S2E13.1 | The Crunkleton – Paper Trails Podcast

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 13.1

EPISODE GUEST: Chef Greg Balch & Ryan Hart

Meet two of the minds that make both the Crunkleton Charlotte and Cheat’s Cheesesteaks on the must-list of Charlotte, N.C.’s culinary scene: Executive Chef Greg Balch and Bar Manager Ryan Hart.

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Meet two of the minds that make both the Crunkleton Charlotte and Cheat’s Cheesesteaks on the must-list of Charlotte, N.C.’s culinary scene: Executive Chef Greg Balch and Bar Manager Ryan Hart.

The Crunkleton bar originated in Chapel Hill by owner, Gary Crunkleton, who is brought the craft cocktail scene to N.C. and who coded a majority of the amaros the were before unavailable to the state.

They fired up the Charlotte Crunkleton’s 9 foot, wood-fired hearth and hit the ground running… all the way to pop-up cheesesteak stand with droves of obsessive fans.

Ryan and Greg share their journies through the restaurant industry and how they combine their experience to create an atmosphere at the Crunkleton that is respectful of their staff, customer-driven, and at top of the culinary game in Charlotte.

And if you need a cheat day in your diet, stay tuned for Part 2: Cheats Cheesesteaks – next!

“Do What’s Expected…and Do A Bunch of Other Sh!t Too”

– Ryan Hart, The Crunkleton 

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:37-05:00August 30th, 2021|Paper Trails, PodCasts, Season 2|0 Comments

S2E12 | Sustainability in Style with CT Commercial Paper – Paper Trails Podcast

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 12

EPISODE GUEST: CT Commercial Paper

We may be a paper company, but this crew is makin’ that paper! We get a fascinating view inside the workings of CT Commercial Paper in Oakboro, NC with Kat Palm & Mollie Guffy.

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Not only do they make the best paper products (Single Roll Tissue, Jumbo Roll Tissue, Hard Wound Roll Towels, Kitchen Roll Towels, Folded Towels, Napkins, Toilet Seat Covers, and more) but their products do not require the destruction and depletion of the world’s precious natural resources. They utilize sustainable virgin pulp and also one hundred percent post-consumer waste substrates. 

“I never thought I would say I’m excited about toilet paper, but I am,” says Kat Palm, president of CTCP who explains there is so much science behind each roll of toilet paper, from the trees to the substrates, to the absorbency and brightness, that she looks at all products with new eyes now. 

CTCP is proud of the quality product they have created and the positive feedback they get from their consumers. 

As of 2021, they have six warehouses located throughout the Central and Western United States, with further expansion planned in the Southern and Eastern portions of the U.S. Y’all know when your office is skimpin on the good paper products — have your boss hit up CT Commercial Paper for that good good.

“I never thought I would say I’m excited about toilet paper, but I am,

– Kat Palm, CTCP

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:38-05:00August 11th, 2021|Paper Trails, PodCasts, Season 2|0 Comments

S2E7 | Modern Jewish Cuisine: Meshugganah – Paper Trails Podcast

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 7

EPISODE GUEST: Meshugganah Jewish Cuisine

You’re gonna be hungry by the end of this episode. We talk with Rob Clement and Hannah Woociker about the amazing collab that became Meshugganah, Modern Jewish Cuisine.

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Rob and Hannah share the stories behind how some of their Jewish food & pastries are made and cured. Nick pretty much left a puddle of drool as Hannah described her Babka, a loaf of sweet braided bread with chocolate and cinnamon. Our main takeaway? It’s important to do what you love. After working other jobs, Rob returned to his roots in cooking and rediscovered his passion. And he’s been making magic ever since. 

Learn your Yiddish: Bobe = “Grandma”

“Time is such an important factor in food.”

– Rob Clement, Meshugganah

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:39-05:00May 18th, 2021|Paper Trails, Season 2|0 Comments

S2E5 | Supperland (is Where I’m Moving to) — Jamie Brown & Jeff Tonidandel on Paper Trails Podcast

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 8

EPISODE GUEST: Jamie Brown & Jeff Tonidandel

Upscale church potluck is the vibe Jamie Brown & Jeff Tonidandel are going for with their newest Charlotte, NC restaurant, Supperland, in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood. 

