 New York City, it's your mayor, Eric Adams. Welcome to the Gist of Dundcast. Let's get to it. I'm here with who I consider not to only be a great entrepreneur, but really just a great citizen and a great humanitarian. My good friend, Haki Octanez. We spend the nights together on Wednesday nights, not on a date, but we go out and feed New Yorkers. Every Wednesday night, we are at the people's connecting New York food distribution to those who are down on their luck. Not only those who are living in homeless shelters, the organization with the acronym PCNY, just a team of everyday New Yorkers come together and really give their support to their fellow brothers and sisters. And it's part of my overall theme of one hour a week. If we could just dedicate one hour a week, we could do so much, Haki, and you know, you do more than one hour, but I believe it's almost contagious that once you start, you never get enough. And I want you to go and share with your experiences. And when I first met you and hearing your story, it just was so inspirational. And so why don't you take us back? How did you start? You're from the pizza guy, I like to call you, with your champion pizza with several locations, but take us back and let the listeners know the origin of your story. Thank you for having me. And I was saying it's an honor to see you and see you, see you. I don't know if you remember, I met you like a year and a half ago and you told me a little bit about my story and I told you a little bit, I said, I'm not just making pizza, we do a lot of other things about specially giving back. And you promised me if I invite you, you will come join us. Do you remember that? Yes, I do. At Alibaba. Before you become a year. Alibaba. Yeah, I have the video by the way. We took a picture. Yeah, yeah, yeah. When I was teenage, I went to Canada and my brother, he had a pizza shop. I worked with him for a couple of years and I couldn't get my green card and I decided to move to New York. Friend of mine, he live over here and he promised me if I come over here, he will help me find my job and find the place that I can stay. So when I came over here, I'm gonna go fast forward. He make me wait two and a half days at Port Authority bus station. I mean, you know, he just, he didn't help me and I don't speak a word of English. I find like cheap motel. I stay over there about like a week. I have $240 in my pocket. My money finish and I don't know what to do. I cannot go back in Canada and I don't wanna go to Turkey. When you came to the city, you slept your first few days at the Port Authority? Two and a half days. Two and a half days at the Port Authority. Wow. And I find a cheap motel. I stay over there for like maybe like a week. So then when my money finish, I have like small luggage and I just walk on New York City street, okay, just nighttime sleep on street and daytime and you just go, you know, ask the people a couple in a change. You could not speak English at the time? Not even one word. I speak French and Turkish and Turkish. Polyphonic. And so, you know, like I stay about like maybe about two week on the street as a homeless and I find Bowrie Mission as a homeless shelter. I heard that. How did you find that homeless shelter? Yeah, I met one guy from Senegal. He's named Ronnie. He's big French and he was homeless as well and train station and we talk. He said, there's a place. If you go over there, you can sleep, you eat, you know, like everything's free. And that was a Bowrie Mission. Bowrie Mission. Yeah, I stay over there for 96 days. Yeah, and well, I mean, that's what I'm, that's what I'm so, you know, like, I'm so thankful because of Bowrie Mission. Right. And from there, it was not easy. But tell me about that thankfulness. It wasn't a five star hotel. It was a homeless shelter. Why were you thankful? Why didn't you feel as though, hey, I deserve more. Why do I have to stay here in this shelter? I mean, we always have to be thankful what we have. It's not about like what we need. It's about what we have. And even though like so many or a million people, they don't have a food and to eat. Like so many parents, they cannot afford the food, bring the home for their kids. And you know, like that moment when I have it, like the Bowrie Mission, at least I have to eat the place I was staying sleep and I could take a warm shower. But before that, I don't have those opportunities. I don't have the, you know, option. And the Bowrie Mission is an amazing organization. For many years, they've been doing this. I believe in the man's low hierarchy of needs, food, shelter, clothing that allows us to get to the place of self-actualization. But there's a journey between that and those 96 days, what did you observe during those 96 days? I was, you know, when I was staying there, I was collecting the cans, you know, the Pepsi cans, like those cans. And there was a Chinese guy, he come over to the van on Prince Street and Bowrie and I smoked a lot of cigarette. So I just, I want to be able to buy a cigarette and smoke, you know, and to go to McDonald's to get like burger, you know, like the dollar burger. But we all go through a lot of struggle. I'm not too spatial because, you know, like, you know, just right now, like so many locations, we all go through a lot. And we should all understand, you know, like who live on the street. And we only help, you know, we all need sometimes someone to help you. With anything, with any advice, it could be just, you know, like advice, not just financially, with anything that people, they can help. And the moment, you know, like when I was over there, a lot of people, so many people, they couldn't give up, but I couldn't give up. Wow. Just go forward, forward, forward. And when I come over here, I want to leave my American dream. I come over here with