Serving Healthy and Fresh Cuisines with Alejandro Enderica

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Interview Transcription

ADRIENNE: 
Well, welcome back. And thanks for listening to the Team Lally Real Estate show home of the guaranteed sold program. Well buy it. I’m Adrienne and I’m Attilio. And if you have any questions just give us a call at 7999596 or check us out online at Teamlally.com.

ATTILIO: 
Our guest today graduated from business school at the Excelsior College and associate in finance at University of South Carolina. He decided to put up a restaurant using equipment from his father’s clothes business, which unfortunately did not succeed.

ADRIENNE:
Together with his wife. They moved to Hawaii in 2007. Working in retail to save money to put up another business. After getting into CrossFit and learning more about nutrition, he found the right opportunities and with more experience, His business grew in just five years. Yeah, please welcome our guest Alejandro Enderica.

ATTILIO: 
Hey Alejandro! I was thinking about starting a review like local review of restaurants and it was going to be called Five Star broke the mouth. Because you guys play a bit you guys definitely get a five star broke down mouth. For the food that I’ve tasted there personally myself. It is awesome. I didn’t see anything on the menu I didn’t like. I just wish I had a bigger stomach so I could have ate more of your entrees.

ADRIENNE:
You just got to go back more often. Attilio but

ATTILIO: 
hey, welcome to the show. You guys. How’s it going over there at the at the Aina grill it’s going really good Attilio I think we’re gonna start putting something on the menu and name it after you. It’s so good. Hey Alejandro, are you there?

ALEJANDRO:
Oh, sorry. Hello.

ATTILIO: 
Hello. Okay, your’e the life of the entrepreneur man. You got to do interviews. You got to cook the food. You gotta Hey, you know it’s all it’s that. You’re, you’re demonstrating for people that you got to wear multiple hats when you’re starting a business. Let’s let’s just get off the ground here real quick. How did you learn how to make all these awesome entrees on your menu because it’s super tasty

ALEJANDRO: 
just I went to chef school back in 2006 to 2007 and then yeah and then living over here for a while found some local spots I really like and I was able to some other stuff that I like it that’s how I put everything together

ATTILIO: 
yeah cuz I noticed you guys like it’s I know I mentioned it to you before even told me about the shifting that your plate lunches they seem like a couple steps up above. Like when normal plate lunch because normal pay. Think about normal play lunch. It’s a protein, mac salad and two scoops of rice. That’s it. Like a lot of carbs. But you guys have like, homemade dressing for your salads. You got some awesome sides over there. Everything’s made fresh daily.

ALEJANDRO: 
Yeah, that was some of the ideas we had it was it was trying to give a little more options. Yeah. Yeah, everybody can talk with the with the rice and Mac salad and I will talk Salad and it was like, Can I could get boring every day. So this one you can you can switch it up. Hopefully we get more more return customers that way in.

ADRIENNE: 
Yeah. So Alejandro, where is your restaurant located?

ALEJANDRO: 
It’s located in Waipahu. It’s it’s in find on highway across like savers and Pacific market. Yeah, so it’s in a town center call Waipahu Medical Center.

ATTILIO: 
You got to take the first driveway if you heading okay and give people local can kind directions local kind directions. If you’re heading in a direction from Ewa beach to town on Farrington Highway, you got to go into the first driveway, not the second driveway. Because one way yep. And you Park Medical Center right there. And in the afternoon, you guys are in the shade of the rail. And we call it the ghost rail because nobody’s ever on it. And every once in awhile, you see the rail go by. Nobody’s on that rail car. Ghost rail.

ALEJANDRO: 
Yeah, like, three, four times a day.

