Annc: What would you like the power to do?

At Bank of America, listening to how people answer this question, is how we learn how we can lend, invest and volunteer to ensure the Sacramento region remains vibrant and vital.

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Tyler: The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically impacted businesses of all kinds and created new challenges for entrepreneurs throughout our region.

Maria Harrington: I was super panicking and I know that there'’s so many people in every single walk of life here in United States and around the world that had that same question, like, what do we do next?

Tyler: In this special episode of Yes!

We'’re Open, we will meet a Sacramento entrepreneur whose spanish language school was forced to go completely online.

Maria: ¿Como estas?

Student: Muy bien.

Tyler: We will also get an update from business owners featured in past episodes.

Jonathan Burgess: Financially.

I'’m like '‘Oh, this is destruction until we'’re able to really pivot.

Tyler: What has been the community'’s response?

Lisandro '‘Chando'’ Madrigal: They'’re the only reason why we'’re here.

Tyler: Discover how each of them are adapting to keep their entrepreneurial dreams alive, on Yes!

We'’re Open ♪♪ Maria Harrington: There was one point, you know, it was about four weeks into the pandemic.

We didn'’t know if we were going to be able to continue.

But my husband said '‘If Casa dies, it will be a noble death.

'’ And for me, I took solace in that.

We'’ve done everything we can and if this doesn'’t work out; well we will just have to figure something else out.

And I think we'’ve been extremely fortunate being able to continue to do our mission, which is having a space for people to live and love the language.

Tyler: Casa de Espanol is a school for all ages to learn the Spanish language.

It'’s also a place to celebrate the cultures of Latin America and Spain.

Prior to the pandemic, they hosted cultural events, summer camps, as well overseas trips to spanish-speaking countries Maria: That was the goal from the beginning of Casa de Espanol We wanted to have that place for people who wanted to learn Spanish as well as people who are native Spanish speakers to really come together and exchange language as well as cultures.

We want to make sure you feel a part of the community and a part of something.

♪♪ Maria: !¡Bienvenidos a todos!

You are all very welcome here at Casa de Español... Tyler: Not only do you run the business, but you'’re one of the teachers, right?

Maria: Yes, I am one of the teachers.

We have at the moment we have six teachers from different backgrounds.

We have one teacher from Cuba, one from Columbia, a couple of us are from Mexico.

And then we have a couple others from various parts of Latin America.

That way the students really get to have an opportunity to get a real authentic world view of what speaking Spanish is.

♪♪ I think that the most surprising thing as a teacher in general is how much you learn from your students.

I tell my students every session that really I'’m the one learning more from them than they are from me.

But I think that it'’s a calling that is really special to be able to share learning, teaching, being a better person.

And the fact that I'’m able to do that with my culture and be not only an instructor of the culture, but also a representation of the culture.

That'’s very special to me.

Tyler: So give me a little background on yourself.

Maria: I was born originally in Mexico.

My mom is from Mexico and My Dad is from the United States.

When I was about eight, nine months old, we were able to come here to the United States.

So I grew up basically in Sacramento, California, I was always between countries.

So I really had both languages and also both cultures because my father, he'’s not of Latino descent.

So he always spoke to me in English.

My mom always spoke to me in Spanish.

There was a long moment where I didn'’t really understand that there were two languages but as I got older and I started to see how other people spoke, I realized that I had a wider vocabulary.

And so that was my first experience with being multilingual and cultural.

Tyler: However, Maria stopped speaking spanish for many years due to an incident that happened to her at a young age.

Maria: I was told when I started kindergarten that if I continue to speak Spanish and I continued to be in both cultures that I would never really learn how to speak English correctly.

I was told that I would never be a real American if I continued with both.

And it was my principal who had told me this.

It was a shock for me to hear someone who I respected so much to say that.

Once sixth, seventh grade hit - all of a sudden I found other people who were of Latino background and they spoke Spanish and I couldn'’t anymore.

Tyler: How much did that play a role in what you'’re doing today?

Maria: I think that that'’s something that'’s been always in the back of my mind of wanting to make sure that other people don'’t have that experience.

That they'’re proud of it because, number one - it'’s not true, right?

But the other thing is that it'’s making children and people suppress something that, who they are.

It'’s their identity.

And no matter how much you try and suppress it, it'’s you.

That kind of began my quest.

And that'’s really what empowered me later on in life to get my degree in Spanish.

And then I got my master'’s in Latin American studies.

So it'’s kind of been this whole process of finding my own identity within it.

Tyler: Maria went onto become a Spanish teacher in the bay area, it was during this time she met her husband who happened to be from Sacramento as well.

The two of them decided to return to their hometown to start a new chapter together.

It was then, when Maria came up with her business idea.

She founded Casa de Espanol in twenty eleven.

