Chad Franzen 15:06
So here’s your restaurant and you have a sandwich company, you mentioned that you even started with a different name and had a kind of a singular purpose. But now it’s evolved in multiple locations. But just in terms of your offerings, how, how has that kind of evolved over time?
Peter Boniface 15:22
Right? Well, so initially, we just opened up and all we were doing were cold cut sandwiches, and cold, cold cut sandwiches, and then we had people coming in to the steamboat location, and they were just like, Oh, hey, can I get that hot? Can I get that hot. And so we had a convection oven that we were using to roast vegetables and bake cookies and do that sort of thing in the restaurant. And so, we again, at that point in time, we were casting a, somewhat of a narrow net as far as the sandwiches are being called in cold cuts, but then a wider net as far as trying to offer different things, you know, making cheesecakes and things like that and seeing what people really were going to enjoy. And so we linked up with a great producer of cold cuts that was out in California. And it was a family run. Second generation, German style, delicatessen producer and these guys made awesome bologna and liverwurst and roast beef and turkey, just really, they did everything, right, and great sausages and stuff. And so just the connection we made with them, really helped us really get some top quality products in and really elevate what our offering was. And then when people started asking for sandwiches hot, we were like, Okay, well, we need to change how we’re cooking things, because we can’t get the food out fast enough. And so we ended up buying new ovens where we could, you know, toast the sandwiches off much quicker, you know, first we went to those conveyor ovens where you dropped the sandwich in it, toast it up. And then eventually, after a few years of that, we went to a faster technology. Now we use the steady speed ovens that are impingement ovens, and they run on convection, and then a little bit of microwave. And by and large, the whole industry is using, you see them in Starbucks and all over the place. And the big advantage of those is they ramp up that convection at you know, 100 miles an hour, and it can toast a sandwich in a minute, well really, really fast and get it hot. And then and then you can, you know, get obviously your throughput, throughput goes up. And as well then the newest models that we just switched over the entire system with, they’re all connected to WiFi. So when I come up with a new recipe, I can design it, and program the cooking times just right, and then send it out via WiFi. And it goes out there to all the restaurants. So it’s really that’s been quite an evolution. But as far as Dave and I and I have two partners named Dave, Dave Papin, who was my original partner, in 99, he and I went to high school together. And so we had worked together in restaurant kitchens, in high school and college, and we knew we worked well together. So that’s where we partnered up and founded Backcountry Provisions. And then we didn’t have this idea that we were going to be a multi unit concept. But we had a number of people coming through the location and Steve Oh, and they were just like, oh, we wish you there was one of these up in Jackson, Wyoming. This would be great in Jackson, Wyoming, or, oh, we wish you were in Park City. Anyhow, we got a bunch of friends in Jackson, Wyoming, we decided, Hey, let’s go let’s go poke around up in Jackson, Wyoming found a location that looked really good. Went up there, built it out, opened up, boom, same same thing it took off right away and we did really, really well there. And so then, two years after opening that restaurant, we decided, hey, let’s let’s go to Fort Collins and go to a larger market and thinking that it should have been really easy to open up there and Fort Collins with, you know, instead of a town of eight to 10,000 people, you’re going to a town of 80,000 people and we was in 2007 And so we found a great location downtown that was just a wreck. And it was the old cash Laputa rifle works down in town and the owner had passed away and so the store had closed down. And it was, it was sitting vacant. And it was just a total total mess. And we started ripping it apart and found all the old Douglas fir floors and the Tin Ceilings from the original 1900 building there in Fort Collins. And I think we turned it into a really neat, really neat delicatessen restaurant. But for whatever reason that business didn’t, didn’t take off right away, and we were really challenged our first year, we’re just like, Oh, why, why are things not not popping here in Fort Collins? And we felt that a lot of people didn’t get the name or didn’t know what we were — we were getting phone calls, you know, answering the phone, and people were like, Yeah, do you rent snowshoes? Do you do? You know? You know, what’s, what do you they didn’t know what we did. And so we had to change our name, so that people understood what we did. And so we first went to a branding agency in Fort Collins and we changed the name to backer delicatessen. And that worked great. And then, you know, it really helped helped accelerate the business from from that standpoint, changing changing the name and and getting some help from professional marketers, which I was not a professional marketer, I knew how to make food taste good, and service customers and manage a restaurant but I wasn’t a marketer. So, that helped quite a bit. But then the second Dave was, his family had a ski house up here in Steamboat, and then he was he, we were one of his favorite restaurants. And he was in between jobs. He actually didn’t have a job at the time, but he was an analyst for private equity, and a master CPA and he was like, hey, I want to bring this concept to Denver. And Dave, and I were kinda like, ah, we’ll you know, I don’t know, that’s not really what we do. But sure, we’ll, you know, after several meetings with him, and really getting a good feel for him as a person, we felt like, like, hey, he has a lot in his skill set that he can help us out with, and, and he thinks this is a go and in Denver, and he’s put together some really sophisticated models and whatnot, let’s let’s go do it. And we put the business together for him, and opened it up at the 16th and Waze location there in downtown Denver. And you know, that one, boom, took off right away again. And so we were, you know, more sophisticated with our marketing and add the new branding and whatnot. And so, you know, we really, really nailed it with that one. And I remember he was still looking for another analyst job. And so he was hanging around the restaurant as it was evolving, and, you know, super busy people everywhere, and he’s got an apron on, and he’s hustling next to me putting out sandwiches, and he just looks over at me, and he’s like, I’m never going back to a cubicle again. He’s like, this is it, this is this is what we’re gonna do was like, alright, let’s, let’s do it. So, you know, he was kind of the one that was just like, hey, it’s all in the multiples. Like, if we, you know, we have something here, you guys, you guys have really done a good job with the product. And obviously there’s a strong demand for it. And so let’s, let’s, let’s take it to the next level.