ATTILIO: 
Guys union, you know, he got to do his job every day. Yeah, that’s okay. No need passengers. We just couldn’t ride the rail every day. Oh, what’d you do today? Oh, I was I was driving the rail today. Yeah. How was the passengers? Oh, that was really quiet. But anyway, so I want to tell the story of the people tell it to the people why we ended up over there. You know, a lot of times you you know, people go, you know, people like, Oh, what are we going to eat today? That’s always the big question for local people where gonna eat today. And then, so I have my friends that I’ve known since like seventh grade from Kamehameha Schools class 85 more. There will be a caller Souza, and John Pacheco, how is that welcome. My two best friends from high school is too Portuguese, but I’m the one that’s doing all the talking. When we get together, but we get to we have a lunch and we get together like once every five years. And I said we better shortening up that frequency because you know, we’re getting old and next time we’d be like, oh, where’s Carla? Oh, he’s dead. No, I’m not speaking that into his life. But I figured we got to get together more often. So we went from every five years to because of your food once a year, but I think I think the next time we go I eat over there and we might be doing them like every quarter and then maybe once a month because your food is so you’re bringing back old high school friends the how TC your food is. But anyway, my friend from Kailua heard about you all the way from Kailua came all the way to Waipahu being John we just close it down. We never even get on the freeway. We just came down Farrington from Kapolei in and we sat there all day, you guys didn’t kick us out. And I say, you know, we’re going to help promote this local business over here. So, thank you so much. Talk about the meal plan and we’re going to talk about some other things you guys have been talking about this meal plan you have

ALEJANDRO: 
Yeah, so this is actually what we started these before the restaurants so it’s like a meal prep service. We do like healthy food. We do like like regular FDA, you know, approved, approved like meals like they’re pretty balanced. We also keep variations we offer like paleo keto. We work with our nutritionist that she that she helped us you don’t come up with the right portions and then and then yeah, she offers like free consultation. So to our new customers. Oh, nice. So yeah, so it’s pretty cool. And then people can order for free and you can order however you want. You can order like five meals a week. 10 meals a week or you can go for the tool like 21 meals like breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.

ADRIENNE: 
Nice. And then these meal these meal plans where there can be a drop off, drop off where do you do the pickups? Yeah, we have

ALEJANDRO: 
we have a bunch of locations but we have all the way from North Shore to town. Nice. So we have, like we’re partners with 45 chains with most of them. With Egan’s bootcamp, we have have some health stores like while you are fresh. And then we have some CrossFit Gym. And then we have a yes on all these places we have like our distribution center like a little fridge with a logo. And when they order online, they can select, which is which location they’re going to pick up from. And then you’ll be ready for them on the on the fridge when they’re ready with it.

ATTILIO: 
They gotta go over to the gym and get jacked up and eat your food and get jacked up again because eating.

ALEJANDRO: 
Like, if they’re not going, they might they might sign up or they might they might be like, oh, I need I need this in my life. Yes.

ADRIENNE: 
So where can our listeners go to sign up to sample these meal plans? I think online, you can go to ainameals.com ainameals.com. Okay,

ATTILIO: 
I know, the land, meals, food.

ADRIENNE: 
Ainameals.com There’s three different programs to choose from your plants issues. Like how do you how often do you cycle out the different foods that you offer?

ALEJANDRO: 
We have like a like an eight week rotation and it’s like 21 different meals every week. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. All righty. So they definitely get boring. You always get something new. All right.

ATTILIO: 
And then you guys also take all the deliveries like what is DoorDash? Uber Eats?

ADRIENNE: 
Oh, that. Yes. For the

ALEJANDRO: 
restaurant we do. We do have all the different delivery apps like DoorDash UberEATS, Grub Hub, and bite squad.

ATTILIO: 
And then you also have on special delivery has been around even before the internet is called Duck kids. Hey, go over there and get the food. As soon as you get the license. Congratulations. You’re ready to go get to dinner for the family tonight. Duck kids. So and then you guys are the what’s what’s your guys hours of operation?

ALEJANDRO:
We open from 1030 1030 to seven. Okay, Monday through Saturday. And then we just started opening on Sundays. We’re opening from 10 to five on Sundays.

ATTILIO: 
Oh, nice. So if you guys figure out what you’re gonna need for today, maybe lunch? I think it’s worth a drive no matter where you are out on the island. And they can also do the meals. So you guys use all those things? Also to how easy is it to order online?

