Le:We do a lot of stuff for for, not for profit, you know and're like we're very, very intertwined in the community and so we submit that. And then we submit the renderings, which aren't cheap at all. They need to see that we had to submit the menu. And then there's like these certain parameters inside the airport where you're, it's like between 12 to 20% that you have to give up for your sales, and it's particular subjects. And so we're like, okay, we got to figure this out, like how to like run a series of uh, a seven-year performer on like a, a conservative, a moderate and aggressive level, and then like a monthly level through the years and through the months, and it was just very, very particular, and so, like we created this entire thing. You spend this money that you're never going to get back, and then you pray to god that they choose you, yeah, and then you're meeting mayors you're meeting senators, you're meeting boards, our board members, like all c-level executives um.
Michael Ferrari Le:You're literally rubbing shoulders with people who literally can buy your entire life and so you're just yeah, it's ridiculous like we were literally the poorest people inside these rooms and also the youngest.
Chad:We're also the youngest concessionaires in airport history now because of it Really yeah, wow, yep, congratulations.
Michael Ferrari Le:That's fantastic. Oh, and ethnic too, yeah, and we're also the first Asian American uh, I guess minority to own something in the airport 100% outright, without being licensed to somebody. What?
Javier:month, is it?
Michael Ferrari Le:And it's also yeah, that's, that's really fucking cool yeah and so there's like a lot of things that just kind of happened and thank god that you know people loved us in fort worth, otherwise we probably wouldn't have done it and it this wouldn't happen if it wasn't for the support of people like you guys and the people of like, fort worth and like the things that we've done and we were.
Michael Ferrari Le:We like to believe that the people that we've impacted, uh, for the community and like, provided the inclus. And we like to believe that the people that we've impacted for the community and like, provided the inclusivity for everybody to be like hey, you guys can have great coffee and not be obnoxious with it. And so we're very happy that it all kind of came to fruition.
Javier:And also wait in line for like an hour.
Dannie Riel:Yeah, dude, like having to wait that long, and maybe you might have to sue for Amazon. I don't know, wait that long ass line. Maybe you might have to sue for Amberson, I don't know, I'm just like man Put some respect on that name.
Javier:Yeah, so yeah, that's the whole.
Michael Ferrari Le:Danny spiel why she's in Fort Worth.
Dannie Riel:Yeah.
Michael Ferrari Le:So she comes here for like literally months at a time.
Dannie Riel:Yeah, so how are you?
Javier:liking it. How are you liking Fort Worth?
Dannie Riel:I like it a lot. Actually Fort Worth it feels like it's. You can feel the community sense in it and the pride that people have there. But I don't know the heat's a lot. It's like so bipolar the weather, so like I'm used to snow. Like when I came here I was like it was snowing where I was from and then I'm like it's so hot here but then it gets so cold and I'm just I don't know how to dress for this shit.
Chad:I don't know where is Winnipeg okay, I don't know how to dress for this shit.
Javier:I don't know when is Winnipeg? Okay, well, I know that genius, but like where? No, I know.
Dannie Riel:That's why it's not Toronto. It's not Montreal, it's not Vancouver.
Chad:Those are the only ones I've been to, yeah.
Dannie Riel:Oh, so you actually have been to them.
Chad:Yeah, I was just in Montreal three weeks ago no-transcript.
Dannie Riel:Crown Royal is like our little baby.
Tim:Oh, that's awesome. That's the only thing they have going for them.
Michael Ferrari Le:I'm more of a.
Tim:Canadian mist kind of guy, you know what?
Dannie Riel:I'm also from Canada, so there's two things okay, because, like I mean, not just yeah, shut up Michael. Not just are you an investor, she's great, but hold on. Winnipeg is. I need y'all to know this, because it's actually like a thing that people don't know about. Winnipeg is in the center of Canada. It's almost like the Ohio of Canada, so there's nothing there. It's super cold.
Tim:Oh shit, I don't Like more farming community. It's very flatlands prairies. So it's a Kansas, it's a.
Dannie Riel:Kansas of Canada. It's so funny. I just remember rolling down hills in Kansas. I'm like, oh it's not flat, but that was just where we were yeah damn goddamn.
Javier:I'm sorry.
Dannie Riel:Yeah, come on, but it's just like a small city. It's just a little bit over a million people there and it gets really fucking cold in winter and then really hot in summer.
Chad:So I guess it's just like just east of like Banff and all that right.
Javier:It is. I think it's about a two or three hour flight.
Michael Ferrari Le:Oh okay, so it's still not close Because people are like I want to come to.
Dannie Riel:Canada and visit you. I'm like, yeah, do you understand that? Canada's the same fucking size as you?
Chad:Ginormous.
Tim:I'm enormous, like I'm like cool, like it's gonna take a couple.
Dannie Riel:I'm gonna be in vancouver or can you, you know, yeah, I mean that's another like, and then flying in in between, like domestically, is like 700 sometimes to like yeah it's really crazy.