big hope. From outside, when we look in this country, it's a big hope. Hope of, you know, like, it's a hope of with everything. You know, like, I think I saw one of your interview, you said like, there's only one dream they call American dream. No, it's a very true and it's very powerful, you know, like, and that dream, you know, like, we all can achieve that dream. If we work so hard, we don't give up. And you know what? Before everything, we have to be kind, because kind is a key for success. Want to be kind, don't just give to get, give inspire other people to give. We'll say, we'll say. When we do that, when we do this, and that's everything is possible. We'll say. And that was me, you know, like Bowery mentioned that teach me those. We'll say, you know, for those who probably are listening inside, I just want to know with, with Haki acting as they from Champion Pizza. And we're talking about his beginning days, spending 96 days in a homeless shelter, his days of sleeping in the Port Authority bus terminals of when he came from New York to Canada. And so how do we transition into those tough days of looking at the McDonald dollar menu and getting that hamburger to the point that you saw there was some possibility? Who was your first real job? I work in a pizza shop. I find it, yeah, job in Hoboken. So for me to first, I take train from Lowery site to go in Hoboken. It take me maybe like eight hours or 10 hours. I was lost. I don't know the direction, take the train. And I went over there, the boss, he gave me the job. And he's so funny, you know, like he's, right now he's my best friend. Yeah, so he gave me the bread, he dough and I stretch it and put an oven. I mess it up. I was so nervous because I say, if I make mistake, he's not going to give me job. And I said, could you give me another chance? He said, yes, go ahead. I open another dough and I put an oven and mess it up that piece as well. And, you know, he get angry. He is, you know, now we're good. Like F4, he said, take it off. And he gave me job as a dishwasher. I work over there for about like, I was like four months as a dishwasher. But the first paycheck he gave me, and one bathroom because I'm like, when I get my first paycheck, you know, like I couldn't come back in Hoboken, from Hoboken to Lowery Mission. I was sleeping bench right across street. Because I don't know how to, I thought Hoboken is so far from New York. And I couldn't be able to come here. I was sleeping bench. And the first paycheck he gave me, I went to bathroom and I cried a lot. And manager, he heard me. He knocked the door and I opened door. He told me, why are you crying? Is it so little money? I know, I know it's not too much money. He told me, I said, no, no, this is a lot of money. $300. It was a lot of money for me. Today for me that $300 is like $30,000. Because there was first paycheck, it changed my life. It changed everything. And that's what I said. We have to be thankful. How did you get to Hoboken? Why did you decide Hoboken? We have a lot of pizza shops in New York. You know, I'm not gonna mention the names. You know, I'm one, I went almost maybe like 50 pizza shop. I was looking for the job and no one, you know, like gave me a job at that time. I know like first because the language and second thing, because no, like it's just, I couldn't, you know. Did you, at that time, did you started to pick up different words in English where you able to sort of begin the process of communicating? I didn't go to school. I just talked to people. Right. And I love reading books. And you know, I read a book, a newspaper, and that's what I keep the word, you know. I'm not speaking English by the way. So you spent a few months in Hoboken and how did you find your way back to New York City? I work over there. I met one guy. He was my manager. We become best friend. And our dream, we wanna open our own pizza shop. Yeah. So, you know, I don't wanna miss that part, you know. So the owner, I thought he's gonna fire me. When he give me $300, the manager go talk to owner. I thought he will fire me if he know that I'm homeless. But instead he fire me, he give me hug and he cry, cause I cry, he cry. He took me to his home and I sleep his home for like maybe like months until I get a place this day. Wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was, I cannot forget that moment. So me, my best, we become best friend, the manager at a pizza shop. We save money for four years and we wanna open pizza shop. And two days before we gonna sign a contract that the guy I call him like, you know, like the best friend and my, I would call like hero that moment. He took every hour safe run away. Wow, wow. So I cry like little baby, I cry again. And- You ever see him again? I never see him again. I know like that moment I was, you know, I was a prayer for God, you know, like God punishing but today I don't wanna say it. It's okay, it's okay. You cannot pray for God to punish others. Right. Cause we all make mistake. Right, right. We all go through a lot. And we're not quite sure what he was going through to make him so desperate to take the savings, you know? You know, no, so, so, so true. Sometimes, sometimes you will see someone carry out an action that is really hurtful to you. And then you learn that what they were going through it made them go out of their character. A normal person that has a lot of compassion and care can be at the end of their rope. And they will do things that is out of their character. And, you know, all you could hope is that whatever they needed the money for, that it was able to bring them back into their character. You know? And how did you get back to New York? I find pizza place, that pizza shop, they closed down. And I find a pizza job at the time square. You just knew pizza was your destiny, huh? I've