ALEJANDRO: 
Oh, for for the restaurant? Yeah, we’re on Yeah, you can just go to our website and you can just order for pickup or give us a call. So we have like online order. Yeah. Or, or to the phone. Yeah.

ATTILIO: 
And you guys, you know, I think what you guys were falling. You know, I think we had talked about it earlier when we were interviewing you from before that the kind of the concept you’re looking for is you know, these real high end restaurants are creating these little pop up rush pop up places to eat. And that’s what you guys wanted to do is you guys wanted to have a small place keep your cost down, but you wanted to put that savings into the quality of the food and the tastiness of it.

ALEJANDRO: 
So yeah, correct. Like we actually put a lot of work you know, from this small location like we actually like make our own fries, you know, make our own dressings and everything is pretty fresh.

ADRIENNE: 
Let’s talk about the catering that you guys offer.

ATTILIO: 
It’s all about catering. Yes. was talking about that.

ALEJANDRO:
Now we’ve been we’ve we’ve been catering for already to 2018 that we started the meal. So we cater for a lot of companies, for weddings. And then and then the coolest thing is we’ve been catering for artists that since we’ve been doing some kind of kind of healthy catering now, most artists always make health conscious so they don’t, it’s worked. It’s worked really good. And if they hire a bunch of times to do vegan catering or we do this gluten free catering and yeah, we’ve got the pleasure to work with like Bruno Mars with. We’re gonna do Kevin Hart soon with the Jo Koy. And on a bunch of famous people that been super fun to work with.

ADRIENNE: 
These famous people want to be healthy and fit and eat your food.

ATTILIO: 
So I know you probably can’t say it, but we can. You’re endorsed by Kevin Hart, Jo Koy. And Bruno Mars.

ADRIENNE: 
They all love your phone. No, no, no, no, you

ATTILIO: 
can’t say that.

ADRIENNE: 
But they love it. Love the cater. Oh,

ATTILIO: 
you know what? They can come after me? I told them they did went indoors. I mean, what did they love the food? They haven’t been catering the backstage I mean, Kevin Hart isn’t running down the street to l&l in between shows. He’s going to the back of the stage and eating healthy foods chef Alejandro’s food.

ALEJANDRO: 
Not only him, but like a lot of the staff. The crew, the crew. Yeah, setting up the stage. Guys are like always, always hustling to keep them healthy.

ATTILIO:
Yes, yes, this is go time man. And so I think more and more, we got a chance to work with one of the directors that made a series of films, we can’t tell you who because we’d have to kill you. But his daily budget was $700,000 every day. And these guys go from like six in the morning till two in the morning, and so on. What he realized is that he’s got to have Chris Cole craft services, they got to have good food, if you want to produce good entertainment. So you’re the reason why when Bruno Mars come on the stage, his stomach isn’t all like grumbling because he hungry. He’s just hungry to entertain.

ALEJANDRO: 
Well, yeah, there’s the old the, the good life, man. They all yeah, sometimes we’re not the only kid or two. So sometimes they get like, from all different places. Yeah.

ATTILIO:
That’s cool that you’re up there, man. He’s swinging with the big boys over there behind stage and the entertainment has to say something because there are people are very, I mean, Bruno Mars is worth millions and millions of dollars, and so is Kevin Hart’s. And Jo Koy. Jo Koy coming up, I think yeah, I think he has his own plane. No, here. It did. Alright. Yeah. Yeah, on movie. So that’s pretty good. So again, a lot of big things in your in your tiny little place the Aina Grill there in Waipahu.

ADRIENNE: 
Yes. Go check it out. Sign up for a meal plan.

ATTILIO: 
I’m kind of bummed or you know, why? Why does we tell everybody on the show? And then now we’re gonna go over there. We’re gonna have to wait.

ADRIENNE: 
givers game,

ATTILIO: 
we want you to have success. We want you guys to be so busy that you start marking stuff off the menu. Oh, we’re out of that. Oh, we’re out of that. But I think you’re good. You’re a smart businessman.

