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You all know him, right?

You know him from...

That good old fool.

And if you know me, you know I love fools.

So I said it anyways.

Kenneth Mazers in the building.

Thank you so much, Kenny, for joining us.

How are you today?

I am doing good.

It's a beautiful day.

So I've had a chance to let me just say this first and foremost, if y'all have not been to the five corner market on 60th and Lisbon, I don't know where you been.

I just, I don't know.

The daily lunch specials, the perch, the catfish, the shrimp po' boy, the size, all of the above, right?

I even went in there last week and I seen y'all had some gumbo.

Yes.

So y'all making gumbo now, too.

Yes, I make gumbo every Wednesday.

See, come on now.

Come on, y'all know where to go.

Welcome to tap 10.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you so much for coming.

So let's get to it.

When you were 14, you moved to Milwaukee?

Mm-hmm.

Where are you originally from?

What's the closest city in Mississippi that's by?

Okay, so it's going got you.

Okay, so that's like What colleges it's a college over there?

Got you.

Yep

What was the transition like coming from?

So when you're 14, moving to a different state, that's different because now you're eighth grade, ninth grade.

You have to adjust to the climate.

You have to adjust to the people, the personalities.

Was it a culture shock?

What was it like moving from Mississippi to Milwaukee?

I want to say it was pretty different.

We got weapons back back at home.

Yeah, it was just.

the way people, the way that they were brought up, like we have Southern hospitality, but I don't know what you mean.

It's different.

The way we were raised is different than the way that you are raised.

So when you came, was you like, oh, that's just running around here raggedy.

Y'all just, y'all need some whooping.

Yeah, we got whooped.

We had to.

And the town was so small, so everybody knew

everybody.

So

it was like, hey, whoop my son, get him in line whenever you need to, don't

matter.

Yeah, and we did have a sense of that growing up to now that you have been here.

Do you see that now?

Like, are there any similarities between Milwaukee and where you're from your hometown?

No, not with even the

way these kids need to get

what?

Well, not not this generation, but like the people you know that are adults now.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, you can tell it.

Absolutely.

So when you were younger,

You started entrepreneurship, but not in the way that where you had a business, you were.

Correct.

Let's break it now.

Break

it down to me.

So I always been in food.

I used to be a dietary director over in Nersong for like 17 years.

Okay.

And all the CNAs and everybody they wanted me to cook.

Yeah.

So I had good food.

I made my own food.

So they was like, man, make me some of that.

Yeah.

So then after that, they was like, won't you start selling it?

So I

started selling it.

Yeah.

Out the back door.

Yeah.

I paid for it.

So

after about a year or something, I got a food truck.

OK.

Food truck was doing extreme numbers.

How old were you at this time when you got the food truck?

I would say 35.

OK.

So about a

couple of years

ago.

Yeah.

So then the food truck got a little bit too wild.

I couldn't keep up.

So I said, it was time for me to just explore and find me something where I can just keep up with the people and serve everybody at a timely manner.

Yeah.

So do you cook food because you're good at it or because you just love to eat?

I'm pretty good at it.

OK.

Do you love to eat too or no?

Yeah, I got my certain dishes.

So what's your favorite dish to make?

Salmon.

OK.

Does that say that right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's OK.

Like baked.

Oh,

baked.

OK.

What you going to make with it?

rice or mashed potatoes.

Okay.

A little shrimp topping maybe.

So, and then I assume that seafood is the best or is it just based off of a consumer?

Like, is that another favorite?

Because of the restaurant?

Probably just because of the restaurant.

Yeah.

I do it.

Yeah.

Understandable.

It's good.

I'm not gonna lie.

It's good.

So, either way, I'm gonna eat it.

And I mean that because I am actually a consumer.

I actually go, it's okay.

I actually go to your place of business and purchase lunch because the food is amazing.

Was there a moment in this process of becoming an entrepreneur where you felt like giving up?

Yes.

What was that moment like and do you remember?

Today.

Yeah.

Even with the bar.

I had a health department inspection today and it's just like

It takes a lot of people to motivate me.

Like, bro, you at the finish line, just go on and knock it out.

But it's a lot.

And it's me by myself.

