The Real Reason Soliloquy Closed Its Doors In Topeka | Aaron Zentner

And we knew starting Soliloquy like it was never going to be forever. We did great profit. We were also not paying ourselves the $400 in sales in a night. We're just like you know, man, like we tried so hard. But also I can breathe now because we're done. I'm so glad I did Soliloquy.

Welcome to Topeka Insider. We've got our good friend Aaron Zentner here with us. Glad to have you, man. Thanks for having me back. Absolutely, man, absolutely, yeah, it's good bro. So for people that don't know, you were one of the owners, founders, operators of Soliloquy uh, pop-up bar, is that what we're calling it? Pop-up bar at circle? Yeah, pop-up cocktail bar, yeah, pop-up what bar? Cocktail bar, yeah, cocktail bar, yeah, yeah, uh, so I, soliloquy was definitely one of the coolest spots in town.

Thank you on a friday night, saturday, or whatever and uh, and I you know, obviously circle is a dope venue, so that definitely helps, but like even just the cocktails themselves. The drinks you guys were making were like I don't want to drink it because it's a work of art and I would mess it up yeah, I mean like the love, like there were, like images on top the arrangement you know it's really really good.

So hey for people that maybe had their head in the sand and had no idea soliloquy existed. Could you just give us a quick, give us a quick run through like how did that happen? Where did the idea come from? What was it like starting that business here in Topeka?

Yeah, Um, I always wanted to do something on my own. After I mean a little bit of background on me, I started in fine dining here in Topeka at the White Linen andinen and met two of my now business partners, blake and Dan, at the White Linen. Time had passed and I was like I was ready to do my own thing and I was looking for an avenue to do that and I started helping David Vincent out at Circle Coffee to get that open and shortly. You know I always joked around with david like we're just gonna serve cocktails here one night and like on a sunday or something and it, you know, take some sales, we'll see how it goes um.

But it ended up being a joke into like a full-fledged thing um and wasn't he at one point like do it?

yeah, yeah, I mean he was like so open to it which is crazy to me looking back, because, like I mean, it was almost two years ago now that he to it, which is crazy to me looking back, cause, like I mean, it was almost two years ago now that he opened the shop, which is crazy to me.

But uh, but um, he was like I mean, he had just opened his cafe, you know, doing crazy hours. Um, I was doing crazy hours with him too there. But uh, and he was just like, yeah, like let's just do it, why don't you do a Saturday? And he was just like, yeah, like let's just do it, why don't you do a saturday? And he had just opened, you know, just opened a cafe, like which is it's crazy. I would probably, if it was the other way around, I don't know if I would let someone come in and just start operating a business in my space we don't even have yeah, he didn't still working out all these issues and stuff, but he still was open to letting us tell us the issues with circle.

Oh, I'm just kidding, it's just like any opening, any business you're going to have issues you know, it's just a number of things I probably can't even remember now.

So someone whose head might've been in the sand was me. Yeah, it was familiar with soliloquy, but not huge into the bar cocktail scene. What did? What did that partnership look like? So you just, you know you use circles venue. Was david part of soliloquy?

or no, I mean. So the way we worked it out was that, um, soliloquy was like a separate entity entirely from circle and, for legal reasons, like it had to be, because we had our own catering license, essentially. So that's what allowed us to serve alcohol there, gotcha. So we would. We would bring, uh, all the alcohol, all the tools, everything into circle as a caterer.

Yeah um, and so that was like kind of like it was kind of a loophole not not exactly a loophole, but it was like just a smart way yeah, it's a smart way to do it because, um, you know, with the catering license we could essentially go anywhere to serve alcohol in the state of Kansas, but we just did it at the same place every weekend.

That's probably how Circle preferred to do it too. They didn't have to get there.

Right, yeah, like David didn't have to be involved essentially in any way, aside from yeah, you can't do that, no, you can't do that, no, you can't do that.

You know, like we obviously we had to use his equipment and we paid him rent and the landlord rent. So, yeah, I mean it was like really simple to do, yeah, and we got to keep all of our own sales, which is super advantageous because, talking to some of the, some of the other people that, like I know that did um, cocktail pop-ups, like in the area, not necessarily in Topeka I don't know anybody else that's done in Topeka but in Kansas city or in in um in the U S in general, like usually the venue is taking some type of cut of sales. Or you know, like um, my friend Diana, uh, condori, she has Condors Cove in Kansas City. Um, she, she did it a little bit differently essentially, where, like, the venue is responsible for like facilitating all the sales, which is a good way to do it too, cause, like it's just one thing for you to not have to worry about as an owner, um, but you also don't get like all of the sales, you know.

