I was honestly never good at keeping a job until I got hired at The Friendly. Back in 2018 I had just rage quit Coin-Op (lol) and for some extra scratch I was commissioned by Stan to craft a new awning for The Tavern before it opened. When I was finished, I brought it to Brandon and met him, Tori, and Luke at The Tavern, and we got to talking. Seeing those three cool motherfuckers chilling, having a brew and a smoke, in that moment I could feel my life changing in realtime. Brandon asked me what he owed me for the awning, and me, never having done such a big commercial job before I had no Earthly idea what to correctly charge for my labor. So, I seized the moment and told him “If you give me a job, you don’t owe me anything.” And on the spot, I was hired.
Continuously unfocused, and constantly concerned with a fun time, what I initially saw as just a side gig to keep my pockets full while I pursued my passion projects ended up becoming the greatest 7 years of my life thus far. This humble little pizza shop that’s home to the best damn pirate crew San Diego has ever seen showed me how to blend a good work ethic with having a great time, how to be a man, and numerous other lessons that I didn’t expect from this unique establishment. Even on my hardest day, Ive never felt that this was difficult work because I loved what I do (except working counter) and loved everyone I’ve worked with. There are millions of restaurants in the world, but The Friendly is truly one of a kind. I’m forever grateful for all the time I’ve spent, friends I’ve met, and memories I’ll never forget.
To Brandon, you took a chance on a shiftless little fuck and pimped a caterpillar into a butterfly. I can only repay your kindness by implementing everything you showed me, and following your mantra by taking the world for everything it’s got for us, and believe me, I plan to.
So much more than just pizza and burgers, Friendly Gang forever.
I love you all
In December we had a conversation. I told him I was planning to go to Viet Nam for a month in June. He told me he was planning to go in April. Instead of me going in June, he asked me to go with him. I declined. A month later he asks me again, this time he offers to pay for my flights, I just have to get the hotels. I decline again, I told him I couldn’t take that much time off before the school year ends, so he tells me to just come with him for a week. Determined to persuade me, he sends me Viet Nam itinerary and destinations, promises that I won’t regret this, tells me what we’ll do when we get there. Eventually I cave. I text him to put me on for the full trip. He immediately texts back
“I love you!”
He kept telling me how excited he was that I was going with him, that we would have the greatest time of our lives.
Completely underselling it, the trip surpassed my already high expectations. We spent long days and longer nights together doing everything we wanted to do, recounting our experiences over breakfast and dinner. He selflessly spared no expense. Everything was top tier, he said “You only get one go at this K, we might as well ball out.” And ball out we did. Halfway through the trip we started to dream about opening The Friendly in Hoi An. We started speaking about it to anybody who would listen to us. Excited, every time he would say “My partner and I are opening a restaurant out here!” I would say “My boss and I-“ and he would interject and say “I’m not his boss we run a business together” Always treating me as a peer, never an employee.
We said that in all our years of knowing each other we had never seen the other happier than on this trip together, and we were both right.
He opened my eyes to life and how to live it. Gave me countless opportunities, showed me what it means to take care of your people, how to grind hard and live large, and for that I am forever grateful and honored to have known and grown close to him.
The world lost a selfless fucking legend who was an absolute pillar for an eclectic community and this thing of ours. His memory stays alive so share yours
Safe travels Brandon, thank you for everything.