I kind of have help, but not on the business side, if

that makes sense.

It's just me and my mother here.

My sister's out of town.

So it gets kind of heavy.

I wake up and I was like, no, I don't want to do it anymore.

I just want to have a regular job.

I want to go back to the regular life.

And everything was fine.

Because you the boss, you got to...

take that boss role, you gotta take up everything, you gotta-

You get paid last.

Yeah, and you correct everything that you didn't do.

Yeah.

So, to get back to the question, if I wanna give up every day, I do.

I wanna go back to the life.

But I

can't.

That's right.

I'm

too far in already.

That's right.

So you brought up 80 proof.

Let's tap into that.

You're maneuvering into not just owning five corner market, right?

Now you have a bar that will have food, event space, and let us know where it's at.

80

Proof is 782 North Jefferson.

Come on now.

So I'm down on...

Yeah.

I'm in the area.

Yeah.

You doing your one too.

Yeah.

You made your way on down.

Yes.

Yes.

How does

it feel?

It's

great.

Every day I walk in is like, I'm almost there.

Yeah.

That's what I wanted.

Yeah.

I didn't know how I was going to get it.

Yeah.

And I'm figuring it out.

Yes.

So what can we expect?

Great vibes.

OK.

Grown.

Yeah.

Good food.

Yep.

Sundays might be my best day.

OK.

That's my

favorite.

So what do you plan to do on Sundays?

Sundays would be the big brunch.

Or you can eat.

Yeah.

Alcohol, grown people.

Come on.

Good music.

So ladies, y'all hear that because we're always searching for a place to do brunch, right?

I've seen you made a post asking about a favorite drink, so I'm just going to tell you now.

I love French 75, but with tequila.

And I love Apple martinis, Prosecco.

I won't try to tell me.

Hit the chat.

Call in 833-212-1017.

What drink do you want to see at 80 Proof?

We're going to come and take over.

Come on.

We're going to come and take over.

I leave it.

I can have

it.

Come on.

So you also have event space there as well, right?

Yes.

OK.

So what is the capacity?

How can people get in touch to rent that out?

Facebook,

Kenneth Mays, or Instagram.

I got 150 people capacity, full bar, full kitchen.

That's the option book.

And also I'm booked into November already.

I'm not even open

yet.

You can't do it.

So I know, you know, just doubling back, you talked about some of the things that people don't see as an entrepreneur.

You're also a father as well, right?

Yes.

So how do you find time to balance running two businesses and then being a father at the same time?

Oh, well, my night's hero, he lives in Atlanta.

Okay.

I'm there whenever you call me.

Yeah.

You can call me tomorrow.

I've been on a flight the weekend.

Yeah.

It's that easy.

My nine year old, he's

He's around a lot.

He just called me before I got here.

I was like, hey, I'm going to this interview, I'll tell you right back.

Spoiled, so he's attached to me.

So it's the only two, three years apart.

I will not have anymore.

Life is too

busy.

But the balance, we're going, you know, we do whatever you want to do, the most part.

I take him, I spoil him, that's my last child, I ask for him.

So I'm a man up

in.

to be what I gotta do.

That's right.

And it's beautiful that they get to see you doing this, right?

Because it's teaching them work ethic and that you're going out to get it for yourself, right?

Outside of the bars, what else are you a fan of?

I see you being

it.

I was

fan of it.

I gotta get away.

I

was about to say that.

I have to get away.

I see it.

What are some places you love to visit?

Places I love to visit.

South America, I'm working

on my

Spanish a little bit.

Anything out the country.

My passport

book, I

got it, and I said I was

going to use it

up.

For the first year I got it, I did about 12 countries.

And it's like a piece of mine.

Because when I'm here, it's like everyone's calling my phone.

I'm busy, I got to run here, I got to run there.

So when I'm on vacation, I enjoy it.

But at the same time, it's like my mental break because they don't bother

me.

So that's a way to escape from the pressure and the...

not the burden, but just the heaviness of having to carry two businesses.

Another place, I get up and go everywhere.

So it's like, I don't really have a favorite, favorite spot.

I just enjoy vacation, good boat, good tan, I'm good.

