Finding A Spot Downtown

Brian's Market's was opening a new market downtown at Civic Plaza.  It was every Wednesday during lunch, so Kate & I had just enough time to pack up & be ready to serve Cheezers at the OB market that night.  

Kate & I at the OB Market in late February 2019.

We knew his markets were hit or miss, but we needed to work as much as possible to pay for the buildout.  So, we shifted our schedule & would do my grocery shopping on Tuesdays so we had time to prep (butter bread, cook bacon, pack cheese, etc).  

Sundays & Mondays were still off days for Mad Munch, but the rainouts kept cancelling 1 or 2 markets a week during January & February.  Even Poway got cancelled one Saturday due to extremely high winds.  Kate contacted the manager from Lane Field last minute so we could sub in at Roucco Park (near Lane Field & Seaport Village downtown San Diego).

It was better than nothing, but it was a long & slow market for Mad Munch.  We did not return to give it a second try.  

The downtown markets were tricky, because you had to pay for parking ($10 a pop) & you had to give a hefty sum to the Port of San Diego, which was $200 plus 5% of your daily sales.  Lane Field was a long day (10am-4pm) & after four appearances there, we crunched the numbers & it was not worth it for us.

I was just glad Civic Plaza only charged 10% of our sales & it was only from 11-2pm, with a free parking pass included at a garage that was a short walk away.  That was an easy amount of overhead for us to make up.  

And, once again, Mad Munch seemed to appeal more to the working class on lunch break, than the Sunday sight-seeing looky-loos.

Ballin' on a Budget (27 Hours in Vegas)

In January 2019, money started to get tight for Kate & I.  With all of the rainouts & after handing over that big check to Eric, we were definitely "balling on a budget."  

That same month, my good buddy, Chase, was getting married- in Vegas.  I simply couldn't turn down the invitation.  He was too great of a friend & I had already asked him to be one of my groomsmen in my wedding.  I also knew that I didn't want to go solo, that Kate needed to go with me.

"Look, we could use a break here," I told her.  "We've been busting our asses & we only really need to go for one night.  And, I have points on Southwest for a free flight, so that's covered."

She agreed & we looked into it.  I found a reasonably priced Best Western with continental breakfast & a free hotel shuttle.  Of course- B-Dubb was still ingrained in my travel DNA.

But, how was Kate gonna get there?  Flights to LAS were pricey that weekend.  

The Saturday of his wedding, the Pacquiao/Broner fight was going on at the MGM Grand & the Pittsburgh Penguins were in town to face the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena, along with all of the other concerts & shows.  I get it.  I've been to Sin City in January, it's one of the better times to go there.  The weather is about as good as it gets & the days are short.  More time to enjoy all those neon lights.

As luck would have it, a few weeks before, Kate & I overheard one of our neighbor vendors at Poway talk about a cheap bus he took up to see his girlfriend at UCLA.

"It was only like $6 to get up there.  I think the company is out of Germany & they're trying to get people to ride it," Ari said.  He sold Greek Olive Oil & Garlic in jars.  "I think you can take it to Vegas for like $10."

That was it!   Kate looked it up- the FLIX Bus had three trips daily from San Diego to Las Vegas that took about six hours.  She booked a round trip (returning Sunday afternoon) for around $20!  I booked the same bus ride home, leaving Las Vegas Sunday at 9:30am.  It was about $10.  We had booked transportion for two roundtrip to Vegas for under $40!  I felt like we had somehow time-traveled. 

The Saturday morning of the wedding, I dropped Kate off in Mission Valley at one of the hotel stops.

"I get in around 2pm," she said.  "I'll walk over to Madame Tussauds & then meet you at the mini golf after the ceremony."

"Sounds good.  I'll shuttle to the hotel, check us in & then I'm gonna bus over to the Pinball Hall of Fame," I said.  "I should have just enough time to make it to the wedding at 1:30.  My flight gets in a 10:45."

Only in Vegas, can you make plans like that.  And, it was great.  The pinball place was worht the bus fare & Chase's wedding ceremony in a ballroom at Manadalay Bay was wonderful & classy.  

Kate & I both enjoyed our solo adventures before we met up at the mini golf course on the Strip.  She loved the wax museum & showed me plenty of photos as well drank some white wine from her backpack.

"The reception is at 5, back at Mandalay Bay, so we won't have time to go back to the hotel first," I said.

"That's cool.  I'll just change into my dress at one of the casinos on the way," Kate said.

"Perfect.  Chase told me not to be late.  It's an open bar & dinner buffet," I said.

After golf, we hopped on the city bus that went down the Strip.  It was standing room only on the bus, the traffic moved at a crawl, but I loved every minute of it.  We took the tram from Excalibur to Mandalay Bay & got there in plenty of time to congratulate Chase & Marilyn.

"I'm so glad you guys could make it.  I know how busy you guys are with Mad Munch & the shop & everything," Chase said.  "It wouldn't be the same without you guys.  I hope you guys have a great time."

"We wouldn't miss it, buddy."

The seafood & prime rib buffet was unbelievable & top shelf cocktails were going down.  Kate & I made some fast friends there & we all made our way to see a rock cover band at one of the casinos.             

The clock radio alarm clock went off way too early the next morning.  We barely had time to shower, pack up, grab a bite downstairs & catch an Uber to the Flix Bus stop back on the Strip.   

"We don't wanna be late for the bus," Kate explained.  "On the way here, the driver left someone in San Bernandino who got out to have a smoke.  He was chasing the bus, but she just kept going!"

We got there plenty early, with a few other people standing around, smoking cigarettes waiting for the bus.  The big green charter coach motored up & into the parking lot about 20 minutes late.  

No worries, I thought.  The hardest part was getting to the stop & we had no plans for the rest of the day & had Monday off.

The driver got out & lit up a smoke.  "We start boarding in five minutes," she said.

"That's the driver I had on the way here," Kate whispered to me.

After she stomped out her smoke on the asphault, people lined up at the door to start boarding.  She began taking role call, checking off names with a pen & a clipboard.  

"Kate Uhle," my fiance said when she reached the front of the line.  

"Go ahead," the driver said & she got on.  I gave my name next.

"Zach...Heintz?" she asked & flipped through her stack of papers.  "I don't see it, but go ahead."

I got on the bus, put my carry-on in the overhead bin & grabbed a seat in the back next to Kate.  The seats was comfortable & spacious, more like an Amtrak train than a Southwest plane.

Everyone got on & there were a few open seats when the bus rumbled to life.  And, then it coughed & the motor died.  The driver stood up & looked at her clipboard.  

"A few of you aren't on my list, so you'll have to vacate the bus," she announced & called out a few names, before saying mine.

"What are talking about?  I booked my ticket 2 weeks ago!"  I pleaded with driver to let me stay on but it didn't get us anywhere.  

"Call FLIX bus.  I don't deal with reservations," she repeated over & over to me.  So, I called their 1-800 number & let someone have it on the other end after I was put on hold for over 20 minutes.

"I'm really sorry, sir, but you'll just have to take the next bus to San Diego," the lady on the phone said.

"What time does that leave?"

"5:30 tonight."

"What?  I already checked out of my hotel.  What the hell am I supposed to do for the next 8 hours?"

