10/12/2026
❤️ SOMETIMES THE BIGGEST MOMENTS IN LIFE COME WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT THEM. AND THIS ONE BROKE ME DOWN. ❤️
I want to share something with you all that has absolutely nothing to do with barbecue, selling food, making money, or running a restaurant. But at the same time, it has EVERYTHING to do with why I continue to fight so hard for BobaQue Kitchen & Cocktails.
This young man standing next to me is Brayden.
Brayden has been working with me at BobaQue for almost two years now. And when I tell you this young man is a HARD WORKER, I mean every word of it. He's respectful, dependable, caring, and the type of young man who will go above and beyond without being asked.
And I want him to know that none of that goes unnoticed.
This past week was one of the most physically and emotionally exhausting weeks I've experienced in a long time.
We're already operating with a very small kitchen crew, and unfortunately, some of our staff had sick children at home, while others weren't feeling well themselves. That's life. Family and health come first, and I understand that.
But that left me in the kitchen pretty much by myself for most of the week.
Just me.
Cooking, preparing orders, trying to keep up with tickets, trying to make sure our customers were taken care of, and doing everything I possibly could to keep the kitchen moving.
By Friday, I was exhausted. We were extremely busy, and I was overwhelmed. But I kept pushing.
And then came Saturday.
Saturday was Brayden's JUNIOR HOMECOMING.
A special moment in his life.
Brayden had already stopped by Friday to check on us and see if we needed anything. That's just the kind of young man he is.
And then Saturday, right in the middle of another crazy kitchen rush, here comes Brayden again.
I looked at him and said, "Brayden, what are you doing here? Get to homecoming!"
What he didn't know was just how badly I was struggling in that kitchen.
And I wasn't about to tell him.
Because knowing Brayden, if he had known how overwhelmed and exhausted I was, he probably would have tried to stay and help me instead of going to enjoy one of the biggest nights of his junior year.
And there was NO WAY I was going to let that happen.
But then he said something to me that I don't think I'll ever forget.
"Hey Chris, I just came because I really wanted to take a picture with you for my homecoming."
Man...
I don't even know how to put into words what happened inside of me at that very moment.
Here I am, standing in this hot kitchen, tired, overwhelmed, backed up with orders, wearing my work clothes, trying to hold everything together.
And this young man, dressed for one of the most memorable nights of his high school years, took time out of HIS special day because he wanted a picture with ME.
Not some celebrity.
Not some famous athlete.
Just Chris.
The man he works alongside every week. The man standing behind the smokers, cooking food, washing dishes, and trying to build something meaningful.
It took everything inside of me not to cry right there in front of him.
And I mean EVERYTHING.
Of course, I stopped what I was doing.
Because at that moment, those kitchen tickets could wait a minute.
We took our picture. He went on to enjoy his homecoming, and later he sent me this photo.
And after he left, I had to stop for a moment.
And I cried.
Not because I was tired. Not because I was overwhelmed. Not because business has been challenging.
I cried because, for a brief moment, I realized that maybe what I'm building at BobaQue is bigger than I sometimes allow myself to see.
You see, people look at BobaQue and see a restaurant.
They see barbecue, cocktails, live entertainment, a patio, and a place to come enjoy themselves.
But I see something different.
I see young men and women who come through our doors looking for an opportunity.
An opportunity to earn their own money. To pay their phone bills. To save for their first car. To put gas in their tanks. To help their families. To gain confidence. To learn responsibility. To grow into the adults they're becoming.
And hopefully, somewhere along the way, they learn something from me.
But what I don't think they realize is HOW MUCH I'M LEARNING FROM THEM.
I'm not an owner who sits in an office somewhere and watches everything happen.
I'm the everyday pitmaster.
I'm in that kitchen. I'm behind those smokers. I'm working right alongside my staff. We laugh together, disagree sometimes, get frustrated, figure things out, and come back the next day to do it all over again.
We build relationships that go far beyond an employee collecting a paycheck.
And Saturday, Brayden reminded me of that.
He reminded me that sometimes the impact you're making on somebody's life isn't measured by how much money you pay them, how successful your business becomes, or how many customers walk through your doors.
Sometimes it's measured by a young man wanting you to be part of a memory he'll carry from his junior year.
And for me, that was worth more than anything we sold that night.
Brayden, I don't know if you fully understand what that moment meant to me.
But I want you to know something.
I'm proud of you, young man.
I'm proud of your work ethic. I'm proud of your character. I'm proud of the respect you show. And I'm proud of the young man you're becoming.
You didn't have to stop by BobaQue on your homecoming night.
You didn't have to check on us.
And you certainly didn't have to ask me to be part of your special day.
But you did.
And I will NEVER forget that.
To the rest of my BobaQue staff, past and present, I hope you understand something too.
YOU ARE MORE THAN EMPLOYEES TO ME.
Every one of you who has helped carry this business, worked through difficult days, stayed late, showed up when things got tough, or simply gave us your best effort has contributed to something bigger than a restaurant.
I see it. I appreciate it. And I don't take it for granted.
There have been days when I've questioned myself. Days when I've wondered whether all the sacrifices, sleepless nights, financial pressures, and physical exhaustion were worth it.
And then something like this happens.
A simple picture.
Two people standing in a busy kitchen.
One dressed for homecoming.
The other dressed for another long night behind the grill.
And suddenly, I remember why I started.
Because success isn't always about how much money you make. Sometimes success is realizing that you've created a place where somebody feels valued, supported, respected, and connected.
I don't know what the future holds for BobaQue Kitchen & Cocktails.
But I do know that if this business has helped even one young man or woman believe in themselves, grow as a person, or create a better future, then something we're doing here is right.
And Brayden, Saturday you gave me something that no amount of money could ever buy.
You gave me a moment of pride, joy, and reassurance that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of your junior homecoming memories. More importantly, thank you for being part of mine.
Enjoy every moment of your junior year. You've earned it.
And to everyone who continues to support BobaQue, thank you. When you support our small business, you're doing more than buying a plate of barbecue.
You're helping us create opportunities and memories for young people like Brayden.
And that means the world to me.
❤️ Sometimes the greatest reward of being a business owner has absolutely nothing to do with owning a business.
