JAVIER SOSA: How I Went From Mexican Immigrant To $100 Million CEO of Javier's Mexican Restaurant!🇲🇽

hi I'm Xavier from Xavier restaurants and now one of the passion is huge I thought that it was amazing everything that he has been he made me go away to my childhood to Tijuana he made me remember the best time from from Tortilla Flats I think it should be in the restaurant business his question was very very interesting and I hope people enjoy the show welcome to this episode of the passionate view podcast today it's your host Omar here and today you're in for a treat because by the end of this interview you'll be absolutely blown away as we get to sit down with restaurant tour mogul and my good friend Javier Sosa of Javier's restaurants and this incredible interview Javier shares with us how he came to this country as an immigrant from Mexico from very humble beginnings to wash dishes in his early teens and would spend nearly 20 plus years learning the ins and outs of almost every single profession in the Mexican restaurant industry and ultimately Javier also shares with us how he ended up getting fired in his mid-forties losing everything including his home and had nothing but his wife his kids and a mattress before reinventing himself and starting will become the Javier's restaurant Empire and with six locations and hundreds of employees and growing not only does the company generate tens of millions of dollars per location but it's also frequented by social elites including getting praise from the late Kobe Bryant as well as mr. Wynn himself of the Las Vegas casinos and in this interview Javier shares with us not only how he pioneered the Taco Tuesday movement and was able to make his vision a reality on his mission to create the very definition of what it means to have an upscale restaurant in business but also how anybody listened to this can apply these principles to make their dreams and their visions a reality so with no further ado I want to encourage you guys to sit back relax enjoy this powerful interview about a man on a mission who manifested hidden vision reality the man who's loved just as much by his employees as he is his customers and who will to Wed into this interview none other than the incredibly inspiring story of a Mexican immigrant turned mogul Javier Sosa of Javier's restaurants so much for being on the show today Javier Sosa absolutely and again thank you so much for having us here in your beautiful restaurant it's an honor to get to share your story so thank you again for having us thank you so before you became this you know successful restaurateur and had these restaurants that people rave about like where did you grow up what was your childhood like and sort of take me back to where you grew up as a kid I was born and raised in Tijuana and like Colonia independencia I had my mom my dad and we were seven in the family I had a very nice childhood very happy it's very nice when you grew up when you have a father you have a mom and you have a family and you grew up not having any money because you don't know the difference of having money or luxuries or going to the movies or going for a vacation or is that those things that they don't exist and you get up in the morning you have your breakfast your mama makes you tortillas handmade so you're happy and the only thing you know how to do is grow up go to school and play sports yeah so as a kid what did you get in - did you play soccer did your family have money or not really no we didn't have any money because we didn't need to have money yeah but we were very happy I grew up and I I was inspired by soccer and by the girls I did not like going to school at all I thought it was gonna become a professional soccer player so I played soccer since I was eight years old till I was 19 yes when I came here to Laguna Beach Wow and did you have any jobs as a kid in Mexico or just soccer that was that was the full vision I did work for a year in a restaurant called Elko cheeto they sold carnitas so I was working there for one year how do you at that time I was 12 to 13 years old working at 12 and 13 yeah it's that's when my dad died and I the money to go to school so I work one year there did that affect you pretty pretty rough when your father passed I think so yes you know when you're very close to your family and to your dad and being 12 years old yes it's very hard yeah there it also created chip on your shoulder or motivation to maybe excel in soccer or anything like that or not really you were always on your own inspired and driven had a vision I I didn't had a chip my shoulders I always wanted to be a soccer player and I I'm always since I was growing up as a kid I always had motivation for do things that I like you just didn't know how to channel it per se I didn't know what I was gonna do yeah wasn't the plan no yeah and then so talk to me about you know you just played soccer till 19 and your goal is to be professional did you ever get a chance to do that a little bit or I I didn't have the chance because we were getting ready to go to our third national and I was in my prime and I was gonna be turned 19 so that's when I came here to Laguna Beach and what brought you to the gonna Beach I needed to work you needed money I needed money my family needed money my mom needed money and I use needed to work so what did you do at Tortilla Flats when you came to live in a beach well my I had a friend who grew up with me in Tijuana and he got a job in the goona Beach and he was a dishwasher so he I remembered the other night he was a Saturday night when he got there and he said to me have you you want to work we need a dishwasher and I told the people enter gia Platts that I have a friend who was I work as the dishwasher yeah and I said I'm not going to I didn't want to come yeah I see I'm I'm getting ready to go to the Nationals yeah and I'm not gonna play you're gonna be a soccer player now yeah sure yeah so I remember I went home that night and I start thinking and I say you know what I think is better for me to go work so I decided to come with him and start working wow that's crazy what what made you make that decision of doing it just it felt right in your gut or theirs didn't feel fine I find in my gut it I needed to work because I need to help my mom and my family yeah I needed to work period yeah yeah Wow so then you come here and then how long do you end up working at Tortilla Flats was your plan to work for a couple weeks couple months I was I wanted to work for about four months I thought it was gonna work till December make money buy me a car go back to my girlfriend another car yeah and with a little bit of money and I'm still here yeah Wow so you ended up working there what I think I know you you I flew with you in your private jet to Vegas and we talked a little bit about your story you said that you work ended up working there for like 20 years right 23 years I've worked 23 years Wow what kept you there so long I met my wife yeah I got married she worked at the restaurant yes Wow and you guys hit it off right away or started as friends I want to hear the story well I'd remember there was a Tuesday and I went in to start doing my dishes I put my apron and then I turn around and I see this beautiful girl working in the line the cook line and I go so I asked my friend what is this beautiful girl doing there yeah and she and he said she works here yeah you see you're kidding and like I have this job I remember that he said remember that I said it was