And now the 490 with Gretchen de Bakker might kill them.

And Kevin Mullin.

Oh!

Welcome to the 419, powered by and presented by Retro Wealth Management.

I'm Kevin mullen.

Gretchen de.

Becker.

I tell them.

It is a surprise.

Surprise guest addition.

I'm surprised.

I'm surprised.

It is a surprise guest edition.

And it is my surprise guest.

So worried about this.

You should be okay.

You should be.

It is.

Inevitably.

I try to, like, dump you guys.

You can also try to surprise yourself.

And I and I have done that, very well with this.

With this one.

Okay.

So this is a person you you marginally know, correct.

To have their phone number?

Probably.

But, No, no, I did not have this person's phone number.

I actually stopped into where they were.

Yeah.

What time is this place open?

Just location.

I it's open during the day.

How long do they actually, if.

I, when I left, I left here and went straight there.

To jail.

The jail?

Yeah, right.

And then that's where I met the sheriff, and I said, you should come on the show.

Okay.

Yeah.

After I gave him blood and urine.

Yeah.

Yeah.

He didn't even ask for it.

Yeah.

And it wasn't.

I dropped it off at Build-A-Bear.

You can't give way too much credit to build a bear.

Well, that's over.

Over for sponsorship.

To build a bear.

Yeah.

I feel the bear every night.

Know with the things I find around my house and yard.

Yeah.

It's stuff.

I'm inside.

I'm not breaking the bear of Bill every show.

That's a performance artist.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Yeah.

You see my vision?

Yes.

Yeah.

That's right.

That's right.

I don't know.

Yeah.

You fluff it for.

Okay.

I'm loaded for Build-A-Bear.

Yeah.

That's loaded at will there.

That's a distinction.

That's different.

Yeah.

The model.

Actually.

Has a distinction in the model recently.

Oh, I've seen them all.

Please.

I mean.

The model that, like, police have.

Segways home.

Yeah.

No they don't.

That's right.

Yeah.

That's a that's a. That's Paul Blart mall cop.

Just moments ago, Kevin said that same drug is it you're going to really like to show off.

Yeah.

Okay.

Tell us the hints about your guest.

The weed.

That's a total stranger to you.

Okay.

So I think I've already, alluded to it being a male.

He is a, He's a sweet person.

All right?

He's a baker.

These he.

But he's pretty needy.

Is this the guy from work?

He's pretty needy.

Brad.

Get it?

So k e d. I didn't say.

Don't ever touch me again.

He's needy.

A well known Toledo family.

I think it's.

Waxy.

It's Wixom.

And if they have donuts, it woul the best day of my life.

I ate a pint of ice cream last night right before I went to bed.

So this is week C I. You need to get your blood sugars in.

Yeah, well, you're certainly a doctor.

So even that hand gesture makes me think you know a lot about science.

Yeah.

This is what your blood levels are supposed to.

Yes.

My interest in is.

Someone who, I introduced myself to.

And they already knew about the show because.

They're in sales.

Yeah.

That's right.

Yes, the sheriff's department.

That's right.

Yeah.

That's right.

I'm not someone that needs spelled like that.

Need what?

Okay.

And as in need bread.

Yeah.

No, I got it.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

And so.

But I'll be honest with you, I don't know a whole lot about this individual.

And I'm so excited to learn.

And I will reveal who my secret guest is.

Okay.

On the other side of the book.

All right, let's do it.

All right, let's do it.

I mean, we don't have much of a choice.

Yeah.

We don't.

All right.

When we come back, we'll introduce my surprise guest here on a Friday edition of the 419, powered by GT.

Support for the 419 comes from Row Wealth Management, where we understand that your financial path is personal.

Advisory services are offered through capital investment Advisory Services LLC, securities offered through Capital Investment Group member Finra, SIPC.

More information at Retro advisors.com.

The 419, powered by GT is made possible in part by supporters like you.

Thank you.

Introducing the local Fred, a community news series uniting voices and storytellers from across the region in partnership with La Prensa, the Toledo Free Press, the Sojourner Truth, Toledo Public Schools, and Rethinking Jails Injustice.

The local thread brings you stories and conversations that connect our community here at weeknights at seven on FM 91, with early access on podcast platforms each morning.

The local thread only on.

Welcome back into the 419 a mystery Guest Edition.

Before we went to the break, I told you that my mystery guest, was a sweet person.

A well known, Toledo family, but kind of needy.

Which is good, because she works at a bakery.

It's Brian Wicks.

Thank you for having me.

I look.

Now.

Yeah.

Look.

I was smiling the whole time.

Yeah.

That's right.

Right.

Thank you so much for being here.

Yes.

Thank you for thinking of us in this.

I have lived in Toledo since I was in the fourth grade, and today is the day that I'm learning that Wix Bakery is named after the last name of a human person.

It's true, it's true.

My great grandfather.

So tell us a little bit about the history of the of the family and their involvement.

You know, it's.

It's before you start this information.

What did you think the name came?

I just thought it was a whimsical, name.

I never thought of it.

I knew it was a family.

Yeah.

It was a it was very Shakespearean.

It's on the 13th night.

Yeah.

The family name is, You know, I if I could say it, I would, allegedly.

It was an orphan's name.

So my grandfather and his brother came to the country.

Actually.

I'm sorry, I don't know that my great grandfather's brother came with him, but he came through.

And I don't want you to burn yourself with the accuracy on the share here, so you can just say really anything.

Okay.

And no one is going to hold you to it.

Gretchen's real name is Dave.

I'm not doing it.

So fire away.

All right?

Yeah.

Don't joke.

Don't hold back.

So, yeah.

1930.

And my grandfather started the business here in Toledo on, Western Avenue.

What is now the spigot?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, sure.

Yeah.

Right.

So put then the 900.

What is it, nine questions?

Yeah, yeah.

Yep, yep.

Perfect.

So where.

Are they immigrated from?

England.