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Supperland is Jamie Brown and Jeff Tonidandel’s first step outside their NoDa neighborhood where their Tonidandel-Brown restaurant properties, Growlers Pour House, Haberdish, Crepe Cellar & Reigning Doughnuts, take over almost a full block of dining. Supperland is a picturesque marvel repurposing 2 historic church buildings into a boho-chic bar and main dining room with an open kitchen at the back.

“It’s been a big part of what we see as our responsibility to continue to grow to create opportunities for these amazing people who are on our team.”

– Jamie Brown, Supperland

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:40-05:00May 4th, 2021|Paper Trails, Season 2|0 Comments

S2E4 | Lulu’s Maryland Style Chicken & Seafood – Paper Trails Podcast

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 4

EPISODE GUEST: Jay & Miketa Davis

The inspiring duo behind Charlotte’s favorite Chicken & Seafood spot, Lulu’s Maryland Style Chicken & Seafood, joins us on an all new #PaperTrailsPodcast! 

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Meet Jay & Miketa Davis – they tell us about teamwork making the dream work, their new Plaza Midwood location, Jay’s military & bounty hunting history, why they came to Charlotte, and how their family inspired them.

“Everybody can drop a jewel even if they don’t realize they’re doing it.”

– Jay Davis, Lulu’s Maryland Style Chicken & Seafood

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:40-05:00April 27th, 2021|Paper Trails, Season 2|0 Comments

S2E3 | Healthy Brand Oil – Paper Trails Podcast

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 3

EPISODE GUEST: Healthy Brand Oil

While working in the restaurant supply industry, Jason Thomas noticed restaurants order a LOT of oil…and decided to slide on into the industry.  

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Now, Healthy Brand Oil is recognized as an industry leader in premium oils offering innovative ways for chefs an restaurant owners for chefs to sustain and grow their business.

“We were ready to scale last January… then all of a sudden, this thing called COVID hit…”

– Lee Cooper, Barvecue

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:41-05:00April 20th, 2021|Paper Trails, Season 2|0 Comments

S2E2 | Plant-Based BBQ Phenom, BARVECUE – Paper Trails Podcast

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 2

EPISODE GUEST: Barvecue

Y’all know we southerners like our BBQ…but we also like jumpin’ on that Meatless Monday trend.  We’re joined by the owners plant-based BBQ phenom, Barvecue, Lee Cooper & Zack Werner. 

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Y’all know we southerners like our BBQ…but we also like jumpin’ on that Meatless Monday trend. Lee Cooper and Zack Werner’s Barvecue is slaying the vegan barbecue game with their plant-based BBQ phenom, “BVQ.” Their company is taking off and they had expansion plans… “We were ready to scale last January… then all of a sudden, this thing called COVID hit…” With the pandemic putting a pause in their production plans, they tell us how they’ve adapted their plans to scale.

“We were ready to scale last January… then all of a sudden, this thing called COVID hit…”

– Lee Cooper, Barvecue

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:41-05:00April 13th, 2021|Paper Trails, Season 2|0 Comments

S2E1 | Honey Tree Farms Casey Ostwinch

SEASON 2: EPISODE NUMBER: 1

EPISODE GUEST: Casey Ostwinch

Casey Ostwinch began landscaping at age 16 and immediately discovered one important thing:  He sure preferred the fresh air to work indoors.  Fast forward and he and his wife, Tori, are now living off their land, Honey Tree Farm, and selling produce to local restaurants and markets.

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Casey’s love of the outdoors carried on into college where he studied horticulture and landscape. It wasn’t long after moving to North Carolina to become an arborist for Barlett Tree Experts that Casey started taking the job home. 

He and his wife, Tori, began homesteading and growing their own food in 2016, documenting it all on Instagram. And on Instagram is where their farm life took off. Someone discovered their feed and approached them the Ostwinches to turn their land into a farm. 

Casey and Tori sold everything, packed up their belongings, and moved to a camper on the property. Tori continued her work at a corporate job while Casey tended to the farm. But they soon realized that they could manage the farm together. 

And what began as a quest for good health now became a business idea. Trips to farmer’s markets and restaurants in the area had sparked an idea in the Ostwinches — they could do this too. 

Casey turned to some gardening books suggested by friends that taught him about turning the farm into a business and ‘market gardening.” They’ve found success producing fruits and vegetables to sell. 

