But for a run to our bank in the Palisades, Kayndaves likely wouldn’t have been there. After leaving the bank, I saw a “For Sale” sign in the empty restaurant space across the street. I had no business calling – but I did. The PCH store was losing money. I struggled to meet payroll every two weeks. My credit cards were maxed out. Yet I called.
An hour later Austin met me at my PCH spot. I leveled with him about my lack of money, but floated an idea by him. “Give me 6 months. If I make it work, I pay off your debts to the landlord, the bank and the government.” He said ok but “it was up to Virginia.”
Virginia owned the building. The next day I drove up to her house. It was high above Marquez Elementary with a beautiful view of the ocean. She was in her 80s. Sharp as a tack. Well dressed. Looking like she just came back from the hairdresser.
I layed out all my numbers and projections. Talked about how much money the place would make. And how Mexican food was what the Palisades needed. She saw right through me. And when I took a pause, asked “Are you done? Then let me see if I understand you young man. You want to rent my space. You have no money. You have only been in this business for 8 months. And … you have no way to guarantee my lease. That sound about right?” I grinned.
Then she went on…. “When I was about your age, Ed (her deceased husband) and I were just starting out. We lived on a hilly street that came in handy because we could coast down it and pop our old car’s clutch which didn’t often work. We wanted to do this real estate project but had no money. Like you we were trying to do something that was way over our heads. Nevertheless the seller said to us ‘OK, I’m going to take a chance on you two.’ It worked out well for us. So now it’s my my turn to take a chance on you.”
Virgina gave me the keys to her space on July 2, 1992. On July 4th I was in the space early that morning. I can still remember the smell of it. I watched the parade. Met a bunch of locals. And somehow opened the doors 3 weeks later.
Fast forward to 2006. I get a call from Virginia’s son Ed. He told me he and his sister were selling the building. Said he wanted me to give me a right of first refusal. And said he was offering it because it’s what his mom – who had passed – would have wanted. Two weeks later he called, said he was flooded with offers, and gave me the terms of his deal of choice: all cash; close in 20 days. Problem was I barely had enough cash on hand to buy a new car.
Shortly after the call, Dennis was having lunch in our Brentwood spot. We’d often chatted during his regular visits. I knew he owned property. And I liked him. So I told him about the deal. And asked if he was interested in buying it with me. He said he’d think about it. Half an hour later he called and said “let’s do it.” Twenty days later we owned it. And 20 years later still I can say that he and his wife Kathy have become Jintana’s and my very closest friends.
kayndaves.com 
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