Javier:Yeah, inflation's a thing so tell us more about you, like I mean, where do you start?
Dannie Riel:nights, winnipeg, miss world hot this world I actually was not supposed to be on this podcast. I need to support Michael.
Tim:I know, but we're going to get a little bit about you and then that's going to be the end, and also real quick.
Javier:Did we ever take a shot together?
Michael Ferrari Le:We didn't. We did not take a shot together. We did.
Chad:But let's shoot the 1942.
Tim:I do a lot of club hosting so I like to put gum in my cup. I watched you put it on there and I was cracking up oh, you were he's over there talking and I'm sitting here smiling. I don't want to be rude and think I'm laughing at you she's literally over there trying to put gum on and she can't get it off her finger when you say you were doing bottles.
Javier:I hear the song oh my God by Usher.
Dannie Riel:That was a time.
Javier:Did y'all get yours too?
Dannie Riel:Yeah, I'll do it, I just didn't know what you were doing because you had your own bottle over there, so I apologize, cheers.
Michael Ferrari Le:The proper Asian way is, if you are younger then you receive it with two hands but if you are older? Then you receive it with one.
Dannie Riel:I think that's Korean, not just Asian, and the opposing person actually pours with two hands.
Chad:And that's specifically with tequila right.
Michael Ferrari Le:It's so cute.
Chad:Everything, it could be beer.
Tim:Are you Korean? No, I Anything, it could be beer, just Korean. So are you Korean? No, but maybe it's just Koreans. No, no, no.
Michael Ferrari Le:I'm not. I'm just trying to show love to all of you.
Tim:Okay, I got you.
Michael Ferrari Le:I'm half Vietnamese and half Hmong, and she's half Chinese and half French. Yeah, very cool.
Tim:Como se va Henceforth the French-Canadian yeah cheers Speech speech, so we always do it.
Michael Ferrari Le:This is one thing we do with all of our friends. We make someone do a speech and since you guys are hosting, you have to do the speech.
Javier:I want to do it. I'm very grateful. I'm very grateful today to be here with these new friends that we have made, and it's a very important thing for me to talk about my past, including cars, and how much I love them and how I got my first beep uh, at a car show for haunted, poor nights and I'm very excited and to the future of everything.
Javier:Uh, cheers to your success and and many more money to you guys, many more locations and thank you so much for being here. And, god, I swear like I was so scared.
Chad:I was like, oh, my god I'm gonna fuck this up, okay, all right, let's shoot it. Well, you didn't Shut up, shoot it. That's so good. Easy, easy. Shout out to Sarish for the bottle of 1942.
Tim:So that's my first time having 1942. Really, there's so much better tequila, that's actually.
Javier:What's your favorite tequila?
Tim:Get them started.
Michael Ferrari Le:Right now it's Fortaleza and it's way cheaper than this, but yeah, if I had to do a super premium, I would Honestly even the Cinco de Oro is delicious, michael Jordan's tequila.
Javier:How do you feel about mezcal?
Michael Ferrari Le:I love mezcal. Ask her, that's my favorite.
Chad:Ask me Ask me.
Javier:What's your favorite?
Chad:bottle of mezcal he loves mezcal.
Dannie Riel:Oh, ask her, that's my favorite.
Michael Ferrari Le:Ashley ask me what's your favorite bottle of mezcal? He loves mezcal, oh wow we're very fortunate that we get to travel a lot because of her and every time we go to she's like Michael, come handle this booking for me, let's go to this. And I'm like, okay, I'll go, but I'm like if I go. I have to go to all these bar programs twist my arm.
Dannie Riel:Yes, yes, but it's always fun yeah.
Michael Ferrari Le:And so she has like a particular palette with her the way she does cocktails. But when she invites me to do these cocktails or the bar programs, I'm just like, okay, I always drink mezcal.
Dannie Riel:It has to. I created a. It's growing on me.
Michael Ferrari Le:I created a cocktail here in Fort Worth that they published. It's called the Red Smoke, but it was originally called the Red Ferrari, and it's so fucking delicious.
Dannie Riel:Like it's absolutely delicious, like so good.
Michael Ferrari Le:What all's in it.
Dannie Riel:Well, but like I don't know, I don't know if I want to Well is it available, can we just go and get it?
Chad:No, so okay, we're just fucked. Okay. Fantastic when.
Michael Ferrari Le:Ampersand first opened up, we were like a cocktail lounge. It wasn't like a high energy, like the people of Fort Worth created it to become this high energy club. But yeah, we had, like this insane menu. So we were the first people to do a cold brew, old fashioned, and it went through a Kyoto drip and it was with our cold brew and it was fucking delicious.
Dannie Riel:Where is it now?
Michael Ferrari Le:It doesn't exist. And then we did our own twist on Espresso Martins, before it became what it is now.
Javier:Yeah.
Michael Ferrari Le:And it was also delicious. It was called the Vanilla Sky. They did a lot of publications on that too. I mean, red smoke was like another one.
Tim:It was awesome so just give us the flavor profile of it, like that's what I want.