She couldn't answer that, of course.  But, we were on the Strip in Vegas.  So much for ballin' on a budget!

Disgusted, Kate & I went over to Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville across the way & signed up for their Sunday "Bottomless Mimosas."  We needed the champagne & juice to cool our jets.  

With a powerful buzz, we trudged off the Strip to Stage Door Casino a dive bar that we knew would be showing the NFC Championship Game.  The LA Rams won in New Orleans on a long buzzer beater field goal as we finished up our $2 Michelob Ultras & $1 Hot Dogs.  

From there, we staggered with backpacks in tow back to the FLIX Bus stop.  This time it was already there, early, waiting for us.  Both of our names were on the list & we boarded with no issues.  I slept most of the ride home, waking up for the lone stop somewhere in the middle of nowhere at some sort of candy store/truck stop that lit up the night sky like a Roman candle.

Kate & I grabbed some snacks & drinks & I dozed off back in my seat.  We arrived at Old Town Transit Center well after midnight & called an Uber after Kate ran off & threw up in the bushes.

"I'll never take a FLIX Bus ever again," she said on the ride home to OB.  

"Yeah, same here," I said.  "For $10, I think I actually got less than my money's worth."   

Check In, Check On & Checkout

Eric & his crew began the demo at the shop.  Kate & I went up one morning to check it out.  The wall to the back office was already gone & there was dust & debris everywhere.  I handed him a check for $50K.  He seemed almost excited as we were, before I gave him the check.

"So here's a schedule of the buildout like I promised," he handed us a paper.  "First we're gonna make some floor cuts for the grease trap & the piping, then we'll start on framing the walls."

"You guys need any help with anything?" I asked.

"Not yet, but I'll let you know.  This should be plenty for now," he said as he held up the check.

And, that's the way it went in the new year up at the storefront.  Construction was underway & since Kate & I lived only 3 blocks away, I'd ride my beach cruiser past there a lot & check in on their progress.  

I didn't want to seem overbearing or annoying, but this was the most money I'd ever borrowed & spent on anything so I wanted to stay in the loop.  

They had to build certain portions first (plumbing) & then schedule an inspection before they could move on to the next thing (electrical, etc.).  I'm sure it was a tedious process for a small crew like his, but part of the reason we went with Eric is because he had recently built 3 other restaurants in San Diego.  So he knew some of the inspectors & knew what they were looking for to pass us.

There was a lot rain that winter & it made us restless when markets were cancelled & we couldn't work.  Being stuck at home, Kate & I shifted some of our focus on wedding preparations for September 27th.  

But, with the buildout still our #1 priority, I found myself cruising by the shop.  There were a few days where no one was on site, due to the rain or because they were waiting on the next inspection.  I even found the door unlocked one day & called Eric.

"Hey, what's going on?  I come up to the shop, nobody's here & the doors unlocked?" I asked.

"Oh damn, sorry about that.  I just popped out to run to Home Depot.  I'm on my way back right now," he said.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt on that one.  Every time I reached out to him on the phone, he would respond right away.  Comforting, after trying sometimes for weeks to get a hold of our architect to no avail.  So, I was understandably paranoid about another big hire, but Eric I felt more at ease.

That & with the printed schedule (that I lost somewhere over the years) I knew that we wouldn't have to wait another 15 months to finally open up our shop.  That would be preposterous.                

Set-Up Where You Can, While You Can

One of the other perks of doing the SDSU market was that we had the opportunity to do other "extra-curricular" events on campus.  Since we already had the proper permits & necessary insurance, we could set up outside Vieja Arena for concerts & sporting events.  

Unfortunately for us, this was on a seniority basis & since we were the new guys, we ended up with the events that the veteran market vendors didn't want to bother with.  So, Kate & I got last dibs on shows & sporting events.

Our first night time setup there was for "A Very Barry Christmas" concert, starring Barry Banilow.  Insert your joke here.  It wasn't so bad, though.  We sold close to 30 Cheezers to some older women & their husbands dressed in their Christmas best.

It also led to some better arena gigs there.  There was a Sunday afternoon Cheerleading Tournament (pictured above), a WWE Minor League Wrestling event & a Aztecs NCAA Baseball game in the spring (pictured below).

Mad Munch was scheduled to be onsite for Trevor Noah (host of The Daily Show) when he came to town on a standup comedy tour, but the event was postponed & never rescheduled. 

When the SDSU students went on winter break in mid-December, Kate & I reached out to Sony & Oceanside markets & went back to setup there for those five Thursdays.  

We also squeezed in another pop-up lunch at the FBI Headquarters in Sorrento Valley & one Friday we skipped La Mesa to do a beer & wine tasting, "Shop & Hops" event in Barrio Logan that was put on by our friends at San Diego Made. 

It was one of our busiest Decembers, but it proved to be a good move.  There were storms brewing in the new year & we needed to work as much as we could to pay both of our rents & the impending buildout of our storefront.

How to Schedule a Traveling Show

Eric started making a schedule for the buildout.  For demo, plumbing, electrical, framing, drywall, installing an exhaust hood, hooking up equipment, painting, etc.  "We should have you in by March," he said.

So, Kate & I had about four months to secure some more pop-up gigs & Kate didn't waste any time finding them.  

We catered a friends birthday party in Linda Vista, did another baseball tournament at Fletcher Hills Little League, added a couple Sunday gigs at another San Diego Made Holiday Market & setup at the new Lane Field market downtown on Harbor Drive (pictured below).

As the holidays approached, so did the rainy weather in San Diego.  Sure, we don't get rain very often here (& when we do it's mostly at night), but every few years America's Finest City gets dumped on with rain.

La Mesa got rained out one Friday & at the last minute we found our way into the Mission Valley market at Civita Park.  C.J., one of our vendor neighbors at OB (who'd referred us to La Jolla Open Aire) had mentioned it in the past.  So, we gave it a shot, but much like Mira Mesa, it wasn't really our scene.

It was fine though, we needed a breather before doing a double-header in Poway the very next day.  

After doing the Saturday morning market, we broke down as usual, hung around the park to relax & then set up our tent again about a hundred yards away, for Poway Christmas in the Park.  

Like their July 4th celebration, it seemed everyone in town stopped by.  That day, Mad Munch sold over 170 Cheezers.  Not bad for being posted up in Poway from 8am-9pm.   

The next day, we back at Lane Field.  

"Camp Northstar" was December's Cheezer of the Month (our homemade meatball & marinara grilled cheese, named for the 1979 film, Meatballs, starring Bill Murray), but with all of the tent setups & breakdowns it felt more like Mad Munch was a traveling circus than a permanent camp.  

Selecting the Right General Contractor

Over the course of the last year since we signed the lease, I'd interviewed 12 general contractors for the buildout.  I went off of recommendations, Google searches, Yelp & Better Business Bureau reviews to find them.  It had been almost a full year since we got our first bid of $175K.   Since then, the most "cost effective" one I had found was for $53K, so the range was about as wide as the scope of the project itself.

"Remember GCs take a huge cut & some are more greedy than others," Chris explained to me in the beginning.  

