The Restaurant Guys
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott are The Restaurant Guys! The two have been best friends and restaurateurs for over 30 years. They started The Restaurant Guys Radio Show and Podcast in 2005 and have hosted some of the most interesting and important people in the food and beverage world. After a 10 year hiatus they have returned! Each week they post a brand new episode and a Vintage Selection from the archives. Join them for great conversations about food, wine and the finer things in life.
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The Restaurant Guys
Steve Schneider, The "Guzzle" of Sip & Guzzle
The Banter
The Guys raise a glass to honor an iconic cocktail bar that has recently closed its doors.
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys catch up with world-renown bar operator Steve Schneider. Steve talks about his experiences working in and running various types of bars and how a few chance encounters catapulted his career. He describes how he strives to create the perfect vibe in his bar and tells how a night off at the theatre altered his perspective.
The Inside Track
The Guys have been long-time fans of Steve. Francis even had a brief appearance in Steve’s movie Hey Bartender!
Steve waxes sentimental about one little wish he has that many experienced bartenders probably share.
“If I could have one more shift in my twenties at EO (Employees Only), I would go back. That's what I would do. I would go back to freaking like 2012 and I would work one more shift with my old team and just be debaucherous,” Steve Schneider on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2025
Bio
Steve Schneider has more than 20 years of bar experience in New York, Singapore, Shanghai and Panama City, earning a reputation as one of the most respected and inspiring bartenders in the industry. Steve is a Partner at Employees Only Singapore, The Odd Couple in Shanghai and The Elysian Café in Hoboken, N.J. These positions followed a long-time stint as a Principal Bartender at Employees Only in New York when it earned “The World’s Best Cocktail Bar” Award at Tales of the Cocktail.
Steve is Bar Manager and Head Bartender at Guzzle.
Info
Sip & Guzzle
https://www.sipandguzzlenyc.com/
Hey Bartender! Movie trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLHdqCXe-OM
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Sept 12 & 13, 2025 @ Industry City in Brooklyn
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Hello everybody and welcome. You are listening to the Restaurant Guys. I'm Mark Pascal and I'm here with Francis Shot. Together we own stage left in capital Lombardi, restaurants in New Brunswick, New Jersey. We're here to bring you the inside track on food, wine, and the finer things in life. That's kind of weird, sexy way that at end, I gotta be honest with you, that you think it's sexy is weird. I agree. No, I, it was, there was air quotes around that. Sexy, I gotta be honest with you, even though it's an audio podcast. Um, today's great. We have Steve Schneider coming on the show. Fun show coming up. He's one of the most important bartenders I think I. Around. His story is amazing. He was featured in, Hey Bartender, in 2013. He's been doing a lot of cool stuff since then. He's a friend and we can't wait to talk to him. Great story. Yeah. So, but he is gonna be on in a few minutes In the meantime, and between time we should talk about, uh oh. Another thing, we are gonna be on the Cocktail College podcast at Vine Pair. Yes. And another week or two we'll be on that show. It was a, it's gonna be great. Yeah. We recorded. Yep. Recorded, already recorded, and then went out for martinis with, uh, Tim mcc. And, uh, I love, I I I can't go out. Oh, I can only stay for one. Oh, we went out for martinis. I'm sorry for Martini and we ended up with Martinis. Yeah, it was good then, but just two. And it was nice. Great. But the Cocktail college, if you don't listen to it, it's um, and the Vine Pair network and it is, I learned something. I know a lot about cocktails. And I learn something every time I listen to that show. And we were super, stoked when, Tim, the host of the show, invited us to be on the 200th episode. Episode hundredth episode was, was a big deal. It's gonna be restaurant guys visit them. Yeah, it's gonna be great. Yeah. Looking forward to It's be great. It was a lot, it was a lot of fun to do. Lot of fun. He's great guy. Yeah. So what are we talking about today? Today we're talking, there's a little bit of sadness that we have to talk about before all the pleasantries later. Yep. Uh, I read it in Robert Simonson's column, the Mix first. one of the most important cocktail bars in the world on July 1st. Closed its doors. Yeah. So I didn't, I had no, I had no idea it was coming. I knew they had some temporary problems. Yeah. But the violet hour in Chicago pretty much brought craft cocktails to Chicago. Yeah. Really. Toby Maloney, uh, you know, super talented guy, uh, who's been doing this for 25 years. Of all the early cocktail, uh, bars that were dedicated cocktail bars. Mm-hmm. It really was one of the most breathtaking rooms to be in. It was stunning. It was, you know, Francis and I had the good fortune to go out there shortly after it opened, I'm gonna say within the first year, and I. It's a, it was a stunning place with doing really cool things. And, uh, they were kind of the first ones to reintroduce, if you remember, the green hour as As absent became, legal again. so they would have the green hour every day and you could go and they'd, they'd feature their absent drinks. just a, a place that was really ahead of his time and, pushed the envelope, more than a lot of other places, certainly in that area of the