Alexis and I have mutual friends and have crossed paths over the years. She’s someone who has always intrigued me in that her career has been creative within many different disciplines, all of which I am inspired by (food, art, fashion, film). When I first met her, she was working in ceramics. When we ran into each other many years later at a friend’s birthday party, she told me that she was opening a natural wine bar in Ventura, CA. I grew up in Los Angeles, but haven’t spent much time (at all) in Ventura. Just because Alexis was headed there, I knew it had to be cool. Since then her bar, Buddy’s Wine has opened. They serve natural wine, pie and snacks, plus events and a wine club. Buddy’s has personality and a clear voice. You can tell even from her website that it’s going to be a good time. Alexis is someone who has approached hospitality from an artful perspective and I really enjoyed hearing more about her process.
Follow Buddys on instagram @buddys_wine_ventura
In a sentence, how do you describe what you do within the hospitality world?
I own and run a natural wine bar in Ventura, California.
What is the road you took to establish yourself in your current role?
Not a linear one! I started out in the pastry world in kitchens and waitressing, segued to fashion, then the Art Department of the film world for almost a decade before returning to hospitality in the form of a wine bar. In spite of being different fields, the through line is they're all very demanding and exacting roles.
Who or what inspires you? Within or outside of the hospitality industry.
The Illustrator/Author Tamara Shopsin and her photographer husband, Jason Fulford are so clever with their work and really straddle so many different mediums (Tamara's father is the late Kenny Shopsin of Shopsin's an NYC general store turned restaurant). They have a very delightful way of subtly and humorously viewing the world.
Where do you get inspiration in the physical sense? IE specific books, museums, instagram handles. Do you have a ritual of collecting inspiration or does it find you?
I love having a good physical book to refer back to and they've definitely taken over areas of my home but I'd be lying if I didn't say the endless portal of the internet was a fun rabbit hole I like to dive into.
Do you have a pinch me moment or horror story you'd like to share (within the hospitality world)?
I actually wasn't present for this but Helen Johannesen apparently came into my bar (I think she has a relative who lives up here in Ventura) and as a woman in the wine industry, that's the equivalent of Elvis paying me a visit.
Your favorite regular guest? What's their order and why do you love them?
A father and son duo, Chuck and Ian. I adore them and they're so fun and chatty with the whole crew. They try all the wines and never shy away from ordering a slice of pie and letting me know their thoughts. Together they represent a real tenet of the bar: no matter your age or demographic, this is a place that welcomes you.
Favorite hospitality space you've visited recently and why? (hotel, restaurant, bodega...)
Oh my, this one is maybe a little anti-hospitality but truly delighted me. I visited a bar in Kyoto owned by a very old street photographer named Kai Fusayoshi. The place still has charred walls from a fire that engulfed it a few years back and it's a hoarders paradise covered in literal mountains of his printed materials. Kai is the sole bartender and will serve you a house made soju that could reasonably be mistaken for rubbing alcohol and yet all of this feels inconsequential and you're having the best time talking to other strangers that have found themselves here.
Ideation : How do you begin a new idea? Tell us about your creative start/kick off process.
Ah! Idea spelunking. A lot of it comes from jumping off of something I've seen or experienced. Like with instagram stories, for example, I often just sift through pictures I've slowly amassed and then finding a funny through line to connect them into a series to make a narrative. Or for pop-ups, it can be a conversation that started with another small business and grows from tossing ideas back and forth.
What is your relationship to feedback? Do you accept feedback easily? How do you decide what to incorporate and what not to?
Honestly, I don't mind the feedback. If anything, it's essential for growth. That said, sifting through the useful and non-so-useful feedback is the real challenge. I would say that I give more credence to feedback I get from people who have been in my shoes. I appreciate and listen to what the general public has to say but often it's without the understanding of the costs, labor, and city requirements necessary to execute. That said, its still valuable and gives me something to chew on.
How do you make something different? is making something different/new/unique the goal in your business?
Honestly, it's just about making something genuine.
Confidence and insecurity over your work. Discuss...
That is a daily battle but I really find refuge in my fellow small business owners, friends, crew of amazing employees, and the regular friendly faces that come through the bar. I think if you're ever insecure about something, it's a good reminder that you're human and your humility is probably just in check.
Is the project every complete? Do you feel satisfied with a completed project?
Oh its ever evolving!
Is there a medium that you're interested in exploring that is outside of your day to day role?
I really love tinkering. Give me a task of something you need built or made and it really lights up my brain trying to figure out how to do it.
Who do you admire within the hospitality industry?
My sister, Erin Wade and also Jeremy Adler (who you know!)
Thanks for reading. Cheers to Alexis and Buddy’s!