Through the process of elimination (GCs that were too pricey or were too busy on other projects), I was able to whittle down my list to three: Keith, Kenny & Eric.  Each had good references, gave a bid that felt fair, seemed knowledgeable & were easy to talk to (i.e. spoke to us in a language we could understand).  

I met each of them, one more time.  I had a short list of questions:

• How long will it take to finish the project?
• Is there anything that we can do to help save money on construction?
• How much will it cost & when do you need the money to start?

Kate talked it over for a few days- it was a huge decision, one of the biggest Mad Munch decisions we would ever make.  We knew we had to get it right.

They all said that they could have everything done & we could be open in about three months (February or March).  There wasn't much we could really do to help, but they could work with us on the budget.  All three bids were all in the same ballpark, right around $100K.

At the end of the day, it came down to going with who I felt the most comfortable with.  Just like any sale, people will always lean toward a human connection, or go with their gut feeling.  

And, that's what we did.  We went with Eric, the same guy who tipped us $20 at our first Dynalectric Hackmaster Golf Tournament to make him an "After School Special," our peanut butter & raspberry jam grilled cheese.  

Looking back now, there's no doubt that we made the right choice.

Stamped Plans

Kate & I took the earliest flight out of SAN that Friday morning.  Her friend from high school, Alexis, was getting married in northern Virginia & we were going for the weekend.  

I had gone to three weddings on my own over the past two years.  They were all close friends of mine & were back in central Illinois.  Kate decided to hang back in order to save money for the buildout.  So, this was the first wedding Kate had flown to since we signed the lease for our shop on Newport Ave.

We had a layover in Denver before our connecting flight to Dulles, due to arrive there well after dark.  It was the beginning of November & we were both exhausted from overworking & from the Halloween festivities.

But when we got a phone call from Chris that all went out the window.

"We did you guys," he said.  "As of this morning, your plans have been stamped!"

"What?!  No way!" Kate exclaimed.         

"Yep, you guys can go ahead with the buildout!"

Finally!  After over 15 months of back & forth emails, phone calls & writing out checks, we finally had the green light.  We had traversed the mountain & hit the summit in the Mile High City of all places.

With a couple of hours to kill before our flight, Kate & I rolled our suitcases over to the first bar & grill we saw & grabbed a drink to celebrate.

"We did.  Here's to building opening up our shop in the new year!" Kate cheersed.

"This is great.  It finally happened.  Now, all we have to do is pick a contractor," I said.

"That shouldn't be that hard," Kate said.  "You've already interviewed over ten of 'em, right?"

"Yeah.  I got it narrowed down to about three that I think I like the most,"  I said.  "Getting the money to pay them- that's gonna be the tricky."

"Don't worry.  We'll find a way.  We always do.  Let's just enjoy our weekend," she said.

"You're right," I said.

"Of course I am.  We did it- we got stamped plans!"  We clinked glasses & savored the momentous occasion.  It made the wedding & going to a Falcons/Redskins football game on Sunday even more fun.

A copy of the Giant Bundle of Plans that gave us the go-ahead for our kitchen's buildout.

Golf Courses, Schools, & Giving Back

Sales were getting better each week at SDSU & Poway.  We were building a following & gaining regulars. By October 2018, we added a few side gigs to stack up some more cash for the buildout.  

Mad Munch got invited back for two more San Diego Made craft markets.  We took off a Saturday at Poway to setup at USD's Homecoming again.  And, the Dynalectric Hackmaster Golf Tournament in Santee called us back & paid us months in advance to popup on the 10th tee again.  

That weekend proved to be a busy one for Kate & I.  We had two back to back doubles within a 48-hour period.  After serving up bite-sized Cheezers on the golf course, we packed up & drove to Mira Mesa for the Fall Carnival at Sandburg Elementary School.

There was a big crowd on hand to play carnival games & eat some pizza-themed Cheezers from the Mad Munch tent.  Kate & I decided early to play with a simple menu of Mozzarella, Provolone, Marinara & Pepperoni so we could have faster turn-over.  

And, it worked great.  I mean, what kid doesn't like pizza?

The next day, we left the house a little after 7am for Poway.  After another good showing for Mad Munch on Midland Road, we went back home to regroup & then restock with ice & pizza Cheezer supplies.  

Beyond Bridge was an all day music festival at Loma Club Golf Course over the hill in Liberty Station.  Kate & I set up in the grass outside the clubhouse around 5pm & kept the griddle going until well after 10pm.  There was plenty of live music on two stages that went until almost midnight.  

Mad Munch donated 15% of our sales from the benefit event to the Pioneer School in OB.  It wasn't as busy as Sandburg Elementary, but we were still able to give close to $100 to the cause.  It was first time we raised money for the Pioneer School, but it was not the last.  

Hopefully By the New Year

One year to the day before Kate & I would get married, we were at the SDSU market, hiding from the sun & selling Cheezers to college students & faculty.  

Thursdays felt like they were getting shorter, but the heat was constant.  With close to twenty hot food vendors out there, we felt pretty good about our sales numbers, though.  That & we didn't have to drive forty miles home afterwards, like we had at Oceanside.

That day, I drove back to OB solo in the Escape.  Kate was catching the trolley to go see Beyonce, Jay-Z & DJ Khaled at Qualcomm Stadium.  I was gonna go unload & walk over to the OBMA Sundowner at Ocean Villa Inn next to Dog Beach.

Five & half years ago, I went to the Sundowner there with my old roommate, Zack, two nights before Mad Munch's debut.  Now, I was taking my buddy, Tony, who'd helped me out at Golden Hill market a few times when Kate was out of town.

Times had changed, but somethings were still familiar.  There was plenty of food & booze at that month's business mixer & this time around more people recognized me from the OB market.

"When you guys gonna open the shop?"  Everyone wanted to know.

"Hopefully by the new year," I said, trying to sound confident, but really with my fingers crossed in my mind.

Kate & I were still pushing Chris, but there was only so much that we could do about architecture, calculations, & getting our plans stamped by the city.

It was a good turnout at the Ocean Villa.  Even though, we didn't win any raffle prizes, Tony & I helped clean up & ended up moving with the keg of beer to a house on Lotus Street.  Tony & I drank solo cup beers in somebody's front yard, much like we did back at SIU.

I stumbled back home around the same time Kate got back from the concert, but the good news was that we both had the rest of the weekend off.  La Mesa Oktoberfest was going on all weekend where the Friday market was, so it was cancelled, & I was catching a solo flight back to Illinois for my good friend's Rob & Joanna's wedding.

So, Kate went camping out at Mount Laguna with some friends & I went back to central Illinois for a fun reception that felt like a class reunion.  We both got asked, "When are you guys gonna open the shop?"

When you're hanging out with friends & having a few cold ones, grilled cheese always seemed to come up in conversation.  There was no avoiding it.  It was the big mess that we'd got ourselves into, but we stayed positive & focused on getting through it.

"Hopefully, by the new year," I said.  "Permits are the worst."                 

Rock Out With Your Brocc Out

A meager crowd passed down La Mesa Boulevard while we fanned ourselves with the Peninsula Beacon under our tent at the Friday market.

"Jeremy's trying to get rid of some Kaaboo tickets for tomorrow," Kate said.  "Big Boi, Billy Idol & N.E.R.D."

Kate & I had went to all three days of the Del Mar Music & Arts Festival two years before.  