country. Well, the, the stated reason they have for closing is they had a problem with a landlord. There was something that caused the businesses to close, and then, uh, they just left it as a problem with a landlord that prevents them from reopening. Mm-hmm. Um, but, you know, I, I think cocktail bars are, you know, it's really fascinating. They're in a. It's a weird thing to be in a cocktail bar. Mm-hmm. And one of the things that's going on is people are drinking less. But another thing that's going on is if you're a dedicated cocktail bar, um, it's not as necessary for us to have cocktail bars as when we first had cocktail bars when restaurants and great restaurants and other bars didn't make great cocktails. Well, and you have the double whammy when it comes to a more traditional bar. Versus being, being a cocktail bar. Because a cocktail bar is super labor intensive. Yeah. Drinks take a long time to make drinks are really expensive. You know what, the best thing you can do for the restaurant or the bar is for order a draft beer in a shot. Yeah. No, that's true. They come out in 10 seconds. There's no labor involved whatsoever. You know, the profit margins are high and. It's way harder to be a cocktail bar, to be a, a really intelligent cocktail bar. It's, it's just more difficult because of all, everything that goes into making every drink and then everything that goes into executing that drink. And you know what's funny? We were probably the first fine dining restaurant to have a contemporary craft cocktail program. Mm-hmm. And, uh, we were praised for that at the time, we were a serious restaurant primarily. Yep. Swine is a big part of what we do. And then we would do cocktails and people were saying, wow, it's great they, you're able to do both of those things. But you know, looking at it overall, and everybody realized this eventually. Being a great restaurant with two great chefs and a whole kitchen staff and a kitchen full of equipment that we have and need to produce our food. Well, we can, the bartenders can use that. The head bartender can use that. The the head bartender can the head bartender and we can consult with the chefs. And the chef is already getting stuff from the green market and the farmer. And like when you're a standalone cocktail bar and you're serving little bites on the side, You have to build out some of that infrastructure to just service bar and garnishes and Yeah. And I remember when 11 Madison Park first got into the game, right? Mm-hmm. Into the, into the super premium cocktail game, which is pretty early on too. Yep. Uh, and they had, they use those assets a hundred percent and they're still using them today. It really made a difference with their cocktails, being able to rely on that. That super premium skillset that you already had in your organization. Well, and not just the skillset, it's like the flow of goods. Mm-hmm. It's the accounts that have been set up. It's the person to receive. It's the equipment. It The equipment. Okay. Let's face it, a lot of its equipment's very expensive, but also it's, you know. When you wanna collaborate with the pastry chef mm-hmm. As the, as the bartender, as the mixologist that's available to you. And also when we have production issues, we're talking about making certain syrups and things like during Miracle Bar where we batch Yeah. You know, in an, in an ungodly amount of individual drinks. We'll look at some of the stuff and say, okay, turn those three things over to the pastry chef. Yes. Just give them the pastry. Bartenders are overwhelmed. There's too much prep for, for this particular time. And also the, the pastry chef is set up to make syrups and all these other things. You're like that. This pastry chef can more easily work that into her day. Yep. Than to have a bartender come in and break, set everything up, and then use it, and then clean it up and, and go away. Francis was not being sexist towards pastry chefs, just our pastry chef happens to be a woman. You needed to clarify that. Of course, I'm not sexist. Um, yes. Um, and, uh, and she's an award-winning pastry chef and it's amazing. But the resources, it makes a lot of stuff easier anyway. But I, I think in a way what that means is we've won. We've, the cocktails have won and now they're a part of every day, every bar, everywhere. If you wanna consider yourself, great. You gotta make at least a few great cocktails. Well, the, the, certainly the Chicago community, and I think the whole world loses a little bit Yeah. As violent hour closes. Uh, a hundred percent agree with you. There are other great cocktail bars there now and I'm sure Toby's gonna wind up on his feet doing something. Really. Sure. I'm is, he's always doing cool stuff. I'm, I'm, I'm sure we have not seen the last of Toby Maloney, that's for sure. Well, so let's, to our next segment, but in the end we'll raise a glass to, uh, Toby Maloney for the amazing work he did and what he brought to, Chicago to the Violet Hour here, here. So stick with us. We'll be back in just a moment. You're listening to me, the restaurant. Guys, you can always find out more@restaurantguyspodcast.com.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Hey everybody. Welcome back. Uh, our guest today is Steve Schneider. The Steve Schneider. He's bar manager and head bartender at Sip and Guzzle, his place in New York City. You may know him from employees only. He's bartended in Singapore, Shanghai, Panama City. He's got a bunch of bars including the Elysian Cafe in Hoboken, New Jersey. Shout out to another Jersey boy. Um, he was featured in the Hey Bartender film in 2013, which was a really important film and we couldn't be more thrilled to have Steve Schneider. On the show today. Steve, welcome to the show, buddy.