ALEJANDRO: 
Oh, oh, we’re trying to try to keep everything in stock.

ATTILIO: 
I know when I go restaurants and they’re like, Oh, we’re out of that. I’m like, there’s nobody in here. How can you be out of this? Or Eddie? Who’s ordering here? So

ALEJANDRO: 
it’s okay to be out of it. Okay.

ATTILIO: 
Yes. Because you want it fresh?

ADRIENNE: 
Well, well, thank you Alejandro for calling in and sharing your story about your food and your restaurant. And we hope that all of our listeners go and sample

ATTILIO:
soon as you walk in the door. I want you guys to say oh, like super loud where Alejandro freaks out. And then you say oh, the team Lally show sent me down here. To the Aina Grill. Hungry. Yeah, we hungry. Bring all your friends in order. Okay. All right. Well, thank you Alejandro for being on the show. Thank you guys for having me for sure. Yes. Best of success All right, thank you so much. You know I want to just remind you of one story was out on grocery store not gonna say which one and Adrienne’s like, How come this poke is $25 a pound and this one is $5 a pound? And the guy’s like, oh, because this one is fresh. And I was thinking to myself what was the other one? Well you guys have been dropped them on the ground couple times and kick them around a

ADRIENNE: 
few days old. I did not want that one. But I mean

ATTILIO: 
think about it people were like okay, the cheaper one that’s not fresh and then the fresh pokey Okay, I’m gonna go with the fresh polki it’s like saying oh we got the fresh pokey but this one over here get the food poisoning $5 per pound for food poisoning. I guess if I was going on diet I would get the rotten pokey that’s why not saying which which place use a local guy I think maybe use on how the lady and you like what is this? How the lady asking about the Pocky and the different prices? I can just get your half pound lady and get out

ADRIENNE: 
but I don’t want food poisoning. Yeah,

ATTILIO: 
I don’t think any of them don’t we that’s why I’m not saying the name of the place it would be like like burned in the studio down What do you mean we got food poisoning in our pocket. But

ADRIENNE: 
we need a transaction coordinator we’re hiring speaking

ATTILIO:
okay, we need on transaction coordinator to help us manage our transactions. Yes. The what we should tell them to pay and what we were looking for. Well okay, sure. Yeah, so 50k a year plus benefits

ADRIENNE:
some bonuses potential for bonuses potential for bonuses, you

ATTILIO: 
gotta have your what we’re looking for is somebody that’s about five three, with tennis shoes. No, we’re looking for somebody that has a real estate license as some transaction experience you know, you did a call you got a couple of transactions under your belt you’re not coming in brand new

ADRIENNE: 
or even that is like within the industry maybe like the mortgage or escrow and understands the real estate transaction transaction proceeds willing to get license Yeah, get them come work with our team. You gotta have experience. Yeah, so you’ve got to join Teamlally.com and apply there and look forward to interviewing you.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah. All right. So and then also we have a listing coming up is 23 acres in Kaneohe a backed up against the beautiful coal

ADRIENNE: 
23 and a half 23 and a half. Yes,

ATTILIO: 
this peaceful tranquility is will leave you breathless. The home is designed in the modern Greek style with five bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms no expense was spared in the design features including blue Bahia marble countertops imported kitchen cabinets from Italy and limestone floor already throughout the home, we’re going to be sending out special invites to the governor the mayor the chief of police in the fire chief. When you guys come out to our event we’re gonna have Botox and bubbles. Doctor Yew will be there Dr. Yew yes clients from all over the world that fly him to help them to buy Korea to make them look younger aloe vera yes So Botox and some bubbles, some fine Italian imported food for the Papoose from Boca Tino from Boca you know and then and then we might even have some SUVs maybe hopefully from velocity the dealership we’re just speaking it on site. Well, that’s gonna be a good time by invite only for this property.

ADRIENNE: 
All right, well, thank you for listening and thank you to our sponsors. 

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