a girl working here and it was very nice so you stay away from because she's very nice girl that's it so so so at some point you approached her though right she did oh no way really just kidding no I did yes and you guys have been together now ever since huh 48 years 48 years yes Wow it's incredible so we'll get into that but talk to me a little bit about what you learned at Tortilla Flats because you came for four months he ended up staying more than two decades and I know at the time it started as a small location by the time you left I think you said there was like three bigger locations the restaurant had been successful talk to me a little bit about what you learned along your journey or what was happening for you mentally what were you learning what was your vision at that time what you know the the thing is when I start working there you know I I starts at this watcher and I was tackling the man I became a cook I became a waiter I became a bartender and I knew that I wanted to be the best employee because I wanted to be the boss so like I said I always and that's my personality everything that I do I always want to become the best and what I do and then I got married I couldn't be doing dishes or doing cleanup yeah now let me ask you this where did your desire to have these visions inspiration to be the best I mean you came from humble beginnings most people usually have an example around them what is it that made you so motivated for success or to be the best or have this vision of excellence where did that come from is that just in your DNA or did you learn it somewhere as a kid or where did that come from I think that I think that you born with it okay I'm not saying that you people don't have it but I think me personally I can think that I was born with it I am I remember when I was living here and we didn't have any money but I was working I was trying to buy cars but no money I was trying to buy a house without having money so I was trying to do something you know I was always thinking that I want to do something in life yeah always and was the vision like oh I want to be a millionaire eventually I wanna I want to have all these things or what was flowing through your head at that time I I never thought that I was gonna be a millionaire yeah I never thought I was gonna be so successful yeah when when I was working at RIA flats I got to know a lot of people you know it it after after years when I became a manager there it didn't feel like I was at work it feel like I was yes and something that I like to do yeah just hanging out friends well you really don't hang your good friend because you work doubles every day you open and close it was hard it was not easy knowing so whoever wants to be successful and become successful you know what number one you have to be have a vision and you have to be serious you know that you have to work hard and you know you have to sacrifice yourself nothing come because you're very lucky I'm a little lucky I admitted it but you have to work hard and then talk to me a little bit about Tortilla Flats I know that you are part of the team that coined the first Taco Tuesday talk to me a little bit about how that came about because I was what in the 80s yes when we we started with a small tortilla Flat it was a very small restaurant and then we became bigger we made it bigger it was a beautiful restaurant then we opened a beautiful bar upstairs and Tuesday's was the slowest night of the week okay I remember las Brisas had opened a few months ago and they were pretty busy so we decided to put tackles for $0.50 and the bar Wow so you invent the Taco Tuesday I can take the credit that I named it Taco Tuesday the customer name it technically and we'll put tackles and the bar for 50 Cent's the way God named Taco Tuesday speak up people start calling when we start getting busier hey guys do you have Taco Tuesday I heard that you have Taco Tuesday is that 50 cents I would say yeah so that became the busiest and the craziest day I think that everybody wasn't gonna be in those days on Taco Tuesday that's a good lesson in marketing you ended up taking the slowest day of the week and ended up making it the busiest day of the week that was pure luck yeah yeah well you have to take chances to get lucky and you guys took on that's awesome so then talk to me about what else you learned I mean you took on many roles in the restaurant business you said you started working at your first restaurant at 13 you come here at 19 give up your soccer dreams to wash dishes to make money and then you said 23 years you ended up working there after doing all these roles what is it that you learned or what is it that developed in you or was it just you were just building the muscle of excellence were you learning the business too or did you did you have the vision of maybe doing something on your own what was going through your mind during that time I mean in those days I didn't think that I was gonna have a place in my own I was focused in the restaurant and I wanted to become the best restaurant when I was working there I was afraid to be in my to go in my own and I didn't have the money in any way to go in my own so all my focus was at Tortilla Flats and after 23 years what happens working there they fire me Wow and you don't have to get too into it but what did they fire you for because the excuse me are stealing and selling drugs and anything's Wow so after two decades of service you get fired yes are you pissed or are you calm I mean you seem like a pretty mellow guy but I'm sure you were pissed at that time uh you know I was not piss how can I say that I was really disappointed and I was really worried that's what I was that I was going to a house that we use bad and I haven't made my first payment so you just bought a house right before you got fired yeah and they knew did they know you just bought a house yes as a matter of fact they loan me money to put them as the dumpee oh my god oh so then what's going through your mind the day you get fired uh what's next what am I gonna do you're not going to lose my house yeah I have to start working I got my kids in school and how old are you at the time you got fired 45 so 45 years old fired holy one of the things that I always was thinking is I have to I have to start all over again I have to start working all over again is it I don't wanna work doubles any other one open I don't want to close restaurants to become successful and I was upset because I missed a lot of the games when my kids were in school because at work we missed a lot of Christmas days we missed a lot of holidays with the family because of work that was that made me upset more than anything Wow how did you tell your wife or did she work there that she worked with me we got fired together you know so both of you got fired too that cut your income completely yeah we got fire about five of the people that work with me yeah and then they fire about 60 more employees anybody who was close to me got fired or anybody who they knew they talked to me and got fired holy cow so then what do you do you go back to the drawing board I mean did you guys end up losing the house or what happened yeah with it yeah we love the house there now and the beginning you know when I was fired I didn't want to get out of my house because you get into depression yeah you into negative state and and it's something you know that it's for experience that I want everybody to understand if you get fired most of the time that what you're