Scottish and English descent.

And if any place that is known for the epicenter of, culinary arts, it's England.

Yeah, right.

But they have.

Goods, Collins.

And baked goods.

Okay.

Yeah.

Where was.

I mean, any idea why a bakery?

What?

Again?

Allegedly.

Allegedly.

My great grandfather worked in the court at, Palace.

So, or the castle or whatever he would call it, or refer to it.

And in that, I think I don't really I mean, obviously things don't get passed down, as you hope.

So you don't have the knowledge that you, you really think or can hold on to other than like, you know, something that does your DNA.

So with that being said, he they moved to America and, and, just started the bakery and, and Toledo here after visiting Akron.

So, I mean, Dixie bakery bakery is an absolute staple.

In.

Toledo.

I think it's I mean, it interacts with, you know, intersects with everyone has a story of a major moment in their life that Dixie bakery was a part of.

You guys baked the cake for our wedding.

And all of my wedding.

I'm working on some myself.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, but.

I mean, growing up as a whiskey, right?

Gretchen may not have known that that was your last name, but all of your friends obviously did.

What was that like as a child of the, you know, the Dixie dynasty?

Oh, wow.

I, you know, when you're growing up, you're just trying to find your footing with your friends within your environment.

Obviously, I think it spoke to a lot of people, but it's not often that I wouldn't find myself in the lunchroom or cafeteria as a young kid and young student.

And, you know, all of a sudden, your principal got his hand on your shoulder and you're like, you know what I mean?

Timidly looking up, he's like, we've got your donuts in the office.

And I'm like, cool.

Yeah, yeah.

And realistically, all's we wanted were.

Like, I feel like I made him before school.

Seriously, I had to work.

You know?

Where did you go to school?

Yeah.

We grew up in Miami.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

So we're fortunate to to have that community to live in and celebrate them even today.

You know, I think what we're talking about is community.

Tell us a little bit about the makeup of the business now.

So did you did your father, or mother work there?

And when did you.

Just a little bit about how the involvement in is and what level generation is working there now.

Right, right.

So my, my great grandfather, my grandfather and my father all worked at the bakery.

I had just moved back from the Mid-Atlantic and like oh something and we've all, all of us have worked at the bakery in some fashion, whether it was, you know, folding towels, after church on Sunday, you know, it didn't matter.

You were responsible.

Yeah, right.

You know, I loved it.

You know what I mean?

It was it was.

It was home.

But with that being said, both my sister and I came back right around the same time.

She was a nurse and and quite successful within her career.

But at the same time, I think she longed for what it was that we all grew up with and that sense of, you know, family, you know, and it extends over the counter, which is the most valuable.

Thing that's real said.

Yeah, yeah.

So a couple of weeks ago, we had, folks in the family business center, on the show talking about, you know, running a family business and the challenges with that, you know, working working with your sister.

I mean, what was the dynamic like growing up and now, you know, sharing a business with her?

Certainly.

She's our.

Next guest.

I know.

Right?

I don't surprise.

The best, I mean, so for me, my relationship with my sister, Denise, we have a brother that's between us and the.

Oldest.

Denise.

Okay.

Yeah.

My.

Great.

Well, we both anyhow.

Yeah, sure.

With that being said, she was eight years older than I am or is eight years older than I am.

And with that said, she got married when I was in eighth grade, so my high school years and my, you know, those fundamental years where you kind of develop yourself, she wasn't really accessible to me.

So, so, yeah, I mean, it's we have a distance between us in how we were brought up, and we have a distance between us within age.

So with both of those factors, it really blends well to communication in the, in the, in the building, you know what I mean?

And even more so outside.

Just because we have that that extra relationship as friends.

Yeah.

You know.

Either of your families or children work in the business now.

So.

Or your.

Sisters.

My, my niece is fortunate to work with us when she can, and I would probably have to steal her from the county at some point.

Yeah, maybe the state.

I don't even know really where that falls.

But regardless, I, I anticipate it moving forward.

Yeah.

You know what I mean?

I think we'll see that fifth generation take over.

In a generation.

That's amazing.

Yeah.

And I certainly think that it'd be easy to find, and none of which is possible without the community's help.

So, I mean, if, you know, in an age when you know it's convenience over choice.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Or.

Yeah.

I don't even know if that works, but it's we're very fortunate to have the opportunity to put those families beyond our footprint today.

You know, and that's so meaningful.

It is, you know, and that's that's everything it is.

I sorry, one of the things that I'm interested in in general is the weeks you might take and frosting.

Oh yeah.

Right.

But now that you're here, I have the opportunity to talk to you more about it.

It is the perfect cake, please.

And it is the perfect frosting as far as I'm concerned.

So has that always been the white cake and frosting?

How did you get to that?

How did you land on that combination or that recipe?

Because as you know, there's all different types of cakes and buttercream and, you know, all the different stuff.

But how did you.

See Gretchen Moore in life?

I don't.

Seriously, I. Was like the most How did you land on that combination?

And those recipes?

I think, She asked the same question to every guest we have.

And this is the first time has landed around the kitchen about two weeks ago.

Yes.

So it makes sense now.

Yeah, yeah.

The kids in the orphanage we had last week where they were, they were befuddled.

We bought cupcakes.

That's exactly right.

So, please, God, answer this insipid question.

I can and, to make sense of it.

Well, don't go too.

Well, fortunately, no.

Fortunately, with with the 95, 96 years now, you I mean, you could open up something next door selling the same recipes.

I'm not too protective about my recipes.

You can do it, but you won't sell it.

You know what I mean?

So it's it's a great product, and anybody can do it.

Fortunately, we've had the support of the of our community to really move forward from that.

So with that being said, it's obviously been tweaked over the years.

And with that, we've been fortunate to land on a product that I think is consistent with what we've always done.

Where do they live?

I mean like how or have you pulled yourself through the ages.

I mean baking and cooking is something that has had to happen based on our need, to sustain life throughout time.