So, um, yeah, there's so many different ways to do it, but I think the way that we did it was the best for the business, of course, because we could you know, we could serve at circle, we could go do other events off site for people, private events we could do. We did stuff in Kansas City, Kansas, yeah, so it was awesome In the dot.

Yeah, let's go, man. Did you guys have like a set menu every night, or was it a different menu?

The fun thing about Soliloquy, and the most stressful thing was like we just rotated things constantly so we like never kept stagnant cocktail lists. I mean, there was like obviously we could do any classic cocktail for the most part, but, um, we just wanted to be so creative and seasonal that, like when it was, when it felt like something needed to go, we just took it off the menu and put something new on. So it was like I think that was a big draw for people. Was that like every time they came back any weekend, like there would be something new for them to try? Like you know, we had at most times, about 12 cocktails, um, and so like people could work through their way through the whole menu within like a month yeah, you know, um, and then we would always have something new for them to try. So like people were just so interested in that any new drink, even if it was.

Like. You know, I don't like gin, but this is a new cocktail, so I'm going to try it.

What was your favorite one?

there's so many. Um, we did a really cool uh like kind of like old fashioned. It was called the cowboy camper, Um kind of, and I think it was during like the fall and the winter, Um, but it was like it's funny, Cause like we like I always like dissed like smoked old fashions, like I hated those, and Blake and Dan came up with this cocktail thing over.

Yeah, it's just like got so corny and it's like it's like any bro that would come when they like, put the thing over it and add the smoke. You mean?

Yeah, it just like got so corny. And it's like any bro that would come into a bar like can you do a smoked old-fashioned you know, They'll just roll their eyes and be like no, get out of here. But we like.

We don't serve your kind around here.

No, but we put some twist on it to kind of make it like cool and like not feel like that, like it was like really seasonally focused. It was like a s'mores, old fashioned kind of Um, and I love the presentation on it too. It was so fun. Um, yeah, and Blake and Dan came up with that one, like that was one of the cocktails that I really didn't have, like I didn't touch, and that was cool. That's awesome, yeah.

What was your favorite that you personally came up with?

Oh man, um, I don't know, there's so many.

Which one do you feel just like the most proud of?

Yeah, there was one that like a lot of, so I think you mentioned the one with the picture on it.

Like the peach. Yeah, it's like the pixelated peach on it.

That was mine. That's awesome, yeah, and it was, uh, that one was called the momotaro, which I always like to split like, slip like things into the names of cocktails that like momotaro, like no one would know what that is unless they look it up usually, but it's the. It's like the japanese folktale that um inspired james and the giant peach.

No, way, yeah, so that the cocktail, like the flavor of that cocktail revolved around peaches like that. Yeah, I had peach liqueur, um, I believe it did like a peach ferment and that, and then ricotta way and gin and rum, um, and lemon juice it yeah, so it was like a glorified gin sour, but it was like I think people like really loved just like the the picture on it. It's unique, yeah.

And one of the things that You're paying for the Instagram posts and like we always one of the fun things about doing the menu cause I was like one of my favorite things about soliloquy was like literally formatting the menu and typing it. I have a degree in graphic design so, like I was, I was super interested in always doing that and I would, um, I always like to put like these little, like quippy phrases underneath the cocktails like, just to kind of like explain in a short phrase, like what the cocktail is, or like give them an idea of what they're getting right.

Sorry, I want to finish your thought?

no, but yeah, and so like I can't remember, um, what the quote was for that cocktail, but it was like people just like really latched on to a few of our drinks just because like it's like breaking the third serious in a way, or like the way we present ourselves or the cocktails feel super serious, but then you can like break the third wall with some things and people are just like oh, like I can have fun here.

Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, like you guys weren't taking yourselves too seriously. Right, yeah, yeah, yeah Um well, there was one I don't remember what the exactly, but, but the taglines was like something about. Like it was like this tagline is an inside joke or something like that we had a lot of this I remember like.

I remember always thinking like I need to ask him about this, and I always forgot to ask you about it yeah, um, we had so many of those like working with two of your best friends, that like, and you're working, like you know, 40-plus hours a week together, like you just develop. We develop so many inside jokes, right, and like poor Carla, which was like Carla Hickle, would always help us out on weekends, she was like kind of one of our cocktail servers, nice Like she would just be like why are you guys talking about?