We were also there two weeks before, when someone fired a gun into the air because tickets were sold out for the Ice Cube concert.  Fortunately, the man was apprehended & no one was hurt.  

"I think we should go.  We can go over to Jax's place after Poway & then head down there," Kate said.  

It was a bold idea & she did have a swimming pool in her complex.  And, we'd been overworked with Mad Munch, doing six markets a week for quite a while.  And our Cheezer of the Month for September was "Rock Out with Your Brocc Out."  

"Sure. what the hell- let's do it!" I said.  

When you work weird hours & on weekends you have carve out some time to hang out with your friends.  And, I'm so glad we did.  

The Del Mar Racetrack was not to be deterred by a gunman weeks before their biggest gathering of the year.  Kaaboo was bigger & better than ever.  We didn't know it that weekend, but it was one of the last times it was held there or at all.

Either way, Kate & I loaded up the Escape with extra ice & supplies, had a great day at Poway, drove to Jax's, went swimming & walked down the hill.   I saw Stone Temple Pilots perform & she saw Melissa Ethridge.  We both saw Big Boi, part of Billy Idol's set & N.E.R.D. afterwards.  What a night.

The next morning, we iced up & drove down to La Jolla Open Aire.  The crowd was light that day & so were sales.  After a small lunch rush, someone texted Kate that they had an extra ticket.  

"Should we go back today?" she asked.

I checked our stock of Sourdough & the big cooler.   

"I think we got just enough to get through lunch at Bernardo Exec tomorrow," I said.

So, we packed up, backed up the Escape from the ball diamond when it was our turn & raced out of town on the 5 north.  

There wasn't enough time to hit the pool but we had just enough time to catch Alice In Chains, Slash & Miles Kennedy, Wiz Kalifa, & Robert Plant.  His closeout performance gave us enough inspiration to name a Mad Munch Cheezer after him:  "Robert Eggplant" debuted three years later & is still featured on the "Hidden Menu."

They were still talking about his performance on the radio on Monday when we were set up in Rancho Bernardo at the office park.  Our last stop of the wild weekend concert & market tour.

You Win Some & Dodge a Bullet on Others

We made it to September & Labor Day Weekend.  Kate & I had tented our way through the dogs days of summer & found a reward in some live concerts that didn't break the bank.  

After finishing up at Poway one Saturday, I overheard on 91X that they were giving away tickets to see Smashing Pumpkins at the arena on SDSU campus.  All you had to do was go to the Mattress Firm location in Point Loma between 3-5pm to enter to win.  It was on our way home from the market.

"Kate.  Is there a Kate here?" the DJ asked during a commercial break.  There was about 8-10 of us standing around the 91X tent.  We'd all entered our names & email addresses on their I-Pad.

"Yes!  I'm Kate!" she called out.

And, just like that we had ourselves two $85 bench seats to see the Smashing Pumpkins Labor Day weekend show at Viejas Arena for "Free Ninety-Nine."    

We took public transit to the show with our friend, Johnny, & right after Kate & I grabbed a tall draft beer we ran into Bryan, the market manager of SDSU.  "Enjoy the show," was all he said.

The next day, we packed the Escape for La Jolla & an overnighter at our friend, Jax's place in Del Mar.  She lived about a mile walk from the race track & Ice Cube was headlining the final "After the Final Race" concert series of the season. 

"We'll leave in ten minutes," we kept saying.  There were about ten of us at her house getting primed up to take the twenty minute stroll down the hill & under the 5 freeway to the fairgrounds.  Everyone was in good spirits by the time the front gate came into view in the distance.

Then came the shots...

More than a hundred people ducked & scattered at once.  I was up ahead of Kate, so we were separated when I went with one of our market vendor friends, Alexandria, into the closest building.  There we sat huddled under the windows.

"What should we do?" she asked me.

"I don't know," I said.  I texted Kate, but there were so many people, my text wouldn't go through.  I had only seen or heard about shootings on the news, but this was real.

Alexandria & I sat there in that room with about 15-20 others & waited.  The room was well lit & it seemed like we were in there for about an hour.  It wasn't that long in real time before a police man came in & told us everything was under control.

"We've secured the premises & the gun man has been apprehended," he told us.  "Everyone needs to leave the venue immediately."

"What about the concert?" someone asked.

"Sorry, folks but we're not letting anyone else in tonight per safety protocol," he said.

So, Alexandria & I went back outside & walked back up the hill to Jax's place.  A few of my friends were already back there, smoking cigarettes on the balcony & they let us in.

"Damn, what the hell was that all about?" my friend Tom asked.

"I don't know, but I'm glad nobody was next to the ticket booth," I said.

"Yeah, good thing we didn't actually leave after the 'ten minute warning,'" he said.

It was true.  It was a scary situation to be thrown into, & even though we didn't get to see Ice Cube, we spent the rest of the night listening to his music at Jax's place.  We were all grateful that nobody got hurt.

Back to School, Try to Stay Cool

The Thursday market at SDSU was a whole different animal.  After getting through the rigorous application process, Kate & I thought we just had to show up on time & do what we always did: make great grilled cheese sandwiches & serve them with a smile.  But, going back to school always sounds easier than it really is.

First, we had to stop at Smart and Final to buy more ice.  After a hot day at OB, we were running low.  

Then, we arrived an hour early to unload off the student promenade & carry the tent & coolers up a half flight of stairs to our spot on the concourse.  When our SUV was empty, Kate had to drive it down the hill to park in a specific vendor parking garage that charged us $10 for the day.  

After she walked back up the hill, Kate helped me get the tent up.  The setup on the Mesa required us to keep our grill uncovered from any tent structure (in case of a fire, even though we had paid extra for a "fire-retardant" tent canopy).  

So, I lit the grill out in the already blazing sun in a barricaded off section behind our tent.  It wouldn't have been so bad, had they not extended the market an extra two hours this year from ending at 3pm, now going until 5pm, the hottest part of the day.  

Students began to discover us & place their orders with Kate right around the time that a member from the SDSU Health Department decided to inspect our booth.  She was nice & did the usual thermometer checks on our meats & cheeses.  

"Your cheese isn't cold enough.  You'll have to send someone to go get more ice," she said.  So, Kate ran off to the concession area at the arena to grab some more ice.  

There was never enough ice out on the Mesa.

The campus also enforced a rule that none of the vendors could sell canned or bottled soft drinks, because they had a contract with a Pepsi-Cola distributor that stipulated that they be the only provider of soft drinks.  Of course, we were free to make our own juice, tea or lemonade- but the students would want that cold as well- so even more ice!

I stuck to the shade as much as I could that first day & admired the other vendors manning their hot grills from under straw sun hats & long sleeved shirts.  

The heat made it feel like a longer day than it really was & even though we had a lot of extra loaves of sourdough at the end, it was a still a good day after all of the expenses (market fee, parking, ice, etc.).   

Some adjustments would have to be made, but that's how it went with a new market.  You don't know until you go.    

Cheezers at the Del Mar Track & Over the Mighty 1090 Airwaves

I don't remember exactly how we landed a gig serving Cheezers, "Where The Turf Meets The Surf," at the Del Mar Pacific Classic, but it was pretty surreal.  

