Life Along the Streetcar with Tom Heath from The Heath Team Nova Home Loans

This week we speak with Todd Hanley, Chief Executive Officer of Hotel Congress and their efforts to highlight the historical and cultural significance of the the Agave plant and Mezcal

Today is Feb 14th my name is Tom Heath and you’re listening to “Life Along the Streetcar”.

Each and every Sunday our focus is on Social, Cultural and Economic impacts in Tucson’s Urban Core and we shed light on hidden gems everyone should know about. From A Mountain to the U of A and all stops in between. You get the inside track- right here on 99.1 FM, streaming on DowntownRadio.org– we’re also available on your iPhone or Android using our very own Downtown Radio app.

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Our intro music is by Ryanhood and we exit with Bruce Springsteen

We start today by turning up the heat

Agave, Mezcal and Tucson

Valentine’s day is a celebration of passion and love. So it’s fitting that our guest today share his. Todd Hanley, the Chief Executive Officer of Hotel Congress is passionate about putting the 100 year old hotel at the forefront of reviving Tucson Food culture. In one such way they have been hosting the Agave Festival since 2008 and seen the event grow from a tequila-lover’s party to an event rooted in the historical and cultural significance of the agave plant.

Todd shares with us some of the pandemic challenges and how Hotel Congress is doing all they can to stick to their roots and even strengthening them through a celebration of Mezcal.

Transcript

Tom Heath
Good morning. It’s a beautiful Sunday in the Old Pueblo. And you’re listening to KT-DT Tucson. Thank you for spending part of your brunch our with us on your downtown Tucson Community sponsored rock and roll radio station. This week, we’re going to speak with Todd Hanley, the Chief Executive Officer of Hotel Congress, and discuss their efforts to highlight the historical and cultural significance of the Agave plants and Mezcal.

Tom Heath
Today is February 14th. It’s Valentine’s Day. My name is Tom Heath and you are listening to Life along the streetcar. Each and every Sunday, our focus is on social, cultural and economic impacts in Tucson’s Urban core and we shed light on hidden gems everyone should know about.

Tom Heath
From A mountain to UArizona and all stops in between, you get the inside track right here on 99.1 FM streaming on Downtown Radio.org and also available on your iPhone or Android by downloading the DowntownRadioTucson app.

Tom Heath
If you want to get us on the show, our email address is [email protected], you can always find us over there on Facebook and we keep our past episodes on our website Life along the streetcar.org. You can also find us on Spotify, iTunes or just ask your smart speaker to play Life along the streetcar podcast. It’s pretty cool.

Tom Heath
We’re going to start today’s show by turning up the heat. In a press release that came out midweek Downtown Tucson Partnership announced that they are fired up about the new downtown heater program, which was generously sponsored by HSL Properties.

Tom Heath
According to the press release, DTP and HSL Properties are providing 40 outdoor heaters to fuel the local downtown businesses in support of a safe outdoor dining experience. Heaters were distributed to 23 businesses earlier in the week, and they are up and running. Should you find the evenings a little bit chilly? They will provide some additional warmth for those downtown visits.

Tom Heath
I understand they’re also a pretty striking ambiance affect their as the flame shoots right through the middle of the glass tube, which of appeals visually to the guests down there. So congrats to Tucson Downtown Partnership and thank you to HSL Properties for their support.

Tom Heath
Our feature today for the show is a heat of a different kind. It’s the heat of the Agave plant, which is used to make Mezcal. Valentine’s Day is typically a celebration of passion and love, so I think it’s very fitting that our guest today share his. It’s Todd Haley the Chief Executive Officer of Hotel Congress, and he is passionate about putting this hundred-year-old hotel at the Forefront of Reviving Tucson’s Food culture.

Tom Heath
You can check out their menu. They support local farmers. They’re doing quite a bit to keep their local roots intact and one such way that they’ve been doing this is supporting the Agave Festival started in 2008 as really kind of a cocktail making contest for tequila lovers and that party has really become an event that is rooted in historical and cultural significance of the agave plant.