So when y'all see him posting, no, yes, he living his best life, but the man put in a lot of work, man.

It's a lot going on, running two businesses, raising two children at the same time.

We all know that entrepreneurship is very, very hard, especially when you don't have help.

So we have to go to break.

When we come back, we're going to dip into a little bit more of how you got to where you are.

Where do you see yourself, you know, in the future and how can Milwaukee support you?

We got to go to break to pay some bills.

Do not touch that doubt.

Your girl, Jazz Tyler, one on 1.7, the

truth.

We got

Kenneth Mays in the building.

Thank you so much for tapping in with us.

We want to hear from you.

833-212-1017.

So we talked about you being a business owner, entrepreneur.

So you have a five corner fish market, which I absolutely love.

You now just open or about to open 80 proof.

Yes, which is a bar restaurant event space on Jefferson Street.

Yes, and you're booked up to November

already

Shout out to whoever

is

booking it up for real.

That's a that's real support Let's talk about the sacrifices.

Let's talk about the things that

people don't see the work for those who are looking to build a business or who's just starting their business.

What is some advice or what are some of the struggles that you've had to go through?

For the most part, I would say don't give up because it's always a finish line.

The sacrifices is giving

up time, giving

them sleep, giving up family, just having a passion to do what you gotta do.

Yeah.

What are some of the struggles that you face when you are because we all know red snapper was like a prominent black business in Milwaukee, right?

And to come and follow behind that can be difficult, especially if the food don't match.

Luckily it do, but if the quality of the food don't match, right?

What was it like?

What was in the beginning?

What were some of the difficulties that you dealt with trying to convert old customers for so many years to become accustomed to?

the new restaurant?

They wouldn't come in.

For the most part, I had to go out there and get them.

The phone numbers still the same.

This red snapper, oh no, we don't want it.

No, come try it.

Just give me a

try.

For the first year, it was okay.

Second year, it was great.

But now they didn't caught on.

They caught on now.

The struggles is...

Trying to please people.

Yes.

That's the difficult part.

Absolutely.

Trying to get everyone on one accord.

Because they'll tear you down.

Yes.

If you ain't good, they'll tear you down.

If they, if you ain't got a straw in the bag, they gonna talk about you.

Yep.

So you gotta kinda come with it.

Yeah.

Be ready for it, be prepared.

Don't let it, don't let it get you down.

So one of the reasons why I decided to, when I moved back home,

The first time I came back home from living on a state, I came and I wanted to try the food.

The first thing I had was, I believe it was perch and it was good to me.

And then I went back again for the food.

But now when I go back is because of the customer service and the food.

So whenever I enter your establishment, the people that I come across, that's across that counter are always kind.

You know, the older gentleman, he have.

the conversations, you know, about what's happening in the community.

It's like a family dynamic.

So I say that to say, I heard you mentioned at first people wouldn't come and then you had to go out there and get them.

And you also had to go and get employees that will make the people come.

And just as a as a customer, I want you to know that it's it came together.

I see it now throughout the years.

I see it now.

So don't don't beat yourself up, you know, we all know.

You know, the struggles and stuff like that, but it paid off.

Oh,

yeah.

It paid off.

And that's coming from a customer.

It paid off.

I'll be on them.

Yeah.

It represents me at the end of the day.

Absolutely.

Whatever y'all

do

is still, they're going to come talk to me.

Yeah.

And I run a strict program.

It's like, hey, y'all got to do it this way or, you know, because they coming back for me.

Yeah.

Every time they say something, I'm going to let y'all know.

Yep.

It's going to fall on your name.

And I'm from the South.

So you got to have like a, be welcome into people.

Yes.

People, they love to come here.

They want to spend their money.

And they're spending their heart on

that Southern hospitality.

You gotta give them everything that they desire as a customer from everything.

Absolutely.

So we know some of the challenges that we potentially face as Black people when it comes to attempting to open different businesses on different sides of the town.

What has your experience been like with 80 proof attempting to or opening it up on a different side of town?

I think they coming out.

Okay, they're gonna come down.

Yeah, because we need it.

Um It's adult older I would say I don't have a age range, but it's just a vibe.

