Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Lervold.
Brandon, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Before I landed with the amazing people and company that I work for, I’ve spent much of my career as sort of a “wine gypsy”, with experience working in wine production, education, on and off-premise distribution, retail, and restaurants. In his book “Making Sense of Wine”, writer Matt Kramer describes wine as an “inexhaustible nexus of subjects”, which I find to be both true and poignant. It’s an amazing and wonderful world, and I never tire of learning about the content or the business surrounding it.
Has it been a smooth road?
I’d argue that no smooth road is worth walking; compelling people aren’t made, they’re forged. My journey has been no different.
I feel like much of a modern career path is a combination of opportunity, timing, hard work, and luck. Especially in a field like wine, opportunities and “good jobs” wax and wane with current industry trends, the continuing merging of local and national distributors, and the ever disruptive impact of eCommerce on both education and how businesses function. While I can honestly say that I’ve been good to very good in every sphere that I’ve worked, it took a while to find out what type of job worked for me.
The “honest work” and craft aspect of working in a cellar has a certain charm, while the high-level of multitasking and interpersonal skills required to be successful as a sales rep is a fantastic challenge. Compensation is also a big factor; I feel like you have to look at where your priorities lie and find where on the scale that you land. It’s not so different from choosing to pursue your passion for food and go down the path of being a line cook or chef, or still be around food and interface with customers as a server, which will also make you more money and necessitate less hours. If you’re someone who refuses to settle, it often takes a long time to find your sweet spot.
Most of my personal struggles were related to taking a long look of what each job looked like for my daily life, having an honest conversation with myself, and asking “Is this something that works for me?”. As modern Americans, we spend a LOT of our weekly hours at work, so maximizing my satisfaction in that sphere has always been important to me.
Please tell us more about your work. What do you guys do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
Our company Puffer Malarkey Collective is owner by two amazing partners; “restaurant sage” Chris Puffer, and Top Chef Brian Malarkey, who have worked together for many years, and have both an amazing symbiotic relationship and rapport. We specialize in restaurants and hospitality, which right now is our flagship Herb & Wood location in Little Italy, as well as our two new locations, the theatrical and opulent Asian-inspired Animae, as well as our charming beach restaurant Herb & Sea.
For me, the fear with opening multiple concepts is that they have a sort of “sheen of sameness.” I’ve never wanted to work for a big restaurant chain, and it’s a real challenge to open multiple concepts that each have their own soul, not just different names and menus. To that end, I would say that we specialize in creating resonant experiences for our guests, which stems from the uniqueness of each concept and location. I’m proud of how Herb & Wood’s vibrancy and energy, Animae’s polish and elegance, and Herb & Sea’s precociousness and charm carry through from the venue buildouts, to food and beverage curation, to (most importantly, in my opinion) the staff. I think that this is one of the things that set us apart from other restaurant groups, and hopefully gives guests a reason to experience all of our locations.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I would be remiss to mention the weather and laid back vibe. I’m from the Pacific Northwest, and can confirm that seasonal affective disorder is a real thing! With great weather and lots going on all of the time, it’s easy to see why so many people ear eager to relocate here. I think that the trade-off to that aspect is that I feel a general lack of… culture, I guess, that I feel when I travel to cities like Chicago, San Francisco, Portland, and Nashville.
Image Credit:
Photos of Herb & Wood Staff at this past New Year’s Eve, the Animae staff at opening, and our Bar Lead at Herb & Sea Connor Duncan during the opening process.
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
