Joe Rogan Experience #1583 - John Terzian & Craig Susser

1. 0:00 – 15:00

   (drumbeats) Joe Rogan podcast,…

   1. JTJohn Terzian0:00

      (drumbeats) Joe Rogan podcast, check it out.

   2. NANarrator0:04

      The Joe Rogan Experience.

   3. CSCraig Susser0:06

      Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night. All day. (instrumental music plays)

   4. JRJoe Rogan0:14

      What up? What up, my brother? Uh, so gentlemen, why don't we, let's start, just introduce yourself. John, introduce yourself. Tell people what you do.

   5. JTJohn Terzian0:21

      I'm John Terzian. I own a company called H. Wood Group. So we have restaurants, nightclubs, Delilah, Nice Guy, Bootsy Bellows are some of them.

   6. JRJoe Rogan0:30

      And Craig?

   7. CSCraig Susser0:31

      Uh, I'm Craig Susser. My God, I feel like such a slacker compared to that.

   8. JTJohn Terzian0:34

      Yeah? You should.

   9. CSCraig Susser0:35

      Uh, I own a place called Craig's Restaurant-

   10. JTJohn Terzian0:37

       (laughs)

   11. CSCraig Susser0:37

       ... and, uh, and a, uh, a vegan ice cream company called Craig's Vegan, which-

   12. JRJoe Rogan0:41

       A place called Craig's. Very modest. It's one of the best restaurants in LA.

   13. CSCraig Susser0:45

       Yeah. Thank you.

   14. JRJoe Rogan0:45

       Very, uh, highly respected place.

   15. JTJohn Terzian0:47

       Yep.

   16. JRJoe Rogan0:47

       And we- we're here to talk about what the fuck is happening to the restaurant industry during this pandemic and how crazy it is. Um, you know, I- I, I've talked about this before but having you guys on, so you could say firsthand what it's been like to you, and what this experience has been like, and, uh, how poorly it's been handled. Just, I wanna give people a sense of this at home, what it's like from two men who have made their living in the hospitality and restaurant industry.

   17. JTJohn Terzian1:17

       Yeah. Yeah, I mean, you wanna start, Craig?

   18. CSCraig Susser1:19

       Well, no. It, it... The funny thing is, it's like w- we're the rule-followers.

   19. JRJoe Rogan1:23

       Yeah.

   20. CSCraig Susser1:24

       We're the ones that are used to handling the health department. We're the ones that are used to, uh, you know, doing everything that, uh, you know, from a safety standpoint. Right? And now, we're the ones that are being crushed or being picked on, so to speak, by... But that's the way a lot of people in the industry feel, because we're the ones that are being shut down in a city, um, where a lot of other businesses are remaining open, like malls, distribution centers, markets.

   21. JRJoe Rogan1:51

       Stores.

   22. CSCraig Susser1:52

       I mean, you, you can go to a mall and go shopping. You can go on an airplane from LA to, you know, New York, take your mask off, and eat, and that's okay. But you can't eat outdoors in a restaurant in LA that's following social distancing, all the health guidelines. I mean, we know our business. And so, it's been really hard since, what, it started March 15th. We-

   23. JRJoe Rogan2:18

       Yep.

   24. CSCraig Susser2:18

       ... we shut down. Um, we were then told to put glass in between our, our booths, so we did that. We opened for about 10 days. Um, we did UV lights in the, in the, in the air-conditioning systems.

   25. JTJohn Terzian2:29

       Air filtration, all the stup- uh, everything.

   26. CSCraig Susser2:31

       Absolutely. And then we built patios. Um, I've personally spent $250,000 abiding by the rules that were set forth by the state, by the county, by the governors, by, by everybody. And, and then to just kind of be shut down is really, really difficult. And it's not about me, and it's not about my restaurant, and it's not about John. It's not about... It's about the employees. It's about the dishwashers, and the busboys, and the servers that live day to day on the money that they make at the restaurant. It's their livelihood. It's how they feed their families. They send money back to the countries that they came from, you know? Th- this is a larger issue. And, and the reason it's a larger issue is, one little restaurant like Craig's, we have 90 employees. A furniture store might have five or six. So when you shut down an industry like that, it really has a huge economic impact. And then it has a social impact, because we all love to eat. It's the one thing we have in common.