Yeah, so when you're

going to take the

vibe and grow I'm bringing a grown back to me.

Uh, sorry, I'm

bringing a grown back

downtown.

Yeah, that's the slogan Because we don't have pretty much nowhere to go.

Yeah for just

to be in one

spot downtown close.

We don't got to go all the way out

Just a nice spot nice vibe.

So what's on the menu?

That's listening.

I'm greedy.

I'm a little big person.

I want to know what's on the menu

It's gonna be similar to five corners.

Um, I gotta take the fish down there.

That's my number one key.

We're gonna do burgers flat breads Got some vegan items.

Yeah, come on.

So we go we trying to please everybody

Yeah,

we are trying to get everybody down.

What are you most excited about when it comes to 80 proof?

the difference in the nationalities.

Yes.

Diversity.

Come on.

Yeah.

You hiring?

Yeah.

All the

time.

Okay.

So let's do that.

I know some people out there that need some jobs.

So what are you hiring for?

And I'm doing this strategically because, listen, I don't want nobody else calling my phone asking me about a job in this industry because we have someone right here who is about to tell you.

He's hiring.

He's gonna run down the job descriptions.

And when you, if I refer you to him, please don't make me look bad.

What are you hiring for, Kenny?

I have no staff.

I have a business that's been open maybe in the next couple of days, and I have no staff.

So bartenders, of course.

I need about five of them.

Do they need to be experienced?

Kind of, yes, I would say.

Because I'm downtown.

So I got different nationalities that...

Desire different drinks.

Yes.

Um, I got hookah.

So I'm gonna need about two or three hookah girls.

Okay.

Full kitchen staff.

Okay.

I'm working with 5,000 square feet.

Okay.

This ain't no kind of small.

Yeah, this big, big dog.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So we got to get you some bartenders, hookah girls, full kitchen staff.

Yes.

Okay.

Security?

I think my guy gonna take care of that.

Uh, Theron Rogers shot out a prolific arm.

Okay, so are you doing like an onsite job interview event or you just accepting resumes only?

I'd

rather meet you in person.

I don't want a resume.

Let me get the vibe.

Let me talk to you and see if we can work in how I like things to go.

So if you need a job, listen.

Eddie Proof is about to open up and right now he needs bartenders.

hooker girls and full of staff.

I don't know who I'm talking to out there.

I don't know if it's your brother, your mama, your auntie, your uncle.

It could be your grandma, right?

He's giving out jobs.

He's giving out jobs.

So how can I reach you again?

Kenneth and

me on Facebook and Instagram.

Please reach out.

If this is your industry, if you are in need of employment, we want to be able to support those who need a job and.

Someone who's looking to hire shout out to the chat Sayir.

Yo, what's the wire man?

It's been a minute.

He said we used to be on WNOV under Renee management days man Listen, he's referring to Hummerblows interview shout out to Sharika.

She said that's my best friend reread She said can't wait to check out Sunday brunch.

We going just and you know it We turn it up.

It's gonna be a takeover.

We might have to do a truth takeover at 80 proof on Sunday

The only, what, what me?

What?

I'm just saying.

I'm just saying.

What were you?

Man, let's get it cracking.

For real.

The only request I have is fried green tomatoes.

I just want some fried green tomatoes.

There's nowhere to go.

Maybe one place, but can you put some fried green tomatoes on the menu?

I guess I'm at the restaurant.

Come on, come

on now.

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

So again, um, 80 proof is about to open.

When can we expect for it to open?

Late

Labor Day.

Okay.

So that weekend of the Labor Day.

Yep.

Monday to seven.

So maybe that weekend, if not sooner.

Yeah.

So if you were not running both of these businesses, what would you be doing?

Or what would you want to do?

I still working on a five.

Okay.

And they don't know that.

Okay.

Come on.

Let's talk about.

I'm busy and tired but you can't tell.

Nine to five I'm a maintenance mechanic at a factory.

That's seven to seven.

So from seven p.m.

to seven a.m.

I'm working.

It works out because it's four on four off.

So when I'm four days off, I'm here.

So that, yeah, you...

Busy.

When you say getting to it, you getting to it.

I ain't married.

