La Cocina wants to give a special THANK YOU to Jon Gasparini, one of our volunteers and owner of Rye on the Road and Romolo 15.
Jon is an integral part of making the Street Food Festival (and so much more) a fun and booze-filled reality! Read below to learn more about how he got involved with La Cocina, and some of his insight into the food industry.
1. How did you get started working with La Cocina?
I met Caleb Zigas several years ago while attending an event we were both involved with. I had read about La Cocina but wasn’t entirely clear on what an incubator kitchen even was. He explained the program with his usual enthusiasm and, like most people, I was really impressed.
A year or so later Caleb and [local food writer] Jessica Battilana approached me to help out with the planning and execution of the cocktail service for the 2nd Annual San Francisco Street Food Festival. I jumped at the opportunity to work with such a talented group of people. The cocktail garden ended up serving a staggering amount of drinks. We are now in the planning stages for the fourth annual event and it’s going to be even more exciting than previous years.
2. Why La Cocina?
The challenges of opening any food-related business are daunting, even for the most experienced operators. For La Cocina to offer a facility, training and support to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit is really inspiring. It’s invaluable.
3. What do you think is important to support a vibrant, healthy community?
San Francisco has such a diverse collection of neighborhoods, each with its own distinct personality. Outreach and acting regionally is critical to maintaining their uniqueness. I know that sounds obvious, but understanding that the choices you make as both a business and a resident have a direct and real impact on the health of the community. Deciding how you’re going to contribute and make it better is a responsibility for everyone. Nice manners never hurt.
4. Bars and clubs are such an important part of this city’s cultural identity. When thinking of a concept for a new bar or club, are you designing it based on your understanding of a specific clientele or social trend, or is it more your own creative expression that presents patrons with a unique, new experience? In other words, do artists reflect culture or do they change culture? Or both?
My feeling has always been that the best clientele is the most diverse clientele. It’s a great feeling when you look around the room and see people of all ages and backgrounds. It’s infinitely more interesting than targeting a specific group of people. That focus on diversity informs our overall design approach for each bar. It doesn’t mean we play it safe and try to please everyone, it just means we try to be honest in our approach and not pander. Good design is layered and affects everyone. I believe people subconsciously pick up on craftsmanship and thoughtful decisions, even if they’re not expressly looking for it.
5. You’re the founding partner of 15 Romolo, Rye, Rye on the Road, and Rosewood. What are some of your other favorite bars in the Bay Area?
I really like the recently opened Prizefighter in Emeryville. The whole notion of expertly crafted drinks and cold beer in a warm and casual environment always gets my vote. And they have a patio! In San Francisco, Tosca on Columbus is timeless and just a beautiful room. There’s a patina of history, romance and poetry that no other space has.
6. What would you be doing if you hadn’t pursued a career in designing and operating bars and clubs?
I was working as a graphic designer for five years before Greg [Lindgren, business partner] and I opened our first bar, 15 Romolo, in 1998. It was a heady time with the dot-com growth and I would spend countless hours a day in front of my Mac meeting deadlines. I decided early on that that kind of stress and fast pace did not suit me well. I knew I wanted to stay in the design field, but instead I gravitated toward furniture and interior design. I get a great deal of satisfaction from creating and building.
7. What is the life expectancy of a San Francisco bar? How do you manage to keep your businesses “current”?
The bar business tends to fall into two camps: bars that are more thematic and “current,” and bars that attempt to be more timeless. We fall into the latter group. It’s more important to be focused on quality and building relationships with your guests than being “current.” Truly appreciating your employees and guests will keep you in business long after your wallpaper and furniture are outdated.
However, I see many bars either changing ownership or concept roughly every five years. That’s usually about the time when your first wave of loyal customers start to move on and you better be prepared to absorb that loss.
8. We’ve all heard the discouraging statistics about new bars and restaurants that fail within the first 12 to 24 months. Do you have a favorite business that did not survive? Why did it fail?
I wouldn’t want to speak to any one particular bar or restaurant although there are many. The fact is the business climate in San Francisco can be onerous. Rent, construction, and operating cost are all pushing the outer limits of what any one business can handle. Often times it simply comes down to not enough volume. Most spaces need lots and lots of volume. All of my favorite spots have had to close for this reason alone. We tend to hedge our bets by opening smaller spaces that can scale with demand. There have been periods where we’ve had to operate very leanly, but it’s allowed us to keep the lights on.
This entry was posted in News. Bookmark the permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.