Dannie Riel:So it was all my favorite things I made and make it in my in winnipeg for me, oh yeah yeah, so I made it for all of our friends in winnipeg too yeah so it's all my favorite things.
Michael Ferrari Le:I love strawberries, so strawberries is like my thing. So I'm like I want to create a cocktail with strawberries. And I love eggs, so I put egg white into it. And then I love tequila, so I put tequila into it. And I love mezcal, so I put mezcal into it. There's jalapeno and I love spice, so I put jalapenos into it. And then there's another secret component that I won't divulge, but it makes it very, and it's so fucking delicious.
Tim:So it plays this like kind of sweet and spicy and smoky.
Dannie Riel:It sounds fucking awesome. It's just like perfectly balanced.
Michael Ferrari Le:It's in this gorgeous coupe glass with, like this nice head foam from the egg whites.
Javier:My favorite.
Michael Ferrari Le:And you have to just dry shake it at first, and then you put ice into it and then you shake it again, do you freeze? Your coupe.
Dannie Riel:Yeah, so the coupe has to be frozen. It's got to be this for the fucking drink.
Tim:Oh my God, you can't serve it in a Dixie cup. It's got to be done, right, right.
Javier:Yeah, danny, damn Dude the craziest thing, guys, I was just like yo, I live in Winnipeg.
Michael Ferrari Le:It was so hard to find things. They don't have anything in Winnipeg at all. They don't have coupe glasses. You've got to source everything they I was looking online at Amazon Then we don't have time to come over in Canada.
Dannie Riel:We can't deliver we have to take them home.
Michael Ferrari Le:But maybe there's an opportunity where I can kind of create these cocktails for you guys and it's delicious.
Chad:Love it. Yeah, that sounds fantastic A lot of opportunity.
Tim:So back to Danny so let's get Danny, and then we're going to wrap up, and so, danny, you miss World of Hot Import Nights. World of hot import nights. But how did you get to there?
Dannie Riel:To there and then some.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, start from your journey from the beginning. Let's do that.
Dannie Riel:No, we're not going to go there. I live in Canada. I got scouted to I guess I'll just go back to get offered to go to a car show attend for $100. I did so. They waited until I was of age because I wasn't, and then so when I was just turning in canada it's 18 is the legal age. So I'm still in high school and I and they just flew me to toronto to do my first photo shoot to do promo for the flyers to be around, like francine d. Oh, I love francine d. What do you love her for? Well, I'm not gonna say you guys don't know, she has a really big. Yes, they're huge, huge. I mean like limewire fucked my computer.
Javier:Okay, sorry, that's how long it's been?
Dannie Riel:yeah, that's a yeah, and then, uh, so overnight that that kind of happened and it just because of like my presence, of the way I guess I was interacting with the crowd and everything was really really well reciprocated. So yeah, that's kind of like how that happened. And then on Mondays when I come back to school, I'm like yo man, I was like at the clubs doing all this shit. It was like it was good stories for Mondays for everyone at school. Then after that I just it just kind of kicked off and YouTube started happening. I started vlogging and traveling and collaborating with other people. Michael noticed how popular I was getting.
Michael Ferrari Le:She's being very modest. At one point in Instagram, because it was in its infancy stages, she was the most followed person on Instagram, with 300 and something thousand followers.
Dannie Riel:It was like the beginning like.
Tim:But early on, yeah, but 300,000 followers in the beginning like your friends seven of your friends, right.
Dannie Riel:So like that was like a but and then and you're like over a million now yeah, I mean like it's slowly depleting it was like 1.3 at one point, but also crazy though.
Michael Ferrari Le:But even like everyone is a fucking influencer, now everyone's a content creator. It's like a different time, but then it's a different time, yeah but I worked my ways and I pay my dues.
Dannie Riel:So, like, I guess I'm from the import modeling scene and the ones that you know too like are the, the older school ones that would be at hot and poor nights and like like victoria win or um uh, fuck, what's her fucking song singleton um, christine mendoza, yeah so, and then and then I am like the other generation, or the only generation that came in.
Dannie Riel:I kind of changed the game because I took it as a business rather than a model standpoint of view. So the models would come there, do their go-go dancing, do their shows and whatever. But I came in as a business, like I need this rate for the pre-party, I need this rate for the after party, I need my day rate, I need to make sure that my hotels are five stars.
Michael Ferrari Le:I'm bringing there Then I realized, like my, my lines are just going around all the other models, so they kicked me out of like Eight hours long of lines of people waiting to take pictures with her and buy her shit.
Dannie Riel:I would stand there for eight hours.
Tim:You built a brand, I built a brand.