But were they captured originally in, a leather bound book?

Yeah.

And now are laminated.

Can you sort of pull us through?

Technology seems inappropriate.

It's really not as warm is of the workshop environment that you're articulating.

But talk to me about what was on someone's hand written as they came over.

On a boat.

Certainly it was stolen at some point.

Yeah.

On someone's hand.

You know.

That doesn't offend us in the slightest.

Right.

Yeah, exactly.

I mean, you know, you're trying.

To sneak over and steal it.

To the restroom.

Yeah, sure, but that's what the cups are for.

Yeah.

Right, right.

Is that something you can't leave?

With that, the recipes.

So we're we're pretty much, all paper.

Sure.

You know, the, like, the staff is begging for a POS system.

You know what I mean?

It's just the small details that a modern world host that we just haven't caught up with.

Yeah.

So if you were to, look at some of the recipes that fortunately, some of which are typed.

They're completely falling apart in your hand.

Yeah, sure.

I mean, it's like.

Yes, it's like the the paper itself is.

Yes.

Round in, in like ten different tones.

Right.

Do you know what I mean?

But that's not something we use every day.

So you know, obviously with a modern world you've got to look after hygiene in such a way that we, we kind of organize some things, but we still fall back on some of those old thoughts and how to to prepare a recipe and what we should do.

You have to consult the recipes still.

Right.

Yeah.

You know, it's, it's it's interesting.

Like we were talking bakers versus chefs, you know what I mean?

You just don't taste something as you do.

A cook, a wood, chef.

So it becomes a little more scientific in the idea that you want that consistency you desire that that bake.

And in order to do that, we try to stay consistent.

Do I have to refer to them?

I always will pull one out.

I rarely will I just go blind.

Yeah.

Seriously.

I mean, there's a couple things, obviously, that we do do that with, but it's not often.

Yeah.

We're talking to Brian Maxi from Roxy Bakery.

What is your day to day now?

Are you.

I've seen you in there many times.

Are you back there baking?

Are you managing?

Are you in the office?

What's your role?

I'm not 100% sure, but that could be cake on the back of my knuckles.

So, yeah, I say yes.

Yeah.

So it's, We it.

I mean, I would like to say, first one in, first one out or last one out.

And some, I'd say 60% of the time that holds holds true.

So it's very, owner operated, if you will.

You know.

I mean, I can't do it from an armchair, and I can't afford to pay, and carry on the responsibilities of the staff in, in quiet times, if I'm sitting at home with the idea that they need to work in hand on my business for me.

So we're very, a much a part of what it is, our daily operations.

What time does a day start for a baker?

Well, I mean, I for 30 ish.

Yeah.

It's now five.

I've got a phenomenal night crew that I can really count on, so I'm not putting out fires when I first get there.

Yeah, sure.

And now I get to have coffee for about an hour before going in.

Yeah, an hour and 20 hours, you know, a month of April.

Scary kind of crazy.

Yeah.

You know, so.

So when we have our, you know, artists.

Come on.

Musicians, come on.

You know, I love asking about kind of, you know, how the community receives their art is always different than how they necessarily put it out.

Certainly what you guys do is art.

I'm curious if there's something that's on the menu.

At the risk of having you talk about talk negative about some on the menu, or is there something on the menu that you're like, I don't like it, but the customers love it.

Yes.

Yeah.

And there's your answer.

Yeah.

I mean.

Like, I don't get it, and I'm, it's so there's a twist and it's a glazed donut, and it's it's like cotton candy on your your gums.

I mean, it's just it just melts in your mouth.

Yeah, but the twist offers too much surface area, and it creates kind of a, texture that I'm just not a big fan of.

And it's an it's not a displeasing texture, if you will.

It's just a texture that is consistent, like.

Yeah, you know, at any rate, palatable.

It is.

But I'm not a fan.

Yeah, yeah.

So it seems like an again, lifelong fan of of witchy.

But in the past, I don't know, decade that you have been expanding the offerings you have now, the cooler that has soups and chicken salad and things like that.

More bread than I think maybe you originally had.

Is this part of this generation's, business plan for witchy to expand into these areas?

Well, it's kind of like we we I touched on as you steal with your eyes and you kind of keep an eye on what's popular.

And one thing that we could always hang our hat on, which was great for our community, was Anderson's.

And one of Anderson's, bakery items.

And her deli items were some of their soups, some of their spinach dip.

You know, things that that I think the community would often think that they made or manufactured themselves.

Fortunately, Anderson's just put out a good product, and they did the research to find it.

And with that, we are lucky enough and have been lucky enough to use some of their, the products that they kind of coined.

You know, I have no problem when a customer says, do you have any spinach dip today?

I'm like, absolutely right, or I didn't know you made this.

And I'm like, well, do you do you know of Anderson?

You know what I mean?

Do you know of this family?

Do you know of this?

And right off the cuff, I mean, I'm not trying to get over on anybody.

And, you know, if I'm not honest and I don't get to project my best intention.

Do you know if that makes sense?

It does.

But you've then become an outlet for these folks to still sell their product when the Anderson isn't there.

Complete.

What an amazing.

I mean, to think about, you know, again, the the family name, the iconic family name of the Anderson's and the role that that played.

Sure.

It's got to feel good that that Wickes is now able to carry and carry some of that.

Sure.

I just got the chills.

I mean, you know, it's just nice to be a part of that.

And and also, the air conditioning kicked on.

Yeah, yeah.

I think your, you know, I'm wearing nine layers of clothes.

Yeah.

It's a that's how I lose weight.

The.

So I also, you know, you are constantly to some degree evolving.

Where do you hunt, where do you check out competition.

Where do you do your research?

And is that still enjoyable?

Do you like that experience?

Can you go somewhere when someone's not asking you when there's cakes or what do you think.

I mean what is that.

Yeah.

Like I go to weddings and I'm you know obviously not participating in it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know what I mean.