   27. JRJoe Rogan3:30

       Yeah.

   28. CSCraig Susser3:30

       We like to get together as people.

   29. JRJoe Rogan3:33

       I'm a, I'm a giant fan of restaurants. I mean-

   30. JTJohn Terzian3:34

       Yeah.
2. 15:00 – 30:00

   Sure. …

   1. CSCraig Susser15:00

      it to be an honest conversation of, "I think your policies are wrong. I don't dislike you as a person." Right? That there's a big distinction.

   2. JTJohn Terzian15:09

      Sure.

   3. CSCraig Susser15:09

      Okay? So that's- that's all I'm trying to say. But I will say that, uh, you know, on the reservation list, um, somebody's named that rhymes with spaghetti will not get a reservation, okay? We'll do... I'll- I'll- I'll- I'll do that.

   4. JRJoe Rogan15:24

      (laughs)

   5. CSCraig Susser15:24

      (laughs)

   6. JTJohn Terzian15:24

      I mean, I will say I've spoken out about him and we got targeted pretty hardcore, openly.

   7. JRJoe Rogan15:28

      They targeted you?

   8. JTJohn Terzian15:29

      They came, hea- health came every night when I finally called. "Where are the permits for al fresco? Where's this?" Every single night. I'm like, "You were here last night." "Well, you know, we- we were instructed to come every night." I said, "Okay, that makes sense."

   9. JRJoe Rogan15:41

      You were instructed every- to come every night-

   10. JTJohn Terzian15:42

       That's what this is-

   11. JRJoe Rogan15:43

       ... because you talked out against Garcetti?

   12. JTJohn Terzian15:44

       And Newsom, correct.

   13. JRJoe Rogan15:45

       Jesus fucking Christ.

   14. JTJohn Terzian15:46

       And- and my- my thing is, I agree, it's nothing personal. I- I- it's- it's their policies, their arbitrary policies. How does it make sense that, you know, there's a million people passing through TSA a day? I looked up all the stats. How does it make sense that we can fly here, for example, uh, any- anywhere, Austin, New York, wherever it might be, and go right back in the same day with zero- zero issues, zero checks, zero anything? Yet outdoor dining is completely shut down.

   15. CSCraig Susser16:14

       By the way, this is the first time in nine months I've left LA.

   16. JTJohn Terzian16:17

       Yeah.

   17. CSCraig Susser16:17

       And- and the only reason- the way I got down here through Jet Age, by the way, thank you for a great ride, and they were really cool.

   18. JTJohn Terzian16:22

       And private suite.

   19. CSCraig Susser16:23

       And you guys are-

   20. JTJohn Terzian16:23

       The best.

   21. CSCraig Susser16:24

       ... you should... You're a big baller, you should use Jet Edge. Um, but I'm flying back United tonight and- and, you know, it's the first time in nine months that I've left LA, um, and I'm not a science denier and I take precautions and I'm around a lot of people. When the- when the patio was open, I was around 150, 180 people a night. But you can go from LA to New York, you can take your mask down and eat. You can land in LA, you can go in a hotel, you can then go to a mall and go shopping, okay? You can grab some food to go. We could sit together and eat outdoors in the mall. But I can't go outdoor and eat at a restaurant at- that employs 90 to 100 people and keep a business afloat. We're not thriving. You know, outdoor dining doesn't- doesn't- it isn't blowing the doors off of the revenue. It allows us-

   22. JTJohn Terzian17:18

       Keeps people employed.

   23. CSCraig Susser17:18

       ... to keep all of the people employed. It allows employees to make some money. We're paying payroll taxes, we're paying sales taxes, and we're just one little place. There's 30,000 restaurants in Los Angeles. Now, one of the reasons they cited for shutting it down was they found that 10% of the restaurants weren't abiding by the rules. So, well, I would say then- then why don't you go to those 10% of restaurants and shut them down or give them warnings to the point where they do come into line? So if they're not social distancing and they are not wearing masks and shields and they're not wearing gloves and they're not doing all the things that you've asked restaurants to do, well then, you can target them. But to shoot- to shut down an entire industry because you feel like you have a couple of bad actors makes no sense.

   24. JRJoe Rogan18:06

       None of this makes any sense, and this is the first time, we were talking about this before the show, that- that people are realizing how important it is who the mayor is-

   25. JTJohn Terzian18:14

       Oh, yeah.