Dannie Riel:That was the first time I built a brand, so then so't able to be in the model lounge. So now I have my vendor. I'm a vendor now. So now I have the Daniel Riel booth. It's the Daniel Riel booth, my banners, my everything. So then I'm thinking, okay, what else the fans want more? Sticker packs, shirts, t-shirts, whatever. So I'm doing drops and I'm doing drops online as well, and I'm time I do a drop, a t-shirt and anything, and it's just like. It was such a time where I was being so innovative and changing the game. Being like this is a business thing. You know, um, and I'm taking it that way, and it was a very I butt heads a lot with um people who hired me because you know I'm like you can't take advantage of me. I'm changing the game, I have the numbers and I'm gonna do what I want they're just pissed because you knew better.
Chad:You know what I mean. Like absolutely but and I also going to do what- I want they're just pissed because you knew better.
Dannie Riel:You know what I mean Absolutely. And also that translates to other girls. That opens doors to other people. So whenever you do something and you make a change in your lane or your industry that you're in, you're only opening doors for other people and opportunities. So that's kind of the way I saw it, or I see it now at the time and it was just like kind of fun, I could shut down a fucking. I had the Asians behind me, I had an Asian gang.
Dannie Riel:You know it was like all over the world, and it was really nice. It was such a cool thing. So I'm now transitioned. I kind of, like you know, got out of a six-year relationship engagement type thing, and now I'm kind of, you know, freeing myself and seeing what's out there and going into business, being better, more mindful for things that I'm doing.
Javier:and yeah, here I am that was the time to make that real money.
Tim:It's the real money time.
Javier:Real money, that's right.
Chad:Oh shit.
Michael Ferrari Le:My brain didn't think about that. You're so dumb.
Dannie Riel:I don't know the amount of money she was making back then was pretty fucking stupid, and I through it bro, I mean when you're young, you know honestly like to see how much money I made like it would piss me off, it's all cash
Dannie Riel:so I come home and I only cash so when I had, when I went into like. So this is just more in depth of like what I have to set up for every show that I go to, so I'd be traveling every single weekend. If you see my calendar for three years straight, every single weekend I'm somewhere else, so and I have to do the show again. So I have to make sure that my merch is up, I have to make sure that I have the people that run my booth, so I'm I always, uh, implemented a meet santa kind of vibe, so it's like I'm in the back so that the people who want to buy my merch are in line first. If you're not buying merch, you have to go to the back of the line until after the end of the show.
Dannie Riel:When I'm like tired as fuck. I have my people that sell my merch and then I have my person that takes the photos. They take the photo. I grab the phone from them, do a selfie, give it to my photographer, take a photo, take a photo and then out with the next security guard to make sure that everything runs smoothly.
Chad:Right.
Dannie Riel:So I'm going through hundreds and hundreds of people, sometimes at the end of the shows. I'm so fucking tired I'm on the table because my feet hurt. So I'm like sorry, but we're taking photos like this and I'm still.
Chad:However, you just made what in a day?
Michael Ferrari Le:so we would literally make anywhere from like 15 to 25 thousand dollars a day and I would literally and that's just what I make in sales, and then on top my rate to be there and then my pre-party and my after party, I would hand her money and then, like the next day, she'd be like, okay, let's go to Chanel.
Dannie Riel:And I'm like what are you doing? I've never spoken about this anywhere. Okay, this is like. This is so un-off book for me, but you just worked your ass off for the Chanel.
Javier:I know and I'm like so for those after-hour pool parties that you'd have to, did you ever have to make like what is that? Appearances at those? I just get paid to play. Yeah, we would have a separate.
Michael Ferrari Le:It was so crazy. It was at a point in our lives where, like I was very, very knowledgeable with how hospitality writers, tech writers everything was like working. I was very good because, so, because, so, like my role for all. Of this is the reason why, like I started, you know, managing a lot of these talents is I understood the promoter side, I understood the management side, I understood the venue owner side and I understood the management side on the venue side, so there wasn't anything that they could discuss with me, that I could be like no, I don't want that, I want this yeah because I know exactly how much money you guys are making.
Michael Ferrari Le:I'm on every single aspect. So I completely disrupted the entire industry because of that and it was great for me. And then I was like man, I shot myself in the fucking foot, because now, when I'm trying to book something and I'm like this I'm like God, I get it, but I get homie hookup rates because of that.
Michael Ferrari Le:But, um, yeah, so it got to that kind of moment for for that kind of particular things. But yeah, she was just very she would make so much fucking money off of that stuff that it was just ridiculous where it was, just like she was like oh, don't worry about it, next weekend I'll just make it back, yeah, yeah, but you literally walk into her closet and it's just high fashion.
Dannie Riel:Okay, okay, we used to fuck around with hospitality writers too.
Michael Ferrari Le:It got to a point where we're just like, yeah, she wants red gummy bears, only red gummy bears. And then she wants a jar of pickles, a jar of pickles, because she loves pickles, she wants a jar of pickles when she lands. And then there would be places where we need a Bentley, we need a Lamborghini, we need whatever like import exotic.
Tim:I love seeing the hospitality writing stuff, cause it's some of the funniest like and you can tell whenever. Either the artist is really just like out there or they're just doing it because they know they can fuck with them. Thank you.
Michael Ferrari Le:No, so the reason why we do it is to make sure that the person who's signing the contract actually reads them.