And that's, that's, that's awesome for you know for everyone.

The is, you know, in a modern world.

Yeah.

The, the staff is of age where I started and I'm kind of the old seed, you know what I mean?

That sprouted and and so with that potential, the that generation has so many platforms that they're just gaga for.

Yeah.

You know what I mean.

So it's like kind of like the Martha Stewart of my dad's generation where she came out and she blew up and all of a sudden girls are coming in with magazines.

I really need to hold on to a photo.

I mean, like, what?

Where are we.

At?

Common pictures on their phone.

Seriously.

I mean, it's a well-informed community that is coming in to look for specific items.

Yes.

What else?

So again, some of the pressures and certainly what I mean, but I Brian, I wasn't kidding.

We don't have a birthday in my family without a witch's cake.

We don't have a birthday within our French group.

No we don't.

We have relatives, which.

Is only two people that, But still, that's.

Not even a part of that group, I. Guess not.

Oh, no, I can't solve it.

Yeah, no, you don't.

We we I. Just, you know, not kidding.

We don't we don't we don't completely stop interrupting me.

That's why she's up on the bench group anymore.

Yeah.

I'm trying to decipher some things right now.

Yeah.

No, I think you have, I think, yeah, you were quick to, but no, we this is part of a staple of a tradition amongst our friends group.

One of us goes and gets the witch's cake.

I'm the one that's in to do it.

And we don't have.

We don't celebrate without you.

So, not the pressure of that, but, I mean, that's just got to be fulfilling.

And work is called work for a reason, and you're there for 12 hours a day.

But you've mentioned community 3 or 4 times already.

Can you talk a little bit about what that means to you in the pledge and probably after the break?

Yeah, let me go.

So let's take a break.

When we come back, I do want to talk about community.

I actually witnessed this first.

And when I stopped in to to invite you to be on the show.

And so I want to ask some questions about what I saw, because I, I really have no idea what happened.

But I'm going to let you explain.

This is this is what panic looks like.

Yeah.

It's perfect.

All right.

We're talking with Brian Wicks from Wicks Bakery.

We'll continue the conversation when we come back on the other side of this break.

On the 419 powered by.

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I'm Dani Miller, and welcome to the point.

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Where you come to watch, listen and learn.

Welcome back into the 419 a mystery Guest Edition.

We're talking with my surprise guest today, Brian Wix from Wix.

E-Brake.

Great, Brian, thanks for being here.

Thank you for having me.

We talked right before the break.

We talked about community, and you've mentioned that a few times in our last segment.

But when I was, when I was in the bakery to invite you to come be on the show, I saw a bunch of kids with backpacks, clearly on their way to school, but they were all holding cards that they were.

It looked like they were basically redeeming for.

Yeah.

For donuts.

What?

Where?

If you have any idea, where do you come from?

Well, they get it, I. How do I get one right.

Can I laminate.

It?

Gretchen's out there just getting the kids.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.

The, I think the cards started, so we were giving the crossing guards hot chocolate during the winter.

That is so.

Charming.

Yeah, well, it turns out that at a specific age, whether it's fourth or fifth grade, I don't know what that age group is, but they were, they were hustling their belt from student to student.

And so the crossing guard would give their belt to a student, and the student would come in and get a free hot chocolate.

I know, right?

It's so genius.

So like we.

Were what.

Is the school that's right there next to the store?

Harvard Elementary with a beautiful structure.

Yeah.

It is amazing, isn't it?

Yes.

Yeah.

So that's kind of how the card got started.

I can't be 100% as to who is still redeeming, like where those are getting drawn from.

It could be it obviously is somebody from the elementary.

But it's you give these cards to the school to give out as a reward to.

We actually were fortunate enough that they somebody will come in and get like $20 worth of them, you know what I mean?

And I don't know how the monetary side of it works.

Yeah.

I hope you know, and a great world that free.

But I'm not certain that I could say that.

Gretchen, print them off at her house every night.

What's the logo look like?

Only three.

Colors.

Yeah.

Is there a barcode?

There's the miracle system that.

QR code.

Generator.

But the community portion of it, you know, again, we left the break.

I was mentioning that our French group celebrates all of our friends birthdays with the witches cake.

We we usually get a cake and then decorate it ourselves.

Yes.

Which is when your product takes a real left turn into not, as usual.

You know?

I mean, but we'll come back next year.

We don't, do we don't do it without it.

So, part of that, you said, family over the counter.

Can you talk a little bit about what that means to you?

And work is work.

Like I said, but this has got to be wind in your sails, to a large degree, and keeps this going.

96 years doesn't happen by accident.

No, it does not.

And we're fortunate to have the opportunity.

Maybe it's I don't I would say it's like just I mean, maybe, I don't know, it could just be good.

Good parenting.

I don't know, I don't know I mean, I would love to just say that it's it's nothing more than that.

But it also is probably the reality of it is, is that all of my family has participated at some point within the idea that they only exist based on the community.

Yeah.

So I think it's that that in us intention, like my father would tell my siblings, you know, there's there's, you know, you're no better than anyone else.

Yeah.

You know what I mean?

Are nobody's better than you, but you're no better than anybody else.

And, you know, so we're all vulnerable and, yeah, the ebbs and flows of of everything that we experience is based upon the community and how we participate within the community, how we look after the community, what our responsibilities are to that community.

And I think that that being said is we rely on our neighbors.

Yeah.

You know, and it's not something we can run a business with just our neighborhood.

You know, there's not.

But I mean, I'm seeing just.

Generations of people to come forward.

Right?

We're blessed beyond.

Control.

Yeah, but that doesn't happen by accident.

Brian, if you guys if you guys started cutting corners or somebody was managing the business from their barcalounger generations ago, then people feel that there's an inherent difference between having an experience, on the other in the economy and your side of it.

The people that care, people who know people's names, people that hand out, hot chocolate, the fact that the crossing guards are, duping you, that's a crime.

