Transcript for Hustle & Heat Episode 16
00:00:04
What’s up, guys, and welcome back to Episode 16 of the Hustle & Heat Podcast. My name is George, your host, and today I’d like to welcome a special guest.
This guy cooks authentic Puerto Rican food. He started in a food truck and is now in a brick-and-mortar location. He’s been open since 2020.
Without further ado, I’d like to welcome Antonio from Savor.
Hello, everyone. Thank you for inviting me. It’s really nice to be here. Thanks for the opportunity, and let’s get going.
Tell us about yourself and what you do, Antonio.
So, my name is Antonio Pereira. I’m the owner of Savor 100×35. Back in 2020, we opened a food truck when COVID hit. At that time, I was working for someone else. We had some savings, and we got the opportunity to buy a food truck while the world was basically stopped.
We took that time to remodel the truck and put in the work and effort. We put this crazy dream into motion. We started with a small menu, and five or six years later, here we are in a brick-and-mortar location on Toledo Blade. It’s been a roller coaster, like it is for any business owner, but I’m happy to be able to enjoy the process.
Why the restaurant business?
Man, that goes all the way back home to Puerto Rico. My dad used to have a restaurant, and I’ve worked my whole life in the restaurant and hospitality industry. I worked for one of the best restaurants in Puerto Rico. I worked for Starwood Hotels and helped open a hotel there in the food and beverage department.
I tried doing other things, like real estate, and I worked for a construction company for a little while. But the truth is, even when I’ve tried to step away from the restaurant business, it always pulls me back in.
Honestly, I never really expected that I would own my own restaurant. It was a dream when I was younger, but that dream faded as life got busy with kids, family, and responsibilities. It wasn’t until things got hard during COVID that I needed to look for an alternative, and here we are.
I think it’s in my blood. I think it’s who I’m meant to be. It’s not an easy business, but it’s the one I’m in, and I’m proud of the little accomplishments we’ve achieved so far.
00:02:48
When you opened your food truck back in 2020, did you ever think you would open a brick-and-mortar?
Never. Honestly, I thought I’d run the truck from 10 to 3 and then go work at night.
Doing what at night?
I used to work in a high-end steakhouse in Sarasota. I was serving there. My original plan was never to grow it into a multi-million-dollar business or multiple restaurants. I didn’t think like that back then.
But today, I see the potential. We’re stable. It’s not easy, and the restaurant business always fluctuates, but I think if we continue to grow our brand with my family, my kids, my wife, and the people I surround myself with, we’ll be able to continue the legacy.
Very nice. What are your biggest ups and downs when it comes to running a restaurant today?
Time. That’s the number one thing I sacrifice all the time.
Obviously, my concept is Puerto Rican-inspired urban Latin fusion, so part of it is teaching our clientele what we’re all about. Another challenge is finding the right personnel. The economy also plays a factor because we can’t control prices going up and down, and sometimes we don’t want to hurt our customers by raising prices constantly, so we have to absorb some of those market fluctuations.
But time is the number one sacrifice I make every day. I have four children, and there just aren’t enough hours in the day to take care of the business and the family the way I want to.
00:05:12
So with four children, a wife, and family, how do you balance your time? How do you make sure you’re still at the restaurant but also there for your family?
I’ve looked for ways to delegate. That’s important. I have people I can trust, and not only trust, but people who care about the quality we’re working so hard to build and offer our customers.
You also have to plan properly. I believe in the saying, “Prior proper planning prevents poor performance.” My week is mostly planned out in advance. I know what I’m doing, when I’m working in the kitchen, when I have to go shopping, grab last-minute things, and who’s coming in at what time. These are people I can rely on, so I know they’re going to show up.
I also make time in advance for my family. I block out time for my son’s games, my daughter’s games, and practices, and I try to be intentional about connecting with them now more than ever. Sometimes, if you don’t pay attention, life can slip through your fingers without you noticing.
What do you mean by that?
I mean, in the blink of an eye, my oldest is 18. We started in 2020, and now we’re in 2026. For the last six years, I’ve been grinding and grinding, working 60-hour weeks at the very minimum.
We went from one food truck to two food trucks to the restaurant. At one point, I was working one truck by myself every day while the other truck was doing private events. Then we opened the restaurant, and we all know what it takes to get a restaurant going.
For the last six years, my main focus has been building the brand, building trust, and growing. Now it’s about stability. Don’t get me wrong — I still have dreams and I still want to accomplish more. I haven’t stopped dreaming or planning for the future. But I also have to take the time to enjoy my family now while they’re here.