She's like why are you guys talking about? Why are you guys like there's?

like jokes that are jokes of other inside jokes it's like no one could possibly know what we're talking about, and so yeah, so your two partners, blake and dan yeah you were friends before yeah, we uh.

Yeah, we, like I said, we worked together at the white linen, um, for that's kind of where, like, we came together. Yeah, blake had been friends since we were like in middle school. Yeah right, we went to high school and middle school together oh yeah yeah, t-birds, yeah, go birds. Um and uh. We met dan like we blake was like working at red lobster and I started working at the white linen. My buddy, my buddy got a job which is a better establishment wait you say white, linen and red lobster, yeah, yeah

I mean it's a kind of toss-up in my mind. Well, it's funny because I worked at that same red lobster too and like relevant now is like I think they recently announced that they were closing, but then someone else swooped in and bought out red lobster now. So the one here in topeka was going to be closing um, but like that was my first restaurant job do you not know that?

I didn't know that I thought that's why you were joking, because you knew one was closing no, no, yeah, um, so I was joking because obviously like white linen is like a really high dining establishment and red lobster is a chain. Which one's better, the one that's closing or the one that's fine dining? So, okay, working starting a business with your best friends. Do you recommend doing that?

oh man, great question. It depends. They won't see this. You can say whatever I would, so most people are, would I don't know, like I would recommend not to, but like I had a great time and like we always said, like business has to come before the friendship, you know. So as long as you do that you'll be good. And you know, I think sometimes you realize like once you go into business with some people they're like oh okay, like I, like we're not friends in the way that I thought we were. But um right, yeah, with with blake and dan, like it was still so easy, you know you probably have to separate the relationships a little bit.

Yeah, this is my friend blake and dan, this is my business partner.

Yeah, I mean, the biggest thing, like with any team, is like you have to be aware of people's weaknesses and strengths, and I think we played to that really well.

That's cool. You definitely seem to have a really cool dynamic. You know, man, you obviously had to manage the business, but then fosters I was all around the creativity. Yes, the product you are producing every single week, mm-hmm, and it seemed like the product you were producing every single week and it seemed like from being in there and you know, talking to you on a previous podcast and it was, it seemed like you guys had a really cool, not just friendship dynamic, but such a kind of a dynamic that produced or fostered an environment of creativity and, you know, new ideas and and it was fun too, I mean, like the menu. It was like reading the menu. You felt like these are cool dudes I would want to hang out with.

just reading the menu made you feel like that, like oh they're like joking around on the menu right, yeah, I was like that's this is cool, you know, yeah, the part you're selling an experience yeah, it's not just the cocktail, but if you can make it fun and have a, reason people want to come yeah, again, like that's probably.

I think what like maybe like brought people back to was like they felt like they were in the group in a way you know, yeah, it's so true, um, yeah okay, we keep talking real, real quick.

Just to add on that, sorry no, you're good, just just to add on that too, every time we went in, one of you three would come hang out at our table for like 30 minutes and just like and just like joke around, which I love, like I'm not like a. I know people have different vibes.

Like some people go to a restaurant, they want to be left alone right, I like man, I love just like joking around with people and talking and telling stories and yeah, and they're like each time we went, one of you guys would stop and just kind of hang and I was like this is awesome like, so it definitely felt like I'm in the cool kids club right now. This is awesome.

Well, is that a reflection on their hospitality?

uh, hospitality, hospitality and it is, english is tough, is that a?

reflection on them, or is? That just because you're really cool yeah, well, it's probably mostly because I'm really cool yeah, there's definitely something, no no, it's definitely.

I think it was yeah, your guys' dynamic, I mean, and uh, yeah, it's like in any um bar restaurant, like you have to balance that. You know, like right, there are some nights where you can't do that, or most nights where you can't do that.

Uh, luckily, like we had some slower nights where it it's like, yeah, we can hang out with people, and I'm probably overstating.

It was probably more like three minutes, sure, but it felt like a lifetime. This is great. You made his night right. Yeah, exactly yeah, but like I mean, that's my, that's my favorite thing about this is like just connecting with people. You know, like that, if you're not in it in the hospitality industry for that, I think you're in it for the wrong reasons, you know, yeah yeah, okay, we keep talking in past tense.

