There’s no big secret to their success other than hard work and a love of good food according to Executive Chef and owner of fusion food restaurant Fresh & Bangin’ in Lakeport John Arslanian who, along with his partner Scott Price, have been running their second Lake County location for the past four months, having already established a unique culinary presence with their first restaurant in the Lucerne area in 2015.
“We work seven days, 100 hours a week and we love it,” said Arslanian who added that good food and service coupled with putting in the effort to grow and sustain a business in a small town has paid off with a positive reception from the community they serve. In return, they are determined to give back by providing a more diverse choice for diners and job opportunities to a staff which ranges in age and backgrounds.
“It’s been a long ride,” he said. “But it’s all about having that work ethic and hustle, you have to put in the effort.”
The pair of chefs and future restaurateurs operated a food truck in Los Angeles but always wanted to open a brick and mortar restaurant. They trained at the renown Le Cordon Bleu school in Pasadena before becoming a presence at weekly farmers markets and the regional brewery scene which led to catering and eventually to an idea for the original Lucerne location.
Arslanian recalls coming to Lake County during Super Bowl Sunday one year when a couple of friends suggested he and Price open their own place thereby giving the area a more diverse dining experience, which they made a reality in May 2015.
“I love the small town feel,” said Arslanian, while also admitting that it took approximately six months to get used to the slower pace of life in the smaller city.
“It was definitely an adjustment. I remember trying to find a place open on a Sunday night while trying to get some pizzas and Gatorades to thank friends who helped us move,” he said. “We are the only restaurant open seven days a week in Lake County and that is something that we are proud up.”
According to Arslanian, he and Price ate at various locations around the county but they could not find a lot of variety in the menus.
That’s not the case at their restaurant where he said every culture is represented from Italian to Colombian dishes, French and fresh sea food. They also take credit for introducing fresh raw Ahi Poke which they explained is a customer favorite.
“We feel like we brought a new culinary scene into the area and everyone else followed suit,” said Arslanian, who emphasized the restaurant’s menu changes every couple of months in order to expand their customers’ food horizons. A goal was to get people to try something they never even heard of before while keeping people’s favorite dishes on the menu while concurrently changing specials on a daily basis.
Last week, everything prepared by staff was house smoked, including a smoked pull pork. The eatery boasts of using different spices and techniques giving customers a wide-ranging choice of salads and main courses. The duo has also catered events for approximately 500 people.
“We offer different options, there’s something for everyone,” said Price, from a traditional burger to bolder recipes that offer something with more excitement.
The duo also take credit for starting a trend towards more gluten free fare such as fish and chips, spicy chicken salads and empanadas to name a few.
Running a restaurant and opening a second location has been a learning experience with many challenges according to Arslanian and Price, but overall they said the biggest challenge has been putting together a staff, the majority of which are under 18 years of age and still in High School. There is also a 60-year-old baker and two special needs staffers on the payroll because the owners believe in giving back to the community by offering employment to those who may not otherwise have the opportunity.
One wall inside Arslanian’s office is lined with photos from current employees’ graduation ceremonies. He said it is really important to teach them responsibility, to mold them into productive adults through hard work and to help them save money for their future. Fresh & Bangin’ employs about 25 people between its two locations, the majority of which earn above minimum wage salaries in addition to tips according to the owners.
“Outside of the restaurant we’ve helped kids set up their first bank accounts and helped them obtain their driver’s license,” said Price.
“That’s one of my favorite things,” added Arslanian who said it’s rewarding to be able to change people’s lives.
As for the future, the plan is for the business to expand and to open new locations in every town in the county,” he said. “From coffee shops to pizza shops, our goal is to give back to our employees who wan to have an opportunity to own their own business.”
Price offered advice to others who plan to start a successful business in the area, he said it’s important to ignore the naysayers including negative comments or detractors found in the social medial space.
“During the same time what we opened up in Lucerne about six or seven restaurants have shut down,” he said. “People make comments in social media and feel like their opinion should always matter, at the end of the day, as long as you show up and work hard, that’s all that really matters.”
Fresh & Bagin’ is open for business in Lakeport Monday through Thursday from 11 to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 to 9 p.m. and for Sunday brunch 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
