The DC Bar Scene Isn't Emerging. It's Already Here.

Speaker A: Welcome to the Bar Hacks podcast. Engaging interviews, plus tips and strategies to navigate your bar or restaurant business towards sustainable success. Now, here's your host, hospitality industry veteran journalist and editor, David Klempt.

Speaker B: Hey, welcome back to the Bar Hack Podcast. I hope you're well. I have a very exciting episode. When I got this opportunity. I don't think I read the whole email. I was like, uh, yeah, absolutely, we're doing this. I'm very excited. I am talking to Capri Johnson. I already screwed that, uh, up. I am talking to Capri Johnson and Princess Johnson, bartenders at allegory in Washington, DC. If you are a bartender, a bar owner, I 90, uh, 9% sure you know both of these guests and you know, allegory for those of you who do not. For some reason, this is a speakeasy, but it's so much more than that. It blends cocktails and art and literature, even the entry to get into allegory, and it's about social good and community. And they've won a ton of awards recently. The Siete Mysterios best cocktail menu award from the World's 50 Best Bars. And they are currently a top 10 nominee for the 2026 Spirited Awards in the world's best cocktail menu category, specifically for a menu called Band in dc. So that's awesome. I love the name just with that menu, let alone the drinks. So fantastic. But Capri and Princess, even though I already messed up a surname. How are you both?

Speaker C: I'm doing great today. Thank you.

Speaker D: I'm doing great. I'm good.

Speaker C: I mean, granted, Robinson, Johnson. Close. Get out.

Speaker B: I don't know how I did that. I was looking right at the name, and I was like, no, let's just say something completely different. Like, why would I actually read this that I wrote? So fantastic. So I'm just gonna jump right in and, you know, Capri, you joined the allegory team in 2020, literally right before lockdown, to my understanding.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: And, Princess, you were the first new Higher Allegory made before reopening, I believe, in August 2021.

Speaker D: Right.

Speaker B: So can you both explain what drew you each to allegory when these opportunities arose? And I don't know why I just said allegory so weirdly, but that's staying in.

Speaker C: Um, so Allegory when it opened. At the time, I was a Santa Teresa 1796 rum ambassador here in D.C. and so I used to go over to talk to the guys all the time because they were the same team that came from the Gibson at the Time they were running in the Gibson before they started doing allegory. And the Gibson is, uh, old school. Real speakeasy in D.C. that a lot of people would look to for cocktails and different things. So I was like, dope, I want to come by. And they would support Santa Teresa so much. So I was in there at the time. I was also working a bar called Reliable Tavern. Super neighborhood style bar. But we did great. Classic cocktails, cut our own ice. It was awesome. But I was like, I need an extra job because it was very neighborhoody where a lot of people wouldn't always frequent. So I was like, oh, I should have an extra bartending job. And I love the guys. And I was like, hey, you guys hiring part time because I still need three jobs, um, and things like that. Absolutely. And the day I was supposed to begin was literally the day DC shut down for the pandemic. I was really drawn to the team because I really enjoyed what they were trying to do in terms of, uh, cocktails. I was drawn to the point it was a hotel bar and it was small. I like small teams. I'm very big advocate for having small bar teams because I believe that that helps with communication and bonding and things that you need to be great. So that's what I was drawn to. And when we. When Deke decided to reach out because most of the team kind of had to, like, leave D.C. during the 2020. So he reached out because he was going to stay on and was like, hey, do you want to come back around? And I was like, dope, let's do this. He was like, all right, we're looking for people. I was like, lit. Okay, cool. And so, uh, first person I reached out to was Princess.

Speaker D: Yes. So that's basically how I even started out on the team. I was working at a very popular D.C. restaurant at the time, and I was actually going back and forth if I wanted to actually leave there. But then I told, I guess Capri. I popped up in Capri's mind because I. I was telling her, I did tell her that I wanted to get back into craft cocktails because I did leave the craft cocktail where I went to more volume restaurant. And then I wanted to get back into it. So then, yeah, hit her up. She hit me up, I hit her back. And then I got in contact with Deke. Deke told me the concept, what he's trying to go for moving forward. And I was just like, he's like, do you want to. Is that something you're interested in? I was Just like, heck, yeah. And now, yeah, I'm part of the allegory team.

Speaker B: That's awesome. I mean, it's. It's gotta feel pretty good to be the first hire right before reopening, too. Like, this is, like, we're doing this, and we want to do this with you, so that's really cool. And Capri, you can't tell, but behind me, that wooden box is actually a. Ah, Santa Teresa. And loose style case from, uh, Tails did a dinner years ago at Herb Saint with the master blender from both. So I also have a Santa Teresa autograph by both of them.

Speaker C: I love that. That's awesome.

Speaker B: Just very random that I happen to have that. So it's. It's one thing to take a chance on an opportunity, and it's another to stick with it. So what is it about allegory that makes you say, yes, this is where I belong, and keeps you on the team? And it seems like this is something that the team itself is proud of. It seems to be that you're all like, yes, this is the bar.

Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, princess, you want to go first?

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker D: Uh, so, I mean, me personally, it is the team and the people. I think that's what's really keeping me, because anytime, like, you don't like your coworkers or something, you really don't tend to stay at places long. But we really all love each other and like each other, and that's really what's keeping me. And just, like, the concept and everything and being able to be like, you know, show that, and we're free to do, like, storytelling and stuff like that with our cocktails and doing, like, new, unique stuff like that. So I like having the freedom of that. But definitely, mostly the team, I love.

Speaker C: I love everybody agreed. That is definitely the biggest keeper. I would have to say it, uh, for me, too, is that we're all aligned. You know what I'm saying? So it's. It's. It's easy to come into work like there. If. If it's a drag at work, it's only because it's slow, like, you know what I'm saying? We're always laughing. We're always. We're always yelling at each other, and then we're coming back around to hold each other. It's like. It's all those things come together. We hang out with each other outside of work, which is a huge thing too. You know, we like to drink with each other. Like, it's. It's. It's. It's that team Bonding that keeps us there for sure. And then on top of that, being able to be in a space that allows you to do something creative and allows you to do things on the outside. Like, me and Princess have both created things that are not allegory based, but kind of just solo branding things that we've allowed. We were allowed to host that allegory. So being able to do that too, or being able to work with brand friends to do club allegory, like those, those have been recent things. But like, being able to just do that is. Is a. Is a plus, you know, something to help you further along a little bit outside of just the allegory idea.

Speaker B: Princess, I like that you said you, you love the team and like the team, because I do think those are two different things. You can love a relative and not like them very much.