I mean, there we were: our tent setup right next to the track, horses galloping past our hot griddle, serving up OBC's & Bacon Street's at a "Listener Appreciation Party" for a local radio station.  And, they paid us handsomely ahead of time so all we had to do was show up & do a great job.

Kate & I had been to Opening Day at Del Mar a few summers before & some of the Friday concerts after the last race prior to that, but nothing gave us this kind of behind the scenes experience at the track.

We grilled up 160 Cheezers that day & the radio folks were into it.  "Sure beats tacos," I heard some people say.  It's hard to beat a free, hearty, melted sandwich on a beautiful afternoon when the drinks are flowing & the thoroughbreds are trotting.

"This is great, you guys," Darren said.  He was one of the radio personalities on MIGHTY 1090AM.  "We should have you guys on the radio to talk about your grilled cheese."

Of course- that was a no-brainer for us.  

A couple days later, we made a few extra Cheezers to go at our lunch setup at Bernardo Executive Center & delivered them to MIGHTY 1090's station headquarters in Sorrento Valley.  We handed them the boxes & Darren & his co-host handed us some headphones.

I've always appreciated radio & how much work goes into it, so it was a cool experience to be on the air.   

I volunteered for WDBX Community Radio back in Carbondale for a few months & had my own late night show.  But, that was just pressing play on a CD player & naming info about songs.  This was Kate & I fielding questions about grilled cheese & our business.

"So where are you guys located?" Darren asked.

"Well, we're building our first shop on Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach right now, but we still do farmers markets," Kate said.

"Where can we find these amazing sandwiches?  I'm hooked on this raspberry jam & goat cheese one.  Wow!"

"Yeah, that's 'Pump Up the Jam,' one of my favorites," I said.

"We just got into SDSU, so we'll be there on Thursdays from 10-5 starting August 30th," Kate said.  "Wednesday's we've been doing OB since 2013 , Fridays in La Mesa village & Saturday mornings at Poway."

"That's great.  Plenty of opportunities to eat Mad Munch," Darren said.  "And when is the store gonna open up?"

The number one, million dollar question that everyone asked every day, every where we went.

"Well, we're still working on getting our plans stamped, but right now it's looking like this winter or spring 2019,"  I said.

Manufacture Extra Gigs Where You Can

Poway was becoming my favorite market outside OB.  It was quick turnaround after getting home from La Mesa on Friday night, but as the morning sun came up through the trees on Midland Road & Kate started making a list of Cheezer orders for me to make, the day went by pretty fast.

We had a permanent spot there next to a great guy named Lloyd, who did Jamaican food.  We enjoyed talking to him about sports & trading our Cheezers for some of his delicious chicken, plantains, rice & oxtail.  He'd been a staple at Poway for years & he really liked what we were doing with our grilled cheeses.

"You put your foot into it," he told us one week with his great belly laugh, "That's how you know it's good."

We were breaking down one Saturday, when Lloyd asked if we had any plans.

"We're actually doing this art walk thing tonight in North Park, called Ray at Night," Kate told him.

"Oh?  How do you guys hear out about that?" he asked.

"One of the manager's last night at La Mesa told us about it," I said.

"La Mesa?  Who runs that market?" he asked.

"Brian does now.  He took it over in May," I said.

"Brian?  As in 'Bad Luck Brian?'  Wow, he's still doing it, huh?" Lloyd laughed.  "I call him that cause all of his markets end up closing down."

Kate & I couldn't help but laugh either.  We'd taken part in three of them that no longer existed.

"Well, good luck tonight," he said.

Instead of going back home before the 6-10pm art walk, Kate & I decided to go straight there after eating lunch at the Hamburger Factory right there at Old Poway Park.  And, as our friend, Layne, likes to say, "Any food place that calls itself a 'factory' is worth checking out."

It was a hot day, the AC inside felt nice & the burgers were pretty damn good.   Our little lunch date was an excellent way to break up the day.

We were both glad that the art walk wasn't "Ray During the Day."  Sales were bad enough after the hot sun went down & the homeless people started to come out.  It was another one & done event for Mad Munch.  

At least our friends, Nicole & Brandon stopped by for dinner or it would have been a complete waste of time.  And, at the end of the day, making & selling fifteen sandwiches was better than none at all.

People Forget About Lunch on Mondays

"I found us a Monday lunch," Kate said.  "It's at a business park in Rancho Bernardo.  I know, I know, Mondays, eww, but think of it this way, we'll be done & outta there by like 2:30."

It was great news.  After seeing Chris get all fired up about our project, it pushed us to put our product out in front of more people.  We needed to save up as much as we could for the upcoming buildout & we still had Tuesdays to take a break each week.

The venue was off the same exit as SONY (about a 30 minute drive) & our setup was pretty laid back compared to a market, in a small parking lot next to an office building.  Our friends from SONY & Scripps Ranch, Fresh off the Bowl, told Kate about this one.  

A weekly rotation of vendors, that gave the workers & students (there was a nursing school in the building also) some variety without having to drive into nearby Escondido for fast food at lunch.  

We did between 25-40 Cheezers there each week.  A pretty nice average for a Monday lunch, way better than when we set up at the apartment complexes or Mira Mesa.  It was definitely made it worth the drive.  

A childhood friend of mine, Matt, who once showed me how to make a "toastie cheese" in the microwave, stopped by & got a Cheezer.  He lived right down the street from me growing up & it was great to catch up.  I hadn't seen him in at least ten years.  

"How long you been out here?" Matt asked.

"Oh, over eight years now," I said.

"Wow, I can see why.  It's so nice out here.  You'll probably never move back, huh?" he laughed.

"No, well not once we get this shop up & running," I said.  "We'll probably be here for at least, twenty more?  We're in it for the long haul."

It Finally "Alcoves" Into View

"Guess what, though- big news!  We got into San Diego State!" I told my mom over the phone. 

"That's great, but what's going on with the buildout?" she asked.  

"No, you don't understand, how big this is.  SDSU's one of hardest markets to get into-"

"Yeah, I get it- I'm glad you guys are still working, but you guys are still paying rent up there right?"

"Well, yeah, but we're-"  

"I mean, is it ever gonna happen?  Or is there still time to get out of it?"

She had a point there.  It had been over a year now since we'd signed the lease.  The landlord had given us a few breaks but he needed his money too.  Kate & I had had more than a few arguments over the whole project & were still frustrated by by our architect, Chris' lapses in updates.

"No.  We're gonna get this thing done.  I'm calling him first thing in the morning to see how close we are.  Just hang in there," I told her, more for me to hear out loud myself.

"Well, you know the old saying, 'sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease," my mom said.

When I called on Chris the next day, it went straight to voicemail.  I left a message & made a point to call every day until I got a response.  After about a week or so, he finally got back to me amongst a rumor that he had been in Europe for the last few weeks.

Kate & I were really pissed when we heard that.  Here's the guy we paid to help take our business to the next level, out galavanting around time zones away & there wasn't much we could do about it.

"Look, sorry I've been out of the country for a minute.  There was a personal issue I had to deal with, but can we meet at the site this week?  I have a few ideas for us to get by some of these hangups," Chris told me over the phone.      

