The Open Bar Experience Podcast

Thomas Reyna has a diverse set of experiences in the bar and restaurant industry. He has been able to participate in some of the industries best immersive training programs. Some of these programs allow a very limited amount of attendees into each session. What makes Thomas special is that he does not hoard the information. Instead, he shares it with the Houston chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild of which he serves as Secretary. 

You can find him:Insta: @treyna31

In this episode, I talk about the healthy growth the Bartender Guild has had under the current leadership and of some of the programs and people that are making an incredible contribution to the Houston Bar Scene.

Sara Cueno at Poitin

Rich Bailey at Johnny Goldbricks

Nathan Raffell with Grey Goose

All opinions in this podcast are my own and no one else’s.

Sarah Troxel is headed to one of the most prestigious bartender competition in the nation, SpeedRack. In my conversation with her, we talked about how she got into the industry, behind the bar and eventually into the competitive arena.

This month several locations in Downtown Houston will become art installations. Get more information here Photo by Jeffrey F Lin

Jojo Martinez is a hospitality professional from the Alamo city. She moved to Houston on the suggestion of a family member. It turned out to be an enriching transition for her professional career. Her desire to create a unique and entertaining experience for her guest guided her to seek out instruction on flair bartending. She furthered her education by entering the competition circuit. By continually seeking to improve into the best version of herself she has been able to garner recognition for grinding in a true H-Town fashion.

Insta: @jmartinisvcs

Passion! As wonderful as it is as a chef, bartender or any other position or endeavour in life, it can also bite you in the ass if you’re not careful. There are times that you can be so vested in a bar or restaurant that you forget to take care of yourself. This includes making sure that your passion doesn’t burn out due to overworking yourself. Take a long view approach at your craft and allow for things to fall into place as they are supposed to.

Taste Makers Awards

Starting a business is a lot of work, but opening a bar or restaurant, in my opinion, is much more difficult. Places, where you eat and drink, have to make you feel a certain way and that has everything to do with details. Everything from location to the type of glassware used will enable you to make a judgment. Judgment is exactly what it is. No one wants to be judged, but at the end of the day, either consumer like or dislike your product or service. That comes through a series of assessments, or judgement, based on basic sensory experiences.

Choosing a location or a partner in your business venture predetermines a lot of what your final experience will feel like to your guests. So having a space that feels like a natural extension of you is important.

When Mike and Neff came together to take over the space that would become The Cottonmouth the conversation of ‘can we make it work’ had to happen.

The Houston bar community has seen a lot of growth and maturity in the last ten years. What is interesting about that is the people who have endured many changes. Sometimes turbulent, sometimes trifling, sometimes significant. What may deter a person from taking part in the process of a growing maturing community will turn some away.

In this episode, Mike Raymond talks about his start in the hospitality industry in the late 80s and his trajectory into becoming a bar owner of a well recognized and acclaimed whiskey bar, Reserve 101. This is a conversation that gives some context into what the hospitality industry used to be and what it is now. He and Michael Neff have opened a bar in the 100 block of downtown Houston called The Cottonmouth which is a throwback to a true refuge.

Also, he gives me some sage advice for my upcoming concept bar at Bravery Chef Hall in downtown Houston. Lockwood Stn. will be a cocktail bar focused on elaborating every aspect of hospitality, technique, and passion, an absolute labor of love.

Wine is delicious. Wine is more fun when you taste from different regions and different producers.

Let’s talk about how to choose a wine bottle based on price, preference, and quality. Knowing what is in the bottle takes a bit of research and an adventurous heart.

Building a bar is hard work, conceptualizing it…I think that’s even harder. In this episode, I interview the business couple of Merchant & Market, Gino & Blanca. They have had several retail shops around the city, renovated homes and build out some of the coolest bars around Houston.

In March of 2018, they sat with me for an interview as they were in the middle of a pop-up, moving into the beginning stages of a significant build-out, and going on a buying spree for their retail/renovation business.

Please enjoy this interview but take not that the audio is not ideal but the information is.

Merchant & Market

Lockwood Stn. @ Bravery Chef Hall

I meet Sheldon years ago when he worked for Southern Glaciers and I managed a bar in the museum district. He always has had a desire to learn and an ability to get along.

These days as a Tequila Avion brand ambassador he continues to do great work for his brand and the beverage community.