really doing is thinking about yourself and feeling sorry about yourself yeah if I had another chance that would not happen but I mean I was upset I wasn't nervous to go out in the street because of the stealing thing yeah I shoulda knew a lot of people in the area yeah yes so but it took me about six months for me to get out of it is like one day I feel like you wake up and you said what what's wrong with you yeah start stop feeling sorry for yourself and go to work yeah and are you completely broke at this time yes completely broke yeah well I was completely broke I can forego to the movies I'm not kidding you me and my wife we can afford to buy popcorn you could afford to buy popcorn that I'm not making a table in your mid-40s yes holy yes so what are you you and your wife do you guys start planning ideas what's what's going on actually I was looking for a job and it was difficult for me to get a job but but this time I helped I have already talked to mark post my partner he was a waiter with me and he worked for me for about three or four years and he came to me a few times and he want me to open the restaurant since he stopped working with us he said Javier one day we're gonna open a restaurant I said you never know mark yeah but he looked for me a couple of times to open the restaurant but I wasn't ready I was afraid to go in my own yeah but when I was fired I had a meeting with him yeah and he said well let's start looking for a place and I wanted to be in Laguna I didn't want to be any place else I wanted to be in the gonna be I'm the same I love we're gonna be sure but I wanted to be a Negreanu not so much because I love Laguna Beach because I do and I love the people from the gonna B's but I needed to show the other people that I knew what I was doing you wanted to prove a point to 30 of us after firing you it's bad to say it yes yeah so that that was your motivation to at that time yes Wow well I had a lot of motivation you know I had the motivation of my family yeah I had a lot of friends like alloy who worked for me and when he came to work at tortilla flood with me he worked at the surface and for years yeah and he started working with me and he got fire and he was a lot older than me and I needed to open a restaurant in Laguna yes yeah Wow I love it so okay so talk to me really quick so when you get fired your wife stood by you during that time when you had nothing my wife is the best just a classy classy lady money and no money we're gonna be together doesn't it to do with matter what yeah yeah Wow now can you talk to the people out there who might be listening and hearing this or watching this who might be going holy you know you built this massively successful company doing tens of millions of dollars in revenue and thousands of happy customers but at the time you're in your mid-40s most people at that age if things weren't working would go maybe I'm not cut out for this entrepreneurship thing or you know they get stuck like you're saying depression but talk to me about what was your mindset at the time and what advice would you give to people watching this who might be in that time now where they just got fired or they're you know failing or broke or have a dream or vision but are stuck what what advice would you give to somebody in that situation right now trying to make their dreams happen well like I said you have to have the personality that's number one and you have to be serious about it and anything that you want to do in life you know you have to work because success has a price and you have to be focused I personally I could talk about myself I knew that I want to open a restaurant and I knew if I had the chance of at the other restaurant we were gonna become the busiest restaurant I had it with my mind it was just something that I felt and you always have the vision of it and would always see it in your mind imagine customers I mean not at this level you know when we open the first half years in 1995 I did had a meeting I remember and I said I want to make sure that you guys understand that we're not gonna become the best Mexican restaurant we're gonna become the best restaurant period and we are gonna be the best restaurant so and everybody who's being with us because I so many people have been with us yeah and part of the success that we have they the years work very hard yeah which is amazing and now you have employees and we'll get into it but not even please we've been here what ten twenty years plus right that's a little short that's a that's a new one we have employed they've been with us for 30 years Wow 35 years we have somebody who just passed away about five years ago he was with us in the 70s the main lady who was Co subpoena who the lady who made us what we are yeah when it comes to food Jimmy died about three years ago so everybody who we've been together for a long time is it's not like like employees is more is not we have over 800 plus 800 employees holy cow so you have a lot on your plate yes but you know I got kids that really help me and I have a lot of great people working with us that running now talk to me about what you learned at Tortilla Flats or at any point that allows you to maintain employees I mean I know some of your employees out of said he's a great friend who helped coordinate this but what is it do you think has built that family dynamic that a lot of other restaurants and entrepreneurs don't have most restaurants have a very high turnover what is it that you do differently to to keep your team happy like a family okay let's put it this way I'm very lucky and very blessed I probably I could tell you that you know I think that most of the people that work with us I really don't see him as employees I don't know you know what it's I can't explain it to you I think the employees will know better than just playing it better than me yeah why do they stay yeah but I think to a certain degree it's it's about the type of person you are and they respect the type of person you are that you come at them like an equal because I've been with you behind the scenes in the kitchen and it's like a family you know it's like their their uncle or you know it's not like their boss that they're scared it's like they're family so do you think a lot of it had to do with how you treat them that keeps them coming back as well I think a lot has to do with your personality I I believe data and see we all think differently okay I always see the best of every people that work with us I don't see if they're bad and that they're bad I don't want to know yeah that's true you know I always everybody has their good and bad yes and I think it's when you have a friend working with you and I think you become friends and you treat him right and it's not so much like we treat him right because you treat him right because because they deserve to be treated right right because look at these restaurants very successful all the restaurants are very successful and we don't have a turnover employees they stay so wow that's amazing now what year did you guys start Javier's 95 April 10 95 95 take me back to the first day you opened so you got fired you and Marc scheme that you guys are gonna start this restaurant Oh actually first before you tell me that tell me why you ended up naming it half years first of all it wasn't my idea of course okay so but let me go a little back the first time that I went to talk to the people at Tortilla Flats and Javier's Laguna the owners of Javier's well it was it wasn't