been making pizza home my life, by the way. Age 13 from Canada. Okay, okay. And back home, I don't know if you heard it, it's called lahmacun. It's Turkish pizza. Okay. It's a very thin crust. I found that job and I saved money again for another five years. I worked like seven days, 18 hours. I don't know about sleep, I don't know about tired. I just want to save that money and, you know, like open my first pizza shop. Okay. And, you know, like I opened my first pizza shop in Lauri site. The place I was staying, Bowery Mission, it's just like four blocks away from there. So I always say, you know, things happen for reasons. That's exactly what happened. And just like a couple blocks away. And the first pizza shop when I opened, the neighbor, they were not welcoming me because the guy who was Italian, old man, everybody loved him, you know, old school. Turkish guy is going to make a pizza. So, you know, it was like, you know, awkward a little bit for people. Right, right. And, you know, like, I was about to close a business. I was- After how many months? Oh, three months. Okay. And you were not getting a business there? Well, I was, you know, like the first month, I was making money, but the second month, the business, it goes slow. Third month, it was very slow. The fourth month, the latter time, if you don't pay the rent, I'm going to kick you out. But I own the pizzeria owners, 40,000 as well. So I couldn't pay him as well. He told me, I will put you over. If you don't pay me, I will put you over. But he's a great guy right now. We always talk that he helped me a lot. And, you know, what happened, you know, like, the reason, you know, like, I'll become success in the pizza business is not because I don't make a good pizza. I'm a really good pizza. I know because it's all my life. I don't know nothing about running business. To run a business is not easy the moment, if you don't know. And it was so hard. I couldn't be able to pay my rent. So, first thing, I give up my apartment. I pay $12,000. I give up my apartment. I sleep under my pizzeria, the pizza oven. I will sleep over there, seriously. Right. And we were like four guys. I have to let two guys go, just me and my, the kitchen guy, we work. The guy, he was going home. So, you know, like, I have to make a dose of everything until he come. I used to go to a gym, take a shower with his member car, membership car. Yeah, because I couldn't take a shower. Right. I have to go take a shower someone to go to a gym. Right. And, you know, like, what, what saved me and survived me at that store, changed everything. It was a pizza championship. Okay. 2010. So, I compete from 2005 to 2010. I was, you know, not able to win. And first time I get, it was like 93 people. I get 87 place. I thought it was a pizza master, but that was like, oh my God, people like, there was Philippine door, like breaking dance, like playing football. I said, how do they make it? Right. Yeah. I like to practice. I like, I hate to give up, give up never, give up never, you know, like, should be like any option to choice to anyone. And I don't like to give up. I just do practice for five years. Right. And 2010, I become world pizza champion. Wow. Yeah. So, the first year was 2001. 2005. Was the first time? The first year, yes. The first year. And 2010, I won the championship. So, you came back in five years. In five years, yeah. Wow. Yeah. What was the business that's far? Was business picking up around the time when you were behind in your rent? You were about to be thrown in the oven, you know? So, how was business? Was business starting to pick up? Oh, the beginning, like, you know, the first one to come, one to become champion. So, the TV, they come interview me. And I think it was Dali knows they make like article. And Turkish guy, he won the championship. You know, like it was nice article. Yes. And the PMQ magazine, the semi magazine, they put me in full cover of the magazine. So, they sent me about, like, 50 copy. And those copy, like, the magazine, I put it on top of table. And the kids, they love it. So, the kids, they take it home. And, you know, like, I thought the kids, they were still in. And the guy in my kitchen guy said, no, no, they love it. So, I put it back again. The kids, they take it again. So, I finished those 50 magazine. And the little girls came to me. She asked me, you know, like, could you give me an autograph? I said, what, an autograph? Come on. I'm a pizza guy. And, you know, she asked me autograph. So, I don't, I just said, thank you very much. I don't know what else to say. I give her, and there's another boys, they came with parents. They take a selfie with me. So, really, wow. So, this magazine worked. So, you became an instant celebrity? On the lower side. Yeah. And, you know, I call a PMQ magazine the founder. And he sent me, like, two case of the magazine. Okay. So, I go to front school. I was given the people. And stay menu. I was given my magazine to kids. And from there on, it just, you know, I become so blessed. I open second, fourth, fifth. You know, like, I open, like, 16 restaurants until 2020. Yeah. That's amazing. Yeah. How many, now how many pizzerias do you have open now? Right now, Champion Pizza, I have eight locations. Mm-hmm. And I have, like, four other small businesses, all together, like, 12. And how, how did you overcome, or what were the obstacles with the English barrier as you tried to communicate and run your business? The beginning, it was hard, you know, especially, like, when, you know, like, I was getting ticket every time, you know, like, for health department, building department, because I don't know. I don't know nothing about it. And the language, I think, was the biggest issue for me, for beginning. But, you know, like, like I say, you know, like, to not