Chad Franzen 23:43
So you kind of started out a little bit slow in Fort Collins that even resulted in changing the name. But now you have two locations up here, obviously, something happened.
Peter Boniface 23:51
Right, right. Well, you know, I think I’m offering great customer service. And an honest product is something that people miss the mark on and and as well, you know, we really try and, and, you know, in this day and age, there’s so few customer touches, I think people are craving customer touches, especially post post pandemic, people enjoy interaction with humans. And you know, we as a business now have all the online ordering and technology that eliminates human interaction, which is you know, great for your labor cost and whatever but at the end of the day, people like to go into a restaurant where they’re recognized and and you know them and you have credibility, and they trust you and they know that you’re going to do a good job for them, you know, and so, I think that that was a big part of what really, you know, just just like I said, consistency, reliability and credibility with with the product is something that really, really come through. And, you know, that’s hard to do with an elevated product that you have a lot of people involved in the end product, it goes through a lot of steps to get there to the plate, even though it’s just a sandwich, it really, it’s, it’s a lot of hands touch it. So you have to really have good training and trust your people. And as well let your customers know that if there is a problem, just just let us know, and we’ll fix it, you know, we’ll make it right, we want to make sure that you’re satisfied. And that’s our responsibility to our customers is to make sure that they do have a good experience, you know, and, and that they appreciate what we’re serving them. So that part is really simple. Just just do a good job and be as honest as you can and really stand behind your product.
Chad Franzen 25:52
So yeah, sounds great. I have one more question for you. But first, tell me how people can find out more about the Yampa Sandwich Company. I know you have any of two locations on the way right?
Peter Boniface 26:03
We do we have two locations on the way they should open in the next month or so you can find out more about Yeah, but sandwich company at yampasandwichcompany.com
Chad Franzen 26:15
Okay, awesome. Perfect. Yeah. So, last question for you. When you go to your restaurant as a customer, do you have kind of a go-to combination of items or a go to item of choice?
Peter Boniface 26:27
Do I personally have to cut Yeah. I go all over the place because that’s my job. And I do like a lot of variety. But some of the things that I think that we do very well. We have this one sandwich the ridge line, which is by far our number one seller, and it’s essentially our slant on a club sandwich. And it’s excellent I’m not gonna lie, it’s great. But you know, hey, it’s what everybody recognizes and they feel comfortable with that and so they gravitate towards it but our Cuban sandwich is absolutely fantastic. Our Italian cold cut sandwiches are grand that are dolomite are great. They’re as good as anyone’s are hot Italian beef. Cut it out. Off the wall. We also do a roasted eggplant sandwich, which is excellent as well. And we have some great salads. So awesome. I think I probably left a few out of that. But those are some of the Go twos that I like, you know, I think our Cuban is great. I recently went to Miami, the Cuban sandwich is down there. And I think that ours is better. So that’s
Chad Franzen 27:38
I can vouch for the White Albacore. That’s fantastic as well.
Peter Boniface 27:39
Okay. All right.
Chad Franzen 27:43
Hey, Peter, it has been great to talk to you. Thanks so much for all your time and sharing your great stories with us.
Peter Boniface 27:47
Oh, yeah. You’re welcome. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.
Chad Franzen 27:50
Thank you. So long, everybody.