Tyler: You have to be proud of what you have accomplished.

How did you make this business dream a reality?

Maria: It'’s just true grit.

You just make it happen somehow.

And I think that I, more than anything, I just learned, how to work really hard.

My dad was an inspiration and my Mom as well has been a real inspiration of that.

My dad was a small business owner and then my mom, she was a bilingual education teacher.

And so I ended up now being both.

Tyler: Maria also attributes much of her success to local business associations such as the capital region'’s small business and development center, who provided her with a business mentor.

Maria: I think that this is something that'’s very key and pivotal, and not only that, something that a lot of minority business owners don'’t know that exists.

It gives you a breath, right?

That extra breath that you need when someone calls you and says, Maria, I think that your, your business could do this.

Or you would be a good candidate for this.

Or how are you doing today?

Are you surviving?

I mean it'’s such a wonderful community to be in Sacramento and be a small business owner.

And I think that that'’s been huge and key for us.

Tyler: With the help of these associations - Casa de Espanol became an integral part of the Sacramento community.

What started out as a mere twenty five students, grew to several hundred students of all ages.

And after being in business close to ten years, 2020 was looking good.

Maria: And then all of a sudden, like for everybody, right?

It was kind of like a blow.

We saw a drastic drop.

We actually lost about 28% of our student enrollment for adults.

Then summer hit and we still weren'’t able to be in class or in person.

And that was a huge hit for us, the loss of our summer camps.

You don'’t know how far or how long it'’s going to last.

It was really, really difficult and something difficult to struggle with.

Tyler: How did you guys pivot?

Maria: We were told to go home, I think, on Wednesday and then that weekend we had to set up a whole program online for students to be able to access.

We didn'’t sleep that weekend or the next probably three, four weeks where it was just constant all weekend, trying to figure it out.

We got everything up online and we started the classes.

Student: Buenas tardes, Profesora.

Maria: !¡Buenas tardes!

¿Cómo estás?

Tyler: So tell me about that challenge of trying to teach a different language remotely now.

Maria: Teaching remotely has been very interesting (laughs).

I think that the biggest thing that'’s different is the feel of being within a community, that you'’re doing it together.

There'’s a certain energy that you have and something that I really look for is that feeling of comfort and that we'’re all gonna get to the next level together.

And so creating that and building that community online.

That was difficult.

Maria: ¿El estudiante o la estudiante?

Student: !¡La estudiante!

(laughs) Not only are the classes online, but so too are their events.

Maria: We'’ve done a cooking class, an art class, Teacher: So you can add different elements Maria: Book reading.

Teacher: el alcalde del pueblo... Maria: People, whether they'’re stuck at home or when they'’re not stuck at home, they'’re, they'’re searching for that opportunity to be able to enjoy other cultures.

So we'’re excited to be able to offer that because, again, it'’s a community.

♪♪ Maria: A lot of our students mentioned how much they miss going to Casa.

Knowing that gives you that strength to go on.

That what you do and what you do and what you offer is something that'’s very personal and very important for other people.

And okay, we'’re doing it for a reason.

Keep going, keep going.

Maria: I think that no one is an Island and having connections to people who really care, has been what has gotten me through and I think that that'’s kind of what it looked like with a pandemic, that everyone kind of got together and tried to find those connections.

I'’m just so proud to be part of a wonderful community that has figured things out as best we can together.

That fact motivates me to continue.

It makes me feel comfortable and happy and excited for the future.

And the support that Casa de Espanol has received from so many people.

We are just so appreciative.

In the hard times, I just keep thinking and repeating in my head - Si se puede.

Si se puede, Sacramento.

Just keep going, we'’re going to do it together.

And we'’re just so happy to be a part of you.

♪♪ Jonathan Burgess: 2020 was a tough year for everybody.

I'’ve never seen so much divide in a nation but to have two twin brothers represent pretty much what was in the fold that law and fire, public safety, and then you know, hospitality within a pandemic.

And be the role mode, to be the choice, to be the good that brings unity.

That'’s us, the Burgess brothers.

♪♪ Tyler: Native sacramento twin brothers, Jonathan and Matthew Burgess, are the two entrepreneurs who founded the Burgess Brothers business.

Early on in their business venture, the brothers created their own brand of hot links, a signature bbq sauce, and a blend of cornbread waffle mix which they use for one of their creations - the churwaffle Matthew Burgess: So the churwaffle came about - that was basically our proprietary cornbread mix which was our grandmother'’s recipe.

And I always have a bag right here.

It was this mix.

And we simply made this into mini waffles, mini waffles!

Dusted them with cinnamon and sugar.

And there is your churwaffle.

Tyler: The two of them are constantly cooking up new ideas with their brand Jonathan: We'’re best known in Sacramento for Burgess brothers barbecue and burgers.

