Willy Taco

Last week we filmed an interview with Kenneth Cribb, co-owner of Willy Taco in Spartanburg, S.C. Without a doubt, Kenneth is one of the hardest working restaurant owners I’ve come across. The dude flat out leads by example.

He welcomed customers, served meals, bussed tables, made drinks, and spent the entire afternoon and evening being a great example for his team and ambassador for his restaurant. It was inspiring to watch. And like other great leaders he reminds me of, he quickly brushed off all compliments I gave him, constantly deferred attention to his business partners and his team, and humbly asked that we not focus on him during the interview but on the team of owners, managers and staff he is a part of.

Kenneth and I talked about everything from Willy Taco’s zero-waste program, to the magic of their success being in the food preparation, to the importance of indie restaurants in their communities, to how he and his four partners have made their partnership work, to being a big fish in a small pond, and more. The videos will be as fantastic. In the mean time, here are a few pics from the shoot…

And finally, I have to give Luke credit for ingenuity. He had forgotten his microphone pole and went to Wal-Mart to pick one up. They didn’t have one, so he bought a pool stick and rigged it up with tape, coat hangers, and a few other items. I couldn’t help but take a pic of his handy-work…