A few mornings later, we both met him at OB Beans, a coffee shop two doors down from our storefront.  It was the first time we'd seen him face to face in over six months.  Chris came prepared though, he had written out a list of things I could do to get the wheels turning.  His focus was a little off, however.  He kept looking at the entrance like he was expecting someone.

"You know maybe, we could get around this whole ADA front slope issue by putting in something like that."  He got up & walked toward the street & the hallway-like alcove that lined the front double door on each side.  

Kate & I sat there a little puzzled, watching him looking at their entrance way as if he'd never seen one before.  And, then he walked out & we quickly followed to see what he'd do next.  

He was in front of our storefront with a tape measure, talking to himself, like he had just solved a riddle.  It was the most animated that we'd seen Chris about anything.

Now, we were getting somewhere.  

Apply Now for the Fall Semester

"Do you guys do SDSU?"  We got asked all the time, from both other vendors & customers at the markets.

"No, but I've heard it's a good market," I said.

"It is.  They don't have grilled cheese out there.  You guy's would clean up!"

I crunched the numbers & based on what I figured we could pull in at San Diego State, & it seemed easier & more economical than driving to Rancho Bernardo & Oceanside every Thursday.  

Based on other markets, the sales always seemed to follow a similar correlation:  Things would start off well, sometimes it would take a few weeks for us to get noticed, but then we found our groove & customer base.  But, then at some point, the sales would reach their peak & then begin to plateau or even drop off to their lowest levels.  

Kate & I usually gave a new market at least a month or six weeks to see how we measured up.  And, yes there were a few that cost us our time- we called those, "one & dones."  And others that we continued to show up at because there just wasn't any other option for that particular day.  

But, after being back in the thick of it for over a year, it felt like it was time for a change-up & college-aged kids were our target market, so it made sense.  We applied for both the SDSU (Aztecs) Thursday market as well as the UCSD (Tritons) Tuesday market for the next fall semester.

We heard from vendors at the La Jolla market down the road, that Tuesday's at the Price Center on UCSD campus were a money maker for hot foods.  They only had a handful of vendors, but they were making bank out there from 10am-2pm.  

Kate & I currently had Tuesdays open so we decided to butter up their market manager first.  I grilled up some Cheezers & delivered them to a super secret office, underneath their beautiful cliff top campus next to Torrey Pines & the Pacific Ocean.  I handed over four of our best Cheezers to one guy who thanked me & told us he'd get back to us.    

We never heard back, but I'm sure he liked those sandwiches.

SDSU was a whole different process.  After I took them Cheezer samples & they decided we were in fact, Aztec material, I had to go in two different times to talk to the head of dining on campus & to their own health department (a separate entity from the county).  I wasn't even for sure if we'd made the grade or not, but we kept on it, because we really wanted that market.

First, we had to up our insurance, then we had to fill out a bunch of paper work & had to register our car for a parking pass.  At one point I thought I was going to have to write a five page essay on why hot food was important to college students.

I did not & Mad Munch was finally accepted into the SDSU market.  They were expanding the hours this semester (from 10am-5pm instead of 10-3) & we would make our debut August 30, 2018.   

Different Sunday, New Set-Up

One of the vendors that we traded with at the OB market told us about the La Jolla Open Aire Sunday morning market.  C.J. ran a bakery in OB & helped keep pies & quiches in our house most of the week. 

"You guys would do great there with your sandwiches.  Nobody there does anything like that," C.J. told us.  He had been doing the La Jolla market for over 10 years.

Kate got in touch with the market manager & we were able to sub in that Sunday, which was great because we had just said goodbye to Rancho Santa Fe.  

La Jolla was 10 miles closer to home than RSF but had similar clientele.  They had money there & were willing to spend it.  I had only ever visited the market once back in 2012 on one of my scout trips & in my notes it just said, "Huge!  Mostly Retail.  3 stars out of 5."  The hours were still 9am-1:30pm.

The cluster of tents was in a parking lot adjacent to La Jolla Elementary & their baseball diamonds at the bottom of the hill.  The aisles were real tight to back in the Escape, but we made due, unloaded & parked next to the bullpen & the outfield grass.  

Despite the closterfobic arrangement, the patrons seemed to know where everything was & we were lucky enough to be placed on a corner with ample foot traffic.  

We had a good debut out there, though we paled in comparison to the heavy hitter of hot foods, the taco truck that literally faced the well-shaded food court.  

I think it was called Stephanie's?  I can't remember, but they did trade food with us toward the end & I could tell why they were so popular.  My carne asada burrito was on point & I was glad that I saved it for home, because getting out of there was an adventure all it's own.

It was one at a time, vendors going to get there cars from the baseball field grass & then they had to back up & load up.  Most of the markets we did, you could go get your vehicle right at the end time & park right next to your tent to break down.  This was one of the few where that was impossible.  

It took us an hour from when the market ended to when we drive out of there.  Imagine that on your Friday, before having two days off.  At least we were home before 3pm.  And it was summer time & we live 3 blocks from the beach.  

Rules Change Everything

Rancho Santa Fe was a great Sunday market for Mad Munch.  We were pretty consistent there & developed some regulars who loved to order the Hashy Larry every week (pictured below).

But after my family came to visit the Sunday morning market & saw how good it was for us, a few instances altered everything for us (& other vendors) at Rancho Santa Fe.    

The very next week a guy wearing board shorts & selling lemonade shake ups was set up in our spot.  The same spot we'd been in since the first month we were there.  And, it was his first week at RSF.  Apparently, he thought you could just pitch your tent where ever you damned well please.  Diane, the market manager, made him move when we arrived.

The following week, everything was in disarray right from the start.  Even the guy with the rotisserie meat truck looked lost when we arrived.

"Diane said the Fire Chief was out here & is making her move things around," Matt, the fish & poke vendor who recommended the market to us explained.  He'd been doing RSF for years & he didn't look happy about it the new setup.

In the past, there were several "walkways" throughout the market, unlike most markets we'd done where it was just one long strip with tents on both sides.  This one had more of a "backyard" feel, with all of the metal bistro patio chairs & tables with umbrellas.  The food court area almost looked like it was taken from an open-air shopping mall.

Apparently, though the fire department didn't see it that way.  So, we followed the new rules & went where she told us to setup.  

It didn't really bother us at first, but over the next month or so, the crowds thinned out progressively every week & soon it felt like we were at a different market altogether.

One of the first weeks we were setup there, we actually saw former Chargers NFL quarterback, Philip Rivers & his family get out of a large van to order from the Rotisserie guy.  

Our last week there, Carlo Cecchetto, a recognizable reporter from local CBS Channel 8 ordered Mad Munch.  He was super friendly & it was a perfect send off for Kate & I to go explore new Sunday market options before the 2018 football season started.

  

It's Not Always 75 & Sunny in San Diego County

Mad Munch got into another event in Poway on the 4th of July.  It was pretty much a one day street fair, called Poway in the Park.  The people in charge of putting on the event were looking for more vendors so Kate reached out to some of our farmers market neighbors: Fresh Off the Bowl, Doggo's Gus & Ibo's.

