Steven S. General Bar Manager/Bartender
“When I worked at Starbucks, one of my customers was talking to me; he was opening his own restaurant and bar and told me if I was interested in being a bartender to send my resume, and it went from there. I talked to him more about being a bartender and what that meant. We hung out and started making random drinks to see my skills and movement and comprehension. I was super interested and kinda hooked. To me at least, bartending was the next step up from being a barista, in terms of the ingredients you’re using and the environment. It was a springboard to jump into the restaurant industry. Learning much more about spirits, wine, and food and, in a way, flavor. Once I started bartending I was hooked seeing that next level of service. Coffee was my morning job and bartending was my night job — I got to see the world after they got their cup of coffee.”
“It’s amazing to say, I was going to grad-school, working at Starbucks and bartending. I stopped Starbucks to focus on school and bartending. My focus was going to grad school and getting a corporate job. I got a promotion when I was bartending to be a bar manager and I kinda stuck to it. The world and industry is awesome to me because it’s so flexible – you can schedule your time off and enjoy the world, food and flavor. I stuck with it even though I didn’t think I would, but I think it’s feeling super comfortable and being around the right people and having the right mindset. The opportunity just kind of opened. I enjoy food, flavor, spirits and wine. It’s amazing when you can say it’s your job.”