I know, but you don't care, man.

You're like.

Yeah.

And again, you mean you have, family to feed and you have your own lights to turn on and a payroll to make?

But it is not by accident that people feel and celebrate things that are important to them.

With you.

Right?

Celebrations, anniversaries.

Everyone knows that our age, we're presumably the same age.

Although you're aging better than I am.

Which makes me hate you so much.

Saying I'll take it.

I take.

Your time.

I'm saying in real time.

We heard it first.

Say anything?

Yeah.

That's right.

Yeah, right.

No.

Listen, so why is Little Debbie a liar?

And why do we hate her so much?

No, I'm just kidding.

It's not so much that.

But I think she probably started the same time we did that.

She.

Do you know what I mean?

This is this is my know, that's that's the that's the humble side of life.

Yeah.

Do you know what I mean?

Like, that's the avenue.

That's the load, the road less traveled.

You know, it's and we've all seen it so often is I mean lot says it, you know, seeing a baby take its first step and fall and we see it as growth.

Yeah.

But you know, an adult falling and making a mistake.

We see it as failure when we're completely backwards in that.

Yeah.

Do you know what I mean.

So if we all just I mean I could not do anything about it, but I mean, you know, like like I'm, I'm vulnerable.

And the idea that if I don't have my community, I could stumble.

Yeah, right.

You know, you could be Kevin.

I mean, part of the part of the pressure of a fourth generation, right?

Is like, there's three generations before me did this.

And the reality is, on any given day, I think the three generations before you would say this, that on any day the community decides to stop coming and the business stops.

I don't know if I can't say this out loud, but we'll talk afterwards.

Yeah, I think my father is so proud of us, but he's also he has a great level of pride within himself that he didn't, you know, falter.

And he kept his his, you know, his eye on the prize, you know what I mean?

Was there ever any thoughts of expanding beyond.

I mean, you say, you know, Little Debbie started around the same time you guys did, right?

I mean, is it was there ever any thought of expanding beyond one location?

She got into the heroin business that started with.

Right?

Yeah.

I mean, there's something inside this other.

Yeah.

You know.

Yeah.

It's craveable.

Yeah, that's a good question.

You know what?

The ebbs and flows you already mentioned.

Yeah.

Talk to me.

Talk to us about that.

I mean, any thoughts of expanding beyond the location or the food truck or.

Oh my gosh.

Right.

I think that's the whole conversation is food trucks and brick and mortar.

I mean, food trucks are great to get in a front door, you know, and then, you know, it's just it's that evolution of how you in let's say Broadway doesn't have enough hoods.

And downtown is struggling a little bit with the idea that you can run a pop up restaurant in there at any given time.

Yeah, you know what I mean?

So we struggle a little bit that way in order for us to do another location, and we've tried that.

My grandfather, great grandfather, had three locations.

I don't know.

I don't know how expensive it would be to and then be is we fortunate that we have our building in new construction?

Do you have the ventilation you need for it?

And then the, you know, the the state's pretty kind of rigid and how you run things.

And, you know, I don't know that how.

The math.

Function would be.

I get it.

But more importantly, I think it's kind of just nice.

Yes.

Yeah.

It's just nice and small and you know, a, you know, my lawyer, look at me like, no, this is all right.

You know, he's he's looking at me to take care of it.

And I'm thinking to myself, oh, cool.

Yeah.

Yeah.

A little bit about the move from the original location that landed you in in South Toledo.

When did that happen?

It's it's a it's an adorable thing.

I was just having a conversation with my father about this, last week, and we were talking, and my father's dead.

Dead set on the zoo.

And the trail and the downtown.

And that traffic flow, that that that pattern of traffic.

My grandfather, my great grandfather started on Western Avenue.

My grandfather, he passed away.

My grandfather reopened just down the street.

There was a florist shop down on Glendale by by where we're at now.

And my grandfather reopened there and then moved to, 2017 and, I don't know, like, you know what I, what the conversation was such with my father that, like, if things changed, would we move?

Could we move?

Where would we go?

What would your thoughts?

We're not moving.

That's not the point.

But it's just that how we get so stuck in the idea that we're, you know, kind of got blinders on a racehorse.

You know, sometimes you want to see what's out there, you know, you have a conversation, be intelligent about what it is we're we're doing with ourselves and making choices that will last forever.

And so with with him, he's like, this is it.

This is this is where it is.

And and he's and he's smart.

He's he's right.

I mean, he's obviously he's he's there.

We've got Kevin's dad actually in studio today.

But I do love the fact that, you and your dad are close.

I'm close to my dad.

Family businesses, as we talked about earlier, are challenging for a myriad of reasons.

At the risk of putting you on the spot, Brian, could you talk a little bit about you and your dad's relationship?

You just referenced the conversation you had just this past week.

How often do you talk to him?

What is, is he in the car right now?

In the parking lot there.

So.

Yeah.

It's fine.

Yeah.

That's great.

Great window for him.

Yeah, yeah.

Talk to me a little bit about that relationship.

If you don't mind the prying.

And then he come into the shop anymore.

He's in.

Yeah.

He's in five days.

He's a he's six days a week.

We can.

Yeah.

He comes in and I would probably have to re manage a lot of staff to cover his, his footprint of the work that he does.

Yeah.

You know, Yeah.

Sure.

You know, if, if, if we're not stepping in fortune to make his life, he's 80.

It's going to be 85 this month.

Okay.

So you talk about relationships.

Where are you going to get the cake for him.

Seriously.

Right.

I mean, it's it's the best.

But, he's going to be 85 this season, this month.

And we our birthdays are two days apart.

So I am not at all looking forward to celebrating my birthday alone.

But I've always shared it with them, you know what I mean?

So, you know, it's not like I've ever had my own birthday party.

Maybe when I was one.

And my mom took a candle off the opera on the table and put it in the cake.

Yeah, yeah.

Barney Rubble, but, yeah.