You know, it was fun, it was a good time you know, what were your challenges? What happened uh?

walk us through the next yeah, I mean, um, we had been doing it for, like, I mean, a year and a half and like it just got hard. You know, I mean it. It was always hard from the start, um, but like moving a cocktail bar two to three times a week, like it just it was a lot, you know, um, and we knew, starting soliloquy, like it was never going to be forever. Um, you know, I think our goal was to open a bar like a brick and mortar. Like a brick and mortar, that was, that was our goal and like, financially, we were successful.

I would say, like we, we killed it, you know, like our, you know we did great profit. We were also not paying ourselves, like, which is which is crazy. So, like, I mean full transparency, like we would, um, like the tips that were collected we would disperse between anybody that helped us out and then ourselves. So it was like you know, on average, I would say, um, uh, my tip out, or all three of us, our average tip out would be like a thousand dollars for each of us at the end of the month. If we like an okay, um, an okay month, um, yeah, so you're just getting paid only out of tips.

Yeah, yeah, we weren't paying ourselves hourly and we would always make sure, like the people that were helping us out were compensated very well. Um and uh, you know, we were paying them like twenty dollars an hour, essentially, so um, is that so those numbers are from?

you know, one night a week or what? What was that? How often were you guys doing it?

uh, no. So two nights a week, yeah, friday and saturday, um so, essentially, you know, serving average like eight times eight or nine times a month, yeah, um. So yeah, I was like that.

That was a challenge in itself because we all had to find jobs outside of this Right, like some way to like like have income so that we could like live, you know, like buy groceries, which was which was difficult and we could, we could have, we could have paid ourselves, you know, we could have, um, we could have like cut an hourly wage for ourselves or whatever it was, or like some type of salary, but that would have took away from our goal of like opening a brick and mortar, because the way we're doing is like, essentially, we were just collecting tips for ourselves and paying ourselves as little as possible so that we could put as much money in the bank as possible as we could to take to save up to open a bar, um, yeah, and so like I mean, things got, things got difficult with that and it, you know it got tired, it was tiring.

You know, like there were some weekends that we were like I mean that's, this is with any business. You know, there's some weekend weekends where you're just like dead slow, right, and then some weekends are you crushing it and right, like we're just like on top of the world.

You know we're gonna open this bar and then I, the next, weekend it's like we do like a four hundred dollars in sales in a night.

We're just like you know I don't know if you guys allow cussing on this podcast, you can bleep that out, but good, but um, uh, yeah, so it was like you know, that was that was really difficult, just not making a lot of money, but we suffered through it just because, like I I believe that like we were doing what we loved and, you know, fast forward a little bit and like I got a really big offer.

Personally, that kind of got my gears turning, like you know, okay, if I don't take this, like what does my life look? Like you know, and I was really like weighing the pros and cons, like it took me forever to decide on this decision, like it was a really hard decision to make, but, um, just weighing the pros and cons of taking this opportunity and, you know, leaving soliloquy behind or sticking with soliloquy and, you know, hopefully having something at the end of it, and I was like, well, you know, ultimately what I decided was like I can always come back to, to pika and I can still do a cocktail bar, you know, but, like, this opportunity is really too big for me to just step away from um.

And so, to be clear, that opportunity was, um, to work at a bar that I've always admired, which is the mercury room. It's in the crossroads in canada city. Um, yeah, so like a super prestigious bar. My buddy, uh, levi roy, had been running it like almost since it opened. Really, wow, he'd been the head bartender there and, um, I always thought the stuff that he was doing was really incredible. It was like that bar kind of brought me back to like, um, like the uh style of service that I started with at the white linen, which was like I was running a speakeasy there in the white linen, which is like 15 seats, you know, it's really small, really intimate, and like that was the style of service that I loved. And the Mercury room is really similar in that it's 20 seats inside.

So, it's like it's it's very small, Um, you know, like it's a. It's a really big focus on the style of service and, like, um, very intentional with like every single detail, and so that was just like something I wanted to tackle personally, Cause I felt like I had to learn more. Like you know, I'd never done anything outside of this market, like Topeka. That, like was worth mentioning. So, yeah, it just seemed like a really good opportunity for me to learn more in a bigger market and hopefully, like bring what I learned back, you know, back here.

Yeah, Wow, yeah, that's wild. So that's where you're at now.

That's where I'm at now.

Yeah.

