16 APRIL 2023 with Larry and Rasheedah White, owners of Brunch & Sip L arry and Rasheedah White, the proprietors of Brunch & Sip, have a long history in Phoenix’s restaurant industry – starting with Larry’s grandmother, Elizabeth White. She’s owned the famous Golden Rule Café downtown for over 50 years and passed on her recipes and cooking skills to the couple – who know how to brunch and love sharing their food with the Arcadia community and beyond. Give us a little history of the White family. Oh gosh – well, we just got a Lifetime award for this, so I should know the answer to how many generations there are! Grandma White just turned 100. She looks fantastic. The City of Phoenix treated her like a queen! We got a family legacy award, too, because grandma started Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Café in 1964…before that, in 1956, her brother owned it, and it was under a different name. So when grandma and her five kids moved here, she bought it from her brother and turned it into the Golden Rule. Probably about five years ago, she stopped really working – she’ll still go to the restaurant and tinker around. But if you go to her house on a Sunday, there’s a feast! Larry is her first grandchild, so their bond is inseparable. As a kid, he would go to the café and play with his army figurines in the kitchen – she was like the babysitter. They would travel to Texas together, where Grandma is from. Larry didn’t want to go into the industry, but after trying everything else, he came back. The restaurant was his plan Z. When did your first restaurant open? We opened Lo-Lo’s in 2002. There are locations in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Gilbert. There are also locations in Vegas in Dallas. Vegas is our number one store…on a Monday, there’s a two-hour wait. It’s amazing. After Lo-Lo’s, we decided to get into hot chicken, so that’s how Monroe’s Hot Chicken came about – one in Phoenix and one in Tempe. I was at pilates one day, and the lady next to me mentioned that this building [where Brunch & Sip is now] was available. At Lo-Lo’s, we had pancakes and all these breakfast items, but we found that it was just too much. So we scrapped a bunch of those items, and I decided to check out the building. I called Larry and said, “let’s do our breakfast concept here.” And he said, “let’s go.” And Brunch & Sip was born? Yes! I was so excited to offer all the options – gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian. I would say Brunch & Sip is my baby. Larry always helps out with stuff, but I feel like women like to brunch. So the concept came from people being able to come out, eat, drink, and have fun. Brunch all day, every day! What about the drinks? When we first started, it was Larry and I just putting out our favorite drinks. Like, everyone likes a mimosa. I like tequila drinks and stuff like that. But now, it’s shared with our staff and our bartenders. They get a week assigned to them where they come up with their own drink recipes. We put our twists on it. We sell a ton of mimosa flights. And we have a DJ on the weekends and a champagne gun that we share with our guests! Rasheedah, who taught you how to cook? When Larry and I got together, I wanted nothing to do with cooking. My family owned a restaurant called Karim’s Cobbler Shop, so I would work there on the weekends, and it was such hard work. I knew I didn’t want to do that for a living. My senior year, I worked in banking. I told my grandmother I wanted to be a teller! So that’s what I did – and I was so happy. I went to school for accounting, so when Larry and I got together, I was the financial part, and he was the recipe guy. Larry is the big personality, marketing, and foodie guy. I complement him on the people and the money part. Grandma White asked me if I knew how to cook, and I told her I didn’t want to be in the kitchen – but she took me into the kitchen anyway and taught me how to make recipes from scratch. In the beginning, I could make spaghetti and tacos [ laughs ]. I can make homemade gravy – Larry still does it better than me – but I can cook things now! You opened during the pandemic? It was March 15. We were scared because we were so small, so we stopped everything. We sent the employees we had already hired to Lo-Lo’s because the drive-through was still open. But we didn’t know how to navigate the situation. We waited until June and did our soft opening. We social-distanced and did what we could – the patio was the place to be. We made a profit that year! It took off. 3950 E. Indian School Road • brunchnsip.com In the Kitchen

17 APRIL 2023 What are your responsibilities? We’re not in the stores every single day now, but it’s like…I’m the fixer. I put out the day-to-day fires. Interviewing, payroll, or basically where I’m needed is where I go. My job is to execute the ideas that come forth. And – the big news – we just closed on a Brunch & Sip in Los Angeles! It’s in Studio City. It’ll be called Brunch & Sip Lounge L.A. We’re super excited – and nervous – about it. We’re working on development and expansion. To what do you attribute the popularity of Brunch & Sip? It’s a vibe! It’s fun – you come with your girlfriends, and it’s good food paired with good cocktails, staff and music. It’s boutique and nestled in Arcadia – it’s just a chill vibe. What is the most challenging part of the industry? For both of us – it’s the people. Finding people to sell your dream the way you want it to be sold. It’s passion. At the end of the day, it’s to get the buy-in from the staff. People are number one. And keeping up. My assistant asks me all the time, “How are you doing this by yourself?” The day-to-day tasks – all based on growth and expansion – they add up. I’m a full-time mom to a 15 and 16-year-old and they have a lot going on, too. Do you think your kids will go into the restaurant industry? We have four kids; a 32 and a 31-year- old. Then the two girls at Arcadia High, Chyna is 16 and Malaysia is 15. We talk about them going into the industry. I know Malaysia does because she wants to be like her dad. Chyna might nibble at it, but she wants to do her own thing. The 31-year-old, Toyesha, works with us already. They’ll host and run food – Chyna helped during Super Bowl weekend, and she was like, “mom, this is hard work!” But they see what goes on, so we’ll see. What’s your favorite part of this industry? When I see people enjoying the food and having a good time. A good Instagram post, or a good review, that makes it all worth it. Also, when I have employees that excel in life…that really warms my heart. Seeing a smile on customers’ and employees’ faces – that’s the best. Who is your biggest inspiration? My husband! Larry is very motivated. He looks for opportunity everywhere we go. Larry dreams big; he’ll build a restaurant from a blank canvas. We went to see a new property in the neighborhood, and his vision just pops out. When he gets flowing, I get flowing. I come from a single-family home. My mom was a mail carrier and worked from 6 to 6. I think I come from the hard work part because I watched my mom. So I knew work was safe – and where Larry had the entrepreneurial side, I was stuck in my A+B=C. My husband is my biggest motivator. And then, my mom – watching her put together our finances and watching it stretch. It was just her and me, and she made it work. And I wanted my kids to see that you have to work hard for what you want. I want them to have a better life than what I had to go through. I want them to see that what they want can happen. What advice has stayed with you throughout the years? I’m going to have to go with my Christian background on this one – Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That’s probably one of my biggest sayings because life is hard, and there are a lot of obstacles along the way. You have to just keep pushing. What do you do when you’re not working? Entertain at home. This past weekend, we had a murder-mystery party! It was epic. We’re always throwing parties. Spending time with family. The girls are softball players, so we’re on the field a lot. And travel! We find a lot of inspiration from other places. Where do you go to eat on a night out? Chinese or Thai food. During the day, it’s China Chili in downtown Phoenix. Glai Baan too, it’s so good! If we’re going for cocktails, it’s Steak 44. We’re there a lot. What’s next for Larry and Rasheedah White? The Los Angeles concept is going to open hopefully in six months. It’s two stories, so there will be a lounge up top and brunch during the day. And the current Brunch & Sip is looking to relocate to a bigger spot in the future. And we’re going to be on PBS’s Check, Please, in April! Seeing a smile on customers’ and employees’ faces – that’s the best.