Today, we’d like to introduce you to David Jones. David was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented William Lopez.
David , can you walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Long story short, I am blessed to have worked with some of the greatest Corporate and local San Diego Operators over a near 25 year career in hospitality. I directly benefited from various levels of ownership and management taking a very active interest in my continued success. Blessed to attend and graduate from SDSU, blessed to be supported by friends and family, and blessed to travel the world under the care of a strong military family. It is an amazing honor to be at the service of others. None of my journey happened alone; and none of this journey would be possible without our staff and the amazing community we have here in San Diego. My Verant Group family and I have quite literally grown up together over the last 17 years.
Please tell us more about your brand, Verant Group. What should we know?
The Verant group is a locally owned and operated hospitality group founded by Mark Cirillo, Joseph Vaught and Eric Lingenfelder. Verant is an anagram of the flagship Tavern at the Beach, located on Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach. Over the last 22 plus years, this group has delivered neighborhood-friendly concepts to include the Sandbar, True North, barleymash, Ginger’s, the Tavern, Mavericks Beach Club, The Smoking Gun and Spill the Beans Coffee + Bagel. I personally am proud of the collective success of the group and the Operators that work hard to provide these respective neighborhoods with fun concepts to enjoy on a weekly basis. Verant Group has developed into a group of local entreprenuers proud to support one another in various passion projects, milestone achievements and life’s accomplishments; both personal and professional. Our cornerstone has always been our employees, guests and community at large.
So, as we mentioned to our audience earlier, you were introduced to us by William Lopez and Alternative Strategies and we really admire them and what they’ve built. For folks who might not be as familiar, can you tell them a bit about your experience with Alternative Strategies.
William came into my life through a professional introduction made by David Cohen; who at the time was the proprietor of West Coast Tavern alongside Eric Lingenfelder and the owners of the Verant Group. David had a relentless focus on brand messaging, design and continuity. I was impressed with William and his team every step of the way! I was blown away at their sheer ability to facilitate web design, manage all aspects of social media, cultivate and facilitate all media exposure, menu design, concept design and promotional partnerships. More than anything, I became enamored by his interpersonal connection to his clients. This is a man that hand writes cards, attends all events, sends inspirational texts & humorous emails, and always manages to demonstrate his ability to be a great listener. His team is so personally involved and connected to every client. They beam with pride, celebrate every success and share in every defeat. William became so much more than the face of Alternative Strategies over the last decade. He is a member of my extended family, an Uncle to my only Son, and a champion for our community. He awakes at 4:00 am to start his day and still manages to volunteer for a beloved pet rescue amongst other community platforms. I find his work ethic really a reflection as to how he lives his life: filled with purpose, intent, care and compassion. After a decade of spending time together, the thought of William has become so much more than his efforts in Public Relations. William is a true leader and a true friend. His relationships with local media outlets and public relations teams are second to none!
Image Credits:
Mavericks Beach Club Fireworks photo- Kevin Daniels barleymash enjoying brunch- Walter Wilson Studios