And they’ve also found success online. On their popular YouTube channel, Honey Tree Farm, Casey and Tori post weekly videos showing the progress of their work and give tips for those who want to begin gardening. Because unpredictable weather can make farming and gardening tricky, the Ostwinches teach their viewers to be prepared for the unexpected and help answer questions for struggling gardeners. 

Casey’s top takeaways as a business owner for finding success: 

1) Communication Matters 

2) Develop a relationship with your customers 

3) Be proactive 

4) have a strong work ethic 

What’s next for Honey Tree Farm? Right now they have plans for the future that involves more than only selling vegetables at markets, which they’re super excited about but can’t say just yet!

“There is no finish line.  Nobody ‘wins’ a business.  There is no finish line.” 

– Casey Ostwinch, Honey Tree Farm

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By |2022-03-23T13:32:41-05:00April 6th, 2021|Paper Trails, Season 2|0 Comments

S1E30 | Pinky’s Westside Grill Owner Greg Auten

SEASON 1: EPISODE NUMBER: 30

EPISODE GUEST: Greg Auten

Pinky’s Westside Grill was serving up a mean meal long before Guy Fieri and the Food Network visited.  We’re chatting with owner, Greg Auten, whose long history in the restaurant scene has taken him from a hot dog cart to working with another Charlotte, NC iconic diner, the Penguin.

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It’s the restaurant with a VW Bug sitting atop the roof that you’ve seen on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. But we already knew Pinky’s Westside Grill was serving up a mean meal long before Guy Fieri and the Food Network visited.

Owner, Greg Auten, has had along history in the Charlotte, N.C. restaurant scene. A Charlotte native, Auten has watched the city and food scene grow exponentially. He started his culinary career working a hot dog cart, bartending at Red Lobster and working as a banquet chef before taking a position at the iconic Penguin restaurant.

Despite the popularity and success of Pinky’s, Auten’s career has had many setbacks. Overcoming them has taught him the importance of consistency, reliability, and investing. His advice? “Whoever’s listening to this learn from these stories… there’s a little thread of what it takes to succeed.”

Greg Auten’s Business Tips:

  • Take what you do serious
  • Be in control of finances
  • Stay on top of everything
  • Knowing the cost of everything

After a wide and varied journey through all sides of the restaurant industry, bbq fan Lewis Donald launched his shop, Sweet Lew’s, in the Belmont neighborhood of Charlotte, NC because he felt Charlotte needed a true barbecue shop and “I felt like that was my best avenue to be me, have fun and I could see myself doing it for the rest of my life.”

“It takes time and you have to really work at it like any business”

– Jason Ackerman of @scallionpancake on growing an Instagram following

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By |2022-03-23T13:38:51-05:00February 16th, 2021|Paper Trails, Season 1|0 Comments

S1E29 | Charlotte Food Influencers: Allie Papajohn, Jason Ackerman & Jessica Hodnett – Paper Trails

SEASON 1: EPISODE NUMBER: 29

EPISODE GUEST: Jason Ackerman, Jessica Hodnett & Allie Papajohn

They’re the minds behind Charlotte, N.C.’s most popular Instagram food feeds.  Meet @eatdrinkclt’s Allie Papajohn, one-half of @scallionpancake’s Jason Ackerman, and @thesweetseoul’s Jessica Hodnett. 

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They’re the minds behind the mouth-watering feeds of three of Charlotte, N.C.’s most popular foodie Instagram accounts.  Meet @eatdrinkclt’s Allie Papajohn, one-half of @scallionpancake’s Jason Ackerman, and @thesweetseoul’s Jessica Hodnett.  

We test the foodie trio’s local restaurant knowledge and find out what they would like to see come to Charlotte.  

In the trying times of COVID, they share how they’ve been working to help use their foodie power for good in support of the restaurant industry.  

Their tips for being successful on social media:

  • Be engaging
  • Consistent/authentic
  • Be involved in the community
  • Motivation
  • Know your worth
  • Enjoy what you do

After a wide and varied journey through all sides of the restaurant industry, bbq fan Lewis Donald launched his shop, Sweet Lew’s, in the Belmont neighborhood of Charlotte, NC because he felt Charlotte needed a true barbecue shop and “I felt like that was my best avenue to be me, have fun and I could see myself doing it for the rest of my life.”

“It takes time and you have to really work at it like any business”

– Jason Ackerman of @scallionpancake on growing an Instagram following

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By |2022-03-23T13:38:51-05:00February 9th, 2021|Paper Trails, Season 1|0 Comments

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