With that being said, I think our relationship, it's just really healthy.

I mean, I mean, there's been times and this is, of course, when if I have the time to tell, I mean, there's times that like, you know, aprons are getting ripped off their waist and thrown on the floor.

And when we were younger, obviously.

And, you know, I'm, I'm out of here, you know, and then he's like, I'm not out of here.

You're out of here.

You know what I mean?

Yeah, I'm.

Taking my marbles and I'm running.

I'm surprised that doesn't happen every day.

No, seriously, he he's so tolerant of me.

I don't know where he gets it.

I don't know, maybe he sees himself in me at times and and he loves it.

Yeah.

And we're.

Well, see, I have a it's it's got to be more than that.

But certainly he's got to be proud of what, what you and your sister are doing with the business and and keeping the name, I mean, again, it's it I mean, this is again we'll come back to kind of the, the comment Gretchen made, like, I didn't realize there was a Wix the that worked at Wix this.

But the reality is, you know, I mean.

The dope.

That's in state government.

But like but this is such a beloved name.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And there's a I mean that's that happens because of the work that you guys are putting in every day.

Yeah, I know my siblings and I try to drag the name through the mud quite a few times, but, you.

Know, that's what time is.

I mean, you're right.

Moments are forever.

Yeah.

Do you take any responsibility for childhood obesity in our region?

Now?

Yeah, I know I was like, oh, we can't take.

Yeah please call.

Oh one night where there's like the gameplay display there.

Yeah.

If you're.

Eating too many donuts.

Spiritually, being out of breath, getting out of your bunk bed.

All right.

Yeah.

Can people get waxy donuts anywhere other than at the bakery?

I had a customer come in the other day that said, hey, I heard you're opening in Rossford.

I said, oh, really?

And I said, well, cool.

Yeah.

And, you know, at this point I'm kind of like.

Actually spelled with two axes.

I don't know, right?

I said, I guess we're the original, you know, and, but there's a coffee shop I think that's opening up in Rossford.

That that will be.

Yeah.

The thing for us is delivery.

Yeah.

And we just don't have this.

Who?

Yeah.

You know, who do you ask to do that?

And who do you ask?

Do your work.

You know, I mean, obviously, you guys all know that you have to be responsible.

And the name is literally going out on every plate and every box, right?

Your reputation, once you put it in someone else's hands.

Right.

You certainly don't come off, as a control freak to me, but there's still a mantle to carry, right?

So once you get out of that control, even DoorDash.

Yeah, that's someone else's lying around in their back seat.

They don't care as much about as you do.

That's not a criticism of them, but it's not literally built into their DNA, like, you.

Know, but I think it's a conversation when you do, experience a new hire, if you will.

So you've got the potential to do A or B, and B is a little more time and is a little bit better and a little more detailed.

Let's go with B. Yeah.

You know what I mean.

Yeah.

It's going to serve 72 people or the weddings were for 350.

You know, it's it's not necessarily the person making trouble for this, but the person that's ordering the cake and picking it up, I'm not necessarily decorating for them.

Sure.

Decorating for their guest.

That's right.

So it goes hand in hand with like, you know, who does the artist make art for?

You know what I mean?

It's a frequency that it brings in and handles and then but it's the person that enjoys it that really gets to enjoy the art.

I've got, you know, and reminder of the FCC regulations that were under here.

But what is the wildest thing that you had to make a cake for or write on it that you can say that with the same system that carries, you know, Big Bird.

Or someplace that was shipped.

What is that?

Where's the farthest she's gone?

What's the what's it with the like the law can't touch you anymore is a. Statute.

Limitation.

Thank you.

So much.

Let's let's lean on that.

Yeah.

There was the question was such is what was one of your first memories of a cake, you know, and I'm like, you know.

Right.

So it makes sense.

And I'm like, well, my father did, did me a, maybe a cookie monster cake.

And he just took a, cupcake, inverted it on the top of the cake, put some blue icing on it, crumbled the cookie from out in the case and called it a day.

And I think I might.

I might have it.

That doesn't go against legal, but, you know, still have a picture of it.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, it.

Has a licensing for that.

No.

If the family's getting together on a Sunday for a party, you grab something out of the case.

Someone in the family cooking.

What's what's a family meal look like?

Sure.

Fortunately, Denise is my.

My sister's extremely experimental, so.

So when it comes to birthdays, I mean, we do have cake.

But she'll like an ice cream bar, you know what I mean?

Like, so.

So it's.

There is always pastries.

And you're around so much sweets all the time.

What's your favorite salty snack.

Yeah.

I it stupid to say pistachios but I. Mean it's.

Just, it's just really like, I love potato chips but I mean you kind of.

Yeah.

I don't know what I can.

As a sponsor of the show.

Yeah.

That is that product.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's all good.

Yeah.

That's right.

Oh, good.

Used to be.

It's now time for Gretchen.

Okay, great.

I'm going to.

Ask you for rapid fire questions.

Oh, God.

Gretchen is going to ask you to describe Toledo in exactly one word.

And then you and Matt are going to work together to list off.

Okay, good.

The nine best things in Toledo.

If I knew I had a partner, it would have been a lot easier.

I would have been sweating for the last 20 minutes.

All right, here we go.

Question number one.

What's one food that you never understood?

Why everyone liked?

Great question.

That is a good question.

Is this rapid.

Fire?

A rapid fir I don't I love food.

Really, I have one.

Yep.

Nope.

That's right.

Olives for me.

What?

Yeah.

I don't understand why people like Brian.

My my wife is obsessed with macarons, and I like them, but not I don't get the same joy that she gets from them.

Yeah, so I don't eat them.

I mean, one called.

The former prime minister.

They better.

Okay.

All right.

What animal best represents your personality.

And 1996, I would say a lion.

Okay, I like it.

What's a movie that you love?

Oh, gosh.

Field of dreams.

Yes, sir.

All right.

And what's the best way to spend a weekend?

I would say on Lake Erie.