happier than those day whatever the name of the restaurant was you guys mr. and mrs. fine yeah there were the owners of the property I went in went in by myself yeah and when I went in they knew who I was and they asked me to get out of it I don't want to say the horse they told me in camera because they're not too nice so they actually kick me out get out get out and this is the Mexican restaurant that you guys were gonna purchase to make your first location so that day I turn around and I went home and I went home very up I told my wife this is what happened so I waited it another six eight months and I saw it was a beautiful location yeah that it was still empty yeah so I went back again and I they told me the same thing stop em that's it so I finally say you know what before I go why don't you listen to my story all the things that you're saying it is not true I don't steal I don't do drugs so I said if I would have been still I don't even have a car I have to get a bus to come here to your property I said yeah so they start talking to me I said I want to open a restaurant they show me the place they walk me to the location they said okay but they wanted to be my partners and I said to them that I already had a partner Mike post take my bookmark pose we start making all the negotiations when I thought that everything was getting ready to sign I still remember that I was in court so when I got a record I called mark we didn't have phones in those days and I said what happened I was going on I said well I just wanna let you know that we're not gonna open the restaurant because the file said it's not gonna happen I said what say yes I do to mr. fine I asked mr. fine what happened yeah I said I don't want to talk about it actually kick me out again so you drove and this is a lesson for entrepreneurs out there when you get a rejection you still went anyways to confront it because you're like gonna will this to happen no matter what if that was my dream they took away all the dream that I had that I built yeah before we opened so you're siding for your dream holy and they had this stigma against you because of the reputation of why they think you got fired or whatever it was no in those days I don't think that was the reason I think they hit somebody else we wanted to go in the property probably I don't I don't know but I think that's what it was so you drove over to him to talk to him so what what's up about the deal and they said to get out I didn't have a phone I was working in those tackles so I given the number of those stacks say call me say but don't worry I'm not gonna call you I said well you never know yeah three months for later three or four months they stopped by those tacos so you were working me hard to eat so you were working another Mexican restaurant it was a little fast food operation yeah that was another experience that we had with all the other guys that work here the ladies who create all the plates that were working in those tacos so they we had great food in that little place yeah Wow so the font stopped in to eat after like the fourth time yeah they asked me if I was the only interested in coming back yeah and I say yes so we had a meeting but again they wanted to be my partners then he won mark pose to be my partner I convinced him we signed papers yeah and I was the happiest man in the world he's like when you let your little dog run and you go crazy I was feeling the same way I remember getting out of the building yeah driving to my house I was living with my brother and my a bedroom apartment and what have his bedroom that he went yeah with your wife right yeah and my kids so you had your wife and kids in your 40s living in a one-bedroom apartment yep we're sleeping on a mattress you guys all had bad you were in bed by they sleep in the floor Wow and of course this is messing with your ego as a man right wanting to be a provider how could this happen right like you have that those sort of thoughts kind of hurting you a little bit too right I don't know too much in my Eagle yeah I was just hard to see my kids okay but I mean I remember that I got to the apartment and I called my mom and let him know you know what you don't have to worry yeah and that was probably what are the happiest days of my life so what's the first thing you do when you walk into the restaurant and it's officially yours start cleaning it well at the beginning we did construction we start doing construction you know we remodel it and when we were getting ready to open because we cannot use that kitchen there we were doing all the cooking in my house by that time are you ready hey bad when I knew that we signed the papers and I was like working those tacos I asked a friend let's buy an apartment and I didn't have any money but I have good credit so I bought it with my credit yeah I remember that I put him in my mastercharge yeah and we bought an apartment it was a pre bedroom apartment in Rancho Santa Margarita did you always take risks like this I mean it seems like you were buying cars houses I mean all sorts of stuff with no money I mean did that where did that come from where you always risk-averse a little bit and do you think it's important as an entrepreneur to have a little bit of that well you have to risk but you have to be be it smart I mean you can't just take a risk without knowing that results yeah you know so I calculated risk yeah yeah so I knew that I was already working in those tacos and I knew I was already making money through the construction from the restaurant so I knew we run up in the restaurant and I was going to have a salary and and become an owner and be a very happy and I knew it was going to be okay you knew you're gonna be successful in a restaurant you don't think that way you leave a little room all the time you have to be nervous you have to be stress to keep you on your toes oh yes if you displace you forget things yeah you get comfortable and but the main thing about this thing was we were so happy me my wife my kids my friends all of us it was like so happy yeah they were gonna have a restaurant if we were gonna be together yeah and how did the name for Javier's come about that was my partner mark are you sure yes he he wanted to name it Javier I said no we wouldn't name it a different name that's so funny usually would be the opposite usually the person would want to name it after themselves I'd name in Javier was a little - I don't know - selfish - I didn't wanna name it Javier but it's it but it didn't sound good at all for me the name of the Mexican restaurant go Javier's I didn't like name which is so funny because now it's like iconic for Mexican food scene yeah I don't see it as my name I see it now like a brand yeah so he said look Javier people know you and they're gonna Beach a lot of the people know you're in there gonna be and we're gonna put a sign there's Neil sign beautiful they were gonna put it's gonna set Javier and people gonna come because they know you in the good and it's also a good F you - Tortilla Flats the coffee it's a good F you Tortilla Flats because it's your name on the other building yes yes so you guys open in Laguna yes talk to me about the first day what happens the first day of business I do the only thing I remember the first day the most of everything I remember yeah first of all we were very happy yeah if we were crazy so we invited a lot of people and it was exciting and you know one thing that I noticed right away did the by that we here in the restaurant