Friends, in 2003 I began to think that the idea of opening an eatery predicated on soups and chowders was my destiny. At that time, the University of NH didn't quite jive with my mindset for whatever reason, so I had to move away to do it in order to maintain a formula which I believed would stave off the failure met by most new food ventures. I needed my location to be centered within walking distance of office buildings, university students, and a residential community. Ithaca, NY was that place. On the "Commons" of Ithaca adjacent to Cornell University, "ZOUPWERKS" A Funky Soup & Chowdah Joint was launched. 1100 sq. ft. of space with respectable frontage. It was a place unlike any other in the Ithaca community, yet still looked as though it had been settled in for a generation. 

To prepare the eatery's theme, I took my own pieces of memorabilia, scoured local auction houses, estate sales, collectors, and even signed on with the new thing called eBay when dial-up was still a thing. Amassing a respectable collection of authentic (no reproductions) 1970's era pieces of nostalgia, ZOUPWERKS began to take shape as a funky joint. Another location, 5 hours west just across the Ohio border, caught my attention. It was a standalone brick and mortar establishment, twice the size and half the operating cost of the original ZOUPWERKS location. That spot became the second eatery. 

After several years making a name for myself, the following became undeniable. Everyday, many of the same people would leave work and have lunch at my establishment. Several years in, a group of dudes in jackets and ties began coming in over a period of 3 to 4 weeks. Later, it was revealed that they were developers and architects for a 200+ million dollar expansion of a dedicated area of commerce in Kent, OH, next to Kent State University. So close, that a long footbridge was proposed to connect this area to campus. What were these guys doing in my little chowdah joint? Come to find out, they were scoping out whether it was a brand that could be a part of their overall Kent commerce development plan. Eventually, the fourth visit turned out to be the verbal invite from the financier of this project, to come out to the offices in Kent, and hear out the proposal they had in mind for my business to be inserted into the 36 businesses they were seeking. 

I jumped at the opportunity and my place was the very first place to sign on, and ZOUPWERKS was on it's way. Six months later, with 1000 new customers chowing down real New England Clam Chowdah in Kent, OH... the cease and desist letter came. A soup establishment in Michigan named ZOUP! told us that ZOUPWERKS was an infringement on their brand, that it had to go. No small task since I was already heavily branded in numerous ways. The developers called me in for a sit down, and to my surprise said that all costs would be comp'd for the name change. The main money guy looked at me and said "Consider it a compliment Randy. If they didn't didn't think you imposed a possible future threat to their business, you would not be going through this". 

The developers covered my trademark attorney fees and all subsequent material costs. The nightmare to create something to replace my beloved brand name started. Unnerving is an understatement. A customer, one day coming into the Kent location and calling the decor "Funky", whilst me staring at 8 soups on the line with multi colored ladles sticking out of them---Funky Ladles was born! It stuck, it made sense, and a few years later the University of Akron approached me and the developers to ask if I would franchise a satellite to their campus. This would have meant the institution scratching off to ME, a low 6 figure check for them to utilize my brand and format. I would be an onsite start-up consultant for 30 days, then I was to leave when operations began. This was the dream, coming full circle. 

A loved one shortly thereafter, became non-ambulatory. She had suffered with the incurable Scleroderma for several years, but it had manifested to such a level of pain and organ damage, that upon a certain Cleveland Clinic visit, the Sclero primary care doctor approached me and asked "Do you want her to suffer and die alone? No? Then close your restaurant and become the primary caregiver. There is no other option".  Friends, it was that blunt. The next week, I cash sold my prime lease, declined the option to franchise, and did what needed to be done.

Fast forward to today, where my caregiver days are behind me.  I held onto the Funky Ladles intellectual property for a reason, despite an offer or two here and there, because I knew that I would return to it one day. That time is now Friends. The Funky Ladles reboot is 100%. I had always stayed trademarked, and our great state of NH relicensed Funky Ladles to operate legally in December 2021. My vendors are all back on board, my bank was all too happy to activate it as a business entity with all the extras. 

This is it! Returning to the show, friends.