Tom Heath
Well, we spoke with Todd by phone and he shared with us some of the challenges that the pandemic has created for Hotel Congress and how they are doing all they can to stick back to their Roots their even strengthening them during this time through a celebration of Mezcal.

Todd Hanley
Todd Hanley, general manager of a Hotel Congress and Maynard’s Market and Kitchen in Downtown Tucson. Excited to be a part of this wonderful podcast interview and look forward to seeing downtown Tucson come back to life in the next few months post covid.

Tom Heath
Well, let’s let’s talk about that that you just drop it right in there. Clearly life is different Hotel Congress. Are you open right now or use? Are you having any guests in?

Todd Hanley
Yes, yes, we’ll really we are a restaurant with a hotel on top and small little Plaza Bar and Lounge Bar for the hotel guests. So we’re definitely a shell of what we used to be prior to March 17th of 2020. But we are a very successful restaurant with a pretty decently successful hotel right now. I mean, we’re not in a great place, but we’re not necessarily. In a terrible place, so we are open and we are safe. We are excited to provide an amazing outdoor dining experience as well as some limited inside seating and then obviously each hotel room with individual heating and air conditioning units is in and of itself a very clean and safe experience.

Tom Heath
I didn’t realize that’s why I choose self-contained there. They don’t have them yet. All the self can be

Todd Hanley
interesting exactly. Uh, so everything’s so really I mean, That’s the added level of safety to it. Is that each person and also Energy Efficiency quite frankly. Each individual room has the ability to turn it on turn it off manage it on their own which allows for a safer environment as well as a more energy efficient environment.

Tom Heath
Now Maynards, that’s that’s that’s on hold for a bit longer. Correct that’s coming back later in the year?

Todd Hanley
It is. Yeah most likely mid to late spring is what we’re thinking. It’s hard to really Wrap Your Arms Around how to open up a business. When you’re still really not able to pay your bills consistently at the business that’s currently open and you’re relying upon the next round of federal funding to just stay in business. So you just juggling being somewhat efficient and successful with one business with stretching your resources too thin to have a second business open.

Todd Hanley
So it’s a struggle every time every somebody asked there’s the level of almost disappointment that we can’t be opened. But will open on the time is right and we think mid to late spring.

Tom Heath
A lot of pivoting and I think that’s the buzz word for 2020 but you’re still I mean, you’re still doing what you can to keep the history alive. If if people aren’t familiar Hotel Congress has be tell us about the history that you have with the building and some of your most notable number one felons caught there.

Todd Hanley
Yeah. Well, I mean it great point you mean this past weekend would Then I think the 27th Dillinger days reenactment, which celebrates the capture of John Dillinger by the Tucson Police Department in Tucson fire department that unfortunately was never going to exist like it’s old format with five to six thousand people. It was going to be a small 75 to 100-person intimate event on the Plaza, but the weather was just not going to cooperate in so we ended up around noon. Noon on Sunday canceling the fire trucks that typically show up that actually fought the fire of 1934 can’t drive in the rain for the reasons of headlights and just safety.

Todd Hanley
So though we typically the third in or 4th weekend of every January celebrate the capture of John Dillinger, which really did put Tucson on the map back in the 1930s. We just weren’t able to do anything this year. We ran some social media and got people excited only two. Probably disappoint a little bit but there’s always next year and will keep plugging away.

Tom Heath
But I know what the Pima County we had a Chuck Huckleberry on few weeks ago and he talked about the renovation of the courthouse and how they they were revitalizing and the the room in which John Dillinger was held or was, you know brought into court.

Tom Heath
Yeah, it was arranged that was actually if you rewind, you know six months. Even during covid-19. We thought maybe at some point we would be farther along than we are with the situation. We were very excited to have the essentially grand reopening of the John will call it the John Dillinger courtroom. Take place the same weekend as John Dillinger John Dillinger days where we actually bring the tommy gun that John Dillinger used in the gang.

