Built, owned, and operated Fourth & Olive, a farm driven concept serving Alsatian cuisine, and PigBurd, an American bistro with a focus on locally sourced ingredients. Our company also focused on hiring veterans, with an average of 85% of our staff having served in the armed forces or Coast Guard, as well as military spouses. About half of our veteran staff had VA rated disabilities greater than 50%. This was a social-entrepreneurial company.
• Recognized by LA Weekly as "The Best Restaurant in Long Beach" our first year open.
• Created a full menu entirely from scratch. We baked bread, made all of our condiments, had a butcher, cured and fermented our own products, and more.
• In addition to managing our veteran staff, I took them to VA appointments, helped them apply for benefits, assisted with getting aid from congresspeople.
• Managed list with about 70 wines and 40 beers, including purchasing, curation, and education.
• Managed all marketing for company.