Old Poway Park, the same park we set up next to on Saturday mornings for the Poway farmers market, had an old wild west feel to it, with the steam train blowing around the small oval track.  Characters were dressed up in period clothing & giving performances on an outdoor bandstand next to the ancient depot.  It was an all day affair, with a fireworks send off scheduled for after dark. 

We got there around 9:30 am with 25 loaves of buttered Sourdough filled almost to the ceiling in the Escape.  Our menu was narrowed down to OBC's & Bacon Streets to keep the line moving.  

The strategy paid off well for us.  With around 15-20 food vendors, you didn't want to confuse the thousands of potential customers at the free event. 

However, we were confused when we saw one of our first customers from Golden Hill working the front of the Crepe Guys booth speaking in an accent she must have acquired some time over the last five years.

"Would you like to add scram-bled eggs?" the woman asked heavily peppered in a Spanish-twang, "Or perhaps add some maple syrup?"

I tried to tell Kate about it when I came back from using the restroom, but she was busy on the grill, tending to a line in front of our booth.  I quickly jumped back in on the griddle.

We ran through 17 loaves that afternoon & the other vendors that we'd recommended thanked us for the opportunity.  It seemed like everyone had a good day out there- even the Crepe Guy & his new senorita.  

We made it home in plenty of time to go watch the fireworks blast off the pier in OB.

Two days later, we were scheduled to do the La Mesa Friday market.  Brian had been the market manager at Golden Hill & now was in charge of La Mesa.  I gave him a call Friday morning.

"Are you guys still doing the La Mesa market today?" I asked.

"Yep, rain or shine," he said.

"Well I was looking at the weather & it says it's gonna be 106 [degrees fahrenheit] out there.  So we just figured you guys would cancel it because of the excess heat warning they've issued."

"No, no we're still doing it as usual."

There was a short silence.

"Ok, well we're not gonna be there today," I told him.  "That's dangerous & just plain unsafe for the customers & for the vendors."

"Well, okay, then.  If you wanna be all fair weather about it," he said.  "I'm sure someone else will take your spot today."

"They can take it.  I'm not gonna stand over a hot griddle in 100 degree weather.  We'll see you next week."  I hung up on him.

How selfish, I thought.  What did he have to lose besides money if they cancelled the market for a natural occurrence like dangerous heat?  There were a lot of older folks who lived in La Mesa & shopped at the market, he could be putting their lives at risk?

How hot was it?  Hot enough to make a display soda can pop it's top at the Poway market that week. 

Either way, Kate & I weren't going.  We finished our Mad Munch chores (cooking bacon, etc.) & went to the beach with some friends.  It was packed down there- a lot of those folks lived in or around La Mesa, I would have bet.  

It wasn't worth the sweat to stand around in a hot tent, when most people out there, who'd paid attention to the weather, were advised not to leave their houses.                   

Besides, the next morning we had to go back out to Poway & they were expecting highs in the triple digits.  At least that market ended at 1pm.  This photo from Kate's I-Phone was around noon that Saturday & shortly after, Suzanne told everyone we could go ahead & pack up early due to the extreme heat. 

       

One Piece of Paper to Get Started

A friend of ours, Max, who we knew from watching Bears football at Sunshine Company Saloon, had mentioned that he wanted to go out on his own & do hot food at farmers markets.

"What kind of food you thinking about doing?" I asked him one week after he ordered a Katers Taters at the OB market.

"I'm gonna do chicken wings," he said confidently.  "I've been frying them up at BBQ House forever & I think I could do em pretty easily.  I just don't know where to get started with all of the permits & applications."

"Well, Zach handled all of that stuff to get us started.  You still have that binder?" Kate asked me.

"Yeah, I wrote down everything you need on one sheet.  It's not that expensive really, it just takes some time.  When did you want to start?"

"The sooner the better," Max said.

I brought over a copy of my cheat sheet to him at BBQ House a couple days later.  Within a few weeks, Max & his girlfriend were set up at the SONY Thursday lunch market.  He was busy frying up wings & had a decent line of patrons.  He came by to thank us when we were breaking down later.

"That sheet was great, man.  I'm headed off to do Linda Vista after this & Dave said I could sub in next week at OB.  Thanks again!"

"No problem.  The hardest part is getting into markets but it sounds like you got that down," I said.

"Yeah, I'm gonna do the OB Street Fair, too.  I figured, 'what the hell?' I might as well jump into the fire!"

We were happy for Max.  Jumping into the pop-up life with both feet.  That's really the only way to do it.  I was just glad my info could make it easier for him.  It's a great feeling when you can help mentor someone starting out.  And, to a newcomer, that kind of first-hand know-how is priceless.

We saw his booth at the OB Street Fair in late June.  He & his girlfriend now had matching tie-dye work shirts.  Kate & I waited in line & ordered some wings.  They were really good & he didn't even charge us.  I left a bunch of greenbacks in his tip jar.  They earned it. 

Summer Time & the Livin's Cheezy

Life was moving pretty fast.  My family left town.  Spring turned into summer.  Kate & I celebrated five years of doing the OB market.  

We even helped an old friend get a booth for her non-profit business that made dog treats.  We were well known at our weekly setups & the grilled cheese business was good.   

We debuted a quarter pound Cheeseburger grilled cheese (our first burger or patty melt, if you will) inspired by an old Hardee's (or Carl's Jr.) favorite, the "Frisco County Jr."  And even broke out some new T-shirts with a new slogan printed on them:

I finished a hand-painted street sign to hang above the sidewalk at our shop.  Originally I was going to do a California license plate, but Kate reminded me that that was, "kind of Hodad's thing," with license plates covering the interior walls of their shop.  

Our friend Bernie's dog, Huell Howser, approving of Mad Munch's brand new street sign.

Fair enough, the street sign has held up well to the test of time.  People still stop to snap pics of it & jump up & slap it every now & then.  I still laugh that it says "Est. 2018" on it.  We were very optimistic back then.     

Our friend, Jackie showing off some, "Mad Merch" & our storefront waiting desperately to be open to the public.

School's Out For Summer

At the beginning of June 2018, my parents, my two brothers & their families all came out to visit San Diego.  We knew about it months in advance & told them we were up to our shoulders in farmers markets with Mad Munch, but nevertheless the time of year worked out best for everyone visiting.

Six set-ups in five days was the norm for us back then.  Kate posted this Facebook update on Tuesday, but we ended up getting called up to do Poway later in the week.

They got all got in on Friday, June 1, & were staying in South Mission Beach at a nice, large second floor  apartment next to the boardwalk.  

That morning, I had an appointment with another SCORE mentor in Southeast San Diego to go over our business plan, which I had been diligently working on for the past four months.  I was putting the finishing touches on it & had requested help from SCORE to look it over & help me prepare a loan package. 

"Looks good," the lady told me.  She gave me a few minor critiques & more importantly gave me a list of small business lenders in the area.  I left to oven cook fifteen pounds of Bacon, then iced & loaded the big cooler & Kate & I drove out to La Mesa to setup for the 3-7pm market.

"What time do we need to leave for Poway tomorrow?" Kate asked.

"Well, it starts at 8am, so we'll say 6:45," I said.  "Since it's our first time & all."

We brought a few extra loaves to Poway & I'm glad we did.  Our sales were three times better than our average at Scripps Ranch.  