Speaker D: No, exactly. Yeah, that's what I wanted to, like, point out liking, because I was just kind of like, I love them. Yeah, dumb. But it's like we actually do like each other too.

Speaker B: So that's a cool team then. That, that's awesome.

Speaker C: Oh, we're great. Yeah, but we are good. We're pretty great. Not yet, not to suit our heart, but we're pretty awesome.

Speaker B: I think anyone who has looked into allegory even a little bit knows the team is awesome.

Speaker C: So.

Speaker B: So one of the reasons also I jumped on this, I was like, oh, hell yeah, I'm going to talk to allegory, of course. Like, who's going to say no to talking to allegory at a particular, like you two, like, who's going to be like, oh, no, I don't want to learn anything from teams. Like, no, thanks. So how would you describe the concept to the listeners who haven't been to allegory or are somehow just now hearing about it?

Speaker C: Absolutely. So the concept itself is a story telling very, uh, creative, whimsical, but yet political situation that we have going on. The whole space itself, when you walk into the allegory room, is wrapped in three murals. And that mural is an allegory in itself. If you don't know what allegory means, it pretty much is a story with a deeper hidden meaning. And usually it's a meaning that has a high moral or very political stance. Our murals on the wall are a depiction of Ruby Bridges as if she was in the world of Alice in Wonderland and through the Looking Glass. And that allegory is pretty much a stance on Ruby had to walk into. If you don't know who Ruby Bridges is, I Should start there too. Ruby Bridges is the first black girl to integrate schools in 1961 in New Orleans, Louisiana. So for her and for us, her walking into the school to be the first black girl to do that in a white school, she walked down her own rabbit hole. So we lean on these, that story telling to tell our stories about our cocktails. It is a really swanky, sit down, loungey kind of space. You're never overcrowded in there unless it's Club Allegory. And ah, that's really nice. Within the booklet. So this is, this menu. We're so. We're so happy to be able to win that award again with North America's 50s best. Because this. We, uh, only changed our menu twice. And to be able to have it get that menu, I mean, get that award twice with being able to focus on Ruby Bridges has been really awesome. So the first one was very tied to the mural itself. We worked with the old artist. Not old artists. The old artist that did the murals on the wall, he also had extra art that we use for the book itself. His name is Eric Thor Sandberg. And he. We wrote with the quotes of different interviews of Ruby Bridges of her experience then, and made that into a, uh, children's story and connected it with cocktails. This time around, band in D.C. takes Ruby Bridges. She's a bit older, she's in college now. She finds herself running back down the rabbit hole. And in this she's a hero again and she's saving the world from the detriment of banned books. So that's what is happening in Band in DC in the menu itself and these cocktails. We found that people. First off, first off, people really love cocktails for both. But we found that the cocktails in the last menu might have been a little bit over people's heads. So we wanted to be a bit simpler in this one and kind of, uh, channel nostalgia and memories and ingredients that people could, you know, recognize at least we thought, you know, sometimes people are kind of like, what's cornflakes? You're like cornflakes. I think people think that we're, you know, are doing something crazy and we're just like. We're really just using everything. No, but I think that, you know, that's. That's how we came to where we are right now with the menu.

Speaker B: That's awesome. I like the Corey Flakes thing. There's a bar in Vegas in a hotel. I'm not going to say what it is. And they were like the, the first, like Craft approaches inside of a hotel. It's not a lobby bar. That wasn't really what we did. But they had all these ingredients for guests to look at. And one was like, birdseed. People are like, they have a cocktail with birdseed. And I'm like, they don't. They just put a bunch of labels on some stuff. And you think that they have bird seed in a. No, no one garnishing with birdseed. At least I hope not. But like, yeah, you think people just realize that? But it's like, no. If you say this is on there, they're gonna try to figure out for some reason what it is. And a lot of times, like, why would you think it's that?

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker B: That would be

Speaker C: gonna be, like, crunchy. Or, you know, they. They. Not a lot of people understand that you can. You can use solid things in liquid form. And. And that. And I think that's where people start to be like, I don't know, I want to drink that. And so it's kind of. We're. We're the ones to be like, trust me, you got this.

Speaker D: Yeah. We have to explain it to them, the process and, like, how that works into the cocktail, which is great. Yeah.

Speaker B: I just love the storytelling. I mean, it's. It's one thing to go. This is what our bar is. We have a theme, and so we put some names on some cocktails. But to tell an actual story is above and beyond like, that. You're telling and multiple stories, because there's the space and the team and the menu and the experience. So to tie all that together, I mean, how long does it take to even start concepting a menu allegory? Because that's a lot.

Speaker D: Well, uh, we started, like, conceptualizing our, like. Well, our menu at least probably like a, like, months. Almost a year before we actually released it. So. But we had to wait for the artwork, which is how we don't like to shoehorn into, like, our cocktails into a story. So we wait for the artwork, and then that's how we base our. Base our cocktails off of is the artwork. So we started out by, like, at least a year beforehand, and then here we are. Wow.

Speaker B: That's a lot of forethought.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: I think altogether was about a two year. Two year. Maybe a few months over two years all together from old menu. Well, the old menu we had for about two and a half years. And then within that, making this menu.

Speaker B: Wow.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: People tend to think of the usual American suspects when it's, you know, bar and Nightlife. It's New York, Miami, Chicago, Boston, you know, Austin, Las Vegas. And for some reason, I don't know why people don't look at D.C. in that list. I do, because I know there's just the bars and restaurants, the hotels. But for those maybe who are unfamiliar with the D.C. cocktail scene, nightlife scene, specifically, why. What makes it so incredible? And do you think there's a reason why people skip over it at first? Even I can't figure that one out.

Speaker D: I don't know.

Speaker C: I think that. Well, I do know what makes it incredible. I don't know why people skip it over, because it's always been, uh. My question, too, for me, what makes DC's city and industry so unique is really how I think we interact as a bar industry. I. You know, we all are very supportive of each other. We want you to go and eat out at other people's places, want you to take a boomerang with you. You know, we have a high regard for each other, and we also want to lift each other up. I think that because we're supportive of each other and challenging at the same time of each other, that it helps to charge the whole space with good energy to win and win awards. And you. You recognize. But I think also what's super unique is that in dc, in such a small radius of land, you can find almost any cuisine, any style of cocktails, whatever you're looking for. You could pretty much find a dope spot that's doing that specific cuisine or style. And I think that's what makes DC pretty awesome.

Speaker B: Do you have a. I thought about.

