It's WINDSday | August 7, 2024

Celebrating the Power of Wind, Clean Energy and a Green Environment

Vol. 2

Here is a true "rags to riches" story courtesy of Leland Jones of Virginia Beach. He is the author of four books on finding purpose in life and owns a million-dollar business that he started as a side gig just seven years ago. Did I mention he's just 25?

Leland and his two siblings grew up under the roof of a by-the-book Naval Academy grad, who became an aviator and retired as a Captain, having served in multiple combat operations, including Iraq. “I wanted to be like my Dad,” says Leland, “go to the Academy, but become an Admiral.”

But when his father, post-service, took a job in Singapore, it meant Leland leaving America at age 14. “I hated it at first,” he says, but then “something switched in me.” At 16, he started T-Quotes, screen printing memorable sayings on t-shirts (like Wayne Gretzky's "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take," clearly Leland's motto). It was a success, spawning his first book, a "manifesto on what I had learned in business,” through age 18.

He chose the University of Alaska Anchorage for college, where "bug number two" hit. "A friend of mine and I saw a lot of dirty cars around, so we went to Walmart, spent $300 on buckets, sponges, and rags, and then went to people and said for up to a hundred dollars, we would fully detail their cars. In three days, we earned $3,000." He then dropped out of school.

"My Dad was upset that I was 'throwing away my future' because I wasn't following the traditional path," says Leland, recalling some very challenging conversations between father and son. But Morgan Jones clearly didn't know his youngest.

Then came COVID-19, and by this time, Dad was working with the Navy in Hampton Roads. Leland moved to Virginia Beach and started selling cars. Ever the achiever, he made $100,000 his first year during the pandemic. He also started a second car detailing operation on the side. 

Just as in Alaska, it took off, prompting him to leave the car lot. "By this time, I had met and married Alannah (they now have three kids under the age of four), and we opened Ceramic King Coatings, which is now located off Central Drive near Lynnhaven Mall." It was an instant success, but "then I learned about Icon Rocklear, which manufactures a coating that is 75 times stronger and 35 times thicker than traditional ceramic.”

Armed with this new product, Leland went to California and installed it on some of the

85 “Ketchup and Mustard” Ferraris owned by collector David Lee, a regular on Jay Leno’s

Garage. “I now have the distribution rights to Icon Rocklear in Virginia, Illinois, and Tennessee. My brother runs one of its dealerships.” 

Leland himself has been the subject of national profiles in such publications as Men’s Journal and The Good Men Project. One quote: “Nothing is work if you love it like I love this.”

If you adore your wheels or have someone special who does, treat you or them to a professional-grade coating. Oh, and Morgan Jones? “He’s very proud of me today and has been a paid business consultant for my company for two years.” Relationship, like a bleached-out Beamer, restored. 

Crews are nearing the installation of 50 monopiles, the green area where they are now in place, and the orange one where activity will occur this month. This continues through the end of October, when this phase of CVOW pauses for the right whale migration season.

Meanwhile, the Go Freedom is migrating throughout the area, deploying dozens of wave and acoustic monitoring buoys.

The Coast Guard wants you to know that it has established 179 temporary 500-meter safety zones around the turbine sites to "protect life, property, and the environment."

Each will be enforced as needed for up to 48 hours through May 2027 as construction continues.

It's getting real out there. 

If you are a “server” at Isle of Capri Restaurant on the 6^th floor of the Holiday Inn Express (39^th and the oceanfront), you do much more than take and serve food and drink orders and ensure water glasses stay full. "We all prepare our signature table-side Caesar Salads," says Justin Zobel.

It is a sacred trust at Isle of Capri, which started in 1952 on Laskin Road and has been at the oceanfront location since the early 90s. "Between just the three of us, we have probably made more than 20,000 over the past decade," says Nancy Binetti, figuring she alone fashions a hundred a month. “It’s very popular.”

Az Tamouro, who hails from Morrocco, was our chef this night, working from one of four well-equipped mobile carts. Before tossing in the thoroughly washed and linen-dried romaine, says Az, "We start with garlic that we press each day, then mix it with anchovies, stone ground and Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, three freshly grated kinds of cheese, olive oil and our special ingredient."

That would be an egg yolk to “emulsify” or bond the ingredients. Add in the croutons baked in the back using Isle of Capri’s own tasty bread, and you have a salad for the ages.

And from whence do Caesar Salads hail? Credit an Italian chef, Caesar Cardini, but he didn't devise it in Italy. From Wikipedia: "His daughter, Rosa, recounted that her father invented the salad at his Tijuana restaurant when a Fourth of July rush in 1924 depleted the kitchen's supplies. Cardini made do with what he had, adding the chef's dramatic flair of table-side tossing. “

If you come to Isle of Capri, make a reservation and dress nicely. Even though you can see the sand from your seat, “not accepted are beach wear, tank tops, logoed t-shirts, hats, hooded sweatshirts, cut-off shorts or swim trunks." This is a nice place, with superior veal and other entrees plus an extensive wine list and, of course, the entertainment, a wait staff-crafted Caesar in the tradition of the creator, a taste of Mexico on Atlantic Ave.

Founded in Burbank, California, in 1958, the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) has about 1,800 locations worldwide, most open 24/7. Three are in Virginia Beach, all owned by franchisee Amos Berkovich, a native of Tel Aviv (born in 1946, his birth certificate listing his nation of origin as Palestine, Israel, not coming into official existence until 1948.)

In Israel, to which Amos returns often ("I love the beaches, I love the culture"), he has somewhat of a Forrest Gump history, having had chance encounters with David Ben Gurion, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin's daughter. After a stint in the Israeli Army, Amos moved to New York in 1966, then here with his wife Marcia, an RN. They raised three daughters in Kempsville, one of whom is a Harvard-educated lawyer, and one son, Danny, who started on the cash register at age 8 and today manages the restaurants (KempsRiver, Landstown, VB Blvd).

However, what might separate Amos from his competitors is the fierce loyalty of his employees. Look at this picture, which features GM Denise, a 22-year IHOP veteran but with Amos since 2016 ("he's the best owner I've had"), and her grandson Eric, who works the floor.

There's waitress Sania, whose mother, grandmother, and aunt have cooked and served for Amos, plus Michelle and daughter Kiley, on the Berkovich team since 2001 and 2022, respectively.

So, when you come in for pancakes, omelets, salads, and burgers, with or without children who eat free with paying adults, from 4-10pm every day, know that the staff and families of our newest WINDSday Partner are IHOP’ing happy to see you. 

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