Tim:Oh, thank you so much. Yeah, okay.
Michael Ferrari Le:And so I learned that from Rick Ross. So Rick Ross would always be like, hey, I want 100 wings, they have to be all flats, they have to be all particulars, and he would have his assistant come in there and he would count 100 wings Yep To make sure that it was all particular because you're like okay, you actually read the writer, I fuck with you.
Michael Ferrari Le:So it's very, very particular and very stringent in the way that they they approach the contracts and agreements, and so that's when I was like, okay, well, we need to do the same thing, like we have to make sure that we want to treat these people, even though they're not on like a super a-list status, you know, celebrity status. But in order for me to come into this industry and disrupt it all, we have to kind of treat it at the highest level, and I think that's what kind of attributes a lot of things that we do in business now is just like it's gotta be at the highest level, you know.
Dannie Riel:And so Michael was like vital for all of that, and I kind of didn't realize it at the time. But now that I'm older you know, thank you.
Tim:But making that making, Making that money Did y'all butt heads quite a bit back in the day because of it, but actually no, no, no, that's good. Making that money reminds me of Shaq's story, right? So Shaq goes and he gets his first check and he goes and buys two Rolls Royces and that's all his money. For that's all he's got.
Tim:Not that he didn't understand that, but it was like look, you've got to do endorsements, you've got to do all this stuff, like, and now he takes people in and starts you're like, you're like the shack now Like he takes people, these people in and starts like look, let's, let's get your money where you can start, you know, cultivating it and actually have something to fall back on, because at some point you're not going to want to model, you're not going to do this, you've got to have something that's sustainable right through like um, a spot of like because we've known each other for, like you know, over 12 years.
Dannie Riel:So he's seen me go through a lot of hardships in my relationships and, like you know, depending on a man or think this man's gonna take care of me and and whatnot.
Dannie Riel:So like he's kind of like, I'm kind of sick of you like depending on these men and like that was like the most like heart-wrenching thing to make me realize I'm like my dad's been telling me all the time all my life don't depend on a man, don't depend on man. That's his Asian voice, right, and then and then it just doesn't stick with you because your parents right. But then when he said it I was like damn yeah, yeah let's get you set up for like success for like your life right.
Michael Ferrari Le:I can't, I think I think that was so important, like, I think, a lot of the people that I managed or did bookings for, or routed or was involved in their careers at any kind of capacity. I just see them squander their entire fortune and I've seen it recycled so many times where I'm just like if you guys had literally just created a Roth IRA, maybe created an investment portfolio, maybe just invested into something that was tangible created a Roth IRA, maybe like created an investment portfolio maybe, like just invested into something that was tangible, that had some kind of capacity to help you guys grow, your life would be so much different now.
Michael Ferrari Le:And now it's like a lot of these people that were huge back in the day literally are working at like regular jobs now.
Javier:I mean, I kind of feel like we can bleep this out if we need to, but, like like Sasha Singleton, that kind of feel like that's what happened to her.
Michael Ferrari Le:I haven't saw a lot of models.
Javier:And it sucks because, like you know, you grow up and you see these. You know you pick up import tuner or you pick up like a magazine, you're like at the top. Yes, and even like the, I still have all the autographs that I got from all the shows that I went to and looking back, it's like Do you have mine? No, we'll change that.
Dannie Riel:Did you go to any of my shows I got?
Javier:Kyla Yu's, I mean, I got you know. Natasha Yee's, I have you know.
Chad:But I would love yours too. As a matter of fact, we didn't even bring out the yeah, we got to end the night out Bring the what.
Javier:We have a thing.
Tim:I have a thing. So he's got supreme name tags and we have everybody sign and they go up on our fridge over there Since we moved into the studio. So yeah, since we moved in, we started putting everything up there, cool, I love that.
Dannie Riel:And, by the way, you guys can't see the space, but it's such a vibe.
Michael Ferrari Le:It's so inviting.
Tim:It feels kinky.
Dannie Riel:We've got some ideas that we're trying to still play around with, and I appreciate y'all um so much for saying that even from like coming in the kitchen and the and the and the, the color scheme, like I noticed, all that come that's all.
Tim:That's all my girlfriend okay.
Dannie Riel:Well, perfect, she got those candles going too and I'm like it smells good.
Tim:Yeah, that's all, that's all her. She's one of those that, like when we built her on our kitchen, she actually the the appliances. She's like I want these GE Cafe and I want to be white with the gold handles. Then she was like okay, so we're going to do the whole color scheme by myself.
Michael Ferrari Le:It totally works. This speaks very chic.
Tim:It's high level For those listening, we'll have an open house.
Dannie Riel:They'll have a tour video coming out soon. It doesn't look green in here.
Tim:It's green outside, black on the back.
Javier:So we kind of wanted to also do a thing where we have the chairs on this opposite end, where the light is, and do a double camera where we're interviewing somebody.
Tim:We're still working that out, yeah we're going to do both sides.