Speaker D: That's basically what I was going to say. It's just about, like, with our bar community alone, uh, it's just, uh, we're always supporting each other and uplifting each other and want everybody to do very well. And we definitely make sure we, like, even, like, when people ask us, like, oh, where should we go next? We're, you know, we're always giving, like, a ton of recommendations, and there's just something for everybody in dc. I think everybody sees DC as, like, oh, so political. And with all the stuff that is happening in D.C. uh, it's. It's a little crazy, but it's just like, I think that's what people think immediately. And not, like, what else? Because, I mean, D.C. has grown since even, like, people like, oh, I haven't been to D.C. since I was a teenager. I was just like, it's a lot different now, I promise. Definitely experiencing it as an adult. And.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker D: Um, Go ahead.

Speaker C: I was going to say. I would say also, I would. I would say the city was not too far behind the cocktail. Like, revolution that happened again, like a renaissance. They were saying that kind of happened like 2006 maybe or so, but we were a little bit more behind.

Speaker D: Right.

Speaker C: There weren't a lot of spaces that were doing these fresh cocktails, uh, and, like, you can name, like, them on four.

Speaker D: Oh, hand.

Speaker C: Right. Maybe like four or five places. So I think that that was reason why things are being skipped over at first, because it was so such a little amount of places doing, I would say, in comparative to, like, New York and San Francisco. Those are always, like, big cities doing a lot of. Lot of spaces doing the same. You know, these really fresh cocktails. But now, like, you can't go anywhere that's not going to make you a cocktail. You know what I'm saying? Even the dive bar is going to pump out a good margarita for you if you need. I know it's crazy. Like. Like, you can't run away from it now. People want cocktails. You can't really. So I would say maybe that's why at first it was looked over. And I think that people are not understanding that there's such a life outside of Capitol Hill. There's a life of people that are here through all the different regime changes that make up the culture of D.C.

Speaker B: that's an interesting point. It's. It's almost like, you know, Las Vegas bartenders. People will be like, oh, do you live in a hotel? It's like, no, there's. There's an actual city. Like, everybody works at a casino. There's other industries here, and there's other things to do. But, yeah, people pull that one. So I could see them being like, oh, you must just talk to politicians all day, like, across your bar, like, and they probably assume that that's the thing. So, yeah, I could see that. I still just don't understand with, like, you said, the per capita for restaurants and cuisine and cocktails and moreover, like, actual, like, really good concepts. Like, these are not just like, oh, uh, there's, you know, some little standouts here. The. The whole scene seems very. Just impressive. So, yeah, I. I just. It's. It's always kind of baffled me. I thought maybe you would have heard something like, why people are, uh. Like, oh, uh, I don't know why, but, yeah. So this is a potentially big question, but. And I kind of feel silly almost asking now because of what we talked about, but why does allegory stand out in a market that has experienced such growth. You know, just what makes it unique.

Speaker C: I'm gonna go back to the team, to be honest with you. I'm, um, gonna go back to the team. So, you know, Deke did a lot of pushing as soon as we started and opening back up. Deke did a lot of pushing for us to be able to start touching the national market and the global market with our name and our concept. He was very big on that and bringing us along on the trips that he was able to book. Bringing people to allegory, too. Right. I think we were one of the first bars to start seeing a lot of, um, A lot of, what do I try to say? Popups and, uh, coming out of town, coming from global spaces, from out of town to D.C. to do master classes and to show what their cockles are in their bar. So, you know, being kind of one of the first bars to do that here, I think was one of the things that drew eyes to us, I would say. On top of that, the. The menu itself, I don't think I've seen another menu telling a story like an actual storybook in ec. I know that's something that's happened around the world, but I don't know if I've seen it in D.C. itself. Like, there are concepts, but I don't know if there's actual storybooks. And I think that's one of the things. But I'm going to put team first. I think that we have a team that's majority people of color, you know, so we're black and brown. It's just me and Princess now as the ladies, but we have a few more ladies, you know, it was. I think. I think that's also something. And we're vibrant. We. We vibrate a bit beyond just allegory with.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: Who we are, if that makes any sense.

Speaker D: Yeah, it's definitely the people. It's definitely the team. I think when. I think you go. Go anywhere and you can get a cocktail from anybody, but I think our personality really shines. Definitely. Like, whether we're, like, serving cocktails on the floor behind a bar, I think we're really good at that. And we really let our personality show. We have, like, a good time, like,

Speaker C: a lot of times.

Speaker D: I mean, I don't know. It's a fun bar. Like, it's really hard.

Speaker C: Definitely.

Speaker D: Like she said, it's like the team, the concept, just like all of that. So, um, yeah.

Speaker B: Which I also love. I think some people have forgotten that bars are supposed to Be fun. That's not supposed to be. You have to behave a certain way here, and it's upscale, maybe, so you have to get to change your actions to be here. You have to act a certain way around our cocktails. And I've gone to upscale, uh, bars that are. It's like being in a neighborhood bar, because it's just fun. And that's what it's supposed to be. It's supposed to be fun. It's like, anybody can get drinks, and they don't have to come to your bar, so it's keeping there. It's not just the cocktail. It's the team. Like you pointed out, they have their favorite team members. They. Or they love the whole team. That happens. It's just. Yeah, I think that's kind of missing. So it sounds like you described it as swanky, but also that it's just a good hang.

Speaker C: I. I mean, we've had so many people come, and for the first, like, that are our friends, and they go, oh, y' all are just a dive bar. Like, yeah, we're a dive bar at heart. Like, if you meet the team. First off, our favorite places are to be in dive bars, but we like. We like the creativity. We like to give you a pretty cool concept of a cocktail along with great art in a pretty place. But when you start to sit there for a while, you're just like, oh, uh, this is dive bar mentality. Yeah. Like, right. We have a shooter. We're asking you to take it without your hands.

Speaker D: Right.

Speaker C: We're literally making people do blow jobs again. Like, you know, things like that bubbles and, you know, good music and dancing. Like, the amount of. Oh, yeah, dance music and the vibe is so great. Like, we. We. We like to cultivate all that into the space.

Speaker B: Is that kind of the, uh, where, like, club allegory comes in, where it's more like.

Speaker D: Yeah, we kind of really let loose when it's Club Allegory.

Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. Even on this, like, we do this thing where we say Latin hour. Right. Where roles play for, like, an hour. We get to control our music, which is so great. But we'll just play Latin music for an hour or more or do the whole night. And a lot of times you get people to start dancing a little salsa, a little choctaw, just because they're, like, filling it. We're also very dainty. So, like, it's like people being cute or even families, you know, it's really nice.