was so beautiful yeah everybody was happy so I remember that most of anything you know and talking to all the people that we knew and it was it was it was great and that's the way we started and we went like that through the whole time and the first year in business was smooth good not too many hiccups when you mean hiccups and and getting customers and no you know what since we opened the restaurant tomorrow I I said let's say we can do a milling they have in a year that that was the goal to do a million and a half and one year in heaven and okay that was the goal I said we did two thousand two million dollars and fifty applauded the last year that I was there this is very small but let's see if we can do a million happen I knew I wasn't gonna have to go Tuesday yeah that I knew since the beginning they're not tackle Tuesday here so since we open we start getting busy busy busy for the first year they we don't have a whole year we pass the two million and the time that we were there when we left we were already at seven and half million dollars in that little place I love it and how long that Wow we stayed there for 12 years 13 years Wow and got it to seven and a half million in revenue if I remember that place was 3,800 square feet it was more yeah holy cow so at that point you're like oh man like I'm pretty good at this restaurant thing I didn't think that way then we open the Irvine store do you remember do you remember the first time where you saw the money like money got to a certain point where you said holy this is a lot bigger than I thought do you remember the first time that happened where you saw a cheque or the profits and went oh my god this is bigger than I even imagined well I never thought that we're gonna be so successful in the goona Beach yeah the only person who said they were gonna be making a lot more money than that was a lawyer was who alloy and lo he said to me this is a lawyer is a gentleman who worked with us does the gentleman who was older than me ah yes got fire when I was fired he said you wait you're gonna be making more money you yourselves are gonna be growing yeah [Applause] so when they kick us out of there the punks in and we needed to get another restaurant and we came here yeah I was nervous I was like really nervous I used to come to the construction and I used to see this restaurant and this Center was empty and I said we're not gonna have any lunches Sundays no one's gonna be here yeah and I'm ready to think and how we're gonna pay the rent yeah yeah we're gonna pay the loan for the restaurant yeah that's okay you never have money anyways really sore places yeah I told my wife you know what but you know what we opened this restaurant no advertising we open the doors crazy crazy busy really yes and was your wife for cheerleader for you at that time what has your wife always been cuz I know you've told me that a lot of times you tribute a lot of your success to her support just part of me yeah so was there a lot of tough times where you were uncertain about what to do or went to her for advice and she would kind of egg you on be your cheerleader a little bit was there a little bit of that going on as well which she always been very supportive yeah and one of the things that I liked about her you know we don't argue and things about the restaurant and things about the house yeah she always told me you know whatever you want to do is fine with me yeah it is that's the way she is that's the way you like it I do but sometimes I like her to be more challenging with you them yeah but I mean it's like a kid she's but she's part of the success yeah big part of the success she worked at Tortilla Flats she worked with us through the whole Laguna Beach tour everybody knew my wife the employees remember were very good because she was very picky when they were cleaning yeah so and then he came in stay here for about couple of years when we opened yeah so how long after your first location do you guys open up your second I think it was about five years five years and then now you guys are at six locations correct yes where are all your locations for people who are watching and may want to visit after watching this interview we have one in La Jolla does the newest Jolla California we have one in Los Angeles in Santa Monica Boulevard Century City California we have the one in Irvine California we have the one in Las Vegas in area hotel we have the one in Cabo Los Cabos and and we have this one yeah I love it very cool now talk to me a little bit about for entrepreneurs out there what have you learned is important when it comes to scaling right because it's one thing to have success in one location but as you know you mentioned you have 800 employees now you have six locations there's a lot of moving parts I know you have managers in place to manage it all but for entrepreneurs who are watching this and maybe have a business I want to start scaling maybe opening a second location or a third what are some important things you've learned when it comes to scaling a restaurant that are important to be on top of I think when you open a restaurant and start getting in the high levels more scale one of the things that you have to think in the beginning forget about how much money you're gonna make in profits that will come if you make the things right you have to put make you have to spend money to make money I believe you see I believe in having enough management I believe in having enough employees I don't believe in cutting and employees I believe in having the best quality food and everything that you do I believe that you place have to be very clean but again I'm talking about the restaurant business I can't talk about another business you have to have your vision that you want you have to make sure the employees understand why you want but you have to show you employees that you're right not about saying things by talking to them is from seeing the way you do things they use follow you lead by example yes yes and how are you able to replicate it at different restaurants is okay again same thing just leading by example and how do you know who to hire how do you know who are the right people I think one time you told me something brilliant again when we were on your jet we had lovely conversations but I remember you told me one time that that people have to sort of earn their way up you don't just hire outside managers from other restaurants a lot of the time right most people have worked their way up they've they've gone from making every level so they understand the level below it is it is that correct well in our case here and like I said we all have different mentalities and thing differently okay we have so many employees okay they have become all the guys were in charge of the restaurant became it started like this watcher Pepe Tony amor he says God Gaby myself we all of us start from the bottom called me his brother his cousin there all were these Watchers and now those guys are the people that they are the heart and brain of the restaurant I don't think not because people are not capable of working with us coming from another restaurant because they are but people who've been with us from the bottom understand the culture that we have the way we work and it's a lot easier sorry see I don't mind if some of the employees and some of the managers don't speak English but I like what I really care is how the way would they work in their ethic that's what I care yeah so talk to me about some of the challenges