Draymond Washington is the founder of Three Cities Social Club, a Chicago-based membership club designed to help adults make real friends and build a meaningful community.

Before launching the business, Draymond played professional soccer and later worked as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. After moving to Chicago without knowing anyone, he struggled to find connection through traditional social clubs and networking events. He started hosting small gatherings, book clubs and game nights to bring people together.

Draymond hosted more than 90 events in a single year while still working full time, slowly building a community that proved people were hungry for genuine connection.

Today, Three Cities Social Club has hundreds of members, multiple locations in Chicago and dozens of monthly events designed to help people meet and build lasting relationships.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why it’s harder than ever for adults to make friends
• Hosting 90+ events while working a full-time job
• Turning community building into a profitable business
• Opening physical locations for the business
• Why social clubs are becoming a major trend in modern cities
• The future of businesses focused on building community

Draymond also shares the lessons he’s learned building a company from scratch, the challenges of running a membership-based business and why real-world community may be one of the most valuable things people have today.

Resources & Links

Three Cities Social Club Website: https://www.threecitiessocial.com/

Three Cities Social Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threecities.social/

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

Helen Zhang is the co-founder of Ziggy’s Roman Cafe, a new restaurant in Dumbo, Brooklyn designed to solve a problem many parents have. How do you go out to eat with kids and still enjoy a great meal?

Before opening Ziggy’s, Helen spent more than 15 years in hospitality PR and brand marketing. She also worked at Tend, helping the company scale from just a few locations to dozens across the East Coast.

But after becoming a parent, Helen and her husband, co-founder of the iconic cocktail bar Employees Only, realized something was missing in the restaurant. A restaurant that combined serious food, great drinks and a family-friendly environment.

Ziggy’s Roman Cafe was created out of that idea. A neighborhood restaurant serving Roman-inspired pizzas and pastas with craft cocktails, community events and even a small play space upstairs so parents can enjoy dinner while kids stay entertained.

In this episode, Helen shares the story behind launching Ziggy’s and what it’s really like opening a restaurant in New York City.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Leaving a 15-year career in PR and marketing to start a restaurant
• Building a restaurant inspired by parenthood
• Why community building was the core of Ziggy’s marketing strategy
• Hosting local events and pop-ups before the restaurant even opened
• Using storefront signage, social media and email lists to build buzz
• The unexpected challenges of opening a restaurant
• Why starting with a simple menu helped the team operate more efficiently
• Working with your spouse as a co-founder
• Balancing entrepreneurship, family life and risk

If you’re looking to open a restaurant, especially with a concept not yet around, this episode has an honest look at what it takes.

Resources & Links

Ziggy’s Roman Cafe Website: https://www.ziggysromancafe.com/

Ziggy’s Roman Cafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziggysromancafe/

Helen Zhang LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenzhangnyc

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

Vincent Finazzo is the founder of Riverwards Produce, a neighborhood grocery market in Philadelphia that started in a 20x20 garage and has grown into a multi-location business doing nearly $16 million in annual sales.

Vincent studied art in Chicago, moved to Philly to work in museums and took a job at Whole Foods as a janitor just to pay the bills. Fifteen years later, after working his way up to produce buyer, brokering truckloads of produce across the country and waking up at 3am to deliver vegetables out of a Honda Civic, he turned a pop-up market into one of the most respected independent grocery brands in the country.

In this episode, Vincent breaks down the real economics of grocery, why he refuses to offer delivery, and how constant reinvestment fueled Riverwards’ growth.

We talk about:

• Starting a retail business with $500 and no investors
• How 200 pumpkins sparked growth
• Going from $35K in sales to millions in annual revenue
• The reality of 3-4% profit margins in grocery
• Negotiating a below-market lease that made the first store possible
• Designing a store people want to spend time in
• The logistics of managing 4,000+ SKUs
• How social media became his only marketing channel
• Why he believes physical retail if done right is the future

Vincent also shares lessons on starting before you’re ready, persistence, discipline and staying true to your core motivations.

Resources & Links

Riverwards Produce Website: https://www.riverwardsproduce.com/

Riverwards Produce Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riverwardsproduce/?hl=en

Vincent Finazzo: https://www.instagram.com/vincentfinazzo/?hl=en

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/