Speaker D: Yeah, it's just a little blend of everything because you can Be having like, uh, over there with your suits and talking business at, uh, one table. Then you have people dancing and like at another table or singing along at another table or in a date in the corner somewhere. Making out. Who knows? But yeah.

Speaker C: So this is pretty great. I love that, uh, talk about the making out. I know this is very random. I do not think that any bar has people making out as much as our story. I'm gonna say that I don't think so either.

Speaker D: I think when they get in our booths, I think they think that no

Speaker C: one can see them every day. I swear to God. We're open six days a week at least. Every day someone is making out. An hour at least. And I think that's a lot.

Speaker D: A lot. It's so funny though. It's so great.

Speaker B: That is a lot. Actually.

Speaker D: On a random Tuesday, I'd be like, this is uh, this is Tuesday at 6pm Yes.

Speaker B: I try to think, yeah, there are nightclubs I've been to where no one's making out and people think that's the place, that, that's, it's a nightclub. Like people are enjoying some stuff and feeling a certain way. But yeah, I. That's interesting that it's allegory.

Speaker C: Uh, yeah, I mean they sit on top of each other, straddling each other.

Speaker D: Yeah, don't let it. Yeah, definitely. If we change the music too.

Speaker C: Yeah, it gets. Yeah, it's not that dark in here.

Speaker B: To be fair. Some nightclubs will actually send security over if you do that and they'll be

Speaker D: like, hey, no, we let it happen,

Speaker C: we let it go.

Speaker D: Sometimes we'll go over and blow bubbles.

Speaker C: Yeah, we're like,

Speaker B: if they can do that while bubbles are being blown down, that's, that's pretty committed.

Speaker C: So like it's literally so.

Speaker B: So it's impressive. Cocktails are fantastic. And it sounds like, I mean the menus are, are wild. But if they come at the cost of, you know, timing and the guest experience, then they become a little less impressive. So how do you approach balancing the storytelling through cocktails, the guest experience and also the technical prowess in the cocktail builds? Because I'm imagining if you have that long to come up with the story, you're also working on the technique to get these things to be, uh, efficient while also still being a fun build.

Speaker D: Yeah, so we definitely. So with our cocktails, we have everything pre batched. Like there's a lot of work and time to like that we put into the cocktails before they actually get presented in front of the guests. So like, we have somebody, Greg, who's downstairs like prepping all of our cocktails and stuff like that. So that cuts down a lot of time, um, as far as getting in front of the guests, because you don't want to sit there and pick up like five, six, ten different bottles. And that takes forever. And I don't want it. I don't want a cocktail that takes that long, let's be honest. So. And then also every guest wants something different. So like some guests just want the drink. They don't want to talk. Then you have the other guests. It's like kind of like a bouncing act that do actually want to talk and really get to know the cocktails in you. So they. So we're really good at being able to do both things. Two things at one time is multitasking. You know what I mean? It also comes with just like we've all been doing this for a very long time. So we all know how to, you know, just tackle wanting to talk to gas, building drinks, all that other good stuff.

Speaker C: Yeah, that's impressive right now. Like, we definitely made sure that our garnishes and the time to build one cocktail was cut significantly in half from the last menu. We do a lot of freeze drying for garnishes, so they're easy plop onto ice. You know, we're making fruit leathers. That's easy plop onto the glass. Like nothing is. I would say the hardest thing we have to make is our like time wise is our cavity back. We're just putting. Oh yeah, just putting cavity onto the chip in a nice presented form. It's like, wow, this is taking me 20 seconds. And it's like, oh, no. But outside of that, uh, everything's kind of just like tongs and, and out to the window. We even have a lot of drinks that are freezer martini style, which is a pour into a cocktail so free already pre diluted. Um, so what we are what we like and then poured right into the glass.

Speaker B: And that is for the listeners who don't do that. It's a lot of math and it's a lot of know how and to be consistent is the big key there. So that is very impressive.

Speaker C: So in the consistency we definitely have to give to our prep master, Greg, I like to say Lamonte, but his last name is Lamont. He is there down there him now. And also our two Daniels are helping them out down there and they're there down there every week for very long hours down there. Sorry. It's our big. It's a basement. If you don't know, a lot of bars have basement prep roofs. But, you know, and because it's the same people every week, they understand the consistency, and they're giving the consistency. And so for us, uh, you know, that are bartending, they also get the bartender, too. But for us, it helps a lot that the same people are tasting and seeing the ingredients that are coming through. They're even making sure the ingredients that are coming through are the right ingredients and are, uh, you know, fresh.

Speaker B: So it's really awesome to switch gears a little bit and. And we kind of touched on this a little towards the beginning. But, you know, Capri, in particular, you founded the world's first ever bartender black and brown bartender competition called Chocolate City's Best. And to call it just a competition is. Is unfair. But how did the idea first come to you? And what is the mission of Chocolate City's Best?

Speaker C: Yeah, so Chocolate City's Best is a nonprofit I founded in 2018 that. The year before that I went to 2017. I won a competition called Cocktail Queen. It was here in Washington, D.C. and because of that competition, I went to my first ever distillery. I never knew. I never thought about distilleries. I didn't even think about liquid being made. And from that opportunity, I got to see world beyond the bar. And so I ended up at Tales of the Cocktail, and I was just kind of, like, so inspired about what was going on with the Spirited Awards. That's the first year I was really paying attention to the Spirit Awards because I believe Columbia Room had won an award. And I was like, Whoa, D.C. won something. I'm so excited. And then I was paying attention to just the rooms that I was in, and it was just like, okay, like, I'm one of not a lot. Okay, cool. And so, you know, from there, I was just like, okay, I really want to bring my people to things like this. And back in D.C. if you come to D.C. you'll see that, uh, there's a lot of people of color behind the bars, a lot of black and brown faces behind the bars. Running bars, owning bars. That is pretty. I think, also another unique thing about D.C. that you don't get to see in a lot of markets. So I was like, why aren't they here with me? What's going on? And so I was like, well, what should I do? How can I. How can I kind of start opening doors? I'm always kind of like, how do I save the world? And so my first. My first idea was a Cocktail competition. My great friend Michael Holiday Jr. Who is running the bar at Manifest right now, he was like, I want to do this with you. And he helped me to put on the first iteration of the composition which is nothing like what it is today. Um, it was just a single day situation. But we did offer a trip to Tails as the winnings and that was like what we want people's eyes to open up to tails in the cocktail. Right. And so from there we were like okay, but we want this to be more impactful. How do we pretty much package everything that we love about the opportunities we get with brands for people that don't get to hear about these things?

