The bar operator pursues her own education while working on a better business model
There’s a unique magic to each beloved bar and restaurant. Call it a feeling in the air or a vibe that emanates from the details, but it creates an experience that transports guests somewhere that’s both familiar and yet new and surprising.
Anu Apte has mastered that magic.
Quick to laugh, whip smart, and with a twinkling mix of wisdom and mischief in her eyes, Apte has a large presence on the Seattle hospitality scene and is recognized as one of the most dynamic operators in the business due to her work in creating some of the city’s most forward-thinking and creative bars and restaurants.
Streamlined menus, sturdy equipment and a beautiful setup can all make a difference
For restaurant and bar operators, much of the past year can be boiled down to the axiom: “Just throw it against the wall, and see if it sticks.” Be it finding clever methods of pre-packaging cocktails, rethinking what types of food can travel to a guest’s home (and which can’t), discovering how to bootstrap your own delivery service, or reimagining the physical boundaries of your space, each new approach has yielded new learnings.
For many operators, this has meant doing something they’ve never done before: Establishing outdoor dining. Sidewalks, driveways and even parking lots have become second dining rooms, bringing a whole new set of lessons, frustrations and welcome surprises.
Bar operators look back on lessons learned in 2020 nrn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nrn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A miserable year tested everyone’s resolve
2020 has been the year with seemingly no end, no bottom, no respite and precious few footholds to stand on in the ever-shifting sands. For operators in the restaurant and bar industry, it has fundamentally challenged them like never before, with a final fallout which will still not be known for many months. The numbers we do know now are frankly unfathomable, with the National Restaurant Association calculating that between March and November revenue from eating and drinking establishments were down nearly $192 billion from expected levels. However, amidst it all, there are lessons to be learned, as well as inspiring stories to read of resilience, and the grit, savvy and creativity that many operators channeled to keep their businesses going, in the hopes that they could serve as a harbinger of optimism for the future.