Dannie Riel:We're like I should just be sitting over there watching you guys.
Chad:Yeah, a dual camera situation where you can just chill on the couch and get the same thing. Howard Stern does it. I mean it's yeah, we'll figure it out. We're to the same status. I think at this point.
Javier:So, like I want to ask about Hot and Poor Nights, because obviously y'all had the party going on this past weekend so it was postponed because of the weather what do we have for Hot and Poor Nights? Yeah, yeah.
Michael Ferrari Le:So it'll be in June, is it June, I believe?
Javier:Yeah, july 13th. No, no, june June 13th. June 13th, it's one of those. Sorry, that weekend, it's one of those.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah. So we're still sponsors for Hot and Poor Nights. We only did this because it was like their kickoff and Munar reached out to me. I'm like you got to come back and do this and I'm like, okay, but it had. So I wanted to bring the all-stars. So I reached out to Ashley V, I reached out to Marie.
Javier:Medori.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, marie Medori, brittany Page, her, janice True, I wanted to like make this, like this, really big thing, because I wanted to put Fort Worth on, because this is the first time that Hot and Poor Nights will be at Panther Island Pavilion.
Michael Ferrari Le:It been in Dallas whenever we came through and it was just it didn't work out, it didn't make sense and so, but maybe it might make sense for this one. So I hopefully we can make this an all-star thing. It's a type to her. She's literally the boss in terms of like what that happens. But I was like, hey, I'll come out of retirement to bring everyone together and make it fucking pop in someone. I'm mentoring, peter Peter. Yeah, so he's, I love you. Can I talk about Peter?
Javier:Yeah, talk about Peter, I think you should Actually Peter should come on this.
Dannie Riel:Oh my God, yeah, we're here for it.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah. So, peter, is this TikTok sensation guy?
Dannie Riel:I'm like what time do we have?
Michael Ferrari Le:At 20 years old, he's amassed millions of followers. His reel on Instagram right now almost hit 100 million views.
Javier:God damn.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, we sold one of his TikToks or not TikToks, but one of his reels to.
Javier:Oh, okay, all right, I forgot to TikTok.
Dannie Riel:Don't worry about that one.
Michael Ferrari Le:We sold one of his reels to MTV, so it was on Ridiculousness Very bright individual. He's 20 years old. Oh, he was 20 years old when I first met him. Uh, he like he hit me up and he was like trying to meet me and everything was like I don't want to fucking deal with these people anymore. You know, and I, he, him and vidken. So vidken is, uh, suites videographer, also a really big influencer. Um, they both show up to my patio. I, we have a group, we have a group, me, from all of our ampersand baristas and they're like what the fuck? Peter buoy and vid ken is here and I'm like what the fuck? And so like I head over there and they're like we want to meet, you want to talk to you, everything. I'm like okay, I was like you have two days to make an event at Ampersand. If it pops off, I'll sit down and have a conversation with you.
Dannie Riel:Completely sold out on this right, I didn't even show up to this event. They were so pissed, just a test.
Michael Ferrari Le:They literally still talk about it to this day. They're like this motherfucker didn't even fucking show up to our event.
Michael Ferrari Le:But now I'm like mentoring these kids. He's 23 years old now. He owns five businesses. Jesus, 23 years old, started getting into acquisitions Very, very bright individual, like just so, so, fucking smart, and I was just like man. He's like man, I just want to be like you and I'm like dude at 23,. I started my first company At 23 for you. You have five companies yeah, that's nuts. And he started my first company at 23, free. You have five companies. Yeah, it's nuts. And he just like started. Just he reads and listens to podcasts. He's like he's not the typical 23 year old where he's like out part, like I'm out with his friends and like I'm just like man. You don't even come up as 23.
Dannie Riel:He takes care. Yeah, it's very crazy for me to watch, like from a bystander point of view, and especially because, knowing michael for so long, we're very close right. So like to even him talk about this tiktoker coming to his life. I'm like what the fuck are you doing talking to these little kids, like you know. But like after meeting him then we started to pretend that I'm his auntie and then, like our videos were going viral.
Dannie Riel:But just throughout that, watching them learn like they'll go to the, he wants to go to the office till three in the morning, like cooking it up, talking to this guy, like there's a whiteboard, they're going out numbers and everything. I'm just like this is crazy and like to think about like it's so fucking I don't know the feeling, like the word that I could could even explain just watching them from afar. It's, it's it's so surreal and it's it's really endearing, that's awesome.
Michael Ferrari Le:I haven't made a single penny from him. Seriously, I haven't. He's offered me equity in all of his companies. I'm like I don't want it. I was like I'm literally doing this because I believe in you, and so every time he's like, oh my God, I want to do this, this, I'm like, let's do it. I handed him my entire Rolodex for free.
Javier:God dog.
Michael Ferrari Le:So I have veteran talent buyer status but like WME CAA, I get all like every time Ubby Dubby comes in there, like we have Disco Donnie that comes through with all that stuff, so we get all of that Lights All Night. I gave him all of that Like literally every single thing throughout the entire world. Thing throughout the entire world. I just gave him my entire Rolodex and he's taken it and he's literally fucking run with it. Wow.
