Maggie interviews Paul Tyler of John O'Groats restaurant

KTWV-FM / 94.7 The WAVE

Transcript

00:00We're here with Paul Tyler today of John O'Groats.

00:03He is the owner and operator.

00:05It is a staple.

00:07It is an iconic restaurant on Pico and Rancho Park

00:11right by the park.

00:13How long has John O'Groats been there?

00:15We have been open on February 26th.

00:19It'll be 43 years.

00:22Wow, okay.

00:22Yeah, very quickly.

00:25That is amazing.

00:26Okay, and you know, you have,

00:28like everybody who's anybody

00:30and everyone in between who goes there.

00:32So sadly, I know you have a lot of clients,

00:34customers who lost their homes

00:37and you are no stranger to helping people in need,

00:40especially when it comes to food.

00:42We've known each other for what, like 15 years at least?

00:46And you're always, always helping out people.

00:49So tell me what you're doing

00:50for the people affected, your customers.

00:53Well, essentially everybody that has been coming

00:56into John O'Groats over the last couple of weeks,

00:58I will check in with them.

01:02If I know them, if I don't know them

01:04and ask, you know, how's everything?

01:06And you know, you get some pretty candid answers

01:09regarding their status with their homes.

01:12In the first week, of course,

01:13it was either they were evacuated,

01:15they'd lost their home, they were housing somebody.

01:18So in that moment, I would say, you know what?

01:21We got this.

01:22You know, you're here for comfort.

01:24We'd like to buy you, you know, your lunch, your breakfast.

01:28If we can provide a dinner for you,

01:31you know, maybe a family style fried chicken,

01:33something of that nature.

01:35And, you know, so many people were just so overwhelmed

01:39with what was going on in their lives

01:42and were the offer of just the comfort.

01:46You know, a lot of people were very emotional.

01:49So in doing that, you know, just being able to provide

01:53not just the food,

01:54because really it's more than just the food.

01:57It's about the feeling that people come in

01:59when they come in the John O'Groats.

02:02It feels like a second home to many people.

02:06I would say that a large number of close friends

02:08from Loyola High School,

02:11both my classmates and or my son's classmates

02:15are currently experiencing what it is to not have a house.

02:21And today, for example, I had a very close friend.

02:25We went to Loyola together.

02:26We played football and he is completely without a house now.

02:32He and his wife rented an apartment in Santa Monica,

02:37but we spoke about how surreal it is

02:40that all this is happening.

02:42So we are concentrating on not just feeding them with food,

02:48but also comforting them.

02:50And that's really what we've been kind of focusing on.

02:55It's always that way at John O'Groats.

02:57So it does always feel,

02:59you always make everyone feel at home

03:01and your mom's there sometimes and your brother

03:03and your family, you know, your wonderful kids.

03:06It does feel like a home, whether it's a disaster or not.

03:10Now you have taken it a step further

03:12and you're providing for the firefighters.

03:15Tell us about that.

03:17Sure, well, essentially, again,

03:20it's something that needs to be done.

03:24These persons that are taking care of other people,

03:26they're heroes in their own right.

03:29And we've always felt that way.

03:31We've always had that kind of relationship

03:33with both our friends in the fire department

03:36and police officers,

03:39that the services that they offer

03:40for our community are essential.

03:44And we recognize what they do.

03:46And so what people,

03:48and I've got some very generous friends,

03:51a shout out to my college fraternity brothers

03:55and good friends who have donated a lot of money

04:02to feed the first responders.

04:05And so we've been doing that either

04:08in the way of breakfast burritos, sandwiches, dinner,

04:14supplementing if they come in to order food to go,

04:19just buying their lunches outright.

04:23You know, and something that's not just now,

04:26because, you know, I would like to,

04:28we provided, and actually, truth be told,

04:32we've always provided a 50% discount

04:35for all police officers and fire persons.

04:40That's so nice, Paul.

04:43Well, I think it's not just nice, it's necessary.

04:47Come on, a lot of people don't do it.

04:49So people listening, if they want to help,

04:53they can also do what your friend did

04:56because you are a family owned business.

04:59You're not a chain.

05:00You're a one, you know, family owned.

05:03So, I mean, it's very generous that you do this,

05:06but you could use help, right?

05:08If people, because there are a lot of people

05:10who don't know what to do.

05:11What I like to see is people get involved

05:15and it can be a $10 donation or a $1,000 donation.

05:20It's just, I think, and it's something

05:22that I've always told, well, and my children anyway,

05:27it's like, don't stand on the sidelines.

05:31Be a part of what's going on.

05:33And so anybody can help.

05:35It can be in the way of your time.

05:38It can be in the way of your treasures,

05:42your money.

05:43And so I've had persons that they said,

05:46well, we can't donate it,

05:47but can we take it to the police officers

05:49or the fire department?

05:51Yeah, certainly.

05:52So, you know, people will offer to drive the meals

05:56if I can't get out of the office.

05:58There is the fire department directly down the street

06:01from us.

06:02So that's kind of cool.

06:03That's about 50 yards away.

06:05And that's fire station 92.

06:07There is a fire station that is located,

06:14let me see, located over at Olympic near Federal.

06:20That's fire station 59.

06:22And the other fire station that's close to us

06:23is on Sunset and Beverly Glen.

06:26And I believe that's fire station 71.

06:30So all of them we've been able to get some stuff up to.

06:33And the first day, that Wednesday,

06:37I went over to the Westwood Rec Center

06:40to take biscuits, coffee.

06:42And again, it's not about the food.

06:45It's really more about the comfort that people receive

06:50from eating or drinking a cup of coffee.

06:54Yeah, and well, to know that someone cared about them

06:57and is thinking of them.

06:58I think that's even more than the food.

07:00The food is good though.

07:01You need the food,

07:02but that you went to the trouble to make it,

07:05to think of them, to deliver it and to show up

07:07when they know.

07:10Yeah, and the other part of it too,

07:11is if I do go personally,

07:13you're finding out stories about people.

07:16You're really, you're, you are engaging them

07:19and you're getting to know them

07:21beyond just handing them a cup of coffee.

07:26Yeah.

07:27Well, I know you're busy.

07:28I know just from your phone.

07:33Where would people go?

07:35Like a phone number, website, Venmo, Zelle, how would they?

07:39You can contact me personally at Jono Gross.

07:41I would recommend that.

07:42Or they can reach out to us on our website

07:44and just kind of tell me what your intentions are

07:47and I can walk you through.

07:48Yeah, and then people are selling my account

07:53if I give them the information.

07:54So it's probably best if they communicate with me personally

07:58that way we can kind of iron out

08:00whatever details they want.

08:02Sometimes people are very specific

08:04as to who they want to feed and that's okay.

08:10Okay, so what is the website?

08:13The website is jonogross.us.

08:16Yes, jonogrossrestaurant.us.

08:20.us?

08:21Yes, .us.

08:23And then you can reach me at jonogross

08:25at the restaurant itself, either by phone.

08:31If you do go on our website,

08:32there's a place to communicate with us via email.

08:35Okay, great.

08:36Or they can just call you old school on the phone,

08:38look up Jono Gross.

08:39Exactly, so it's 310-204-0692.

08:46Awesome, okay.

08:48Keep up the good work.

08:49I know you are in the middle of it

08:52and thank you for doing it.

08:54I'm sure all the people affected

08:56would say thank you to you as well.

08:58And if you would like to help, again,

09:00all you have to do is call Jono Gross

09:02or go on their website.

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