Like I said, my oldest is 18. Since he was 12 or 13, I’ve missed a lot of games and a lot of time. I’m not planning to make the same mistakes in the future with the rest of my children.
00:08:02
So your goal is for your children to get involved one day too?
They’re already involved, but this is my dream, not theirs. They’re allowed to have their own dreams, their own goals, and their own paths.
What I’m trying to build isn’t something that’s going to close in two years. Maybe in the future, I see us with multiple locations under the Savor brand — not necessarily the same menu, but maybe a Savor Group. Once we get there, my children may go to college and do their own things, but I still want them to understand how the business works because it’s going to become a family business, whether they’re involved in daily operations or not.
Eventually, I’m going to step out, and hopefully we’ll have people who can run it and take care of the dream. It would be great if our family could continue the legacy, but I’m not putting that pressure on them.
My oldest son is doing an amazing job right now, but I respect that he has his own dreams and goals, and I want to support him. This business allows me to provide for him and help him achieve what he wants in life.
My second son helps too. He works with us here and there. He’s younger. My daughter, Alana, would love to be helping right now, but she’s still little. She loves the idea of getting into the kitchen and all that.
I never really allowed myself to dream this big when we started. At first, it was just about staying afloat and bringing money home to the family. Now it’s more serious than that. I do look forward to my family being involved and my children being part of it, but I don’t want to force it on them.
So you said you’d like to build the Savor brand. What other food would you do?
I think our food is great and the quality is great, but we’re in North Port, and some people might feel intimidated by the concept because they don’t understand what it is. But the feedback from everyone who dines with us is usually great.
I think I’ve become very comfortable in the kitchen and in the daily routine, but I also think there are opportunities for other concepts in North Port. Burgers, wings, more creative ideas — I’ve been traveling to Tampa and Orlando lately and seeing some really cool concepts.
I’ve seen food halls and places that have multiple concepts under one roof, and they seem to do really well. I feel like North Port, in the next five to ten years, will be ready for a higher-end diversity of cuisines locally. I think the crowd is looking for more variety as more people move into town.
We have a lot of chain restaurants and also some smaller places doing things the right way. I’m sure you feel the same when you go out dining in North Port.
In North Port, yeah, not many options.
Exactly. I think what we need is continued local support. I’m not complaining because I started very small and we’ve grown, so the locals are supporting our brand. But looking ahead, I don’t think I need to go to another city like Orlando or Tampa. I think there’s room for North Port to support multiple different local concepts successfully.
00:12:55
When you were growing up, did you dream about being a restaurateur, or what was your goal?
For a while, yes. I grew up in that environment. But I think I stopped dreaming about that around age 24. I was working for great companies, learning a lot, gaining experience, and making good money at a young age.
At that point, I didn’t necessarily have the need to dream about being my own boss because I was comfortable. But when I moved to the United States, I worked at a small breakfast and lunch place in Sarasota, and I watched that business grow while I was there.
I’m not taking credit, because they already had their menu, their chef, and their ownership in place, but I was able to see how my presence positively impacted the operation. That was the first time I realized that if I could help build something for someone else, I could probably do it for myself.
We started small, and I saw how a business could grow and grow. That changed my perspective.
Also, when I moved here, my English was very limited. That held me back for a while too. It took me over ten years to learn and be able to speak it the way I do today. I didn’t have many opportunities back then, so every opportunity I’ve had, I’ve earned.
Now I’m confident. I feel like it’s a waiting game, and I can probably wait the longest. We’ve been here six years and we’re still standing. I can wait another four years and keep pushing through until we make it.
I understand, man. I understand.
How about you? You feel the same way? You just have to stay alive, keep growing, keep offering the same quality, and eventually the city will grow and the business will grow with it.
I hope so. It’s just a lot of hard work at Dubz. I’m sure you know too. At Savor, it’s a lot.
A lot of people don’t understand how much work and effort it takes every day just to make it all go smoothly.
Yeah, and sometimes it doesn’t go smooth.
Exactly. Sometimes we’re just chaos managers. We’ve got to manage through chaos with a smile and the best attitude possible.
Restaurants are tough. And speaking for myself, every item on our menu is my interpretation of how it should be made. Not everyone agrees with that. Some people will say their mom made it differently or their grandma made it differently or that back home it’s done another way.
We’re not necessarily a traditional Puerto Rican restaurant. I think the influence is in every bite, but it’s still how I envision it in my mind and how I bring it to life with quality and consistency. Every place has its own character and style. If you’re not unique, it’s tough to stand out.
I put my heart and soul into that kitchen every single day. I’ve worked in the kitchen every day for the last six years, from the food trucks all the way to the restaurant.