Dannie Riel:Good for him.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, he's just such a I swear to God, y'all need to bring him on this thing.
Javier:He's a Fort Worth dude. He lives in.
Michael Ferrari Le:Arlington. No shit, he lives in Arlington yeah he lives in Arlington and he's just a good kid. Think you guys would would enjoy picking the brain of a 23 year old?
Javier:oh yeah, 100%. You know what I was doing when I was 23. This one's built different.
Dannie Riel:He's getting drunk exactly this one's built so different. It's really insane. Every time I talk to him like it's crazy, each conversation we have, I'm just like what are his videos about?
Michael Ferrari Le:like what's so he does like very funny. He does a lot of family skits. Uh, the one that just went stupid viral is like he pretended like to roll up us, so the craziest thing is. So he, his, all his content was very wholesome, yeah, super wholesome. Like him pranking his parents, like him having fun, whatever it is right, and I'm. And then he was like mike, I want to do this content but I don't know if, like, I should do it. And I was like what is he's like I want to pretend to roll up a spring roll like a blunt in front of my family and see what happens. And my dude, be edgy, because ampersand, the entire, the entire like premise of what ampersand was was us being edgy as being different. We could be an Avoca, we could be a craft works coffee, we could be those safe, safe, whatever it is like, but we were just like man. We have to do something different and because we were a bar.
Michael Ferrari Le:It gave us the the platform to become edgy and I'm like, lean into it, lean into being, as you're 20 years old, lean into being edgy, have fun with it, because if you fuck up, hey, you can always restart it.
Dannie Riel:Yeah, you're that young.
Michael Ferrari Le:And so he was like okay, fucking, does this shit Goes stupid, fucking viral. Mtv producers are calling me fucking like hey, can we I?
Tim:think I've seen that video. I think so too.
Javier:I was trying to go back into my.
Tim:I'm sitting there thinking 100% you guys have yeah.
Michael Ferrari Le:He's that guy, but people don't understand Him as a person.
Dannie Riel:Him as a person is totally fucking different. He's remotely close to anything you see on social media.
Michael Ferrari Le:He's the real deal, he's. Yeah, he actually dropped out of college and he was like Michael, teach me business. I'm like, okay, Literally he. I taught him how to do Excel and how to like, actually create cost analysis, how to create inventory, how to create like just how to understand formulas and this guy literally is like, okay, fucking learning this shit and self-taught based off this. I would say, hey, here's my template for this. And he's like, okay, he would take the template and reverse engineer it and then understand it and then replicate it, and I'm just like man, this guy's he's the about anything like Canva, whatever like
Dannie Riel:any idea he's like then like even with me. I'm like oh, I need to rebrand. Danny, please listen to this. He'll plug in shit. He'll start doing that, like I'm like what is?
Tim:there's not a lot of people that come, that come into your life. That's like that very impactful, very impactful.
Michael Ferrari Le:But he would also say the same and I'm like, hey, this is what I would do, or this is my experience, but I have never told him do this, do this, do this, because I'm like except you want to you will. I do tell him that his time management is fucking shit yeah, that's so bad.
Dannie Riel:We all know that. So, like he's also a kid, yeah, yeah but like that.
Michael Ferrari Le:But his entire life has changed. When I walked into his room it was dirty. Now he's like I'm very ocd, very clean, very organized. If I don't have my life organized, I don't feel like everything in my life is organized as well as with business or anything this motherfucker rolls his clothes, even if they're dirty up in his suitcase back home I'm like is it necessary? You gotta wash it anyway there was a just incident where I was pissed. This is the first time I probably was ever pissed off.
Dannie Riel:We're in new york for an event and um and so she was drunk and she literally anyway so we were mad at each other, and then and then, so he's about to leave.
Michael Ferrari Le:I go back to the hotel and I'm literally rolling my clothes mad at me like I'm leaving. I'm just like, like am I supposed?
Dannie Riel:to take you serious, like you're rolling your clothes. Anyways, I was kind of sleeping and passing by that point.
Michael Ferrari Le:But but yeah, I know we're kind of going off a tangent and probably running out of time. Thank you guys. So much, man, we really appreciate y'all coming on.
Chad:This has been a great time. It's been really nice to kind of like pick your brain a little bit and learn a little. Absolutely, it was an extra, like add on cherry on top.
Javier:I wasn't supposed to be here.
Dannie Riel:I love it so much I came for support they send me that and I'm like alright, surprise guest cool.
Javier:I was like wait, hold on, wait. I was actually waking up from a nap and I'm like wait.
Dannie Riel:I was just happy. Oh, you told them I was coming already. I was like hey, is it cool if?
Michael Ferrari Le:Danny Rowe, I didn't think you were going to come on, yeah.
Dannie Riel:I was like hey, do you mind if she comes by? I was here for support, because I'm like oh my God, you're blocking.
