Brandon Shubert, owner and executive chef of Stonefish Sushi, talks about how he has pivoted to survive and thrive during the pandemic, including partnering with other businesses.
HELLO, I'M LAURIE SIGILLITO WITH THEMONTEZUMA LOCAL NEWS. AND TODAY AS PART OF OUR ROAD TO RECOVERYSERIES, I AM SPEAKING WITH BRANDON SCHUBERT, WHO IS THE OWNER AND,AND THE MAIN, THERE, I GUESS, AT THE STONE, STONE FISH SUSHI ANDMORE. IS THAT CORRECT?
THAT IS CORRECT.
ALL RIGHT.WELL, I WANTED TO JUST, BRANDON, GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT, WHAT HASIT BEEN LIKE TRYING TO RUN A RESTAURANT. YOUR INDUSTRY'S BEENIMPACTED AMAZINGLY, POORLY, I GUESS, IN THIS LAST SITUATION WITH APANDEMIC, BUT TELL ME, HOW'S YOUR BUSINESS GOING? WHAT ARE YOU DOINGTO TRY TO PIVOT AND KEEP IT GOING?
WELL, ME, I'M, I'VE ACTUALLY CHANGEDPRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING. WE STARTED BACK IN MARCH,OBVIOUSLY WHEN EVERYTHING WAS SHUT DOWN, IT WAS JUST MY WIFE AND IARE DOING TAKEOUT, WHICH WE HAD TO CHANGE THE WHOLE CONCEPT AND MODELTHAT WE WERE RUNNING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT EFFICIENTLY. THEN WE WEREABLE TO BRING SOME MORE EMPLOYEES BACK, WHICH WAS GREAT. AND WE'VEBEEN DOING TAKEOUT EVER SINCE. WE'RE STILL TRYING TO TURN PAGES ONWHAT THAT BUSINESS MODEL IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE NOW. I REALLY THINKTHE FACT WHAT WE'RE GOING TOWARD IS MORE OF A FAST CASUAL COUNTERSERVICE WHERE IT'S VERY, VERY LIMITED CONTACT WITH THE GUESTS. IT'SVERY QUICK AND SAFER FOR EVERYBODY, HONESTLY. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'REPOSITIONING TOWARD.
ALL RIGHT. THAT, THAT TOTALLY MAKESSENSE. OF COURSE. AND I AM ALWAYS IMPRESSED WITH HOW CORTEZBUSINESSES COLLABORATE AND WORK TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY IN CHALLENGINGTIMES AS THIS ONE, OR WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WORKING WITH LOCALBUSINESSES TO TRY TO HELP, SUPPORT EACH OTHER?
WELL, WE'REDOING QUITE A FEW THINGS. I MEAN, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERYCOMMUNITY-ORIENTED AND, YOU KNOW, WE'D RATHER SPEND OUR MONEY IN OURCOMMUNITY THAN SOMEWHERE ELSE. BUT IN THESE TIMES YOU HAVE TO GET ALITTLE MORE CREATIVE. WE'RE ACTUALLY TEAMING UP WITH A LITTLEMICROBREWERY UP THE STREET CALLED WILDEDGE, AND WE ARE DOING SUSHIROLLS IN A, A TO-GO SETTING THAT WE'RE SUPPLYING THEM AND THEY'RESELLING THEM TO THEIR GUESTS ON FRIDAYS AND SATURDAY NIGHTS.
SO I'VE HEARD THAT MAYBE THIS SUSHIROLL IS A SPECIAL ONE BUILT FOR THEM. IS THAT CORRECT? A SPECIALNAME?
WE DID. WE DID TWO ROLLS THAT WE HAVE ON OUR MENUCURRENTLY. AND THEN WE DID ONE SPECIALLY FOR THEM, WHICH IS AVEGETARIAN ROLE, WHICH IS REALLY COOL. WE'LL CALL IT THE WILD EDGE,EXCLUSIVELY FOR THEM, WHICH IS VERY NICE.
WELL, I WANT TO, IKNOW YOU'RE BUSY. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO GETON AND SHARE WITH ME KIND OF WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AT, AT STONEFISH SUSHI. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR VIEWERSWHO ARE PROBABLY A LOT OF YOUR,
YEAH, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE TRYING TO BE APART OF THE SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM. WE'RE JUST DOING OUR THING. WEAPPRECIATE YOUR TO-GO BUSINESS, AND WHEN WE ARE READY, AND FEEL THATWE CAN, EXECUTE OUR NEW PLAN SAFELY, WE WILL. SO, AND UNTIL THATTIME, PLEASE KEEP COMING IN FOR TAKEOUT AND WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR 10 YEARS LAST MONTH AND WE HOPE FOR BE HERE 10MORE.
THAT'S AWESOME. I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEARTHAT YOU GUYS ARE, ARE, ARE CONTINUING ON, AND I THINK YOU'LL DOWELL. IT'S JUST ALL GETTING TO, TO GET TOGETHER THROUGH THIS. SOTHANK YOU SO MUCH, BRANDON, FOR JOINING ME TODAY AND THANK YOU TO OURMONTEZUMA, LOCAL NEWS VIEWERS. YOU GUYS ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY.