Beginners luck?  Were we the hot new sandwich at the market?  Who knows?  But, we made sure to tell Diane we'd fill-in there any Saturday.

We got back home after 2pm & it felt real good to put our feet up & have a cold beverage.  It was "Hawaiian Shirt Giveaway Night" at the Padres game & we were meeting my whole family at Petco Park.  There wasn't quite enough time to take bus 35 & the trolley down to the ballpark, so we took an Uber.

The game was great, the Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds & everybody got a Hawaiian Shirt with a group photo to prove it.  Kate & I caught a ride home from my folks & called it a night.  Rancho Santa Fe would come early & my family was gonna come get some sandwiches.

We'd been doing RSF for five months, so we had that setup down pat.  The fam all made the trek up north about halfway through our day.  My mom paid for our biggest order of the day, getting Cheezers for everyone.  It was the first time my older brother & his family from Florida had eaten Mad Munch.

After unloading the Escape & putting everything away it felt like Kate & I had just finished our last final exam of the semester.  And, after "turning in my big paper," a.k.a. showing my business plan to the SCORE mentor, I was ready for our weekend to start.  

Kate & I decided to rent a couple of those electric Bird scooters & ride over the bridge to stay the night with my family in South Mission.  But, unfortunately, it was Sunday & both of our scooters batteries were drained from the weekend (much like we were).  

It took over an hour to get over there- by bicycle it usually takes me all of twenty minutes.  

Ah, the summer season had only just begun!         

Manifest Cheezers For Your Destiny

One Saturday morning at Scripps Ranch the weather was really warm & the business was really slow.  I walked over to an adjacent park to make some phone calls on my flip phone out of earshot.  I had a short list of friends who I thought might wanna invest in the buildout of Mad Munch's shop.  

"It's gonna be great once we get opened up.  Our location is two blocks from the ocean & there's a ton of foot traffic, year-round," I bragged to several of my old college & high school pals.

"How much are you looking to borrow?" they asked.

"Sixty grand," I said.

And, that pretty much closed the book on the deal right then & there.  

I called DP, Chase, & even messaged Yuri on Facebook.  I hadn't talked to Yuri in over ten years, so I didn't have his phone number.  He responded days later:  "Sorry, man I wish I could help you out.  Good luck!"

I walked back to the cluster of tents there in the parking lot next to the elementary school.  I felt defeated.  It was bad enough having to ask for money, but it was even worse when everyone told you no. 

Kate was behind our front table making a Cheezer of the Month for this crazy lady whom we called "Grape Nuts."  She was polite & all but dressed very weird, usually in dirty pajamas & always ordered a Sunkist Grape soda.   

"Here you go," Kate said & handed the sandwich to her in the box.  Grape Nuts, turned around, took one bite, thought about it for a few minutes, then threw it on the ground- the rest of the Cheezer in the box & walked away.

"What the hell just happened?" Kate asked, but neither of us had an answer.  Harry & Alex next to us, manning Bibby's Crepes saw it all go down, too. 

"Wow, now that's a first," Harry said between his usual line of regulars.  

The two of us sat there watching Harry & Alex trade cash for crepes for the next hour or so, while the guitar guy played Bad Company's "Feel Like Making Love," way too loud to an audience of mostly grammar school & junior high students.  

And, that's when it dawned on us both.  

That coupled with Grape Nuts' outburst & my soliciting rejections, Mad Munch had been pushed to the brink at Scripps Ranch.  How much more could we take? 

"We're never gonna have a line like that," I whispered to Kate. "I mean, Harry's been doing this market for like ten years.  I can't do ten years.  We don't have ten years."

"Hell no, we don't," Kate agreed.  "Hey, isn't Poway still going on right now?  Why don't you take some Cheezers over there?"

"Yeah, great idea, babe!  I'll try & butter up Diane.  She seemed to like 'em last time."

We boxed up four Cheezers to go & I drove the six miles over there & soon found Diane sitting by the old train depot.

I re-introduced myself & handed her the boxes.  "I was just wondering if you guys had any openings here?  We never heard back from you before so I figured I'd bring you some grilled cheeses."

"Oh, ok.  What is your business again?" she asked.

"Mad Munch," I said.  "I stopped by & talked to you about a year ago."

"Oh, right.  Well, I'm not sure if we have any openings right now, but maybe you guys could sub-in one week."

"Absolutely.  We'd love to."

The next few weeks we subbed in at Poway, getting the go-ahead from Diane the day before.  We ended up getting a regular spot about a month later.  It became one of my favorite & our most profitable weekly farmer's markets over the next year. 

   

Five Years & Fifty Cheezers Later...

Kate & I threw ourselves into our work through spring & into summer.  There were a few Mad Munch appearances at Fletcher Hills Little League tournaments (aerial view of their beautiful field pictured below), a couple more San Diego Made events at Liberty Station & Barrio Logan, as well as a big day at Bonita Valley Church on Easter Sunday.  

We were busy out there, playing the field & still experimenting with new Cheezers for our lineup.

One Sunday, almost by accident, I came up with the "Showbiz Pizza," vegetarian Cheezer at Rancho Santa Fe.  I simply added all of the veggies we had at the time & squirted Sriracha on top of the melted mozzarella.  It's still on our menu to this day, but we changed its name to the "Jimmy Pesto."  Too many people thought that it was actually a pizza & not a grilled cheese.   

Our 50th Cheezer creation, the "Havana White," a Cubano grilled cheese (ingredients pictured below), debuted as the Cheezer of the Month in April 2018, which also marked our 5th anniversary.  Customers seemed to really take to it & it was one of the first where we melted cheese directly over the meat (pork) on the griddle before adding it onto the sandwich.

Number 51, was a breakfast Cheezer that had scrambled eggs, maple syrup & a blueberry pancake between two slices of sourdough.  "Peter Pancake," was Kate's experiment after "Hashy Larry" & it's spicy Slapstick Sauce began to take off at the Scripps Ranch & the Rancho Santa Fe morning markets.  Besides crepes, there weren't a whole lot of other breakfast "sandwich" options.  We took advantage of the need.  

But, our most "out there" combination, was a kid favorite, especially for my niece, Ava.  The peanut butter & raspberry jam grilled cheese with cheddar & mozzarella, the "Ava MaGoo," became & underground classic.  But when my brother's family came to visit San Diego in June, we changed it to the "After School Special."  That way, Ava's two brothers & sister wouldn't feel slighted.

It was a period of great creativity & all of our market experience paid off one day when an old market manager contacted us.  

"I'm taking over the La Mesa Friday market," Brian told us in an email.  "We're moving it from the parking lot at City Hall down to the village & we wondered if you guys would be interested?"

Yes, we were interested!

Kate & I had been looking for a consistent Friday setup for almost a year & La Mesa was an easy 15 minute drive on the 8 East.  Brian had taught the Farmer's Market 101 Class & we setup at 3 of his markets when we broke onto the San Diego scene in 2013.  

It felt like things were finally coming full circle.  

Kate & I took that final Friday, which just happened to be April 27th, our 5 year Mad Munch anniversary, to hang out with friends & hit some watering holes in & around La Mesa.  We hit 3 spots on the same street that we'd be setting up at the next Friday for the new & improved La Mesa farmer's market.