With a donut, basically.

Please.

The following.

You describe the city of Toledo or the region in one word, sounds.

You know, I would say trust my.

Great.

I'm gonna.

I'm gonna take trust at the top of our nine word list to all nine.

Best thing.

That's right.

Nine best favorite.

Places.

Best.

Besides, I'm.

On this.

List.

Okay.

Yeah.

You said the zoo.

Yeah, right.

I. Then what's next?

The museum.

Museum.

Love it.

University of Toledo.

So UT.

Metro Park.

Metro parks.

We'll give you two for that.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Three.

I've got three.

Left.

Three left.

I would say the towpath, which is probably Metro parks.

That will take as much metro parks information as you can.

Pretty shocking.

Yeah.

I love the towpath there.

Right.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Did they pay for it?

Yeah.

No.

Okay.

Good.

Got two more.

Two more, two more.

I know you're in the art music scene too, right?

I think we share a buddy, Mark folk MDF.

What's up?

Denver.

There you go, Mark folk.

We'll put him on the list.

Yeah.

All right.

Yeah.

One left.

What about maybe Dixie?

How about retention?

There you go.

Okay, I like it, I like it, I like it.

Brian week.

So nice to meet you.

Thank you so much for so much.

For joining us.

There's a lot.

And people just, you know, people not more information on Dixie.

They want to find you, get.

Let's give them the address.

And if you got a website.

It's, 2017 Glendale Avenue, Toledo, Ohio.

One for, weekly bakery and cake shop.

When's it open?

If the lights are on.

Come on by, my man.

Nice low said.

Awesome.

Brian, thank you so much.

When we come back, Anna, Omar Lee is going to join us here on the 419.

We'll be right back.

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Welcome back into the 419 powered by GT.

We're joined now by the Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Toledo Museum of Art.

Anna Mali, Anna, thank you so much for being here.

Thank you.

It's an honor to be here.

What?

You must have never seen the show.

I, I had to I'm running in my head during the break, over and over and over.

Curatorial.

Curatorial?

Yep.

I'm not even smart of you.

Didn't even get a choice, you know.

What does that.

Mean?

You know, that is probably the number one question people ask me in grocery store lines.

What is a curator?

What do you do?

So a curator, it can't say.

Honey, I'll tell you when we get.

A curator comes from the Latin root of curator to care for.

So, you know, it used to be a curate, took care of a church, curator takes care of a collection.

So we have one of the best collections in the world at the Toledo Museum of Art.

And it is my job as director of curatorial affairs to take care of the curators, who in turn share and interpret and bring new art to Toledo, to share with our community.

And curators have, forgive me, like specialized knowledge in particular areas.

So I'd be the curator of ancient art, the curator of, you know, French Impressionism or.

Exactly.

Yeah, exactly.

So I am trained as a specialist in 18th and 19th century American and British art.

You know, I knew we had learned common, but I do not know this.

This just keeps growing.

Okay.

Do we have that in common?

You love 18th and 19th century British and American art.

Yeah, but, I don't specialize in one of the two things.

You just.

Have to guess what years make up the 18th and 19th.

Century.

I'll tell you what's offensive about it.

I don't need to guess.

And please keep that things going.

Yeah.

So that's my area of specialization, which I worked in Philadelphia for 15 years before I moved here to Toledo.

I moved here just over a year and a half ago.

Oh, that's so exciting for the Toledo Museum of Art.

Yeah.

So I'm curious about this because you said, in your first answer that we have the best collection.

How do you know that?

Right?

I mean, is that is that an emotional thing or is they.

Actually think it?

Yeah.

Like, oh, no, it's it's not emotional.

It's completely factual.

So our, our museum here in the city of Toledo is categorically one of the best collections in the United States.

And, everybody in Toledo should be really proud of it.

It's assembled, over the past 125 years.

We're celebrating our birthday this summer, along with the birthday of the United States.

Two 5125 it's going to be really exciting.

But, American museums that were collecting in the early 20th century, through the mid 20th century and had the funds that Toledo has through the generosity of the Libbey family, were able to secure phenomenal collections.

So the collection here is very well developed.

It's got spectacular masterpieces from areas around the world, and that's why we are able to do the kind of shows we do.

Like the show.

I'm here to talk about today because, you know, we have assembled, all of these wonderful objects from the ancient world, from museums around the world because of Toledo's great rep.

We have objects in this exhibit from the met, from the Louvre.

Another.

Tell me, what's the other third major place?

Another major place is the Getty.

Yes.

In California, you know, one of the best museums in the world.

And the curator of the show, Jeff Spear, is the retired head of antiquities from the Getty.

So I do want to talk about community, but like here in Toledo, but world class collection.

Yeah, I do want to talk about the collection, obviously, but of having you be in Toledo is in itself a win for our region, and I mean that sincerely.

We talk a lot about brain drain and things of that variety.

But can you talk a little bit about your path to Toledo?

There cannot be very many of you in the United States, period.

Right.

This job description is a unique one, and there's only so many slots to do what it is you do.

So how did you get from, little and to, this show today, which is probably the highlight of your career.

Your words.

But what can you talk a little bit about that path?

Sure.

So I grew up in Montreal, Canada.

Okay.

And then I went to college in New York, in the Hudson Valley.

And since then, I've lived all over the United States.

I've lived in Australia, spent a lot of time in Europe and then came back to do my PhD in the United States, Delaware.

And I grew up as a curator at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, which is the oldest art museum and art school in the US.

And I was there for 15 years.

I thought I was going to be there for five, but, you know, guess what?

Yeah, met my husband, had a baby.

Yeah.

We stuck around Philadelphia for quite a time, and I was looking for the next opportunity.

And back in 2024, I got invited to lecture about one of my previous exhibitions.

It was called The Artist Garden American Impressionism in the Garden Movement.

