We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Castaneda a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Stephanie, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My work ethic definitely comes from my family. Growing up, I saw firsthand what it meant to show up, stay humble, and give your best no matter the job. That mindset stuck with me — I’ve always believed that if you care about what you’re doing, it shows in the results.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
As a National Beverage Director, I oversee all aspects of our beverage program across the brands—from curating wine lists and cocktail menus to managing vendor relationships and ensuring consistency in quality and guest experience across every location. I collaborate closely with our culinary, operations, and design teams to make sure every drink aligns with the overall brand identity. The most exciting part is creating those “wow” moments — when someone takes a sip of a cocktail or wine I’ve chosen and it just clicks with the food, the music, the vibe. That’s when you know you’ve elevated the whole experience.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three qualities that have been most impactful for me are curiosity, adaptability, and persistence. Curiosity keeps you learning — whether it’s about trends, people, or yourself. Adaptability lets you pivot when the unexpected happens, which in hospitality, it always does. And persistence is what carries you through the long days and the challenges.
My advice for anyone early in their career is to stay curious and say yes — even to the small things. Every opportunity teaches you something. Build relationships, ask questions, and never assume you’ve “made it.” The most successful people I know are still learning every single day.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
Over the past year, my biggest area of growth has been learning to balance creativity with strategy. In this role, it’s easy to get lost in the fun, innovative side of beverage development — but scaling those ideas across multiple brands and locations requires structure, clear communication, and strong leadership. I’ve become much more intentional about building systems that support creativity while ensuring consistency and profitability across the portfolio.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://togrp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/konagrill/
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