Steve:Boys, thank you so much. It's really great to sit here and talk to you.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah, man, it's been a long time, uh, your new bar, sip and guzzle. I think that's where we wanna start. and then we can go back into the history. You know, we, we have this OG thing where we, we wanna start, like, let's talk about what happened 10 years ago and I wanna see how we got here, but sip and guzzle is really cool. And for those of who don't know about it, who've been living under a rock, why don't you tell us about the concept and your partner and the two concepts and how that all works? Never seen anything like it.
Steve:Well sip and gza open January of, uh, 2024. Uh, it was a long time in the making though, you know, conceptually, it consists of two bars, uh, sip and Guzzle. So I run the Guzzle bar, which is on the ground level. So you first walk in, you're in my bar. We're, very casual standing room allowed, you know, higher volume. We specialize in what we call comfort drinks. You know, basically drinks, you know what flavors you love. You know, beer, wine. Um, classics, wrists on classics, high balls, things of that nature. Things that you'd expect at a bar called guzzle, you know.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right.
Steve:and then downstairs at SIP in the Basement is more of a Japanese kind of style cocktail den, right? And they have a bit more adventurous drinks, a bit more, uh, prep, Japanese glassware, hand cut ice, sit down, only intimate. You know, cobbler Shakers, the whole deal. And that's overseen by Shingle GoCon, my business partner at our place called The Odd Couple in Shanghai. you get a nice, best of both worlds. You know, I'm kind of his guard dog, you know, you wanna get to him, you gotta get through me. I see on the way in. I see you on the way out, you know, come in for a Negroni, leave for a little fret, you know, and in the in between, you know, go down, see Shingo for some really, out of this world, uh, sophisticated cocktails.
Mark:So I love that you use the expression higher volume, right?'cause it is. In both senses of the word is a higher volume place, right? There's more people and it's louder and it's, and it's just designed to be, to me it seems like it's designed to be this fun place to be, you know, the bartenders will occasionally do shots with you if, if the timing is right, you know, it's, it's just a very lively place.
Steve:Yeah, it's uh, much of a neighborhood kind of joint and much more of a New York bar. I call it international, kind of New York Bar. Um, we do pay homage to to, to Tokyo and, uh, Japan's relationship to New York. it's funny, the whole concept, if I may tell a quick story, it's kind of centered around, uh, the first Japanese people that ever visited New York City, and it was the first time ever they sent 77 Samurai in 1860,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Wow.
Steve:And I mean, this is tail end of Civil War. This is New York City. This is, um, wild Times, and there's 77 Samurai Walk in the streets in New York City looking like Samurai, you know, like, and it was a big deal. And they stayed on Broadway. They stayed near where Jerry Thomas was working, and Jerry Thomas, of course, wrote the first ever cocktail book in 1862. In that book, there's the Japanese cocktail, which is Brandy or Jacque and Bitters, right. Nothing Japanese in it. Right. But he, he, uh, the legend is he made it for the, the Japanese consulate for the samurai when they were coming, special drink for them. And kind of where the real story ends. And our made up story now is.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:I love it.