I need my health insurance still.

But now.

But now.

Listen, I know that's right for real.

Um, so Seven no nine five two businesses and a father, right and your single a single man.

So The burden that and all you have is your mother.

Yes.

Mmm.

Okay, so We got to get him a team too.

We got to get you a team too.

What you need?

Balance.

Mmm.

Come on out.

You needed assistant.

Mm-hmm

Okay, you need, what else you need?

We gon' find, this is the Truth Radio, this is what we're here to do.

We're going to find everything you need to help you boost up your business, right?

You're a black entrepreneur in the city of Milwaukee, and we wanna help you.

So whatever it is that you need, put the call out.

We gon' bring the people to you.

We gon' bring the people to you.

Yes, indeed.

We gotta go to break when we come back.

We're gonna switch gears a little bit.

We've talked about entrepreneurship.

We've talked about your journey.

You coming from Mississippi, moving to Milwaukee, taking your business from selling plates to a food truck, all the way to building two businesses, right?

When we come back, we're gonna switch gears, we're gonna ask.

Some rapid-fire questions.

Get to know Kenneth.

A little bit more at your girl, Jazz Tyler.

Do not touch that dial.

One on one point seven to truth.

One on one point

seven to truth.

Happy Monday Milwaukee at your girl, Jazz Tyler.

You are officially tapped in please.

Do not forget to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel, 101.7 The Truth.

Follow us on social media at 101.7 The Truth and tap in MKE.

We got Mr. Kenneth Mays is in the building.

He's going down.

We've talked about you growing up in Mississippi, moving to Milwaukee.

We've talked about you cooking, selling plates, turning into a food truck.

You end up.

owning a five-corner fish market.

Now you're the owner of 80 proof, right?

So you have two businesses and you're doing it all alone.

Well, you have your mother.

You have your mother, you have your staff.

And you say you're doing it alone.

You mentioned that you were single.

So I got a couple questions for you.

Do you believe that it is difficult for that is difficult for someone to date an entrepreneur?

Absolutely.

How so?

They don't understand your timing.

You're the boss.

If something goes wrong with someone to call in, you gotta go.

No matter if the date is planned, you still gotta show up.

Now after everything is over, we can still make that date.

But right now, we gotta get to the money.

Because this don't get us where we going.

But that's like a real thin line.

Because when you get your nails and everything done and set, I'm ready.

And we can't go right now.

Yep.

So it's a argument.

Yeah.

I don't

argue.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We trying to make some money.

Yeah.

I feel that.

I skip the question.

Are you single?

Are you dating?

Okay.

So you're single.

You do agree that dating an entrepreneur is difficult.

I agree.

I agree.

As someone who has worked for myself and has a business, even in this line of field, it is difficult because people don't understand.

When you don't get it unless you go out and get it yourself.

There's nobody that's going to go get it for you.

And that doesn't come at a time when we want it, right?

A lot of times it comes when you least expect.

And it's hard to plan.

It's hard to make plans because you never know how your day is going to go.

What is your average day like between both businesses?

I probably get about two, three hours of sleep because I'm up.

I got to get to it.

I gotta make sure this bar is ready.

I gotta make sure it's probably a rant.

I gotta put everything in line because it represents me at the last minute.

Yeah.

Yeah, I don't know.

It's difficult at times, real difficult.

But I wake up every day, I gotta do it.

I got two people dependent on me, with three.

My mother's dependent on me and my two boys.

So I ain't gotta choose.

I gotta work.

No excuses.

No excuses.

What's one quality you absolutely need in a partner?

Patience.

Once you got patience, you got to understand it.

You understand the life that we're moving on to.

We got everything.

Absolutely.

We got everything.

Absolutely.

Can a person, can a relationship survive if one person doesn't understand entrepreneurship?

That's that's a difficult question because you have to understand that this is the purpose.

Yeah, this is the future.

This is how we go.

This is how we able to do everything.

Yeah.

So no, I don't think it really would survive because.

I've done it.

I lived it.

Yeah.

So no,

yeah.

Who should make the first move in 2026?

Should it be men or women?

I listen closely.

This is this is not a trick question, but it is.

I don't think that has a role.