Tim:No, we're going to bring you on.
Chad:You were sitting outside of the frame on the couch for five minutes, I know.
Dannie Riel:I couldn't help it at all. You did a little bit. Look at me, Glenn, get the spotlight.
Javier:Yeah, no, okay.
Chad:Fern Gully, really Hell yeah.
Javier:I know why? Because I know you're perfect right. No, fern Gully is not my favorite.
Chad:No it's not at all. I have two Fern Gully's great.
Michael Ferrari Le:I would say my number one most favorite movie of all time is Top Gun, based off the soundtrack Danger.
Tim:Zone.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, I watched that movie so many times. You're a Kenny Loggins fan, and then another one after that would be Lord of the Rings.
Javier:I love the fucking trilogy so much they're gonna remake it in 4D or 4K. It's gonna come out this summer, wow really I love Lord of the Rings.
Chad:It is here's shoot just shit, I don't know. I thought we were just doing y'alls. Interstellar and Inception are my two top okay, you're one of those guys.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah, I like to think I'm a Shawshank Redemption guy.
Tim:Okay and Stand by Me solid so both Stephen King actually yeah, I love that movie.
Javier:Well they, you know he said mine. I'm usually a Shawshank guy, but the Cat Returns is my new like a the Cat Returns it's a.
Dannie Riel:It's a.
Javier:Miyazaki movie. So I'm kind of you know, okay, I'm kind of you know, okay, I'm going like I was based off like literally like nostalgia there, so I kind of like spoke for.
Chad:Like my child, my child who was like but.
Dannie Riel:But actually, now that we're talking about you guys, I'm doing your pics.
Javier:Let's would be Step Brothers and Elf, so you're a Will.
Dannie Riel:Ferrell man yeah.
Javier:I'm a Will Ferrell fan. I'm like Ferrell.
Chad:Like Will Ferrell. When you watched the new Avatar or either one of the Avatars, were you like Ferngully again? No, I was like this is a lot like Ferngully. I'm here for it because of the same vibes.
Dannie Riel:I got the vibes of it. I got the vibes of it yeah.
Javier:But when?
Tim:you're on shrooms.
Javier:Yeah, it's a little bit different, all right, and that's my cue to get out of here because I can't talk about that. I just want to say that Goofy Movie had no right to make Roxanne look so good as a child.
Chad:Anything that y'all want to plug. I was a kid. Social media, anything like that.
Michael Ferrari Le:Follow Ampersand Texas. Ampersand Texas Bar. Ampersand Texas Bar. Socium Project.
Tim:Tandy.
Michael Ferrari Le:Real hey, d-a-n-n-i-e.
Chad:I'm going to leave it. He won't call you back AMPM.
Javier:Concepts D-A-N-N-I-E-R-I-E-L.
Michael Ferrari Le:Yeah.
Chad:Yeah. Don't need to follow me, but follow the Funky Panther, but go to the Ambersand, any of them. They're fantastic. Good coffee If you want to check out the one over on 7th Street. You're going to have a good time at night.
Dannie Riel:You're just going to have a fantastic time TCU is opening up, so make sure you guys check it out at the end of May.
Michael Ferrari Le:DFW Airport just opened up and it's in C36, C37, DFW Airport International. Please stop by. Take the Skylink over Delicious Insane.
Dannie Riel:And if you tag us, we'll.
Tim:I was like take a selfie and just DM them with like look where.
Dannie Riel:I'm at. We will repost you.
Michael Ferrari Le:It means the world for us. So thank you so much. Shout out to Funky Panther for having us.
Tim:Thanks for coming on.
Michael Ferrari Le:I'm literally going to. Anytime someone routes through here, I'm going to bring them over here and we'll just fucking rock a podcast, let's do it.
Javier:And if Hot, it For Nights. If y'all and on my personal, please be there, we're going to be covering it.
Chad:Yeah, you got a media pass. I got a media pass.
Michael Ferrari Le:I guess I'd be on, oh wow.
Javier:I got a media pass and, as a matter of fact, when I last went there, like maybe 15 years ago, some guy walking out with a media pass said here you go. And I'm like okay, so I just had a camera.
Chad:I'm like, oh, I'm taking a picture Passing the torch. Well, thank you all for hanging out with us. Thank you both for coming on so much. If you don't already do so, please make sure you also follow the Funky Panther at the Funky Panther. You can find all of our stuff at thefunkypanthercom, as you know.
Tim:And what's that phone number?
Chad:817-677-0408. Leave us a text to hear from you. Stay good, everybody. I'm Chad.
Javier:I'm Javier and I'm Tim, and we are. No, no, no, Just start over, you ruined it.
Chad:Do it again, sorry, sorry. I'm Chad, I'm Javier and I'm Tim.
Dannie Riel:I'm Michael Ferrari Lee, I'm Danny Mio and we are the Funky.
Michael Ferrari Le:Panther Woo.
Chad:Are you in?
Javier:Spider-Man right now.