And that'’s kind of expanded out of the restaurant to catering, food packaging, small products and distribution of products.

And now we find ourselves in the world of concessions.

Tyler: How are you two doing right now, considering this crazy year we'’ve been through?

Mathew: Considering the year, you know, considering what we'’ve gone through, we'’re both doing well.

You know, our families are well, we'’re healthy, which is the most important.

You know, we suffered like every other small business owner and someone that lost close loved ones during this pandemic, everyone'’s been touched by it.

And so for that, you know, our heart goes out to everyone, you know, our communities, you know, our nation and our world has been affected by this pandemic.

And so it'’s truly a blessing to still be standing.

And we would only hope and pray that most other companies can come back or be positioned where, where we are currently.

Tyler: how was the business doing just before, you know, all of us were pretty much blindsided by this pandemic Matthew: I mean we were an at elevation point, you know, we were moving right, going on the up.

We had been very successful Levi stadium with their churwaffle chicken concept and bringing our products, our hot-links and BBQ sauce, the cornbread mix, and being that, having that being utilized throughout the stadium.

We had gone into Sutter Health Park previously where they served our hot-links, but they wanted to actually expand that concept as well.

And then also our products were in theme parks.

We were supplying universal studios in Hollywood.

So we had all these great things and we were just, you know, like, okay, we'’re excited about what was going to happen.

And then to have a COVID hit - It was disheartening, but the bigger part is that we didn'’t understand the, and you know, and even coming into professional public service, no one really knew, you know, what this thing was and what it could do.

As far as just crippling, not only economy, but also just families.

Tyler: COVID hit especially close to home for the Burgess family.

Matthew: I contracted COVID back in December around the 17th.

It hit me pretty hard I knew, you know, being the professional on it, working in there is a huge possibility that I could get it or bring it home.

Um, which something my family was, it was, it was a thought in their minds every single day, you know, because again, we'’re still out in the frontlines.

Even though you take all the precautions, there'’s some things you just can'’t control.

It was a trying time.

It was.

And it wasn'’t taken lightly.

Jonathan: I know, you know my twin brother, like probably better than I know myself.

It hit him hard to hear him struggle on the phone to have a conversation with me I was really concerned.

And to some people until you'’ve experienced that personally you don'’t really realize what it is.

And that'’s unfortunate.

People shouldn'’t have those experiences to say this is real because it is.

But not even a pandemic can stop these two brothers Matthew: I did not let that keep us back you can do nothing, but continue to persevere, continue to hit adversity, head on.

As long as you'’re moving, you'’re doing okay.

I like to tell everybody there'’s 24 hours in a day, right?

There'’s 24 hours.

What do you do in those 24 hours is instrumental?

Because it'’s very instrumental to you and your life, your business and your legacy.

Jonathan: As much as it'’s overwhelming or could have been overwhelming, I didn'’t look at it like that.

I don'’t think Matt did either because we both have that, just that true passion and love for what we do in our profession.

But there'’s also a passion love for what we'’re doing and what we'’ve been able to build outside of the job and so when you do something that you'’re moved passionately about it doesn'’t matter.

You find a way and you find the depth, right?

Tyler: One of those passions is helping others.

Tyler: The brothers shifted their focus to addressing the need for masks Jonathan: I'’m like, '‘Matt, we'’ve got relationships overseas.

Our waffle machines are made overseas.

There'’s a demand for PPE.

'’ And so it was an easy pivot to say, well, here'’s where the need is.

Let'’s go that direction.

Tyler: Their philanthropic endeavors did not stop there.

They'’ve donated a percentage of their profits to various charities to help those less fortunate and they'’re working closely with other local entrepreneurs who were hit hard by the pandemic.

Matthew: When you see people that are able to be able to come together to make positive change, that impacts the lives of others.

That'’s what I get excited about.

Jonathan: There'’s a saying that when you give you receive more.

And so by Matthew and I being in a position, whether it be our professions, whether it be the relationships, but by us being in a position to give or help out, we'’ve seen tenfold come over, come back from the community.

And so really at the end of the day, it'’s about the community.

So really when you look at what the Burgess brothers are doing, what we want to be remembered for is that, yes, as we climb that ladder and achieve more, we'’re bringing other entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Diverse businesses, right?

With us.

♪♪ Lisandro: If we can get over this pandemic, as a company, as a family we can do anything and I think we handled this, this the best we could.

Everybody did it.

It wasn'’t just me.

We came together as a Chando'’s community.

We embraced this opportunity, this challenge, this craziness, and we'’ve prevailed.

♪♪ Lisandro '‘Chando'’ Madrigal: So Chando'’s tacos is a fast casual taco shop here in the Sacramento area, that I think has become kind of a staple of the community.

We focus on Tijuana Mexican street food, but primarily tacos and fajitas which are crowd favorites.