run a business, to run a business, it was okay. Okay. It was okay. Okay. What do you believe was the tipping point where people started to come in and say, hey, the Turkish guy can make a good pizza? Well, I mean, you should not listen to anyone. You have to believe yourself. Mm-hmm. If you believe yourself, and if you really believe that you do, like, 100%, then people's gonna believe you, and people's gonna love what you do. And so when did that happen for you? Because you said the first? One year later. Okay. So you held on? You held on during that period of time until one year later? Yeah. And people started coming into the shop? Exactly. Because of the first pizza shop, you know, like when I opened, I was like, all my left over the food, because I was not busy, and I was taking the boxes, I was going train station and just give to people. I don't believe they put food waste. I always go give to people. I don't know what the boundary mentioned. It was like four blocks away from me. I didn't even know that. Okay. Okay. But they say, you know, like, I do really good things. I'm a good person, good human. And, you know, like, and the neighbor welcoming more. Okay. And, you know, then I go like, well, fans, you know, like... So you were very active at the time? Active given back. Okay. Yeah. So important. Now, where did the name champion come from? Like, I would have thought, you know, from Turkey, it would have been Istanbul, or Cappadocia, or Italia pizza. Like, where did champion come from? Yeah. The pizza shop, it was Haki's Pizza. It was Haki's Pizza? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's like a go-over, say a go-over well. Yeah. So when I won the championship, you know, like, the champion is like about not giving up, you know, the champion. That's where you become champion. Okay. So me, I didn't give up. I worked so hard. I want to, like, achieve my dream and want to become the world pizza champion. I said, this name is a beautiful name. I want to put a champion. But the trademark, the name, it was so hard. I make that happen too. Wow. Love it. You know, and when you give back, you get back. 100%. And you give back not only what you do on Wednesday when we come together, but you give back all the time. So what would you say to businesses at this time around giving back when so many people are in need? What would be your advice? The business owners, you know, like, when you started giving back, you cannot stop. There's so many pizzerias right now, you know, like they get inspired by my story, how I do. And so many pizzerias right now, they're giving back as well. That's the excellent. And as not only pizzerias, we should all restaurants own. You know, I know we work so hard. We do everything, you know, like to make the, you know, live a better life for our kids to go better school. Yes. Better education. But, you know, like, don't give to get. Give, just give, give. You will get it back. No, I will say. Because you will be safe. You will be safe. You will be healthy. You will be happy. You will be everything. And how long have you been, you know, really volunteering with the Ellen McGuire Foundation and PCNY? How long have you been volunteering with them? I've been joined with them for seven years, I will say. Okay. Yeah. We used to be like on 8th Avenue on 34th Street. But right now we are on 34th Street. But before you were on 8th Avenue. So I will say like seven years with them. But we have like not only just, you know, I do like four days a week. I don't do just like one. We know, so we do that one. We do like Sunday on the Lansing Street and the Algerit as a church. Same things about two, three hundred homes people, they come over there. Over there we give them haircut as well. Where's this? That's on Sundays? That's on Sundays. Okay. I have to meet you over there. Would you please? If you don't mind. I would love that. I was really touched by your donation with your sales in one of your stores that you were donating and proceeds to Turkey during the terrible earthquake. You know, I joined a Turkish leaders at one in the mosque last week. And we just really called for people to step up but you stepped up already. You know, what motivated you to do that? I mean, people's over there right now. You know, like we say like over 40,000 people they lost their life. Over 40,000, that's a lot. You know, it's, it's hard. People are suffering over there. It's, you know, like they need our help. And I always say, when people they ask you help, please help them right away. Don't wait. And you know, right now they need my help more than ever. And you know, like I think like as just a human, as like Turkish guys, just human, I need to do this. It's the right thing to do. And you know, your pizza place is called champion. But in my book, every time I'm around you, you're the real champion. And I cannot thank you enough. You inspire me when we stand side by side on Wednesdays. I'm looking forward to stopping to seeing you on Sundays. It's just a real call that we have. All we need is one day a week. If people would just give their time one hour, one hour a week, I like to say, one hour a week of really dedicating our time to giving back to people, we could accomplish so much. And you personify that. You personify it every day. And I cannot thank you enough. And I look forward to you and I continue to do great things together in this great city. And so thank you so much. My good friend, Haki, the founder of Champion Pizza and really your story is motivating. And it tells us never give up. There's always an opportunity. Thank you very much. Give up should never be an option. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And this is the information I wanted to share today. I hope to see you for another episode of Get Stuffed, Done Cats.