I've been doing it for almost three months. Wow yeah, going on three months.

And that's is. Was it three months ago? Is that when Soliloquy closed?

I think we announced our closing. It was like I want to say it was May. Yeah, I'm not sure April or May, I can't remember.

What kind of feedback did you get when you guys made that announcement?

I think everybody was shocked. Yeah, everybody was shocked, you know, which is fair because, like we did not give anybody a clue about what was going on at all, which sucks, and it was very sudden, and it was like, hey, like, this is going to be our last weekend.

Yeah, I remember seeing the post and I'm like, wait what. We were out of town that week and I was like you got to be kidding me.

Yeah, and so.

I remember seeing people in an uproar.

Facebook was having a day, oh man yeah, um, yeah, which is tough, um, I wish you know, going back, I wish we would have had like, or given more people time because, like, like it was like um, we only gave like people less than two weeks notice that we were gonna be this was gonna be the last one, you know and so, like, people probably had arrangements already, you know, like they didn't get a chance to like, come have one last cocktail right, um, which really sucks, but like, that was also like I can't exactly remember why we're I guess it was like um, I really like pondered on this decision for a long time, taking that opportunity to to go to the Mercury room, and so it like it came to a point where it was like, okay, like I have to decide in these next two weeks whether I'm doing it or not, um, and I made the decision and then so, like I left the door open for Dan and Blake to continue without me, but, um, they were also really good friends and that, like they were like we don't want to do it without you, you know.

So how, yeah, what was their reaction? Like, were they bombed or were they like man, we're exhausted too.

I mean, it was a little bit of both, I think. Like I think everybody was exhausted, yeah, I mean, and they were also like.

I mean, you know, dan was going to school for biology, so like he was juggling that while doing soliloquy which is crazy, you know, because like just like his sleep schedule was so screwed up, like getting up for classes in the morning but then also like, uh, like closing a cocktail bar down to like 4 am. Like it's just nutty, yeah, um yeah, I think everybody was like it was like man, like we tried so hard, but also I can breathe now because, like you know, we're done. So it was like a bittersweet for sure.

Yeah, Some of the uproar that I saw just on the Internet. Really, you know, everyone was upset that it was closing down. But they were more upset and I think it was just because in the beginning there was a misunderstanding. They were upset at Topeka. They thought it was Topeka wasn't supporting this. You know small business and this is why Topeka can't have nice things yeah right, yeah, you don't choose a shop local.

A lot of comments like that um, and you know, I didn't know you at the time and, uh, it wasn't until later I found out. Hey, it was, you know, a personal decision, but I guess, on that same question, did you guys feel like you were supported by topeka 1000.

Yeah, like we had so much support. I think we got more than we could have asked for, really, yeah. Yeah, I mean we have slow nights, but it's like you can't blame your customer base for that, like right you know you always have to take it on yourself as a business owner when, like things don't work out.

So yeah, we had more than enough support. Like I said, we had slow nights, we had screwy nights where it was like I mean, the toughest thing about that like that I always felt about Topeka was that it was so volatile like the business or just seeing it out of business. Like I specifically remember one night where, like we were having the slowest night ever. I specifically remember one night where, like we were having the slowest night ever and then like we just get hit with like 75 people from a wedding party.

They just decide to show up.

Dang. So like, if you can imagine, like we probably sent Carla home, like she was helping us as a cocktail waitress I think I mentioned that but yeah, I sent her home, Like we're having a slow night, we'll see you tomorrow, and then like we just get hit with like 75, 80 people that come in.

Like it was just like you, like as a business owner in Topeka, like you can't plan for that. You know, if I'm, if I'm staffing people, staffing people, like you can't plan for that, right. Like you can't plan for just a group of 80 people to show up.

Yeah, and so that, like that was. Some of the challenges were like and I've heard sentiment from other business owners here in Topeka, you know where it's just like you know, yeah, business is slow. Just like you know, yeah, business is slow Like we're having a terrible night and like we're cutting staff and sending people home, but then we just get walloped with like a bunch of business all at once out of nowhere and then we're just like it's like one or two people like trying to take care of all these people.

It's like how do you keep up with that? You know like, do you just like bite the bullet and, you know, blow more money on labor costs because you're just like, well, maybe we'll have a bunch of business right before we close?

people the whole time yeah, yeah, I mean that's, that's what's tough. Um, and that was always like my frustration was like, man, I don't know how to approach those moments Because, also, like the biggest thing about that is like it's like we can't possibly take care of those people with the service that people expect from soliloquy.

