Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Novak
Hi Mike, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Our story begins with a local neighborhood restaurant that served a sandwich that we fell in love with when we were younger. The restaurant was a neighborhood, staple, but the sandwich even more so. Some years ago, that restaurant shut down. A discussion had started between my partner and I about how much we missed that sandwich. we started playing with recipes, and came up with what we believe to be a worthy homage to the original.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ll be honest. I really view this question as more of a perspective issue. I think if you’re gonna go into starting a business, you should go into it knowing they’re going to be many challenges, and many things that you’re gonna have to adhere to in order to make your dream reality. if you’re filled with passion, and your eyes are on the prize, the road never really seems that bumpy. Rather, these things become prerequisites on the list of boxes that you have to take in order to get what you want.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Another reason that starting this business very seldom feels like work, is the fact that we get to interject our own creativity directly into the business. We discussed from day one that we wanted to make sure that the business represented us, and who we were. We hope that that reflects in the simplicity of our branding, as well as the nod to surfing and skateboarding, as this is how we grew up. Whether it be our branding, our advertising, or our recipes, we tried to make sure that everything reflects the simple, laid-back style that we ourselves shoot to live by.
Our signature sandwich, the buffalo chicken cheese melt, is a sandwich that we are very proud of. We worked hard to make a rich, decadent sandwich that plays well with your taste buds, while keeping the spice at a pleasing level to most palettes. Heat can, of course, be added for those adventurous ones, but the base sandwich will not upset most non-spice palettes. We serve the sandwich with a kosher dill, pickle wedge, and a side of ranch upon request. We also offer a straight grilled cheese, for those that are vegetarians, or maybe just want something a little more traditional. More sandwiches are in development, and dropping soon. Working on some beef options right now that I’m hoping will blow some minds.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I’ll have to speak for myself on this one since it’s just me doing this interview. I would imagine that people that I work alongside right now would have no idea that I spent over a decade building high performance Street and track cars. I’ve built many motors from the ground up by hand, installed turbos and superchargers, and swapped vehicles from automatic transmission to manual.
I still have a deep passion for cars, but do it as more of a hobby now taking care of my own toys instead of other peoples, lol.
Currently working on a 92 Volkswagen GTI, hot hatch. The G.T.I. is one of the original cars I fell in love with as a kid.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://goldencrustcali.com
- Instagram: @goldencrustcali
Image Credits
Our own photos