Thank You Jon Gasparini!
La Cocina wants to give a special THANK YOU to Jon Gasparini, one of our volunteers and owner of Rye on the Road and Romolo 15.
Jon is an integral part of making the Street Food Festival (and so much more) a fun and booze-filled reality! Read below to learn more about how he got involved with La Cocina, and some of his insight into the food industry.
1. How did you get started working with La Cocina?
I met Caleb Zigas several years ago while attending an event we were both involved with. I had read about La Cocina but wasn’t entirely clear on what an incubator kitchen even was. He explained the program with his usual enthusiasm and, like most people, I was really impressed.
A year or so later Caleb and [local food writer] Jessica Battilana approached me to help out with the planning and execution of the cocktail service for the 2nd Annual San Francisco Street Food Festival. I jumped at the opportunity to work with such a talented group of people. The cocktail garden ended up serving a staggering amount of drinks. We are now in the planning stages for the fourth annual event and it’s going to be even more exciting than previous years.
2. Why La Cocina?
The challenges of opening any food-related business are daunting, even for the most experienced operators. For La Cocina to offer a facility, training and support to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit is really inspiring. It’s invaluable.
3. What do you think is important to support a vibrant, healthy community?
San Francisco has such a diverse collection of neighborhoods, each with its own distinct personality. Outreach and acting regionally is critical to maintaining their uniqueness. I know that sounds obvious, but understanding that the choices you make as both a business and a resident have a direct and real impact on the health of the community. Deciding how you’re going to contribute and make it better is a responsibility for everyone. Nice manners never hurt.
4. Bars and clubs are such an important part of this city’s cultural identity. When thinking of a concept for a new bar or club, are you designing it based on your understanding of a specific clientele or social trend, or is it more your own creative expression that presents patrons with a unique, new experience? In other words, do artists reflect culture or do they change culture? Or both?
My feeling has always been that the best clientele is the most diverse clientele. It’s a great feeling when you look around the room and see people of all ages and backgrounds. It’s infinitely more interesting than targeting a specific group of people. That focus on diversity informs our overall design approach for each bar. It doesn’t mean we play it safe and try to please everyone, it just means we try to be honest in our approach and not pander. Good design is layered and affects everyone. I believe people subconsciously pick up on craftsmanship and thoughtful decisions, even if they’re not expressly looking for it.
5. You’re the founding partner of 15 Romolo, Rye, Rye on the Road, and Rosewood. What are some of your other favorite bars in the Bay Area?
I really like the recently opened Prizefighter in Emeryville. The whole notion of expertly crafted drinks and cold beer in a warm and casual environment always gets my vote. And they have a patio! In San Francisco, Tosca on Columbus is timeless and just a beautiful room. There’s a patina of history, romance and poetry that no other space has.
6. What would you be doing if you hadn’t pursued a career in designing and operating bars and clubs?
I was working as a graphic designer for five years before Greg [Lindgren, business partner] and I opened our first bar, 15 Romolo, in 1998. It was a heady time with the dot-com growth and I would spend countless hours a day in front of my Mac meeting deadlines. I decided early on that that kind of stress and fast pace did not suit me well. I knew I wanted to stay in the design field, but instead I gravitated toward furniture and interior design. I get a great deal of satisfaction from creating and building.
7. What is the life expectancy of a San Francisco bar? How do you manage to keep your businesses “current”?
The bar business tends to fall into two camps: bars that are more thematic and “current,” and bars that attempt to be more timeless. We fall into the latter group. It’s more important to be focused on quality and building relationships with your guests than being “current.” Truly appreciating your employees and guests will keep you in business long after your wallpaper and furniture are outdated.
However, I see many bars either changing ownership or concept roughly every five years. That’s usually about the time when your first wave of loyal customers start to move on and you better be prepared to absorb that loss.
8. We’ve all heard the discouraging statistics about new bars and restaurants that fail within the first 12 to 24 months. Do you have a favorite business that did not survive? Why did it fail?
I wouldn’t want to speak to any one particular bar or restaurant although there are many. The fact is the business climate in San Francisco can be onerous. Rent, construction, and operating cost are all pushing the outer limits of what any one business can handle. Often times it simply comes down to not enough volume. Most spaces need lots and lots of volume. All of my favorite spots have had to close for this reason alone. We tend to hedge our bets by opening smaller spaces that can scale with demand. There have been periods where we’ve had to operate very leanly, but it’s allowed us to keep the lights on.