You know like people expect like that intimate like hosp when you've got three people like you.

Can't do that for that many like that show up, you know like and making like high quality trees, right. Or especially like people like obviously some of those people like that was like their first time coming into soliloquy, like they didn't even know what we were about, so right, like their first um experience was tarnished because of that, like you know.

They're like well, I'm never gonna go back there because, like I would have 30 minutes for a drink and it's like well, yeah, you bet she showed up with like 80 people so there's both sides of the coin and like I don't think it's fair to blame topeka on that, that was just like one of the challenges we face and it's not. That's not just a topeka problem, that's like a problem that um anybody's gonna face in any city. Um running a bar, that's such a good that's possible yeah.

On it. I mean, you could ask 10 business owners that question and it's that's easy to say. It's easy to say that the city didn't support you you know cause it's just the narrative that Topeka gets.

Yeah, If you had to go back and do it again what would you do differently?

that was a good one. Yeah, um, I probably, I don't know.

I think a good idea would have been to pay ourselves a little bit more to help make it sustainable um so you, as humans, were sustainable sure, yeah, and maybe, um, maybe, do some things to make it easier for us to serve, like, like I said, the biggest, one of the biggest issues with us was like just having to pack up a cocktail bar and move it every time and it was like there was no space in circle to leave our stuff there, like legally we couldn't leave any alcohol there overnight so like so, like that was yeah, that was just one of the biggest challenges was like hauling this stuff back and forth and um.

So I think one of the things I would change is, you know, working out something with Dave.

He has HQ across the street now, which like um has a lot of space for stuff, maybe working out something with him where we could store, um, some of our items, you know, stuff like that um would have made things easier for us. Uh, yeah, Like, just like. Like I said, the biggest thing was like like moving a cocktail bar right, Just so hard. Like there was three of us and we were loading up all three of our cars, you know know, two to three times a week just to get moved in to serve, like, and that was exhausting yeah, physically, mentally, yeah, yeah, another thing you have to do before you go in for a long night and then it just feels like a gut punch, like when you have like a 400 night in sales, it's like damn and we still have to do all of this and we still got to get this whole shit back home yeah exactly oh bro, okay, if Aaron.

Zintner doesn't get the offer from Mercury and you guys continue on. What was the timeline for you guys to eventually open a store?

And maybe you don't know exactly, but what was your guys' thoughts? I mean, I think I set a deadline for us and with David, I was like, hey, man, listen, like December 20 or I guess January 2025 would be like our New Year's would be the last day for us to look way to serve. That would be, you know, know, like I want to be yeah, I want to be like out of your hair.

I think, right, you know, from what I projected, sales law is like we would have a decent chunk of cash to go and get a bank loan, right. Um, and yeah, so that was like. Um, that was the plan yeah was um, if know? So, if I didn't get that offer, I think that's maybe what we'd still be going towards.

But you never know, sure. So after the two years do you still think, I guess, as your opinion changed, is, you know, topeka still a place that could have a night scene, bar and cocktail place? Yeah, a thousand percent.

Yeah, and I, and I still hope I mean that's still what I want to do. Yeah, I want to be clear on that okay, some people are like talk about that yeah, I mean some people are like you know, screw this guy.

He left topeka. Uh, no, I still live here, um, so, yeah, I mean I, I love Topeka still. I think there's great opportunity. Um, and I think the opportunity increases every day. You know like, I still think, um, you know, you can have nice things here. I still want to see a bar, multiple bars here. I still think you can have a bar scene. Um, it's just going to take time to build that. You know, like, if you'd asked me, like four or five years ago, when I decided I wanted to do this, like I thought by now like we would have all those things. But it just things take time you know like things happen.

Covid happened. I think that was a setback for our community. I think, um, like we haven't seen the growth that we wanted to see, necessarily, but I still think those things are coming. Yeah, yeah, I just think those things are coming it just takes time, yeah. Yeah, it takes, you know, young people like us to like put those things forward and like start a business so that we can see those improvements.

You know, Would you say like so I can imagine someone watching this beat. Well, let me just say first I a hundred percent agree, like I think it's amazing seeing like you and your two buddies like really risk it for something like this, which is just like it was such a cool, like unique spot that like Topeka didn't have anything like that, you know and it was just, it was a cool vibe.