Todd Hanley
So yeah, that’s extremely exciting because it’s a bit of History. I would say that part of history is understanding what we did. Well what we didn’t do well and so people get a little bit frustrated and when we start to quote-unquote glamorize a bank robber and murderer so to speak but the reality is were glamorizing the history of Tucson fire department at Tucson Police Department and you just happen to have somebody that is a part of that whole process. So we were very excited to to really see the history of that Pima County courtroom come to life. But again, In 2022, so…

Tom Heath
We will come back and interview you about those things as we get closer to those dates, but there’s no others other changes though. I mean, obviously you’ve like a lot of restaurants you switched to a lot of takeout and you did some prepared meals and things like that, but I think what caught my eye the most was one thing that hasn’t waned is this Fascination that you have and that the hotel has with the history of like Agave in our region and how important that has been and what you’re doing to bring that that concept or that conversation back to the Forefront.

Todd Hanley
Yes. Thank you. I mean it’s for me and in the Hotel Congress a really critical part of our path forward around. Tucson being a destination for tourism not just for the beautiful weather not just for the culture and history of Tucson as it relates to well. I mean the truth of the matter is is if I step back the agave plant is rooted in Tucson in the sense that it goes back to the days when the Hohokam were actually cultivating which is called the Hohokam Agave, or the Agave Murphy ISO.

Todd Hanley
I’m extremely passionate about sustainability arid agriculture this particular plant still very endemic to this region not all species. But Hotel Congress, Agave Heritage Festival myself and really worked hard to make this a part of our long-term success and the sky’s the limit just for the simple fact that it is a regional base plant that survives and actually thrives in this other region this desert region and and not just the fact that tequila or Mezcal come from an agave plant, but it really is a representation of thousands of years ago. This was the primary source of food, clothing, rope. That was a source of medication. There was a me just one of the most important plant in this region it really the most important and some no botanists call it the Buffalo of the Plant World. So yes, I can and I know we’ll talk about it. But I’m excited to continue to push that as a part of our tourism and economic success. I think they all go hand in hand.

Tom Heath
So taking a step back and then a step forward briefly. Can you can you catch us up on the Agave Heritage Festival and what that what that really became.

Todd Hanley
Yes call quickly. Obviously it started about 12 years ago one day 3 our tequila tasting and it’s progressed into a week plus long 30-plus events Festival celebrating the history. the culture, the environmental sustainability, the complexity of our ecosystem and in this wonderful plant that creates this amazing ceremonial liquid called Mezcal tequila. Tequila is a Mezcal, Mezcal is not atequila, and so we’re a little dormant just because of the ch

Todd Hanley
allenges of the festival and virtual become part of the solution. But right now we’re really having a great success with an Agave Renaissance lecture and tasting Series in partnership with University of Arizona desert laboratory Tumamoc t keeping the relevance of the agave plant alive, the lecture and the tasting really complements what the festival is trying to do. So, I’m going to close partnership with the Tumamoc desert laboratory in right now. One of my main priorities is done as I hopefully will segue right into and distributing a wonderful northern Mexico Mezcal called Amato or Love Kills for those of you in the translation world. And I think as you are airing this on February 14th, a slightly symbolic it translation.

Tom Heath
I didn’t really think about that. But so so tell me why tumamoc why are you what’s the relationship with Tumamoc? What does that what’s the importance of that?

Todd Hanley
Well tumamoc actually has you know a lot of archaeology dating back to when they were growing Agaves as a part of their again food and clothing and just all different types of uses for the material. So there’s an actual ghave Garden on the north west side of tumamoc Hill. You keep get to it unless you go on a tour with somebody from Tumamoc hill but that’s always been a part of the Agave Heritage Festival and we hosted a few events on too much. He’ll celebrating some of the most recognizable ethnobotanist in the Agave world. So been Wilder the executive director is fascinated with the plant and he picked up essentially the education and sustainability portion while I’m helping him with the spirit and tasting portion. So tumamoc Hill rooted in the agave plant specifically the Hohokam Agave Agave Murphy out.