Steve:Is what if a couple of those Samurai took a liking to this new American, New York style of bartending, you know, and took it back to, to Japan with them. And one thing we know about about Japanese culture and craftsmanship is the attention to making everything as perfect as possible. You know, the attention to detail, the working on something to perfect this craft. that's kind of what SIP is sort of brings to the table. A lot of kitchen preparation, a lot of flavors, and, um. A lot of the drinks are very concept driven. A lot of the flavors are there, but you don't even know that they're there. They all just work. Harmon harmoniously and the walls. This is now my artistic side, right? The walls, um, I saw this charred black Japanese ship wood. Um, it's a long cord or I. And for me it, it, it gives kind of a nod to the, the ship that took the Samurai over. Right? upstairs is really, you know, brick and there's comfort drinks and street food and stuff. And that reminds me of the bustling New York City docs, you know, so you. We're wearing Henley shirts and denim upstairs, downstairs, they're all buttoned up. So it's like you fight through the crowds, uh, through the, the hectic New York City docs. And then you go downstairs and you sit and drink amongst the Samurai who have spent ages preparing, the perfect drink and the perfect dish for you.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Well, you know,
Steve:and then that's that kind of just how we take the menu. I'm sorry, Francis.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:no.
Steve:of like where we take the menu, it gives us direction and it gives us sort of, um. Is this a sip drink or a guzzle drink? You know, like where does it fit in? And it gives all the drinks and identity. They're all on the same team and everything just kind of feels sort of, uh, you know, intertwined and connected. I.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Well, and there is a tradition of Japanese bartending that it doesn't date back to the 18 hundreds, but the Japanese bartending,, is a school of bartending that is exactly as you say. So it may not have taken the path and the journey that you prescribed, but. It's a real thing and it's, it's alive in sip.
Steve:Yeah.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:why did you decide to do, I think it's a brilliant idea, but why didn't you open two different bars? what made you decide to put them.
Steve:sh well sh and I have been partners at the Odd Couple in Shanghai. So the Odd Couple in Shanghai is, uh, eighties inspired higher, um, energy kind of cocktail place. So we're both born in 1983. We're both 42. And we had this idea, our concept was. What, uh, we didn't wanna do an eighties throwback where we just made cheesy eighties cocktails. We wanted to make it where two kids in the eighties that wanted to open a bar in 2018. So we're limited to eighties kind of technology, but we're gonna make futuristic cocktails. So basically modern cocktails in a fun eight or eighties setting, there's only one bar and there's my station with the Boston glasses and, glass on tin. Then there's shingles, cobbler shakers, and the bartenders go back and forth depending on what drink you order. And my drinks of course are, you know, bigger, bolder, higher, A BV, straightforward shingles, drinks a bit more delicate, you know, prettier and, uh, softer. and it's like we had one similar flavor, right? And then there's a drink, my style and drink
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh.
Steve:So that was the, the couple of course, the odd couple was supposed to be us. You know, I'm the dirty one, you know. Um. And so, yeah, so that, that was a a but the space we had was only good for one bar. We couldn't have the two bars we always wanted. It's funny, when I was at employees only for all those years, shingle was running the bar at Angel Share. So that's where we met and became friends a very, very long time ago. Um, we're talking 16 years ago at this point.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:So let me just fill the listeners in. For those who don't know, angel Cher was one of the first cocktail bars in Manhattan. It was very much a Japanese style bar, and even before Milk and Honey, it had the, the, it was very civilized, seated only, and, and people would wait outside for it. And, you know, it was not a rambunctious bar. It was very careful. No parties bigger than four. Very careful and precise.
Steve:that's still the case right now. They had moved in the last couple years. They moved right around the corner here. I think On Grove.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Two weeks
Steve:Grove in Bleecker. Yeah, it's, it still looks, it's beautiful. It still looks too new. They gotta beat it up a little bit, but that'll happen naturally
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:that
Steve:old venue Yeah, the
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:that one mural.
Steve:the Angels, yeah. Yeah. Um, so he was running Angel Share. I was running employees only, and we always had this kind of. Funny sort of, uh, vision. Is that what at? Employees only There's a second bathroom downstairs in the kitchen. It's the size of like an airplane bathroom, you know? And, um. We would let friends down there or when it gets busy, there's the secret bathroom downstairs. You know? Um, I always thought it'd be funny that what if you, instead of a, a shitty airline bathroom, what if it opened a door to an angel share? You know, like how awesome would that be?
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah.
Steve:of the beginning of our sort of concept together. That's kind
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah.
Steve:what we always wanted to do. I had this vision where I can be shingles waiting room more or less,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:that's a great concept as well.'cause you know, we have two restaurants right next to each other, and if one is, is busy, people can wait in my other bar, which is kind of nice rather than somewhere else. And, uh, you know, it's also, it's a concept that, uh, the Dead Rabbit had when they opened. They had the cocktail parlor on the second floor and the Dead rabbit, you know, cast the bar on the first floor. And it's nice to offer people a place to wait. For this, it's a way of, you know, it was really frustrating going to Angel Cher, and if there's a few parties in front of you, you've just gotta wait, you gotta stand outside in, in the, and not have a drink waiting to get into the bar and you solve that problem.