I was invited to Toledo to interview, to give a lecture, and I had always heard that the Toledo Museum of Art was an amazing museum, and I had actually borrowed a painting from the Toledo Museum, a William Merritt Chase painting of a garden scene.

Beautiful.

You probably know what it is stunning for that show.

By what you see in the Kevin I didn't.

Because she has books from the Toledo Museum of Art docent training.

So just so she knows the painting.

I love the fact that she doesn't care enough about her books that she would bring them in here.

Yeah, because I kept those at home so that we weekend.

That's right.

So you could continue to study.

Yes.

That's right.

Yes, yes.

So I'm not throwing these things away.

Yeah.

Yeah I use them every day.

Yeah.

You were.

That was a correct assumption okay.

Yeah.

All right.

Please keep going.

Okay.

So I knew all about the Toledo Museum from borrowing that spectacular painting.

And so I came, and I was just blown away by the museum.

I had no idea.

I've traveled all over the Midwest lecturing about American art in my previous, you know, position.

So I thought it was going to be kind of like a nice small Midwestern city museum.

I didn't realize that when I came here.

This is like a I would say it's like a smaller version of the National Gallery of Art.

The architecture is stunning.

Yes.

Collection is stunning.

Yes.

So I came and I walked up those steps.

You know, and into Libby Court.

And I was like.

Wow.

This space is this.

The space is really special.

The collection is special.

And so the only downside really is Adam Levine.

Well, it's it's funny that you mention Doctor Levine.

Yes.

Because after my lecture, he hosted a little dinner for me, and he sat me down and had a glass of champagne, and he said, so tell me about your career ambitions, Anna.

Yeah.

And how we get you, you know, glass of champagne.

We'll do it every test.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'll tell you what.

Clearing, cleaning up after your guys dinner was when my little Violet took my wife.

Here to talk to us about.

Yes, yes.

Yeah.

I'm sorry for.

But, yeah, we are lucky to have you.

Honestly, that's.

Why we're so happy you're here.

And welcome.

The name of the exhibit is Cursed The Power of Magic in the Ancient World.

It's on display right now at the glass pavilion.

Tell us all about it.

So it is a stunning exhibition, and it's very spooky and fun.

Yeah.

So there's something for everyone.

My son, who's 12 years old, was so excited that cursed was opening.

Yeah, cool.

Because it's really a wonderful way to, learn about the broader history of the Mediterranean world.

So it's about Greece and Rome, Mesopotamia and Egypt, and it's about magic.

But really, it's about people, because magic comes about because people are trying to deal with often kind of traumatic things in their lives.

Or unexplainable.

Unexplainable things.

They're they're trying to give some sense of order and control to their lives.

And so what's really compelling about these objects in the show?

There's about 75 objects, and many of them are very small and tiny things you could hold in your hand or wear on your body, to protect you.

That they, they ran the gamut from about 2000 BCE to about 200 C.E.

so a span of over 2000 years of art, unbelievable.

Starting in ancient Egypt and going up to the Roman world.

So when you start with the you start with ancient Egypt, and then you pass through a dark doorway and see some demons from Mesopotamia and then you go through Greece and then you end up in Rome.

So you're really traveling around the Mediterranean world and seeing these amazing objects that help you understand how people, what people were struggling with.

And one of the things that struck me about the show, which I didn't curate, but, our guest curator, Doctor Jeffrey Speer from the Getty Museum curated is the things that people are dealing with in the ancient world are the same that we are struggling with today.

And and one in particular that resonated with me was there are so many spells to protect children and mothers.

So childbirth, is just one of those universally challenging things.

So the demon Zuzu, who is, if you show, show us Pazuzu peeking out here on the cover of our family guide.

But Zuzu was a demon, but he would protect against other demons who stole or, damaged children.

So you wanted one demon on your side?

Yes.

And by keeping this near, you, on your body, in your home, it would protect you from.

Or ward off the other.

Yeah, exactly.

Exactly.

So.

But Zuzu, in this case is not an evil demon.

I mean, he could do bad things, but he's there to protect you.

There's also this amazing, ivory, Tusk.

That, is in the shape of a wand.

And as our family guide said, it's not like a wand you'd get, you know, at all of Andrew's to take to Hogwarts, but it's this beautiful, carved, task that has all these wonderful Egyptian animals on it.

Yes.

And that was to protect young mothers and children.

And then as you go through, the show, something that really struck me is the power of women.

You know, all of us take our own experiences out of these exhibitions.

So for me, I was struck by, how they the figure of CAC, who, many people might know from from Odysseus odyssey, who turns people into animals, these these ancient witches, and, up through Roman, times where we have all these tiny little amulets that, had these figures that you would wear, like, as a ring or like a necklace to protect you.

And for things that you wanted.

We're talking with Anna Mali, the director of curatorial arts at the Museum of Art.

What, we got about seconds left.

Why does this matter?

Right?

Like, why?

And not just this exhibit, but that sort of museum of art.

Why is it important for people to go and experience art?

So experiencing art is just a great way to lower your blood pressure.

Sure, it's a great way to connect with friends and family, and it's a great way for you to learn about the past in whatever way you want.

And I always think that art history and museums are there for us to understand the past so we can make sense of our life today.

And so you can come to curse, you can come with your family, you can learn something, but you can also have a transformative experience where you don't have to think necessarily about what's going on in your day today, but maybe there will be something like, protection or, thinking about your family that you take from the show and go with you and helps you with what you are going through in your life today.

Beautiful and lovely.

Thank you so much.

Curse the power.

Sorry of magic in.

The ancient world.

Oh, and stereo.

Yeah.

Where were you at on that one, Matt?

Open now at Toledo Museum of Art.

Get out and check it out.

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Welcome back into the 419, another exciting, episode.

Great people.

And I didn't fool you with my guest.

You got you got.

It only on this show with you, which is bakery and a world renowned race curator.

It does not.

The two things need to be combined.

You can have a donut in the gallery space.

That is not, on behalf of the DMA.

Yeah, not allowed.

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