You know, my wife and I would go on dates there all the time. It was awesome, it was super fun and uh. But I could imagine, you know, maybe someone's watching this like man, how come Topeka doesn't have this or this and this, thinking maybe they could start a business? But seeing, well, he went for it and it failed. Sure, would you consider that like a failure?

It's not a failure.

It doesn't seem like you're worse off on this side of it.

I mean, I don't see Soliloquy as a failure at all. I see it as a success, and I've told so many people that I think financially we were wildly successful. We saved a bunch of money. I think, um, you know just like creatively we were successful. I think we succeeded in serving our community.

So you obviously captured a lot of people's hearts too, yeah just the outcry after be like no no, no, why is this happening?

yeah, you have to look at all the the feedback of a disappointment and the uproar is like right praise yeah you know right, yeah, you guys created something that people are a very upset yeah, people weren't like finally they're closing.

Good riddance, I see that sometimes here.

Yeah, they're like huh, I'm surprised they survived that long. Or I didn't even know they existed. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

Yeah.

Yeah, Because it just seems like, even though you know, hey, it's a little bit closed down and maybe people are disappointed, maybe you guys are disappointed it seems like it was a net positive, Even just on paper. Financially, you ended up in a better place on the other side of it. Obviously, somehow it resulted in this new job that you have. We are getting together with your buddies at some point to talk about the new business that they're doing so it seems like a net positive.

So I don't know. It seems like like, what would your encouragement be if somebody's watching this, maybe annoyed Topeka doesn't have this or that or whatever, and like you know, the classic, like Topeka has nothing to do, and it's like you know we're always harping like we'll do something like start something Like what encouragement would you give to somebody considering starting a new business or venture or something like that?

And to be good, yeah, you just have to go and do it Like, like you can't. I think part of my problem was like I always I was waiting around for the perfect moment. I think that's one of my faults as a person is, like I always wait for the perfect time to do things and I that's just like not reality, like you have to at some point you have to, just like you know, just go. Like waiting around is not going to serve you in any way. Um, so yeah, I mean, that's my advice is like, even if it's not exactly what you envision, I think one day you can work to get it there, but you have to start.

It's not a rapid fire question, but not a big cocktail guy. My alcohol intake, love, is very limited, but I tell people and so I want to get your professional opinion and tell people. I like my coffee and I like my alcohol, like a high school girl. So my coffee is mocha latte, hot whole milk. I go to circle like they, they. I show up there like oh yeah, we whip this up for 12 high school girls. Just a second ago.

Yeah, you're really offending some high school girls who like black coffee yeah, I am probably so, same thing with my alcohol.

Yeah, what would you make me up right now?

um, man, yeah, I love just like. I mean, that's all about balance. You know, like some people um, prefer something sweeter, and maybe that's what you're referring to is, like you just prefer your coffee sweeter. Um, you know, there's such a spectrum of cocktails that you could do my favorite's a daiquiri, I think, like that's just the easiest thing for people, yeah, or like a margarita like that.

That template, just like acidity and sweetness and then spirit, is like just super approachable for people. Yeah, some people like you know, everybody has a different palate, which is like the funnest part about it is because you know some people like really prefer bitter drinks or like just lower sugar, and then some people really just need that sugar to like, really like enjoy a cocktail, which is fine. You know, like I started out like that where I was like oh you know, I, I definitely like sweeter drinks but then moving forward.

I started to like just develop a palate, um yeah, so like a margarita is like probably what I would make. Yeah, I like it, hey, I like margaritas.

Uh, vodka guy daiquiri, you know you go to mexico I can throw down some strawberry daiquiris, nice, but he's actually a closet alcoholic. Yeah, it's funny. All right, you want to hit him some rapid fire? Yeah, let's do it. Okay, how many potholes did you hit on the way over here today?

oh, man, uh, at least a couple man. Yeah, it's like it's not even that far of a drive from my apartment, but like, probably like two have you ever been able to get somewhere in topeka without hitting construction? At this moment in time. No, what are we talking about? The city's just?

always improving around here. Sure, yeah, yeah or at least busy doing stuff. Yeah favorite local coffee shop circle Coffee. That was a softball, I didn't count Golf course.

Favorite golf course. Oh man, do you play golf? Yes, it's a toss-up, though I really love Cypress.

Yeah.

But I also there's something about Great, uh great life North yeah.

Highway 24.