Speaker D: Right.

Speaker C: Black and brown spaces, black and brown. People don't get to see a lot of opportunities like dinners and distillery tours and education or the opportunities aren't reaching them. How do we put that together? So it turned from one day into pretty much a week long event. And for this whole week the competitors get to be of, speak to different brand ambassadors, have different dinners and lunches with that are specific. Branded, specifically branded, sorry. We take them to distilleries that are either in Virginia or Baltimore that you know come kind of show some local spirit choices. We do educational days so a full day of career uh, building class work all while asking them to challenge to not only give us a story, give us solutions for change, but also to create a cocktail. And it's gone into a new reiteration. It's now called Future Giants. It's Chocolate City Best presents Future Giants. And our whole premise is to have competitors who are pretty much making a proposal of a change they want to see in the industry and how to sustain sustainably do that change. And it's pretty awesome. We had a wonderful competition this year. You can go to Chocolate Cities Best and Cities is C I T Y S like possessive instead of a, uh plural because people call D.C. chocolate City and we bring every bartenders from all over the country here. So you're going to be the best here and think it'll be the best everywhere. But it's really, it's really great. And Princess did our, our uh, we did an online 1 during 2020. We were determined that she part of that one. Uh, when I think about it so crazy because we still had like programming for the week which was like get online and eat together and let's get do this class. It was really hilarious. But we still did it, they still present it online and you know we kept things going. So yeah that's, that's, that's it. Uh, but, but all together. Chocolate's M Best is a network. It's a network and it's an organization. We now have about almost 500 members strong in our, uh, WhatsApp group worldwide. And we on, we are also. Our, uh, reach is a bit bigger than that, but in the group itself, it's all black and brown professionals. We connect about different conferences, we have people coming in for job work, we talk about financial help. We do lots of different things. And it's, it's a great way to connect people. Um, when they're traveling, they're like, hey, I'm going to be in the city. Where can I go? What, what, who can I see? Hey, I need help building my resume. We were just talking about resume building the other day. Like, it's just a really great resource to bridge people to just better, better opportunities, to kind of just continue to grow in their fields. And I think also what we are for a lot of people is just a safe space because like I said, a lot of markets don't have black and brown spaces that people can go to. So I think being able to have that group and being able to speak out loud in there helps people too.

Speaker A: Hi there. Just a quick message before we get you back to this episode. If you're looking to take your bar, restaurant or hospitality business to the next level, I mean to profits of 12 to 15% or more, it's time to take action. Let's start creating your roadmap to success with our proprietary strategies, tools, resources that will inspire your team, activate your potential, and lead your hospitality brand to margins you never thought possible. Visit krghhospitality.com right after this episode for more information. Now back to the Bar Hacks podcast.

Speaker B: That's incredible. So not to put you on the spot, but do you have like a top, like, resume tip?

Speaker C: So for me it is if your establishment made wins, they're yours too. So make sure to put those down. So don't be like, don't be afraid to say if. If the restaurant is now number six on 50's best restaurant, you are now restaurant. And if you implemented something, say you made a decision just because you were like, hey, we could probably do this better. And the company grew. If you're able to get that data, that numerical data on how that the company grew from your decision implementing, put it into your resume no matter what position you're in.

Speaker B: I think that's a good tip for bar owners. If an employee has a great idea and you can actually decide to keep that idea. It is likely because you saw the data behind that idea and how much it boosted revenue and profits. So give credit to that person so that they know and then the rest of the team knows, oh, I'll get credit. They're just taking my idea and let them get the metric. Like build a KPI around it. Like do, do something. I mean, I love that idea. Uh, Princess, focusing on you. You've been a cocktail apprentice program red coat. That's uh, a cap for people who don't go to Tales of the Cocktail. But you should so start doing that. Ah. You've been a camp run counselor and you are a, I would say a champion of mentorship and advocacy. So what are some of your core bartending philosophies that you pass on when you are mentoring?

Speaker D: I think the most important one is definitely like pretty much leaving your ego at the door. I think everybody thinks they know everything and that's not the case. But I like to tell people to always, pretty much even myself is to always be a student because once you stop, once you stop learning and stuff like that, then you stop growing once you stop learning. So uh, it's just like just being open to that and just like basic stuff, just like meeting applause in your station, respecting your teammates. Because I've been to, I worked at places where that wasn't the case and just always stay curious would be my main ones. And also not to get like, not to burn out yourself, take time off for yourself. And also like the biggest thing is like always say give yourself at least like two hours, one to two hours in a day just for yourself before you go into work. Because I, I started doing that for myself and that's my mostly, uh, that's just me going into the gym or whatever, but that's just like my happy place. But like just make sure you always have time for yourself and it's not always just about work.

Speaker B: That is fantastic advice. I did an episode basically about burnout last year and actually I moving things around. I kind of want to stick with that because you just mentioned burnout and what you can do to hopefully combat that. And Capri, I think you said in 2021 to Eater, if you don't do anything that gives you joy, you're going to burn out. And in hospitality, I hate to say it this way, but you are going to burn out. Like it's right now like we, I don't think we put enough focus on mental health. We've been shining lights on it in the industry, but I don't know how much we're actually shining and how much of it is. We know we're supposed to talk about this, so, uh, let's do some sessions about it and then we're going to go right back to partying. So probably, um, partying, but for both of you, I mean, what can operators do to not just pay lip service

Speaker C: to burning out 100%. So I don't know if this fits, but somehow, some way, the whole team. Well, majority of the team right now, allegory, we're not drinking. It, uh, probably started with Princess for sure. And we're just like, we were drinking a lot. And Princess, 10 takes. Was it dry? January, pretty serious. And now she's taken. I think she's six months in of not drinking this year. And, you know, the rest of the team, we just kind of were like, yeah, this is making us feel bad. Like our body in this. And like now on the shifts, we're not crazy drunkards. We're, you know, still having fun doing the thing, but we're not as we're not drinking throughout the week as much as we used to. I think that that's something that we could, you know, people can do. Not, not forced, but like, kind of give space for. Maybe let's do a week together or a month together as a team to take a break on, you know, on liquid. Like, maybe we'll do once a week, we'll drink together or something like that. And the other days just try to focus on getting rest, honestly, doing something physical together. Let's go on a walk together. Or operators can also maybe get a month's worth of classes, like a. I don't know, like a. Maybe not a run class. I hate running, but something like that, you know, like a, uh, biking or something. Or like, hey, every Tuesday we'll meet up. Or just a hiking situation. Every Tuesday we'll meet up, we'll talk about bar stuff while we go on this hike together or, you know, something that's outside of the workspace kind of in the sun. I love the sun. I think that helps a lot with mental health space. A big thing too is try to figure out a way to offer some type of insurance that can get to therapy, that people can get their therapy covered. You know, I know a lot of places don't offer insurance at all. So if you can at least put money towards a, uh, program, a therapy program that your, your team can take advantage of, that is very helpful because just thinking about therapy, want to do it, that's great. But to be able to pay for it is another thing.

