We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tobin Shea. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tobin below.
Hi Tobin, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I come from generations of hard-workers that led by example and their words.
My grandfather worked in a factory from 8am – 4pm and then would work a plumbing job from 5:30pm – 10pm. He was such a hard worker that the company even thought he was “cheating” based on his high output and performance.
Growing up my father was a renowned Hall of Fame football coach in Pennsylvania. He lived and died by the words of Earl Henry “Red” Blaik and Vince Lombardi. “The only easy day was yesterday,” is one of the many lines that have stuck with me.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My foray into the restaurant industry began humbly, at a local bar near my college campus in Pennsylvania. After graduating and attempting a brief stint in the corporate world, I realized my true passion lived behind the bar.
Upon my arrival in Los Angeles, I opened two long-standing Silverlake favorites – The Garage and El Cid. After ten years with those concepts, I moved South to Orange County to assist with the cocktail program for the restaurant group P&D Concepts. After that I relocated to Manhattan Beach to work with Julian Cox and Josh Goldman, of the Soigné Group, on a cutting-edge draft and bottled cocktail program at Circa restaurant.
When I decided to join the Redbird | Vibiana team, it couldn’t have been a more organic fit. I naturally gravitate towards the classic cocktails from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, resurrecting forgotten recipes while adding a modern twist – a style that parallels the history and restoration of the buildings that house Redbird and Vibiana.
Working on a cocktail menu that stands next to chef/owner Neal Fraser’s globally-inspired menu and owner/operator Amy Knoll Fraser’s eclectic approach to design has been a great journey with constant growth. More and more private events on-site over the years has been exciting. The next focus for our team is events at off-site locations where we can still provide elevated beverage service outside of the restaurant.
Over the years it has been humbling for our cocktail program to be recognized by organizations like Tales of the Cocktails and World’s 50 Best Discovery. It really is a team effort and the mentoring piece of that is something I really enjoy. We look forward to launching our new annual menu in 2024.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Preparation. Endurance. Calm execution.
Keep an open mind, keep learning, don’t be content.
The day that you stop trying to grow is the day that you stop growing!
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are always looking for new, interesting spirits brands to work with. We love when the makers take a different point of view and stray from the mainstream, especially in the US market.
Our team as a whole, including beyond the bar, really enjoys being collaborative and supportive of partnerships. We love telling the stories of such togetherness and providing new opportunities for our guests to experience simeltaneously.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.redbird.la
- Instagram: @redbirdla
- Facebook: @redbirdla
- Twitter: @redbirdla
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/redbird-los-angeles-2
- Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/295225554
Image Credits
Stefan Merriweather, Eric Laignel, Antonio Diaz, Laure Joilet, Mary Costa
