 Welcome to another edition of Yes We're Here, this time a special one, a close friend of mine and co-founder of Grove House, owner of two fabulous restaurants in Brooklyn, Lillia and Missy. I'm joined by the amazing Sean Feeney. Sean, thank you so much for joining us here on the Yes Network. It's so good to see your face brother, even though you're in LA it's good to see your face over here in Brooklyn. Well it's great to see you too. I got to get into it, I know you're a big fan of the Yankees and the Nets and you're watching the network so for us it's a pleasure to have you on our broadcast. Let's talk about your businesses. Tell us a little bit about what you do and the businesses that you run around New York. Sure, well first I will say I miss so much right now watching my Nets who would be starting in the playoffs right now and obviously a lifelong Yankees fan. I miss seeing them and here and all the guys call those games and also you on NYCFC. I miss it all right now but better days are coming and I guess you know for me every day is a good day and none are easy. That's kind of the way I've always lived my life and it's helped me through this time. We have two restaurants in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Lillia and Missy and we have 189 team members that on March 15th we had to tell our doors were no longer safe for them to walk into and it's been you know about 34 days now since we haven't seen them or guests that we've been able to have in our restaurants to take care of and it's it's definitely been challenging. I'm someone that jumps out of bed every morning excited to physically connect with whoever crosses my path and to help make their day better and so not to be able to do that right now is it's tough and you know it's it's kind of like KB without a basketball or Aaron Judge without a bat or Jay-Z without a beat but you know fortunately if you look at it in a positive way we can impact people's lives differently where I don't need a hoop I don't need a mic or those giant biceps like Aaron Judge you just got to try to be creative right now. Tell us maybe a little bit about what you've been doing since you've had to close the doors. How have you been getting creative with your business and industry since the doors have been closed? Well for the first two weeks we were closed we really focused hard on taking care of the people that were on our team that were part of our restaurant families and we did that in a form of a recovery plan and the first part of that plan was to make sure that they were taking care of up until the moment that we closed those doors they were getting paid they were getting health care they were gonna get their sick pay and pay time off that they would have accumulated through this year they were gonna get it up front now and the second part of that plan was then knowing that once we did have to lay them off they were going on employment benefits and at that time it was gonna cut their income by at least half so we wanted to make a bridge for them to get through this moment where they were gonna be making at least half to when we finally to get to open again and we started a fund a family fund growth house family fund where we've raised over $200,000 now and a hundred percent of that money was raised from our community that people that came into our restaurants for the past four years for the people that were serving them and it hundred percent goes to our our employees the family of our restaurants and it's been able to give them more comfort and protection during this time of uncertainty and the last part of that plan was to get everybody excited so that when we did open up again they were incentivized to be with us in this thing and Missy my partner and I decided that we were gonna make sure that everybody that got through this time with us and and once we did reopen our doors we're gonna participate in our profits as if they were partners with us and owners of the restaurant throughout this year we're gonna start a grocery store now where we were going to open this business in 2021 now we're going to do it in the form of a weekly grocery bag where we're curating the produce the proteins the pantry that we would build through our restaurants that we cook in our restaurants with and now you're gonna be able to buy it from us and cook it in your home so right now because of the distancing because of the ability to just stay in home we're gonna essentially create those dining experiences that make your day better that you would normally get in our restaurants but now we're gonna give you the tools to do it in your home with the ones you love and the best part about the idea is that we're essentially for every bag that we sell Missy and I Grove house our company will give a bag to students who we help employ and mentor in our restaurants from the food and finance high school in Manhattan we have a bunch of these students that work with us who also live in Brooklyn and we're going to be able to give them a bag so their families can have the meals for that week so every bag that we sell those families will get to them what a fabulous idea Sean that really is quite incredible thinking out of the box and that's what I'm really enjoying about this I know it's an unfortunate circumstance for so many people out there but people are getting really creative and I'm starting to see a lot of joy in that creativity from people in all walks of life and you're certainly leading the way in the food and drinks industry I've got to ask you this what do you personally miss most about going to work every day it's just the people just see just seeing them see am I my team I'm a big like I just love to be with people physically to try and help make their day better and I just miss that interaction of physical connection and building trust and just trying to see those they're just picking people up and going through a day together I miss that I miss I miss seeing smiling faces in the restaurants it's like going to Yankee Stadium without any fans and obviously we're gonna have to get used to some of this but again every day is a good day we have the ability to make each each day great and I think just you know New Yorkers would I've you know fortunately have have learned that New Yorkers they just they're at their best when when times are the worst and it's a really powerful thing it makes our city great it makes it the best in the world and it is the city that never sleeps but it's um it's it's just it's a nap right now and I'm watching so many people spread love and it's not just the Brooklyn way it's the New York way and and it gives me strength and energy I see you know during this time it's our darkest moment I have so many people that work with us and so many people that have been guests just reaching out and saying are you all right are you okay meanwhile I'm the one that's always trying to do that for people and I think it's you know it's it's that it's working that love that's being spread it's working and New York City always comes back it just does and it will once again and we'll we'll remake it you know so many people we try to make it here and we'll remake it here but now we get to do it together which has been it's just been a beautiful thing and and and something that's given me so much energy and strength in the worst time Sean Finney thank you so much for your time and good luck God bless and I can't wait to visit you again in Lillia all right brother stay safe and healthy I can't wait to see you soon I can't wait to invite everybody back in and make their day better thanks John thank you brother