Tyler: What started out with a single taco stand, has grown into numerous locations throughout the Sacramento and surrounding region.

and they were in the midst of expanding even more back in 2020.

Lisandro: We prepped to open up our food prep facility.

And most importantly, the tortilla factory.

This is a major accomplishment for us to actually be able to manufacture our hundred percent stone ground corn tortillas here out of West Sacramento.

Before making my first taco, this factory that I have here in West Sacramento is what I envisioned is what I envisioned having.

My dad had a tortilla factory in Tijuana and that'’s where I discovered the love for food service.

So it'’s near and dear to my heart.

And it'’s something my Dad always dreamed of having and I'’m just kind of living that dream now.

I don'’t know, man, it'’s surreal.

Sometimes it just slaps me right upside the head and it'’s like - '‘Oh, hey look at all this stuff you have going on.

But then the pandemic hit.

And so we were, you know, on cloud nine one day and then, you know, rock bottom the next day, what are we going to do?

How are we going to survive?

It was probably the scariest time of my life so far.

In the beginning you don'’t want, you didn'’t want to believe it.

I didn'’t know what the severity was up until the world came to a complete halt.

Then it was like, okay, this thing is real.

And I don'’t know if we can go back to living life the way we were living before.

I mean, I see pictures and videos of, of us hanging out with a bunch of group of friends and we'’re like '‘Oh dude, why aren'’t we wearing a masks?

Oh crap!

We just hugged that guy or whatever (laughs).

I don'’t know, it'’s like things are not going to be the same.

They won'’t be the same.

Tyler: I mean I just can'’t imagine as a business owner, just like.

And just the uncertainty of it all.

Lisandro: I mean, so many emotions go on, right?

We'’ve never been through something like this before.

Then it'’s like, okay, what can we do to protect our business?

What can we do to protect our employees?

What can we do to protect our guests?

This is all I have.

This is all we have.

And a lot of people depended on us.

I mean, we carried pretty good, big cross right there, man.

There'’s a lot of stuff that was going on.

I think the easiest thing would have been to close down.

We had some money in the bank.

I kept a little bit you know, for a rainy day.

So I was going to be fine.

My family would have been fine.

We were able to survive three months without getting a paycheck no problem, right?

But what about my employees?

What about, what about those people that helped me get to where I am right now.

That'’s what was on my mind, right?

What happens to them?

And so I wanted to make sure we took care of them.

I removed myself completely from payroll, both my wife and I completely, um, we pretty much in essence, donated that money back to our staff.

And so we struggled.

I mean, literally sales, just dipped completely.

The ones that we shut down for a while where Chando'’s cantinas.

If those were the only things that we'’ve had, um, we, we would probably be singing a different tune right now.

Tyler: What happened to your catering side of the business?

Lisandro: Catering is in essence.

Non-existent right now.

The first, you know, three, four months we were wondering, can we handle this and then PPP kicked in, but it kicked in right at the time where we were just completely, like, we didn'’t have any cash, you know?

And we were paying with a playing with fire.

After we made the adjustments, there'’s certain Chando'’s tacos that are doing better during the pandemic than we were doing last year.

Some of them are down two or three percent and some of them are in better positions.

So, I mean if we were going to take an average - I think we'’re doing better right now during pandemic than we'’re doing in 2019.

We adapted, we adjusted and we were innovative on the way that we were offering certain products and, and try to be creative and I think you have to be that way in order to stand on top.

We were able to put family packages together.

During the heart of the pandemic.

Meats by the pound with rice and beans.

And then we started a cooking show with our daughters.

Hi guys, welcome back to another episode of cooking with Xio and Lali Lisandro: We got a bunch of viewers.

It was pretty cool.

We were entertaining people through social media and Facebook live events at home.

You have to stand out.

And so, I think that'’s what we will continue to do.

Thank you guys for tuning in.

Everybody came together and we killed it.

We killed it.

I really believe that that's what helped us kind of get over this.

This would have never happened in my wildest dreams.

I would never thought that I'’d be in this, in this position, in this situation.

As we had said, pandemic has definitely ruined families and ruined a lot.

But in my situation, it was just taught me to appreciate what we have and embrace it and I'’m appreciative of everybody.

But I am just forever grateful and fortunate.

We'’re surrounded by some very cool people.

Very much so.

Tyler: How has the community responded to the guys there?

Lisandro: The only reason why we'’re here.

Yeah, the community has been awesome, man.

They'’ve been, they'’ve been really good to us.

I mean words can'’t describe it.

Sacramento is us and we are Sacramento.

♪♪ ♪♪ Annc: What would you like the power to do?

At Bank of America, listening to how people answer this question, is how we learn how we can lend, invest, give and volunteer to ensure the Sacramento region remains vibrant and vital.

Bank of America is proud to support public television.