Speaker B: Very true.

Speaker C: Yep.

Speaker B: Uh, princess, you mentioned the gym, but what else do you think for. For staving off Burnout gym.

Speaker D: That's my favorite thing. I like to. I like, also rest. Just like, regardless of what it is. Like, I like to go to like a spa every now and again. Just sitting outside. Honestly, I was in San Francisco not too long ago and I actually just sat down in a park and m on the grass.

Speaker C: I didn't do anything.

Speaker D: I just sat there and I was like, wow, this is actually really nice. So just like, there's like, simple stuff that you can do. But I think, like, yeah, definitely doing some type of activity, regardless of something active, like Capri said, getting sun. I love just sitting out and letting the sun hit my face. I don't, uh, know, like listening to music. That's something I love to do as well. Just also just, I don't know, just spending time with maybe like family or some people that you love and care about, to be honest. Just to keep you grounded, I think.

Speaker C: Also open six days a week. Dude. Take one day off.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: Establishment I'm sure can be okay if it's closed for one day. Not only does it two days is. Is pretty nice. One day. I think it's great. It's also good for the operators if something is closed for one day. Because you get one day to not like, have to check your cameras and your chats and your, you know, the revenue. Did they close? Right? You know, it's like, um, all those types of. It gives you a day to kind of just like, oh, this is like a silent day. I know that operators do work every day, but like, this is a quote unquote, silent day. You can go in the space and it's silent. You know, it's. So I definitely think that's helpful for everybody to just shut down one day a week.

Speaker D: One day.

Speaker B: Yeah, that actually. So we're strategists and one of our goals is to, on the operator side is to get them to be able to take up to two weeks vacation without checking on their business. And it's, it's a, it's a big goal. And not every operator wants to do that, but. But to give them the opportunity and to tell them you can actually take a vacation. Like, it's. If they get the operations to. To where they need to be and more importantly, they can let go and trust their team. Like, you hired this team.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: You trust this team. Which kind of brings me to my other Question. And you know, we talk about the hospitality experience and when we do, we talk about the guest experience. That's usually the focus. But and again, this is a, uh, core for us is the staff experience because that is equally important. These are the people who are surfing. Your staff are your, your guests and delivering that experience that we all talk about. So do you have suggestions, you know, for how operators can empower their, um, employees and also just give them a better work culture and work experience?

Speaker C: I. Go ahead. Pr.

Speaker D: No. Oh, no, I was going to say for.

Speaker C: I think it's.

Speaker D: I, uh, know, like, usually it's just like, for instance, like the whole like the guest is always right. And I think we've been in this industry to know, like, sometimes that may not be correct. So I think like always making sure you like, they like you're having your employees or your teams back to know, like, so. Because I think we also used to just like always taking disrespect and stuff like that. And granted we are good about like nipping that in the bud. We don't really experience it too much, but we do. But we do have like, the power to like, you know, make sure that doesn't happen or remove that person. But it's just kind of like just making sure like you always have your people's back when stuff like that happens and just also, you know, teaching us stuff. I think like, we want to know what's going on behind the scenes as well. And I think just keeping that and gatekeeping, that is not fair.

Speaker C: And I think if, if you, if

Speaker D: people, if y' all allow your team to be a part of that and see like all the decision making or how that's done, I think it kind of makes like, it makes for a better team. So like, we're like, oh, we're all a part of this. And yeah, I mean, like, we already said about just like, not. I think everybody, like, I think we, A lot of people have romanticized like being on the grind, being always busy and stuff. But it's like a preset. Like us having like that day off or people having a day off because we have like three days off a week. I feel. Yeah, we only work like four days a week. So it's like it helps with like, you know, just better just overall, can't think of the word right now, but yeah, morale. Yeah, morale. Yeah. There we go.

Speaker C: Brain fart.

Speaker B: Guests have gotten used to, you know, bars and restaurants not being open every day of the week and adjusting the day parts. I think we can Kind of go with that. As long as, again, the experience when it's open is still convenient and it's still the best experience that can be delivered. So, yeah, I'm, um, I'm, um, 100% with you there. Capri, do you have any thoughts on just what operators can do to empower the employees?

Speaker C: I definitely agree with everything Princess said. I think also education for me was always a big push. I always, not only just about the operations, but like the bar. Wanting to bring in people to teach us new things was always great. I always loved that. And. Hm. Just, I guess asking your team what, what keeps them motivated? What are you into? You know, like, what do you, do you want to go to a distillery tour? Do you wanna, you know, maybe we can do a big push on this cocktail or this menu item that goes towards a fun for us to go to a. Just, you know, somewhere, I don't know, go to New York and check out some bars. Like, you know, like, what does, what does that look like for your team? What. You know, I think the biggest thing is to know the why of your team. Like, does your, is your team in it to be there to grow in this industry career or are they just there to help pay off their student loans? You know, maybe they're there for both. That, that could be a thing too. And I think once you can figure out why your team is there for the concept for you and for the bar, then you can know the, the specific things on what motivates them and then invest in that. You know, you can't, you can't play around with those, those investment things. Invest in your team, show that you care about their livelihoods and, and that energy comes right back to the space. And for you.

Speaker B: I love that. So I, I want to say I read because, I mean, obviously I, I did some research. I'll just do this off the cuff all the time, but I think I've read that you both have. Also, on top of advocating for your hospitality peers, you've also talked about empowering guests. And I think this is an element that some operators do maybe fall short on or they don't really think about it. But in this category or this topic, how does your advocacy for the empowerment of guests manifest?