that come with being an entrepreneur of a successful organization I mean we've had on dozens of entrepreneurs and like you mentioned earlier if you're not on pins and needles if you get too comfortable sometimes things in your business can falter so talk to me a little bit about some of the important things for any entrepreneur that are important to always make sure to be on top of obviously the numbers are important but like maybe some other things maybe one or two tidbits about like how what do you look for when hiring the right people or maybe margins and your products just anything like that what are some things you think are very very important for entrepreneurs to have long term success to focus on well I think the number one and going to having a restaurant number one has to be your food yeah that's number one and I think we don't cut any corners I think we in any any anything that we do we try to buy the best quality even if it ends up meaning that the food costs more on the menu I don't talk about food cos we don't talk about labor cos because like I mentioned it for we we still make very good money okay why do I'm gonna worry about my podcast and my liver cuts now in the beginning you probably can worry but in these days the only thing that I worry I'm gonna make sure that when people walk out of here they work how what I've experienced yeah not we ate it half years we win our service our food everything was great they have a great vibe IRA said it was excellent I'm gonna come back because I wanna see here that's why that's what I wanna hear I like with all the people that work with us become frame with the employees because you created a vibe and that's what we try to do and all the restaurants I think that you got to this kitchen or any applications that we have and we're really missing you never see those guys stress they're always happy and joking around that you're happy and that doesn't matter how busy it is but you have to see it for yourself okay and you asked me when we open restaurants I have my kid Omar and my daughter Sylvia and Xavier and of course Pepe they do most of the hiring and Omar has become very good when he does the hiring so that makes a big difference when it comes to management we don't really hire managers but we do hire everybody else will hire cooks waiters Busboys bartenders but we take all the employees that work with us to train them or we bring them to the restaurant to be trained so what are qualities you look for when hiring people or that Omar looks for when hiring people because it's very important I mean that becomes your army that becomes how you scale that becomes your front end connection between you and your customer so it's very very important to be hiring the right people so what are things that you have found over the years are very important to look for when hiring somebody I think what you heard most of the people you let them do all the talking yeah you know it's better if you just ask him a few things and let him talk let him say what he does the way I like to do it look we have some of the employees here therefore if I were a interview him like celestine or Constantino they don't talk I wouldn't hire him but they got so much talent so you know what it's it's difficult yeah it's difficult make sense okay now what are some things that have been the most challenging over the years when it comes to building business maybe things that you still struggle with and how do you get past it just because there might be entrepreneurs watching this and they might go oh Javier has it so easy it's so successful but of course there's always so many moving parts what are things currently that are a challenge that you're learning right now how to get past maybe current struggles that you're overcoming you wanna think that I'm crazy okay but you know when reality we don't never have been in those struggles the biggest struggles that you get in our situation as most of the time is most timers with people who try to sue you because you become successful those are the most for me are the most difficult things to handle because you have no control with those things but when it comes of our business it's like I said I've been very blessed come on I've been very blessed because all the restaurants they do very well all the people that work with us they stay with us they're happy so I can really complain yeah what does I can say that I have struggles and the restaurant yeah and what I do it doesn't feel like work yes you're like it's something that somebody give to me yeah so it's make things very easy like you're getting paid to play yes yes I'm getting paid I love it to having this response yeah paid to play it laughs and I think my kids feel the same way and I think a lot of the people that work with us like Pepe and Tony all the guys too many people you know there is just does the way I I think they feel what do you think makes like what do you think most restaurants don't do successfully and what do you think makes a successful restaurant overall like if Javier had a secret formula what is it that it takes aside from good people because you guys do a phenomenal job at ambience obviously the food is always phenomenal but what is your if you had to give a 60 second piece of advice what's your recipe for having a successful restaurant to last well you have to keep consistency you yes can say you know I'm gonna go end up in a restaurant and I'm gonna become successful and I we made it like think differently we want to get better every time in every day we want to get better and it's a nonstop for somebody to say well Xavier doesn't have to go to work anymore that is not you work everyday but like for me it doesn't feel like work I love what I'm doing don't get me wrong if I have to come in the morning like 6:00 in the morning here to meet with their landscaping people I love it yeah I something that I'm not gonna complain I have is for me what I do is what I like how important is that to your success do you think I don't think if you like something you can become successful you know and anything that you're gonna do you really have to like it and this is the thing for anybody who wants to open a restaurant and become successful number one I always have said you know what first thing you have to be serious you have to have a vision to do something you can't complain and if you're Latin don't tell me that you are coming to a country and you've been discriminated because does not an excuse stop having excuses when you start having excuses and go to work and become serious and another thing you know I think you have to listen you have to learn how to listen if you don't listen you're not gonna be successful and you learn from all the people that work with you you learn from the dishwashers you learn from the cleanup man you look from everybody because you know what they're very smart people not because they're in that position that means that they're not smart they're very smart yeah and you've done all those roles so you know what it's like at every level yeah how about when it comes to the tactical and that was beautiful advice by the way how about when it comes to the tactical inside of a restaurant for example like maybe when it comes to a bar or the food or the colors any tactical advice you'd give to restaurant tours don't worry they probably can't compete with you anyways but any advice you would give to people like that or do you think it's just a matter of having quality stuff and all