Tom Heath
That’s Todd Hanley, general manager Chief Operating Officer of the Hotel Congress talking to us about his passion that is a local food and culture specifically with the agave plant will be back to finish up that interview in just a moment. I do want to remind you how ever you are listening to Life along the streetcar on Downtown Radio 99.1 FM and available for streaming on Downtown Radio dot-org.

Tom Heath
Well. Let’s get back to our interview. John Hanley, he’s telling us some very interesting things about the agave plant and we’re going to learn even more from the team over there at Hotel Congress.

Tom Heath
So with your your three our tasting 15 years ago became a multi-day week-long event with many different facets and it’ll become that again in 2022, but in this year, it’s been pared down to a lecture series, correct your stove still going through the process. But I saw was a tasting as well. Is this a virtual or an actual event?

Todd Hanley
No virtual so basically both the lecture and the casing are going to be virtual and the purchase of the Mezcal Spirits would be purchased through the Hotel Congress bottle shop and then you just go on to exhume and listen to some amazing speakers talk about the plan talk about the regionality of And then step on three different Spirit choices as a part of the tasting. So if you go to the desert tumamoc laboratory websites, which I can if you have a social media presence, I could probably send that to you.

Tom Heath
We will definitely be supposed that and you’ve got you’ve got some so this is February you’ve got events coming up.

Todd Hanley
The next one is February 10th which is actually funny that you mention it Paul and Susie fish who do the tour of Tumamoc Hill they’re doing a lecture series on February 10th. And then the next day they are Jesus Garcia is going to talk about Sonoran local Agave spirits and taste on a few different examples of agave spirits that are more Regional than traditional Mezcal that come from Southern Mexico Oaxaca. Okay. So yeah, so February 10th, February 11th, they’re both free.

Tom Heath
So are those recorded because because this is going to air on the 14th are those recorder can someone purchase the alcohol the Mezcal and then watch a recording of the Zoom?

Todd Hanley
Great question. They are they’re going to be available on podcast through theTuamoc.arizona.edu website. So yes great question.

Tom Heath
Tell me about the Bottle Shop then so you have different Mezcal products available in your hotel Congress.

Todd Hanley
Yes, correct, and part of the one of them make them. It’s the Hotel Congress done over the last year at this point. It feels like and we opened up in the summer of 20/20 an online grocery store. We were doing to go family style meals back in April and May so we’ve kind of pivoted to a small online bottle shop with rare Spirits Fine Wines and some beers and some local some kind of more mainstream and the Agave Renaissance tasting is featured on our bottle shop as well as some amazing whiskey scotches and bourbon that you’re going to be hard pressed to find. Find but yeah, so the it’s essentially an online liquor store. We don’t have the ability to deliver. Most people just come take it up a few days after we placed the order we put them in a nice neat bag with newspaper to keep them protected and then they’re on they’re on their way.

Tom Heath
So yeah, I just I just Googled it. I’m kind of clicking around here. Yeah, you got you got quite a selection. So a lot of a and I would I would imagine a lot of the stuff that comes from the agave or the the Mezcal that that’s I’m not sure you’re going to find some of that anywhere else are you or is that more commonly found that I’m aware of?

Todd Hanley
it’s a little bit more cotton. Well, it’s not common. I mean westbound carries it Plaza liquor carries that but some of these are not anywhere. I mean you the Armor Mata which is the product that I’m Iactually Distributing myself through a few partners. Only available at the hotel Congress right now. And that’s the you know, the Love Kills portion of this particular Agave spear, but yes, they’re not readily available by any mean these are all extremely extremely delicious mezcals Agave distillates that all do a good job in balancing the ability to be successful with stewarding the environment and being conscious of the ecosystem not Just simply using the Earth as a launching pad for the next great business opportunity.

Tom Heath
Fits so well with with your mission if anyone’s had a chance to dine there mean you’re using a lot of local purveyors for your menu. Barrio bread is in there think well, if you got got several that are local purveyors.

