Paper Trails

In the first episode of Season 3 of the Paper Trails podcast, Nick sits down with the executive chef, Mike Bobb, of the Ballantyne Hotel. Listen as Mike takes us through how his passion for cooking developed, his journey through culinary school at Johnson and Wales, to becoming the executive chef at the Ballantyne Hotel.

"I realized that I could change somebody's day because I'm the first person they're speaking to, most likely." Magnolia Coffee Co's Production Manager, Ben Alleman, got into the coffee scene because he wanted a change from the restaurant industry. He quickly fell in love with what he calls the 'counter-culture.'

Magnolia's goal is to make the top 3-5% of coffee accessible to the everyday coffee drinker. While Alleman himself hasn't gone to the origin spots of the coffee, Magnolia's owner has traveled extensively to the different growing regions.

But even with the best beans, it always comes back to that counter culture and the barista behind the bar. Alleman says the best response to a first sip is when someone says, 'Wow, I don't need to put anything in this!'

Says Alleman, "You can really change somebody with a really good cup of coffee."

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Stomp, Chomp & Roll Restaurant Group owner, Will Bigham, grew up in the restaurant industry.  He describes himself as 'always learning,' which is probably why he's seen success operating a wide variety of restaurants ranging from a dessert business to fast-casual Asian cuisine, and now the popular Charlotte, NC brands Improper Pig, Flying Biscuit, and Pizza Peel. 

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Manolo Betancur has a plan -- to bring his Latin bakery concept to the poorest towns of NC in hopes to create jobs, growth, and spark life on desolate Main Streets that can use some love.

Head Brewer, Kiel Arrington, takes Nick on a mini-tour of the brewery and what goes into making your favorite beers.

Owning a business was always in the back of Arrington’s mind and Vaulted Oak wasn’t his first attempt at starting a brewery business.  In 2015, he pitched a brewery to investors and they didn’t bite.  But Arrington wasn’t deterred and counts it as a good learning experience.

“It took years, up to a decade, in the food and bev industry to grow into where I am today,” says Arrington.

Years passed and Arrington started a family but didn’t give up on the brewery idea.  He started looking at the possibility of opening a bottle shop near Lake Lure when his realtor turned him onto a former BB&T bank location that was just bought.  

Arrington brought on business partner, Johnie Jones, and signed the lease in September 2019.  Next step – he had to bring on investors.  In the 11th hour, Arrington got it done.  (the space almost became a Pop-eye’s!)  

After breaking ground in July 2020 amidst a pandemic and dealing with delays and supply shortages, Vaulted Oak Brewing finally opened its doors on June 8, 2021.

And the brewery was immediately embraced.

“Overwhelming and humbling were phrases I used a lot of times.  We didn’t expect that level of support, especially in a pandemic,” reflects Arrington on the community support.

“Community was always a pillar of our business model. we wanted to be more than just a place to get a beer.”

Arrington’s advice for business owners:

• Never burn bridges because never know when you’re going to need someone’s relationship.

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We may be a paper company, but this crew is makin' that paper! We get a fascinating view inside the workings of CT Commercial Paper in Oakboro, NC with Kat Palm & Mollie Guffy. Not only do they make the best paper products (Single Roll Tissue, Jumbo Roll Tissue, Hard Wound Roll Towels, Kitchen Roll Towels, Folded Towels, Napkins, Toilet Seat Covers, and more) but their products do not require the destruction and depletion of the world's precious natural resources. They utilize sustainable virgin pulp and also one hundred percent post-consumer waste substrates. As of 2021, they have six warehouses located throughout the Central and Western United States, with further expansion planned in the Southern and Eastern portions of the U.S. Y'all know when your office is skimpin on the good paper products -- have your boss hit up CT Commercial Paper for that good good. https://ctcpaper.com/ Paper Trails Podcast drops every Tuesday! Subscribe now and follow along: https://www.instagram.com/albemarlepapersupply/

After a wide and varied journey through all sides of the restaurant industry, bbq fan Lewis Donald launched his shop, Sweet Lew's, in the Belmont neighborhood of Charlotte, NC because he felt Charlotte needed a true barbecue shop and "I felt like that was my best avenue to be me, have fun and I could see myself doing it for the rest of my life."

He chose the neighborhood because BBQ is all about community. His restaurant sits amongst residential houses across from a few other local eateries that people can easily walk to for family dinner. He, like most Charlotteans, is not a native. Originally from Cleveland, he's moved all over Hawaii, Tennesse, Georgia, West Virginia, and L.A. where he learned Spanish.

"The Greenbrier is SWANKY" according to Nick. He's not wrong. The Greenbrier Culinary Apprenticeship Program was an invaluable deep dive into the ingredients, prep and everything that goes into cooking. He suggests apprenticeships over culinary school - but they're rare to get into. After the Greenbrier, Lew got a job at Charlotte Country Club. "They would not have called me Sweet Lew at Charlotte Country Club." It was a big, humbling change where he learned to put his ego aside. A positive experience, he grew as a leader and still uses the skills he gained there today.

He moved on to Carmel Country Club which, as he puts it, "It's a blast." He had a great experience but got burnt out. So he decided to give the 9-5 a try. At Inland Seafood, Lew worked as a salesman. This position allowed him to see the other side of the industry, giving him a broader understanding of the customer service and manufacturing side.

But the desk job was a hard adjustment and he missed what he truly loved about the industry. As Nick says, "To be in our industry, you have to have a heart for it." So Lew returned to the kitchen at Reid's Fine Foods. He was in charge of producing the fresh and frozen items for the deli and catering. It was, again, another different view of the food industry where he learned margins, packaging, budgets.

The posh Greenbrier may not seem like a BBQ pit haven, but it was where Lew grew to love the style of cooking. Pitmaster, Ken Hess, would wheel in his trailer smoker and have the apprentices help with barbecue competitions. Lew continued to pepper in barbecue throughout his career and developed a lasting fondness for it.

So in 2018, He left Reid's Fine Foods, returned to Inland Seafood to pay the bills, and set forth opening Sweet Lew's BBQ. His first rude awakening? He was told his shop would be built in 65 days. He didn't account for that being 65 BUSINESS days and while he expected an August/September opening... he didn't open until the end of November. What he learned from the opening: "I think every restauranteur in Charlotte goes through the same thing -- everything new in Charlotte is great." The first 90 days are full of free press and booming sales. "Then there comes that time in Charlotte you constantly have to reinvent yourself." Lew stays in his lane...want boiled peanuts, Brunswick stew, and brisket? He's your guy. But he's not changing up the menu and adding items for publicity. He focuses on simplicity, inspired by the different regional BBQ styles. And while he does have house-made sauces, he doesn't sauce his meat. He wants to be a master of the BBQ biz, not a jack of all trades. 'We want to be here for generations," Lew says, hopefully, he'll feed families for years to come.

Fun Sauce Facts:

The mustard-based sauce is an SC thing because of German settlers

Big Bob Gibson is credited as the originator of white sauce in Alabama

NC is regionally divided - some areas focusing on vinegar-based sauces, others tomato-based

Last thoughts: Are you thinking about starting a business?  Lew's advice: "Talk to somebody before you do it - talk to many people. Do your homework, do your research, and really think about what you're getting yourself into. It's hard to translate what you're doing at home or what you've done for your family or friends -- just because you make the best pie at thanksgiving doesn't mean it's going to become a business." 

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