Do you feel tired?
Sometimes. Not only physically tired, but mentally exhausted. The grind gets to you.
00:17:57
That’s the worst part. When you’re physically and mentally tired, it’s hard.
I agree. And what really gets to me is the mental side. I can push through when I’m tired physically — I’m used to that now. But when you’re mentally tired, your motivation drops. Creating new dishes becomes harder because the routine doesn’t allow your mind that space to be creative.
No, it doesn’t. It’s hard, especially when you’re working every day.
Yeah. You’re not just working — you’re thinking about the business too. Money, staffing, scheduling, orders, dealing with different personalities.
People don’t get it. Customers don’t see how much goes into putting one plate out there. The purveyors may not deliver everything. You put in an order, but three key items don’t show up — and of course those were the items you were already short on. Now you’re in a pickle.
It gets harder.
So we used to do a special every day. That’s how we helped grow our business on the food truck. We started at City Green. Most of our current menu came from specials. We have over 55 to 65 items now, but we started with maybe nine.
I remember that. I forgot about that.
Yeah, we had maybe five bowls, five appetizers, desserts, and drinks. That was it. Now all those extra items started as specials and eventually became staples on our menu.
Back then I was full of ideas. I could come up with new dishes so fast. I can still do that, but now we’re down to one special a week because it’s hard to prep a special and only sell three or four of them. If you don’t sell enough, the time, effort, and money that went into it just don’t come back.
Do you get your staff to push it?
Oh yeah.
How do you get them to push it?
First, I try to communicate to them how much time and effort went into the special. Specials are part of how we built our brand, so it’s important that customers know about them.
We do social media engagement with pictures and videos, and sometimes we do contests. We used to run contests where whoever sold a certain number qualified, and whoever sold the most might get a free meal or gift card.
But honestly, I also think it’s part of their job to help give the customer the full experience. If we’re putting time and money into something new, they should be introducing that to the guest. I also make sure my staff tries the specials. It’s hard to sell something if you don’t know how it tastes.
So you make them taste it?
Yeah. I’ll make something and tell them, “Hey, try this. Try that.” Especially the dishes we use for pictures and promo. I divide it among the staff so everyone gets a bite.
Anything that helps them understand the flavor profile helps them sell it better. Sometimes I combine multiple flavors into one bite. This week, for example, we had my version of a stir-fried rice dish with shrimp, churrasco steak, chicken, cilantro, eggs, sweet plantains, crispy teriyaki chicken, scallions — I try to put all the flavor in every bite.
If you don’t taste it, you don’t understand it.
That’s true.
00:24:04
Who makes the tres leches cake?
My mother-in-law.
Your mother-in-law? Tell her I want the recipe.
She won’t, buddy.
She won’t even give it to you?
Nope.
Not even to you, huh?
I’ve been trying. Someday maybe she’ll be more available, but she’s had some health issues over the last couple of years, and she’s been working too, so it’s been hard for her to keep helping us grow in that area.
It’s an amazing item. And I’m not bragging because it’s ours — it’s probably the best tres leches I’ve had from Orlando to Miami. It’s outstanding. The presentation, the quality, the time she puts into it — it’s a 10 out of 10.
It’s the best tres leches I’ve ever had.
And I’ve tried it at a lot of restaurants. She also does most of our desserts and our flan as well. Someday we’ll have Savor Sweets. That’s another concept we’d like to introduce in a few years.
So what’s your favorite dish on the menu?
That’s a tough question. Honestly, they’re all favorites. And I’m not trying to dodge the question — it’s just that for a dish to make it onto our menu, I have to love it.
There’s nothing on the menu that I haven’t personally approved. I have created dishes that I didn’t think would be that popular, and those ended up becoming customer favorites.
But if I had to choose one sandwich, I’d say the Cuban. For one bowl, I’d say the churrasco bowl. For mofongo, I’d choose the pernil mofongo. From the arepas, I’d go with the churrasco chorizo. And from the salads, my favorite is actually the salmon teriyaki.
But the truth is, I create dishes because sometimes I don’t want to eat the same thing over and over. I put ingredients together, something great comes out of it, and then it becomes part of the menu.
What about you? Do you have one specific item you love?
I hate all of it.
Huh?
What?
You love it — you’re just sick of it.
It happens to me too. That’s exactly why I don’t like eating the same thing over and over. That’s why I keep creating something new.
No, I like it all. But if I had to pick, I like the smoked chicken. It’s juicy. It’s not like some barbecue places where it comes out dry. It’s juicy, tender, and full of flavor. I like the brisket too, the street corn is fabulous, and the baked beans are good.