that other interior design stuff like that doesn't matter as much as having quality customer service include well like being it I think in the restaurant business everything's matter everything counts it's like I said I can't pinpoint one thing because there are too many things it's all away from the time you're walking through the front or through the back door but when you close the restaurant and when you open the restaurant everything is is so many different things when you're in the restaurant business and the only thing you know how to do is restaurants and you work every position it becomes very easy yeah very much you have to like it you know you have to like people do yeah that's fine and I think that speaks to what you're saying about like having to have passion for what you do because when you're passionate about what you do you're willing to put in the late hours the early nights the details and it doesn't feel like work it doesn't feel like it drains you it feels like it energizes you feels like it excites you would you agree with that that the passion is what gives you unlimited energy to do everything that you wouldn't logically do because you're so emotional about it yes yeah yeah that makes sense make sense okay now what about this what would you have done differently building Javier's from obviously you started in your mid 40s mid to late 40s to now what would you have done differently anything you would have done differently if I had the chance to do it again I will do it I would do it the same thing really yeah same exactly I mean but I want the same people work it with me yeah I want all the let us say people to work with me I want my same kids yeah help with me I want my wife helping me I wanna have my partner mark I want all the same people that we have I mean I'm fine I would not do anything differently yeah well you had major success and not only that like I know a lot of celebrities and different famous entrepreneurs have even reached out to and company restaurants all the time right yes who are some people are some notable people I know I know when we flew out of the airport I think Kobe Bryant had walked in he said hey what's up Javier yes Kobe Bryant comes who are some other people that have been guests at your restaurant before too many I don't remember a lot of the name I know more the names of the aplex but the people that were the movies yeah all the rappers oh I really know nothing but la get a lot of movie people there in the movie business here Las Vegas we get a lot of people boxers we get a lot of celebrities yeah have you ever had I know you tell me about Steve Wynn right what was that experience like I think he had dined at your Las Vegas location or he reached out to you talk to us about that when we open the restaurant and we were getting ready to sign all the papers and Maurya he raced to me and he said he wanted to have a meeting with me and I joined Steve with the nightmare I thought that my son was joking he said pop Steven is looking for you yeah he wants you to call him I said somebody's playing a joke on you no he said he stayed with the billionaire Steve Wynn's so I did call him we had a conversation he invited me to go to his locations to be his guest and he said you don't belong in the area you belong to the Wynn yeah but I said I feel honored but you know I can open a restaurant at the Wynn anymore I have to open in in an area I said I already talked to Bobby and Billy I said I remember he said don't worry about those voice those would work for me but I said now they're the President and vice-president ing em I said in another occasion after we open LA I got a phone call from his GM I Maurice and he set up and half an hour mr. Wynn's gonna call you I want to make sure that you answer him so I said of course I'll answer it yeah he did call me it was very nice and I think he has a very distinguished voice the way rocks very powerful what is yeah friendly and powerful yeah it said to me that he he take me for the service and the food in area and the service and the food and the story in LA Xavier said in Los Angeles and then he asked me if I had a few minutes for him and I said of course I have he asked me are you busy I said not busy for you yeah so I have to say the things that he said to me is probably been my highlight of my life and the business when I talk to business people yeah he says to me but he said he do you have a few minutes I said yes I said I I'm gonna tell you something that I have never said to anybody in this business because this is what I do for a living I do hotels I do nightclubs I've been all over the world I have eaten every place in the world I had my own places and I said I know I you I know your mr. Las Vegas I know my I said I think I know any I said but I have to mention something to you and I'm not a person to talk to many people but I have to say something to you have you he said when I went to your locations I noticed that the people that work at your restaurants I started from the hostess cocktail waitress later bartender busboy managers they represent your brand in a way that I've never seen anybody in any place being represented he said and I don't tell this thing too many people yeah but he said the reason why you're very successful he said it's something that you did not went to school to learn and I can get all my employees and send them to school and people can go to school to try to learn what you have done and they're not gonna learn so the reason why you are so successful is because you to admit your brand to your employees and they represent your brand better than anybody else they feel the same way you do and I just want to let you know that something that you cannot teach holy cow so he had dined at the restaurant and had this amazing experience what did that feel like for you young to think that you came from Mexico not having much went through a journey as a dishwasher to now having mr. Las Vegas the billionaire himself call you and tell you that what does that feel like for you how do you bigger feel it's real they must feel surreal yes yes but you know what make me very happy too when my little girl my granddaughter said to this lady one day she was like talkin to me in my ear said Papa I said oh stop Gabriella don't talk to me in secret tell the lady what you wanna say yeah such turn around tell this lady here's my papa he's very famous look at here she was about eight years old he's very famous and him in bed and Taco Tuesday that was like oh my god I could believe what she was saying and they I seen some movies when they mentioned Taco Tuesday she said that made me like the happiest man in the world that's incredible I love it so let me ask you this before we wrap up the interview what would the young Javier who had a dream to you know make his vision a reality he didn't exactly know how you know I know you wanted to be successful you liked nice things but you didn't know how to do it what would the Xavier today say to that young Javier who was looking for answers on how to make his dream happen and didn't know what to do but this Javier say to that young Javier who is looking for answers if you have a dream okay and you believe in the dream that you have and you have that vision yes do it yes do it I mean don't let anything stop you I mean when I say don't let anything stop you is you probably gonna have some people who gonna advise you in the different ways and it's very difficult to get advice and in a situation like this he