   26. JRJoe Rogan18:14

       ... how important it is who the governor is.

   27. JTJohn Terzian18:16

       Yeah.

   28. JRJoe Rogan18:16

       And the fact that the mayor is actively targeting you guys 'cause you've spoken out against these fucking ridiculous, draconian restrictions-

   29. JTJohn Terzian18:24

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan18:24

       ... that don't have any... There's no logic behind them. There's no studies. They're- they're obviously when you take them to court and they- they show that the studies are about indoor dining and not outdoor, that they're lying. So-
3. 30:00 – 45:00

   Yeah. Well, that's the…

   1. CSCraig Susser30:00

      Or how am I gonna pay for this? Or how am I gonna keep my employees? Or how am I gonna keep my business afloat? Like, the, the stress is almost worse than the actual disease.

   2. JRJoe Rogan30:09

      Yeah. Well, that's the case with a lot of people. The suicides are up, drug addiction's up.

   3. JTJohn Terzian30:13

      And mental health is-

   4. JRJoe Rogan30:14

      Yes.

   5. JTJohn Terzian30:14

      ... through the roof.

   6. JRJoe Rogan30:15

      Yeah, through the roof. Yeah, there's a lot of issues. And-

   7. CSCraig Susser30:17

      There's vodka in this, by the way.

   8. JRJoe Rogan30:19

      There's vodka in that one?

   9. CSCraig Susser30:20

      No.

   10. JRJoe Rogan30:20

       Well, you could have some if you want. We have booze here. But the unwillingness to course correct is one of the most disturbing things about this. Like the, the, the understanding-

   11. JTJohn Terzian30:28

       Yeah.

   12. JRJoe Rogan30:28

       ... that this is deteriorating these businesses, destroying small businesses, destroying restaurants, destroying bars, destroying comedy clubs, and no willingness to course correct or make some sort of a, uh... Like find some sort of middle ground.

   13. CSCraig Susser30:41

       And LA's, LA's being impacted hugely, but think about the restaurant scene in New York. I mean it's-

   14. JRJoe Rogan30:46

       Oh my God.

   15. CSCraig Susser30:46

       ... it's 30 degrees there-

   16. JRJoe Rogan30:48

       Yeah.

   17. CSCraig Susser30:48

       ... and it's snowing. And-

   18. JRJoe Rogan30:49

       They're going outside. But at least they can go outside.

   19. CSCraig Susser30:51

       They, they're-

   20. JRJoe Rogan30:51

       How about that?

   21. CSCraig Susser30:52

       ... still allowing outdoor dining.

   22. JTJohn Terzian30:53

       Yeah.

   23. JRJoe Rogan30:54

       Yeah. But at New York is allowing outdoor dining-

   24. JTJohn Terzian30:56

       They are.

   25. JRJoe Rogan30:56

       ... which is fucking bananas. Like why isn't LA?

   26. JTJohn Terzian30:59

       What, what-

   27. JRJoe Rogan30:59

       Explain that to me.

   28. JTJohn Terzian31:00

       I think back when this all started, we all, when everyone thought this was like the black plague and this is the-

   29. JRJoe Rogan31:05

       Yeah.

   30. JTJohn Terzian31:05

       ... worst thing ever, everyone understood shutting everything down. I think now that we've seen what, what's going on, I, I don't see why they can't correct it and say, you know...... there's a safe way to do this.
4. 45:00 – 1:00:00

   No. …

   1. JRJoe Rogan45:00

   2. JTJohn Terzian45:00

      No.

   3. JRJoe Rogan45:00

      You can't. There's nothing he could've said. What it is, is it shows you the type of person that wants to be a politician in the first place.

   4. JTJohn Terzian45:06

      Yeah.

   5. JRJoe Rogan45:07

      The type of person that wants to control people.

   6. JTJohn Terzian45:09

      It also shows you how bad people want to be at social gatherings. (laughs)

   7. JRJoe Rogan45:13

      Yes.

   8. CSCraig Susser45:13

      Yes.

   9. JTJohn Terzian45:13

      I don't blame him. It's his friend's 50th birthday. Go.

   10. JRJoe Rogan45:17

       Yes. Yes, but e- but even the lie of it being-

   11. JTJohn Terzian45:19

       The lie is-

   12. JRJoe Rogan45:20

       ... outdoors.

