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We Didn't Come Here to Take, We Came Here to Give" — Gino & His Father's American Dream Pt. 4
•6:14

We Didn't Come Here to Take, We Came Here to Give" — Gino & His Father's American Dream Pt. 4

0:00 / 6:14

Tonight's Episode

Every great business has a moment when the founder walks into a stranger's establishment and has to sell the dream from scratch. For Gino Santos, that pitch had three parts: increase your margins, keep your customers coming back, and make your wait staff more money — all with just a beer and wine license.

In this final installment of the Premium Blend series, Forrest gets the full story:

  • Why Premium Blend launched in plastic bottles — a practical shipping decision when you're self-distributing across Florida with almost no capital
  • Why plastic has actually become a selling point for bars and restaurants where dropped bottles are a real cost
  • The three-part sales pitch Gino used to walk cold into venues: higher profit margins, increased customer retention, and bigger tips for waitstaff
  • How Premium Blend sales presentations work — Henry and Gino would show up with bags of product like they were moving in, letting everyone taste everything
  • Blind taste tests against actual rum, tequila, and more — and why the cocktails are indistinguishable
  • Pricing breakdown: roughly $8–$10 per liter depending on state alcohol tax
  • The philosophy behind the business: owning a company, not just having a job
  • A moving tribute to their late father, Orestes Santos — the Cuban musician who said "we didn't come here to take, we came here to give" — and what he would think seeing his sons build something that employs people and sustains small businesses across the country

Learn more at premiumblend.com

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Key Takeaways

  • Premium Blend launched in plastic bottles as a practical shipping solution for self-distribution across Florida with minimal capital, and plastic became a selling advantage for venues where dropped bottles represent real costs.
  • Gino Santos's three-part sales pitch to venues focused on increasing profit margins, improving customer retention, and enabling higher tips for waitstaff through Premium Blend products.
  • Premium Blend cocktails are priced at roughly $8–$10 per liter depending on state alcohol tax and are positioned to be indistinguishable from cocktails made with actual rum, tequila, and other spirits based on blind taste tests.
  • The business philosophy emphasizes owning a company rather than just having a job, inspired by their late father Orestes Santos's principle that 'we didn't come here to take, we came here to give.'

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Premium Blend originally use plastic bottles?

Plastic bottles were chosen as a practical shipping decision when self-distributing across Florida with almost no capital.

What were the three parts of Gino's sales pitch to venues?

Increase profit margins, keep customers coming back, and make wait staff more money.

What license does Premium Blend operate under?

A beer and wine license.

How much does Premium Blend cost per liter?

Roughly $8–$10 per liter depending on state alcohol tax.

Who was Orestes Santos?

The late father of Gino and Henry Santos, a Cuban musician who said 'we didn't come here to take, we came here to give.'