Speaker C: So one thing I think especially allegory does very well in terms of empowering guests is if you do not like your cocktail. Yeah, please send it back. Yes, send it back. Tell us that you don't like it. People are so afraid to send cocktails back. They're like, I Don't know. I didn't know I could do that because we as industry beers have made it very scary on ah, people to send anything back or tell us that they don't like anything because we turn into, our attitudes turn up, you know, we start talking like to them like they're stupid, like all these things. And I'm going to put us all in that category. But allegory. And I, and I say this because I, because people do get a little bit apprehensive of the cocktails. I'm like, look, what you could do is you could try this cocktail and I'm going to come back and check on you. Please be honest with me on if you like this cocktail or if it's not your cup of tea. We can either get you what you usually drink, like a margarita or we can try something else on the menu. It's okay. Like we have so much alcohol. Let's, let's try again. I think that's a very big thing that we do as allegory for empowerment. Me personally, it is trying to empower people to remember and recognize things that they like and things that they don't like. You know, not just recommend me something and then try to like force yourself through something that is the most popular on the menu. You know, actually know what types of styles of things that you like, types of styles and tastes and flavors you don't like. So that you can always tailor your, your own experience so that when you can, when you sit down and you're like, can I have a recommendation? I like, boom, boom, boom. I can now give you the best recommendation for you. I don't want to give you a general recommendation because this general recommendation is, it doesn't fit all sizes. Mhm.

Speaker D: It doesn't. Yeah, she's right. That's how I feel too. We definitely like pretty much allow the guests. So we do something where like, I think probably a lot of bars do it. I don't know, I don't know. But we definitely like are big on custom cocktails. So if you don't see anything in the menu and, and granted I feel like there is something for everybody on the menu, but if you don't see something on the menu that you like or, or whatever, we're good on basically asking you like, what, like what is your favorite spirit? Uh, do you like, you know, do you want something spirit forward, light and refreshing, fruity, like we go down, do you want something bitter? Like all this, like down this, you know, all these questions to make sure we get you the. The right cocktail. Because nothing. Just like she said, I hate when people try to, like, force a cocktail to force themselves to drink a cocktail that they don't like, because I. I will notice, and I will take the cocktail away, and then we'll find. And they're so happy about it. I'll take it away. I'm just like, I know you don't like this.

Speaker C: What.

Speaker D: What are you usually drinking? And, like, she said, that's how we, like, really get. And then it kind of, like, opens up, like, a really good dialogue, and the guests kind of, like, relax and feel a lot more better. Because I don't want you to just force yourself to, because then you're not gonna have a good experience. Now you don't like this bar. Now you don't want to come back. Now you like. So, like, we're. We're not pretentious at all. I think our, uh, music also helps with that. The bar, like, because when she comes to Al Gore. Uh, yeah, our music is off the top.

Speaker C: I like the low fly jazz. It's. It's honestly a hodgepodge of very upbeat styles of music.

Speaker D: Yeah. So, yeah. So you can. You just. You kind of. You just, you know, you choose. You choose how you want to play,

Speaker C: which, actually, going back to music, I think, also empowers the guests to kind of relax. You know, we kind of empower the guests to kind of be like, oh, okay, I could just be, like, a regular person here. I don't have to, you know, feel fancy. I have friends all the time. They're like, I want to bring people. Do we have to wear a certain thing? I'm like, no, literally. This is crazy. But you can come and sweat. Fine. Yeah, you come and sweat supplies, and we will still give you a cocktail. It'll be okay. You might feel off, uh, just because I don't know how you feel, but you can do it. I'm not gonna stop. Yes.

Speaker B: For a while, when I was having the nightclubs, the. The move was to be as underdressed as you could get away with and see if the door people would turn you away. And if you didn't get turned away, people like, oh, wow, they must be somebody, because they're wearing, like, vans and a oversized T shirt with a fake tie printed on it. And they still got into vip. Like, that's. That's gonna be pretty cool. So I just like that, like, the vibe already. And what you mentioned about, like, kind of removing the drink that you can tell they don't like, those are almost keeping you from having to go into a recovery mode because people are already like, oh, this is not a huge deal. There's a little issue with the drink is already addressed. I'm already comfortable in here, so. And I'm sure the team is good at recovery, but it sounds like you don't really have to deal with that too much because you've already got people's defenses down.

Speaker C: Right. 100%.

Speaker B: Uh, so, uh, I love that. Well, sticking with the bar and mentioning, you know, the, the, the drink being taken away, but what spirits or cocktails or cocktail techniques have each of your attention right now?

Speaker D: Okay.

Speaker C: Spirit wise, I am very much into so Tall. I, uh, love that like, or anything that tastes like dirt and eating dirt your girl wants use it and try it. And then I recently just saw someone doing, I guess they do this at yacht club doing. I know we're, I know we're over clarification, but they were doing clarification with vegetables. I think it was carrots, where the fibers of carrots are, are kind of, are the same style of mixing the milk with the citrus and they do that curdling situation where you can allow the cocktail to clarify that way. And so that was very fun to watch. I think it was, uh, Caitlin with, uh, likable cocktails on Instagram was kind of showing that she was going to be using different fruit, fruits and veggies to see if you can do that with different fruits and vegetables. That way you can remove the whole, the whole dairy process out of the clarification. I think also that turns up a bit of complexity of like a milk punch or clarification or clarified cocktail that gives a little bit more depth and flavor. So that's. I think we're kind of missing that right now because once you put the milk with the citrus or milk with any kind of acid, it kind of just has that like, milky taste with the slight notes of everything else you put into it. Right. Like, almost all the punches kind of taste the same. Uh, I think that, you know, when I saw that, I was like, oh, shit, that sounds really, really cool. And then also in my head, I've been thinking a lot about different ways to dilute and different ways to add acids.

Speaker B: And Princess, what is got your attention right now in the, the cocktailed spirits world?

Speaker D: I'm, um, really since I haven't been drinking for the last five months, I've been really interested in just like, NAS in general. I went to like, just going to like, bars and just how to make like, more elevated nas. And I just hear your simple ones, which we do, like, even, like, on our menu, we have, like, five different NAs, which are all very unique. So I've been, like, really, like, focusing on how to, like, do that in different techniques and ways to like, make a, uh. And they really delicious. Like, I went to. I went to a bar and when I was in, oh, Denver in Colorado, called Peach Crease and have this beat, this beat and a. And I was just like, oh, my gosh, this is so good. It looks like a cocktail. It was like. It was just like, just crisp. It was like, almost like crystal clear, but still the color of beets. And then they had like, this foam topping, which is, like, amazing. So just me, I'm just constantly thinking about how to make, like, really good elevated nas. Also use just like she said. I know you're over clarification, but I. I, uh, learned to use a centrifuge downstairs in our.

Speaker C: In our prep room.

Speaker D: So I've been like, just centrifuge just using that to, like, clarify different juices and stuff that I've been just. Just. Just. Just to play around with cocktails and stuff like that. But it's so quick that just the centrifuge, it is, uh, looking at a centrifuge is very intimidating. And I know most people do. Do not. It's expensive machinery, but now that I know how to use it, um, I'm using it.