   13. JTJohn Terzian45:21

       Oh.

   14. CSCraig Susser45:21

       Yeah. That's, that's-

   15. JTJohn Terzian45:22

       The lie was so deep. You think there were no pictures?

   16. JRJoe Rogan45:25

       Well, he didn't think there were pictures.

   17. JTJohn Terzian45:26

       (laughs)

   18. JRJoe Rogan45:26

       No, no, the point, someone took a picture from the outside. But the literally, the thing that drives me crazy is Sheila Kool going to dinner on the very day- Right after. ... she voted to close them.

   19. JTJohn Terzian45:37

       Did you, did you hear her excuse?

   20. JRJoe Rogan45:38

       What'd she say?

   21. JTJohn Terzian45:40

       She tried to say it's her favorite restaurant, and she wanted to go tell them how sad she feels. Claims she didn't eat, pictures of her actually eating.

   22. JRJoe Rogan45:49

       Ugh.

   23. CSCraig Susser45:49

       Meanwhile-

   24. JTJohn Terzian45:49

       No explanation to the staff by the way. All a lie.

   25. CSCraig Susser45:51

       Meanwhile, a couple days later, she gave an interview as to why she voted no, and she wro- she said she read all the scientific data that was given to her.

   26. JTJohn Terzian45:59

       Yeah.

   27. JRJoe Rogan45:59

       (laughs)

   28. CSCraig Susser45:59

       There wasn't any.

   29. JTJohn Terzian46:00

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan46:01

       Oh, God. These dirty people.
5. 1:00:00 – 1:04:49

   Well, it's also, it…

   1. CSCraig Susser1:00:00

      And guess what? We've all risen through the ranks together.

   2. JRJoe Rogan1:00:03

      Well, it's also, it trickles down from the top. Like you've sort of, you've developed this environment where you have this friendly family, like fun-

   3. CSCraig Susser1:00:12

      Right.

   4. JRJoe Rogan1:00:12

      ... environment.

   5. CSCraig Susser1:00:13

      Well, that's one of the reasons why-

   6. JRJoe Rogan1:00:14

      And people gravitate towards it.

   7. CSCraig Susser1:00:14

      ... we didn't let anybody go during COVID. We've let the busboys on furlough and the, and the bartenders, but we've kept everybody else. So-

   8. JRJoe Rogan1:00:21

      Austin, Travis County moves to stage five COVID-19 restrictions just ahead of Christmas. What does that mean?

   9. NANarrator1:00:26

      Just announced this.

   10. JRJoe Rogan1:00:27

       Wow. Just today?

   11. JTJohn Terzian1:00:29

       Breaking.

   12. NANarrator1:00:29

       Like with like 20 minutes ago.

   13. CSCraig Susser1:00:31

       So, does that mean that ... So, does that mean like they-

   14. JRJoe Rogan1:00:32

       Restaurants move to 90% capacity.

   15. NANarrator1:00:34

       They might not allow people in them, they're saying.

   16. CSCraig Susser1:00:37

       Really?

   17. NANarrator1:00:37

       Contactless ... They're suggesting contactless delivery only.

   18. JTJohn Terzian1:00:41

       Maybe new somebody new here.

   19. JRJoe Rogan1:00:42

       Suggested.

   20. NANarrator1:00:42

       But they're not sh- they're not forcing them to shut down as well. I was just trying to read so I can explain it to you quickly, but-

   21. JRJoe Rogan1:00:46

       I feel like-

   22. JTJohn Terzian1:00:47

       See, I feel like-

   23. JRJoe Rogan1:00:47

       ... suggestions are great.

   24. JTJohn Terzian1:00:47

       ... the California officials came in-

   25. CSCraig Susser1:00:49

       No, I, I, I-

   26. JRJoe Rogan1:00:49

       ... suggesting they might shut down.

   27. CSCraig Susser1:00:50

       I actually think that the thought process is, is like, let's-

   28. JTJohn Terzian1:00:53

       Suggest away.

   29. CSCraig Susser1:00:55

       ... let's, let's knock this down for Christmas and New Year's, and let's just see if we can slide back.

   30. JRJoe Rogan1:00:58

       Sure, I just don't think that that's the way to o- knock it down.

Episode duration: 1:54:27