You got to give what you want.

You got to come here what you want.

Everybody.

Don't matter.

Just shoot your

shot.

Yeah, you got to say something.

Yeah.

And I have a problem with saying something, so I probably missed out a couple of times.

And it's not because of my status or anything.

It's just like,

I

don't want to bother nobody.

Yeah.

I don't want to be turned down either.

Yeah.

What you mean?

You're turning me down.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, yeah, to get back to your question, I think both roles has to play that.

You got to go with what you want.

Regardless,

regardless of what it is.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

What is the biggest red flag when it comes to dating?

For me, I'm gonna speak for me.

Not all men.

I don't do no smoking.

Yeah.

You can't

smoke.

Like hookah, weed, cigarettes, all of the above.

Hookah is okay.

I can deal with

it.

You like hookah?

I don't.

I don't smoke hookah.

But a woman doing hookah, that's different.

But the weed and the cigarettes.

Yeah.

Yeah.

What's another red flag?

I only have

too many.

It's just a smoking, honestly.

I know I was smirking, but I was into something else.

So I seen something yesterday that said that any woman or man above the age of 30 that does not have children is a red flag.

Is that a red flag to you?

No, not really.

No.

She could get in there and stuff together.

She might be in college.

Yeah,

that's true.

She might be going to get her doctor.

Now, I have to admit, I'm a little biased because...

If I'm dealing with a man or if I meet a man who is late 30, maybe 38 to 45, that's never had a serious relationship, don't have any children, never been married, that's kind of like a rad flag to me.

Because it's like, what you been doing this whole

time?

At 30?

No, this is 35 through 45.

Like 30 I get because you are, you know, the average 30 year old is still kind of, they're just now figuring it out, right?

So it may take a little longer.

My mom didn't have me until she was 30, you know?

So I get that.

But once you start creeping up to the mid-30s, you know, late-30s, early-40s, and it's like you never had not one serious relationship on top of no children,

no

marriage, exactly.

That's a red flag for me.

I'm running faster than Forrest Gump.

What's one green flag that women should know about you?

Positive.

They're like an understanding.

Okay.

That's an underlying big statement.

Understanding.

Yeah.

Because once you understand life and just balance of things that come to nature, you can understand.

Absolutely.

You can do anything.

You can talk.

Yeah.

So understanding is a big, big idea.

Yeah.

Understanding comes... Understanding is patience.

It's patience and it's grace because you get it.

A lot of people don't get it.

So...

That's fair.

That's fair.

Do you believe in love at first sight or does love grow over time?

Love at first sight.

Mm-hmm.

Do you believe it grows over time as well?

Yes.

How so?

Because you uh, you're with this person, you're dealing with this person, you're around them all the time.

You share some adventures and some likes and then you just run and go from there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, you ready?

I gotta get ready.

Alright.

Rapid fire questions, that means that is one of the other.

That's it.

Text first or call first?

You wanna text me first.

Okay.

Dinner date or activity date?

Dinner

date.

Flowers or gifts?

Both.

Okay.

Split the bill or traditional roles?

You gotta be the man.

Come

on.

I gotta

be the man.

I had a guy tell me now, I'm gonna ask you this because I got chewed out by this, right?

I'm okay with letting a man be a man.

If we're gonna date, you gotta open my door, but I'm gonna grab the second door for you.

I will do that, right?

If we're eating and you pay the bill, I like to leave the tip.

See, what is the issue with that?

Like men really don't like for women to leave the tip.

No, not once not ever So not even taking like hey, it's my turn to take you out No set marriage or let's see where it goes

marriage

why

Cuz I grew up with my own yeah, I would say marriage,

okay love or

loyalty

Absolutely.

City life or country life?

Country.

I

know you was going to say that.

What's your favorite thing about living in the country?

Peace.

Got a peace of mind.

Yeah.

You'll wait for me, everybody.

You will see them coming down the road if they come into your house.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You already alerted.

Yeah.

So I say country.

Country.

Okay.

Cook at home or order out?

I'm

a cook at

home.

OK, yeah, but that's because you know

how to cook.

Yeah.

Biggest turn on.

I can say that on the radio.