Todd Hanley
So keeping yeah, absolutely, but I mean obviously some of the Yeah, the Keystone would be Barrio bread and that wonderful bread that we use for quite a few dishes. But as much as we can we work with pivot produce. We work with Wilcox Tomatoes. I mean, there’s small enough. Menu items that we can Source locally. It’s not easy with the size of our restaurant but we’ve also parlayed not just into local bread or local Tomatoes or local temporary beings. We have our own Hotel Congress vodka. We have our own Hotel Congress. It’s Maynard’s marketing kitchen are Arizona read in our Arizona white. I mean inarguably the hotel Congressman me nerds have set the Our for being supporters of local farmers ranchers Wineries and distilleries.

Todd Hanley
We just have remained weak and will continue to do so because there’s such great products within this region, especially wine and spirits and mean our hotel Congress 100 vodka is real what great rockets coming from flying leaps made out of grapes. It’s really a tasty sipping vodka and obviously can be easily turned into a wonderful cocktail.

Tom Heath
So I think the the perception of Hotel Congress may not be as in-depth as the reality the things that you’re doing in connecting local with with our community. So appreciate you did that you’re doing that.

Todd Hanley
Yeah, we’re so big that we come across as a kind of a historic. Rock & Roll hotel with all of these wonderful events and live music and really wonderful cup but there’s so much Nuance to how we run our business in terms of sourcing locally, but also as important for me we have when we’re at our Peak on no less than probably 15 you 12 to 15 refugees working for us and within our business entry level positions mind you but still positions that they were able to make it consistent paycheck and and contribute to a wonderful business and for us to give them an opportunity that that’s always been something that we try not to just throw out there because it feels somewhat self-serving but we are absolutely doing a lot of wonderful things from food to to hiring refugees and just being good stewards of the community.

Tom Heath
This is a family run business. Right, not a corporation. I mean, I know you’re a fairly large but it’s still a family-based, isn’t it?

Todd Hanley
It is it is? Yes. It’s for all its wonderful nuances. The probably the most complex nuanced of this business has its family owned and and my wife is the oldest daughter of the owners. So those bring wonderful opportunities as well as obviously there’s challenges any business but strong personalities in a family business will always have Your difficult times but we are here to support each other and obviously Richard and she knows her and the owners of Hotel Congress has proven to be so critical to the success of downtown. They mean they’re really the primary reason for downtown success purchasing the building back in 1985 and turning into what it is currently.

Tom Heath
There’s a long period of time where there wasn’t much to do downtown except Hotel Congress and the Rialto and that’s true. That’s it. And it’s nice to see that they’re still they’re still involved with with that. Todd, anything else that we that you need to that we should have talked about that. We didn’t anything coming up here in March or April that it’s important to get across.

Todd Hanley
We took probably about six weeks off from Soul Food Wednesday, which is a wonderful Community Based night on Wednesdays where we turn over the plaza to local African-American owned food truck or catering business. And we’re playing live music on the Congress Plaza stage again an African American DJ musician. That’s something that we expect to return sometime in mid to late February and just kind of best represents. What Tucson is so well known for inclusivity.

Tom Heath
A good opportunity to support Hotel Congress either in person or the bottle shop or just ordered some takeout Maybe. Yeah, that’s great. Tom. Thank you so much. What a wonderful interview truly man.

Tom Heath
Well, you know we keep tight around because he’s so flattering us but it’s always fun to talk to Todd and if you’re ever in the restaurant he is always out about so say hello. I know he enjoys that my name is Tom Heath. You are listening to Life along the streetcar and Downtown Radio 89.1 FM and available for streaming a Downtown Radio dot org. Well that’s going to do it episode. 138 is in the Books. Thank you Todd Hanley for his time and tune in next week for Mike Peel of local first, Arizona talking about some of the amazing initiatives underway over there in the field of sustainability. Well, it is Valentine’s Day, so we thought we’d leave you with a very appropriately named song from Bruce Springsteen off of its 1987 album Tunnel of Love. This is a Valentine’s Day. Hope you have a great weekend tune in next Sunday for more Life along the streetcar.

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Tom Heath - Senior Loan Officer with Nova Home Loans
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