I love your baked beans. They have brisket in them, right?
Yeah.
I love them. They’re spicy, sweet, and they have meat in them. And I used to come in all the time and get a full rack of baby back ribs.
Yeah, you did.
I also love the pork butt burnt ends. The mac and cheese is good too, and the cornbread is really good.
The cornbread is different.
It is.
It’s not traditional. Some people get upset about it, but I don’t really care.
It’s the same thing you were saying. It’s your interpretation of how you want to do it. And honestly, either you try it the way we do it, or you go somewhere else.
At big chain places, people will gladly pay for food made by someone who doesn’t care whether they come back or not. Meanwhile, we’re here putting our heart and soul into it every single day. I opened the kitchen this morning before coming here. I’ve been there since four in the morning cooking.
People don’t get that. For our restaurants to open, the work has to be done no matter what. And at the end of the day, I don’t mind modifications, allergies, or accommodating people’s needs. But if someone is able to criticize our product, I’m able to stand behind and defend it too.
00:31:09
Food is an art. Everyone’s art is different, so everyone’s food is going to be different.
Absolutely. Food is a form of expression. You can have ten chefs make the same dish and every plate will look different, taste different, and highlight different things.
One chef might focus on the sauce, another on the dough, another on the mozzarella. They’re all making pizza, but the presentation, flavor profile, and priorities are different.
You can even have the same recipe side by side and the dishes will still come out different.
Absolutely. Every hand is different, and that’s the beauty of it.
It’s not even about competition. There’s a market for all of us as small business owners, chefs, and restaurateurs to put quality food out there that caters to different people.
But I’ll say this — a lot of places compromise on quality. I don’t. I buy the most expensive ingredients I can source every single day. I could probably make more money buying cheaper stuff, but I don’t.
From the vegetables to the specialty items, I want the best quality possible. Sometimes I insist on a specific brand, the right size, the right color — it matters. People may not understand that, but it matters.
There are other restaurants that focus only on the bottom line. I remember you from the early days of Dubz, and I’m the same way with Savor. For us, it’s not just about making money. It’s about taking pride in what we do.
Of course we want profit — businesses need to support our families. But for me, I just love what I do.
There was a period of time when I had a good kitchen staff and I wasn’t working as much. Honestly, during that time I felt soulless. I didn’t feel good.
I agree with you. There was a time when I tried to step away from the kitchen too because I wanted to grow fast, and I felt the same way. I felt like I lost my identity.
Now that I’m back in the kitchen every day, dealing with the heat, the rush, and the pressure, I feel like I’m back where I belong. Not everybody understands it, but there’s a difference between being a good cook and being able to manage 30 or 40 tickets in rhythm, with no mistakes, while still putting out quality food.
When you know you have that, you know.
Nothing’s more fulfilling than getting your ass handed to you during a rush and handing it right back.
During a dinner rush or lunch rush, firing ticket after ticket — it’s like a high.
No drug can match it. I agree. It’s hard to explain, but it’s real.
We are psychopaths.
One of my cooks told me once, “If you’re in the restaurant industry, something’s wrong with you.”
As busy as it gets, it’s not about getting dizzy or frustrated. It’s about staying sharp when the machine is running, the tickets are flying, the board is full, and you still have to push through while making sure every dish comes out right.
There’s a big difference between slamming out sloppy plates and producing quality under pressure.
One hundred percent. And one thing I’ve learned is the calmer you stay in your mind, the more you win.
I use this analogy a lot — you’ve got to be like a duck. On the surface, they look calm, but under the water their feet are going crazy. That’s how service should be. Servers should walk with grace, not showing panic, and the same goes for the kitchen.
The calmer and more centered you stay, the better you perform. Sometimes rushing is exactly what causes mistakes.
Also, as leaders in the kitchen, everyone is looking to you for direction. If your leader is panicking, everyone else is going to want to jump off the boat.
Exactly. And part of that high is knowing you’re leading your team through it and showing them how it gets done. That prepares them for one day taking over too.
If you’re not prepped, then when the rush comes, you’re going to fail. You have to have everything ready to go. The work in the kitchen never ends, even when the restaurant is empty.
00:38:47
Well, Antonio, we’re going to wrap this up. Is there any last words you want to tell the people?
Thank you for the opportunity, man. North Port, continue to support North Port, Port Charlotte, Venice, and the surrounding areas. Continue to support Dubz Barbecue and the other local restaurants too. We’re grateful. We’re here for you because of you, and we look forward to seeing you.
All right. Well, thank you for coming on, and thank you for watching. If you liked this video, please like, comment, and subscribe.