Speaker B: I like your approach to the nas because I. I do think an a guest who, for whatever reason, they don't want to drink either in that moment or that day, whatever it is. And it's no one's business why they don't want to. But to get the same experience as the people surrounding them who are maybe having a more traditional cocktail, I feel like it makes them feel less isolated or alienated, makes them more comfortable. It's not like, I'll put a soda in this glass or I'll give you some. A, uh, mixture of juices. That's what I think of your not drinking my bar. So I think it's definitely also a comfort and safety and guest experience elements. I love that that you're doing that.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker D: Because also just like, glassware, like, because we're not even just putting it in, like, simple glassware. All of our nas also have, like, specialty glassware and stuff like that.

Speaker B: That's.

Speaker D: Yeah. You don't even. You can look over. You don't even know what the other person's drinking. You.

Speaker C: You don't know what's in there?

Speaker D: A cup? Could be a na. Could be a cocktail. Who knows? So just, like, it just. It's really good.

Speaker B: Smart. So another kind of big question possibly, but what is your outlook for hospitality, particularly in bars for 2026?

Speaker C: What M. Do you mean? Like, what do we. What do we think is going to happen?

Speaker B: I mean, it could be anything. Like, are you. Do you see any trends? Do you see any, you know, guess. Expecting different things at bars these days, I mean.

Speaker D: Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, I think that goes back to what I was talking about. Definitely more. More bars are definitely starting to have, like, more nas on their menu. So I'm hoping that. That this Trend continues into 2026 and beyond to give people another option.

Speaker C: We're gonna see happy hours make a big boom.

Speaker D: I hope so. I hope happy hours come back. Oh, my gosh, that'd be great.

Speaker C: While they're like, no, we don't have happy hour. No. And I think now a lot of people are like, we definitely have happy hour. Ten cocktails, six dollar cocktails. It's needed. Like the, the economy is screaming.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: I mean, feeling it as an industry. Right. That people cannot no longer go out and spend the same amount of money that they used to spend. So how do we. How do we get people to continue to trust in the third spaces? Right. Like, come out, don't spend too much. You know, I mean, people are charging. I know a place charging $25 for NAS. What are we talking about? Like, nobody like these things. We got to get away from that a little bit, at least for an hour or two. Right. Uh, definitely think happy hours are becoming a trend. What else? Yeah, that's, that's, that's why I'll, I'll stick on that for sure.

Speaker B: Would you say that that applies also to, like, the reverse happy hours or just any day part that we can put this in? Or should it be like the traditional, like 4 to 6, 5 to 7?

Speaker C: Oh, no, it should be at night. It should be during the day. It could be like, one day. Um, Thursday. Thursdays. Thursday. Thursday's back. All day to do, you know, half off Wednesdays.

Speaker D: Okay.

Speaker C: Wet Wednesday. Yeah.

Speaker B: I think the. The wildest one I ever saw. And this is gonna date me big time. But I believe it's called Sanctuary in Scottsdale. Huge nightclub. And they decided one weekend that they were gonna do penny cocktails.

Speaker D: Oh, my gosh.

Speaker C: Yep. I've seen that before.

Speaker B: Yeah, they got, ah, absolutely mobbed. I've never seen more people waiting in a line or Stumbling out of a nightclub and. Or pissed off cops in my life.

Speaker C: Yeah, you gotta have cops ready. You gotta have security ready for sure.

Speaker D: Oh, yeah, something like that. Yeah, I think he does something like that.

Speaker B: But I just wonder what they did to the bar teams even, like, did they make any money? Because I mean, people put like dollar bills on going like, yeah, load me up. And it's like, okay. By giving like 20 bucks back to

Speaker C: the park that day. That was.

Speaker D: I wonder how much they made that day. That's a.

Speaker C: That's.

Speaker B: Yeah, I would love to ask.

Speaker C: Yeah, like you're not making nothing, but that's hilarious. I think there's a bar out here that does dollar vodka cocktails on like the Thursdays or something like that, or dollar dollar rail cocktails.

Speaker B: It's cool. Like they get to own that. I'm gonna guess they own that time slot on that day. Then like, that's where the traffic is going. So, yeah, you can, if you want to get that granular with it, look at your bar and go, okay, what can we crush and still make it worth it because of, uh, you know, your labor costs and everything else. You got your margins to worry about. But what can you draw people in, but also what's going to keep them there and keep them coming back after you do that? It can't just be a giveaway.

Speaker C: So definitely happy hours that are catered to the space. Right. Like what fits into your experience, not just, you know, not just a regular run in the middle. And I think that's something that we're, we're, we're also trying to think about too, is, you know, we want to, we want to be able to discount some things for people. What does that look like in the allegory space? You know?

Speaker B: Yeah, uh, very important. So before we go, how can people connect with you and if you're allowed to say anything, what should we be on the lookout from each of you?

Speaker C: Yeah. Go Francesco.

Speaker D: Okay. Well, to connect with me, I. You can find my page. It's going to be. My Instagram is @yo PJ. So y o P E J A Y. Actually it's coming up. Me and Capri have a pop up in Harlem in New York coming up. Yeah, like, I mean, just like rent, like pop is everywhere. Like, I know. Yeah. Harlem, I have, ah, Chicago and in the works and some other stuff like overseas that's still not in. You know, you'll.

Speaker C: You'll know.

Speaker D: Follow me and then you'll know. So. Yeah, I think that's pretty much. Yeah, it.

Speaker C: Yeah my my Instagram is Capri K A P R I dot possible we will both be at Tales of the Cocktail which is going to be super fun in July. If you are listening around the world and you go to Ecuador. I'll be in Ecuador for Quito Cocktail Week which is going to be the first week of July which is super exciting. Going to be doing pop up down there at the big bar, doing cocktail competition judging and also a class. I'll be in New York for some reason three times this in June. I don't know when this airs and then which happens every year and then yes we are we have some pretty big things happening at the end of the year so please do follow us so you can keep up.

Speaker B: Fantastic. Capri and Princess, thank you so much for your time. This was awesome. I really appreciate it and I had a blast. So I hope you also had fun.

Speaker C: Yes, absolutely.

Speaker B: Thank you for listening to the Bar Hacks Podcast, produced by KRG Hospitality and hosted by me, David Klemp. If you like what you're hearing, please rate, review, subscribe and share. Follow us on Twitter @AskBarhacks and Instagram @Barhax. Talk to you soon.