Wahoo's Founder on AI, Failure, and 38 Years of Grind | Coffeez Ep. 307
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
How are you? Very good! Good! I'm Meredith, walking with coffee with Joe Chalabi. So you're giving me my coffee! I'm your coffee girl. I love it. Yeah.
Well, I like a little almond latte. Ice. Ice? Yes, perfect. Perfect. This is the best place. You get coffee.
We also get chocolate. Oh my! Everyone gets a chocolate.
Cheers.
Cheers. Here, have one too. Yes. Thank you. So wing, I have a question. Yes. How many times have people asked you, why did you open a taco place instead of a wing place?
You know, that's a great question. It's just that I like tacos way more than I like wings.
I agree.
Well, good to have you.
Awesome. I'll show you to Joe. All right.
Hey, what's up?
Welcome back.
I love it. I love it.
I got my coffee right here.
All right.
All right. All right, perfect. Boom. Cheers, my friend. It's been a couple years since we've had you on the show. Has anything changed with your morning routine since I asked you last? Surfing more, swimming more, because I'm getting ready for a big event this year.
What are you swimming for? Well, I've got to get in shape. You're already in shape. I'm in pretty good shape, but you've got to be in swimming shape. It's different, right? Surfing, yes, but there is an annual event that happens every September. It's the Ben Carlson Festival. Paddle from Catalina to Newport. It's a 30-mile. So just think of that.
You're doing that on your surfboard?
On a paddleboard. So my thing is I'll be the oldest guy to paddle the event this year.
Wow. The paddle out? You're doing the paddle out? Yeah.
So 30 miles. So it's about seven hours, give or take.
How did Wing Lam build Wahoo's over 38 years and what motivates him to keep grinding?
So it's a marathon on the water.
That's incredible.
When is that? It'll be September 19th. That'd be a cool event to do. So if you're in shape, come on in. You can join me. We got to practice still.
Yeah. How often do you practice?
I swim about four to five days a week right now. So I'm there. I'm in pretty good shape right now.
Swim shape and paddleboard shape are different.
It's not. As long as your shoulders are juiced up and ready and greased up, you can do it.
Yeah.
But yeah, you got to get on your paddle. But more important, you got to keep those shoulders moving.
Yeah, exactly. You know, Wing, it's been such a pleasure. Last time we got to connect, we've been obviously at some events together. We got to do the California Love Drop, which was a huge blessing. I'd like to participate in, of course, in an event like that again. California Love Drop is a... And something I really admire about you is your heart is just a heart of gold. Your heart is always in the right place. You always want to serve. You always want to do God's work and just be a light to people. And you have been a light and it shows in what you've done and what you've built and the Wahoos organization.
Yeah, no, it's been great. Like I said, you know, I'm fortunate enough to have done well. And my job is to go out and spread the love and share with the guys that don't have quite as good as we do.
That's right. Now, what's new with Wahoos? Have you expanded more stores? I'm seeing more in airports.
Yeah. So actually, the airport's been a little delayed. It was supposed to have been open by May of this year. So we're about four months behind. So it's now a little construction delay. It'll be ready to open in October. So we're super excited to be at the Orange County Airport.
Nice. Been seeing that sign for a while.
Yeah.
And in the meantime, Austin, Texas has done really well. We came back about a year and a half ago in Lakeway, which is what we call it, the Newport Beach of Austin, Texas. And now we're going ready to go into downtown. So it should be just as we speak, it should be getting ready to open right now.
You know, Wayne, at your age, you're still just in ultra grind mode. You're something young, 50-something young. 50-something, yes. And you just have this perpetual drive to always just get better and continue to dominate in your field in an ultra-competitive business. What is it that really drives that motivation for you?
You know, it's when people come to you, even when I'm in a competitor's restaurant, somebody will come up and say, hey, my God, I love waffles.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:14–1:51
2
How did Wing Lam build Wahoo's over 38 years and what motivates him to keep grinding?
1:51–13:26
3
What’s the story behind Wing buying Thrifty’s ice cream and how will he relaunch it at events?
13:26–35:15
4
How is Wahoo’s experimenting with AI for marketing and could it reduce labor costs?
35:15–1:08:58
5
Why does Wing believe trades and hands-on skills are a growing opportunity despite AI?
1:08:58–1:16:25
Speakers
4 identifiedMore from Coffeez with Joe Shalaby
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