The worst course. Shortest course.

Hey, best course.

That's the nine hole by the driving range. You shoot your lowest there. That's why you like it so much, it's like well, actually I probably play the worst there, but it's like it's close to where I live and, uh, like it's nine holes and like me and my girlfriend will just go out there and play and it's just like so low fuss, like so like I can go in a t-shirt and shorts and just like, and we can grab a couple beers if we're doing that and just play yeah it's. It's super fun.

Where do you work out at Favorite gym?

Crunch fitness yeah.

Favorite local pizza place? Oh, there is a right answer. No, I'm just kidding. Rest in peace.

AJ's.

Yeah.

I like AJ's Um, and that's one thing we need is a like a really good pizza place I think david's on this, david vincent's on the same page with me on that uh, yeah um, right now, in this moment, I would say marcos, I really like marcos do you count glory days as local?

because they're kind of their pizza's. Surprisingly good though their p.

I love glory days and I I thought it was a national franchise and it's not. Yeah, I used to work there too, did you?

yeah, that was one of my favorite. You probably got sick of it then yeah, I did.

yeah, because I was like 19 and so I'd just be bringing home pizza. Like it was funny because, like the guys that I worked with at the time, like uh, when I started there, like it was like that week, like they would bring home a New York style pizza which is a 24 inch pizza for themselves every night and they both live together Like that week. The owner was like OK, you're only allowed a baby pizza. I was like damn OK, but yeah, I would bring home like something funny.

Back to the golf course I got a buddy who is an ER nurse and I knew he didn't work at this golf course full-time, but he I showed up one day to play and he was behind the counter. I'm like Zach, what are you doing? I didn't know you worked here. He goes. I'm an ER nurse full time, but he goes. If I pick up four hours a week at Cypress, he goes. I get free golf, he goes. So instead of paying for a membership, he just goes and does that.

I was like genius Four hours. Yeah, seriously Genius, sign me up. I'm practically. That's awesome, dude, have you been to up down in kansas city?

yeah, funny enough, my brother, we just had his bachelor party and we went there. Nice, yeah, it's always just like good spots to take people yeah, yeah, when it's not insanely busy. Oh it was insane there when we went and it was raining so like everybody just went inside.

But yeah, it's a cool spot man, their little pizza thing in the corner, that little window. I wonder if something like that could be. If Soliloquy was still open, you could have a little pizza cart in the corner with really cool yeah I like that idea. Because, I agree, we need some good local pizza.

Speaking of your brother. That's who we need to have on the podcast next oh, he'd be good.

Center he'd be good. Yeah, punter, where's he at now? So he's with the tennessee titans.

Yeah, yeah, oh, for real yeah, wow, for real, for real, yeah wow, keep place.

Like I saw him on national tv yeah, that's me too.

That's pretty cool yeah because, yeah, I lived with him for 18 years home depot lowes or menards I always go to home depot I don't know guy uh yeah, I don't know why, because it's the right answer. It's 100 the right answer. It's subjective. I like menards, though, too.

Thank you, I'm a menards guy. I just walk in there and feel like I can take on any home project. Yeah.

Even though and they have other stuff too Like they just have like.

Pet food yeah, groceries, yeah, groceries. Whatever you need, shunga Trail or Burnett's Mound.

Burnett's, burnett's, let's go.

I love Burnett's mound home depot menards or lowes burnett's mound you can find some rusty nails out there, yeah oh man, well, dude, I appreciate you coming on, man, it's been an honor. Thank you guys.

Yeah, this is fun yeah, I appreciate what you've done for Topeka.

Exactly yeah, cool, it was great.

Yeah, man, We'll definitely be following you as you eventually come back. Bring all that energy, that all the all the experience you're getting in Kansas city. Yeah, hopefully investing that in the, in the city man it like you, you know, take up the mantle of just not just like starting businesses but like good, creative businesses that really add value to the city.

You know, yeah, that's what we need more of. Yeah, I hope my story doesn't discourage anybody. That's my number one thing, and that's what I want to emphasize, is like I'm so glad I did soliloquy with my friends, so I encourage people, young people, whatever your idea is, just like get out there and do it, like just get started. Yeah, your community needs you.

That's right, love it, we need you. We need you. It's awesome, all right, man. Well, I appreciate you bro. Thanks brother Awesome. Thanks guys. It's awesome, all right, man well, appreciate you bro. Thanks brother awesome.