has to has its own feeling of what he wants to do but again Omar he has to be serious and he has to know he has to work hard you years can have a dream and because you have a dream and you say that you want to do something in life it's gonna become reality because that's not gonna happen you have to work that's powerful have to work what about people who say well I know I want to do big things but I don't know how my dream is I like this and I like that and but I don't know how to find it do you think it's important to go try things go get your hands dirty by experimenting and then when you do that you'll find your thing or what advice would you give people who have who are willing to work willing to do the action but don't know where to channel the energy into they don't have that clear dream what advice would you give people like that I think we all had get to an age that we really know what we like if you really don't know what you like I can give you an advice you have to have something that you like doesn't matter if it's not restaurant business it can be anything that you like and you become you can become very such there are so many people they're so successful I mean and they become successful for ideas they have but they work hard they believe in it and they become successful I can name many people many brands who have become very successful but nothing comes because somebody's gonna keep it to you yes in life you have to earn you have to work have respect listen that's the only advice I could give them I love that it's very powerful ok so before we wrap up this interview I want to ask you one more question and then we have a little game so my question is as you look back on everything you've built with Javier's and you know you've obviously done a tremendous job and you obviously I know you have a lot of ambition and opening up new stores looking for new locations you're always thinking about growing what is the future of Javier's what do you hope to be your legacy what do you hope you know when life is over and done with what would you what would be the best-case scenario for what your story would be about to somebody who's you know watching this or seeing what you've done what do you hope people learn by your life as an example with the business my dream come true my how do you say that and the cake and you say the having your having your cake and eating it too ok B is when after being successful being able to my families and when I talk about my family my wife my kids my grandkids enjoy everything that we have done okay I want them to be happy that will be my that would make me very happy it's beautiful I love that and then before we wrap up we have a game so the game is called first things first so the way the game works is I'm just gonna say a quick word or phrase I'm gonna say 10 if I'm a quick word or phrase and then you just tell me the first word or phrase that comes to mind like relation game make sense okay okay you wanna explain outta there yeah I understand okay so you just tell me the first word or phrase or sentence that comes to mind I don't know if I don't have it you have to say something the only rule is that you can't repeat yourself twice okay okay so the first word Tortilla Flats great experience great learning your wife the best the best success working hard money you need it but help being healthy is more important money becoming a millionaire a multi-millionaire it's a dream come true for everybody but years be happy with what you have what you think your mom would say if she could see your success today he's seen me already she's got a man she's a star the tough times or failure I think in life is good for you to have a tough time in life it give you it makes you humble and make you realize many things the worst piece of advice you've ever been given the worst advice that I've been given me can I say - yeah Sam both one is when I was fired from Tootsie applauds they mentioned forget about it let's go back to Tijuana State deewana you're not gonna be able to do in anything and then just go back to the wanna and I said no and that's my beginning I said no I'm not going back the other one is when somebody told me when I was fired get out your credit card fill them up go back rips yeah what about the best piece of advice you've ever received and that you'd give others I think the best advice that I have receive is what my parents teach me is when you wake up in the morning and you're healthy you're the richest man in the world being healthy makes you very happy and you can be happy being rich that night it's not gonna make you happy very true and really quick before I give you the last word I know that you've always seemed fit is a gym a part of your regular routine and has that always been a part of your routine throughout the years has that been important to you that's part of my life yes really yes how important do you think Fitness has been to your success in business there really is it's a big part of it this is a big part of it I think when you work out your energy levels are so much better your mind is so much clearer emotions too I mean it's great I mean going to the gym and working out but I but but I mean working out you know what you can't go to the gym and yes going socialized yeah you really know reality you have to go and work hard you know I'd like to go and I'd like to do high-intensity exercise and how old are you at this age if you don't mind sharing no because I don't want everybody to know what I'm giving you I'm 17 years old Wow but I feel like in my 18 19 years old by the way I feel Wow 70s still going to the gym beautiful thriving business incredible okay now the last word you ready passion that's what makes you you have to have it if you don't have it if you don't have passion and you rep discipline it's very difficult to become successful well thank you so much for sharing your success story on the show today Javier it's been a privilege for tuning in make sure to check out more of Javier stuff and check out any of the locations in the description below until next time thank you for being one of the passionate view if you guys enjoyed that video be sure to hit that subscribe button right now because every week we bring you the very best and personal development content interviews and insight to help inspire you to take your life and your dreams and make them a reality and also if you want to know how to book dream guests the same way I have you can check the link below for my top 3 secrets so if you have a podcast or a show or whatever it is you want to collaborate with them if you click that link below I'll give you those top three secrets to help you get in touch with anybody and also don't forget that the passion of you is available on media platforms as well so you can subscribe to the podcast and until next time thank you for being one of the passionate few you

Channel: Omar Elattar

Views: 30,361

Keywords: Javier Sosa, omar elattar, javiers restaurants, javiers the passionate few, mexican food mogul, the passionate few javiers, javiers newport beach, javier sosa interview, javiers restaurant interview, javier sosa the passionate few, omar elattar interview, mexican food millionaire, mexican millionaire, broke and fired to millioanaire, how to become a millionaire, javiers cantina, javiers mexican food, kobe bryant, kobe bryant mexican food, mexican success story

Id: -rPU7g-Okbc

Length: 69min 0sec (4140 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 01 2020