For Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, “working from home” took a surreal twist while visiting his hometown of Syracuse this past summer.

While staying at his humble childhood home, where his mother still lives, Kenny continued to work on the Nickelodeon series and its offshoots, building a makeshift recording studio in the closet of the same bedroom he slept in as a child.

“I had the weird experience of sitting in the closet of my childhood bedroom like it was a panic room, almost. It's so small and blankets are hung; I rigged all this stuff with paper clips,” Kenny said.

“And I think, ‘Wow, this is the bedroom where I used to daydream about being Mel Blanc. And now, I'm here recording this cartoon character that's been around for 20-something years. And it's really awesome.’”

After nearly two decades on the stand-up and sketch comedy circuit, Kenny landed the job as SpongeBob in 1999. Today, SpongeBob is the fifth longest-running American animated series of all time. The award-winning series has generated over $13 billion in merchandising revenue as of 2019.

HOMETOWN FAVORITES

We all know about SpongeBob’s obsessive love of Krabby Patties. Kenny himself can get pretty enthusiastic about his favorite foods, too. He’s especially fond of hometown staples from the Syracuse region.

“I bought a bag of salt potatoes at the Byrne Dairy in East Syracuse, and I put it in my carry-on bag and brought it home,” Kenny jokingly confessed.

“There, I said it!”

Living in California, Kenny says he misses local staples like chicken riggies, Utica greens, Buffalo wings and salt potatoes.

When in Syracuse, Kenny likes to visit his favorite spots, including Tony’s Family Restaurant, the original Dinosaur BBQ, his top coffee spot Café Kabal and Mother’s Cupboard.

“Mother’s Cupboard has the best breakfast in America on James Street. It’s just a funky dinner with an amazing breakfast that costs $3,” Kenny said.

Kenny is also a fan of exploring the outdoors around Syracuse, including the Beaver Lake Nature Center, Oxbow Falls and Green Lakes State Park.

AAA TO THE RESCUE

Wherever Kenny goes, he keeps his AAA membership card handy.

“AAA is great, and yes, one of the great things about being on SpongeBob is when I can wax enthusiastic about something that I, truly, really do like. And I'm not fibbing, so my karma is intact. But yeah, I've been a AAA member forever,” Kenny said. “You know stuff happens and often in places that are unfamiliar to you, so it's great to be able to call somebody and have them come and help.

“My wife and I, when our kids started driving, that's a Christmas gift that you give them. So yes, I'm a big AAA guy. AAA's come to my rescue a lot.”

Whether you’re on your way to a sound stage in Hollywood or a self-made recording studio in Syracuse, make sure you have the coverage level you need from your AAA Membership. AAA Premier members get a tow of up to 200 miles and other exclusive perks.

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