Getting to Know: Gonzalez y Gonzalez

Joey’s story is a classic tale of a family finding success through hard work and resilience, starting in the kitchens of New York and making a mark on both coasts. It begins with his father, a Korean War veteran who, after returning home, began his career in the food industry with humble roles. "He got drafted into the Korean War and he worked in the kitchen," Joey recalls. "When he came back from the war, he worked at a bagel shop and he did a bread route." Eventually, Joey’s father made his way to California in the 1970s, where he opened a small breakfast and lunch café called Lou’s Restaurant. It thrived, bringing a piece of New York's vibrant food culture to California, which Joey describes as “just like all franchises” with “no real food scene happening” back then.

Growing up, Joey witnessed his father’s transformation of Lou’s Restaurant into a success, enabling the family to move from a cramped apartment to a new home. “We literally went from living in an apartment... five of us in a two-bedroom apartment, moving into a house that was being built. Two Cadillacs on the driveway, I mean, a complete success story,” Joey says, reflecting on the change in their fortunes. Despite this success, Joey was initially reluctant to join the family business. “I see my brother washing dishes, I see my other older brother behind the line... and I wanted no part of it,” he admits, preferring skateboarding over washing dishes or prepping in the kitchen.

It was during his teenage years that Joey's path began to shift. While working as a busboy at Red Lobster, he discovered his passion for the bar scene. "I saw what I really wanted to do," he says. “The bars were so cool, and Red Lobster had their own area... really, really dim and the bartender was super, super cool.” This newfound passion led him away from the family business and into the bustling nightlife of New York City, where he took a job as a barback and spent hours practicing his skills, even inspired by the movie Cocktail. "I literally was filling up bottles with water... throwing 'em up in the air and then catching them in a pour," Joey recalls. “To this day, I can do this. I rocked the bar.”

Starting in the late 1980s, Joey was working at the Manhattan hotspot, Gonzalez y Gonzalez, where he thrived behind the bar, making "hundreds of dollars a night"—at times, even reaching a "record-breaking $500." For a young man with minimal expenses—“no phone, no cable,” just $400 in rent—Joey found himself flush with cash, allowing him to take a leap that would change his life. In 1990, he bought a plane ticket to Bali, Indonesia, with plans for a short trip, but that two-month adventure stretched into nearly seven years.

Traveling through Southeast Asia, Australia, and beyond, Joey embraced the bartending trade as a way to sustain his explorations. “I left with $3,000 and it lasted me 15 months,” he recalls, before ending up marooned in Singapore. His journey then took him to Australia, where he faced a harsh reality: “I come face to face with the reality that Australians don’t tip... All the bartenders make an hourly salary.” After quickly leaving that scene, Joey found unexpected work in the gold mines of Perth, making “crazy money” for several months before his visa expired. From there, he continued his journey, working in places like New Zealand and Japan, where his bartending skills—and a willingness to adapt—kept him afloat.

Returning to New York in 1997, Joey found himself right back where he started—at Gonzalez y Gonzalez. But now, he brought with him a world of experiences, which deepened his connection to both the art of bartending and the craft of food. "I was always big on selling food, man,” he says, emphasizing how he mastered the art of describing dishes to entice customers. For Joey, it wasn’t just about pouring drinks; it was about crafting an experience, making sure patrons understood “what each dish, what the ingredients were,” and building a connection through the flavors on the menu.

A decade later, Joey found himself taking the reins of Gonzalez y Gonzalez when the former owner, Michael Weinstein, handed over the keys to him and a fellow bartender. It was a transition from employee to owner, maintaining the same “Mexican with passion” approach that had long defined the place. But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing; early attempts to expand into delivery were a challenge. “We failed horribly,” Joey admits, recounting how he tried to manage delivery orders from behind the bar. But as he always does, Joey took some serious lessons from failure and turned his establishment into a delivery juggernaut.

When COVID-19 swept through New York City, it brought challenges for the restaurant industry that Joey Dee hadn’t anticipated. He vividly recalls how “Covid comes in and just, as you know, turns the whole game off,” leaving his restaurant with a walk-in refrigerator full of perishable food and an uncertain future. But the pivot to delivery became a lifeline, transforming his business in ways he could never have imagined. “Our delivery business exploded,” Joey said, as he adapted to the new demand, delivering everything from margaritas to meals across the city. With the support of two rounds of PPP funds and low-interest loans, the restaurant found itself in an unprecedented position. “We never had a million dollars ever in our account until Covid. It was crazy... I would log onto my account just to look at the seven figures,” he shared, reflecting on the surreal financial turnaround.

Joey didn’t navigate this shift alone. He brought on a savvy consultant whose expertise in the catering industry proved critical. “He lives, sleeps, and breathes the catering industry,” Joey said, praising the consultant's role in refining the delivery operation. However, their partnership would soon take an unexpected turn when the consultant introduced Joey to a new opportunity: a Jewish deli concept he had been developing for a bagel shop owner in Brooklyn. The deli, despite its potential, floundered due to the owner's inability to maintain quality and consistency. Joey watched from the sidelines as the consultant lamented the lack of passion and control in the project. It wasn’t long before Joey saw the opportunity to bring that same concept into his own space. “I’ve always wanted a Jewish deli... Second Avenue Deli is my spot,” Joey admitted, excited about the chance to create his own.

Joey decided to integrate this new venture into Gonzalez y Gonzalez, and the timing couldn’t have been better. He hired a sous chef from the renowned Jewish deli, Kutscher's, in Tribeca, and brought the consultant onboard to train his team. They immersed themselves in research and development, refining every aspect of the operation. “We went into R&D... I’m talking about who has the best brisket, who’s got the best bread, who’s got the best spreads, who’s got the best pickles,” Joey described, emphasizing their meticulous approach to perfecting each element. Through countless tastings and trials, they aimed to offer a deli experience that paid homage to New York’s rich culinary traditions, even in the heart of a Mexican eatery. The result was not just a pivot but a passion project that merged his lifelong appreciation for Jewish delis with the resilience and adaptability that had kept his restaurant thriving during the pandemic.