Our Philosophy
We value sustainability in our systems and ingredients, and strive to generate as little waste as possible.
We are artists and craftspeople and we put creativity and deliciousness at the forefront of all we do. We prioritize seasonality, health, and local produce whenever possible. the goal is to make the best tasting product possible.
We find beauty in the diversity of faces in the food and beverage industry and we want to create hospitality focused opportunities for minority groups that allow us all to thrive equally and sustainably.
We promote healthy and sustainble work environments for bartenders and we want to foster long term career opportunities within our industry.
We are about creating lasting programming that will create an impression on each and every guest and client, and stand the test of time.
Christopher Longoria
Christopher Longoria’s career behind the bar in San Francisco began in 2002 at the Korean Soju hotspot Rohan Lounge. There he was recognized as “Best Bartender to Confess Your Sins To” by the San Francisco Bay Guardian. He moved on to acclaimed Michelin Star rated restaurant Aziza for 5 years as the creative Bar Lead. As Bar Manager, he then led the restaurant 1760, now Sorella, to become a popular cocktail destination in California. In 2015, he was named a Bar Star by the San Francisco Chronicle, and The Guardian deemed his Cocktails “Best Creative” the year prior. He later became opening Bar Director of Che Fico, which was named one of the Top 10 restaurants in the country by Bon Appetit Magazine in 2018. That same year, he was nominated as “Beverage Professional of the Year” by the Saucy Awards. In 2024, he collaborated with Virginia Miller of The Perfect Spot, to create the cocktail program for Chef Dominique Crenn’s debut restaurant in Paris, Golden Poppy. Currently, he continues to play an active role as the hands-on Bar Director of Copra Restaurant in San Francisco, which was named #7 Best Restaurant in the Bay Area by San Francisco Chronicle.
Nora Furst
An award-winning bartender and drink creator, Nora has gladly devoted her life’s work to all things beverage and hospitality. Over the last decade, she has developed over 30 bar programs from Seattle to Oakland to Brazil. She currently spends her time as Operating Partner in Buddy (The Imbibe 75, 2022, Forbes Best Bars in America, 2023), a natural wine bar in SF with a focus on equitable hiring and pay structure. She is an operating partner and bar and beverage consultant for a wide variety of clients up and down the West Coast with West Bev Consulting. She is inspired by provenance, diversity, terroir and process. Originally from Seattle, she now splits her time between San Francisco and Portland, OR.
Stephanie Gonnet
Stephanie is a hospitality professional through and through. She grew up spending most of her childhood shuttling between her parents' commercial bakery and French bistro, exploring and developing flavor profiles in the context of pastry and sweets. After working both front and back of house positions over 15 years, she found her place behind the bar, cutting her teeth at notable SF restaurants including Che Fico, Bar Iris, and The Morris. She has a knack for design, organization and sustainable problem solving striving for smarter and less wasteful systems in restaurants, skills that she carries into every project that her consulting group West Bev Consulting builds. Her drive lies in inspiring passion in younger generations of bar professionals, stressing on technique driven bartending and encouraging young bartenders to explore all facets of the beverage and hospitality industry. She continues to tend bar in SF and consult for different bar projects around the world.