Steve:Yeah, so, know, uh, dead Rabbit, amazing place. It's Irish up, Irish down, you
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right?
Steve:like, uh, it's, it's a, it's a very different style as a service.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Sure.
Steve:drinks, but it's an Irish bar through and through with me and Shingo. It's like we couldn't be completely more different in our styles, but we're both New York City bartenders. So I think we bring a lot of what New York City has to offer that, that, uh, melting pot of society, you know?
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:I'll tell you from my perspective, you have opened my favorite two bars in the, that have opened in the last two years.
Steve:Ah,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:So
Steve:it.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:I, I first thing about Mark and Francis, if we don't mean it, we don't say it.
Steve:I appreciate it.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Uh, but it, but both concepts are, are great. Both concepts are great in their own way.
Steve:Yep,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right. They're very different
Steve:yep.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:and it's, it's fun to be in both places. it's
Steve:you,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:for me,
Steve:Francis.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:for me, when we come to your place, it's as if we we're bar hopping. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Steve:I'm, I'm actually sitting where you guys were sitting right
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Nice.
Steve:yeah,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:That's great.
Steve:Um, and to, just to put a bow on, on the whole concept and how it came out to be, it's, um, I was at a lesion cafe having lunch with Shingo back in of, uh, 2019. And, uh, it was really funny to see his reaction to American sized portions for lunch,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh yeah. Yeah,
Steve:um, New Jersey sized portions of lunch.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:we do.
Steve:It was, yeah. But, um,'cause he has the SG Club in Tokyo, which SG stands for SIP and Guzzle, you know. Um, of course it might stand for Shingle GoCon, but cutesy. It stands for SIP and Guzzle. So the original SG club is in Tokyo where there's a guzzle on the ground level and SIP downstairs. So he wanted to open up a New York City version of it, and he asked me if I would take Guzzle and make it my own, make it more my style, make it more of a New York bar while he does his thing downstairs. And during COVID we found, this location on Cornelia Street, which used to be the Cornelia Street Cafe.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh yeah.
Steve:And for 41 years. So building was beat up, you know, it hadn't been inspected in since the freaking seventies, so we had a lot of work ahead of us, and it was a lot of, uh, you know, just COVID stuff, material issues. like, where do you find charred black Japanese ship wood during COVID? You know, I couldn't even get a fucking PlayStation.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:I think.
Steve:like, so yeah. So finally it took us a long time, but I believed in the concept. We stuck with it. And uh, our local partner here, Justin Whites, really put up a lot, um, to, to make this thing happen. And he really believed in it too. And he did a lot of this stuff on the backend, project managing and stuff. So downstairs where SIP is, where the bartender stands, that's where the stage was, right? That's where the performance
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah.
Steve:at at Cornea Street Cafe, where people like Lady Gaga performed the day before she was Lady Gaga. Dale de Groff performed down there once too.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep.
Steve:Um, a lot of his poetry and music
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:I was at, I was at that show.
Steve:Oh, were you Really Nice.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Hundred percent.
Steve:Nice. I asked Dale about it too. He is like, yeah, he did. And we can't do performances though. The, the community board said no. And then when people in the community come by and they go, how come you don't have performances?
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:What a shame, right?
Steve:you said no, man.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:What? What a shame. Reapply.
Steve:No, it's, I think where it's perfect. You get to go when you're downstairs and you get to go see Shingo or one of the sip bartenders, you know, Ben or Sam or David or Damon, they're all shaken. with, uh, that Japanese flare. And it's right there straight ahead as soon as you walk
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:So when people visit New York and I, this is not a commercial for Sip and Guzzle, but Mark and I really like the concept and if you're visiting New York, it's a go-to. We went to Angel Share the new iteration of Angel Share a couple of weeks ago, and we, we don't do lines right, but the line, we either know somebody and are getting in or we're, or, uh, I'll go someplace else, but the line was only like four or five parties long and we really wanted a ghost and we had to wait for somebody anyway. But I stood outside on a sidewalk waiting to get into a bar, which I hate lines. Um. But I go to your place and I can wait to get into sip at, you know, if they brought me a beer while I waited outside, I would, I would care. I would care less. Um, but so it's, it's a must go to'cause you can wait for the sip while having a beer in the gule, which is waiting in a bar for a bar.
Steve:Yep.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:also historically for restaurant, the restaurant world, Cornelia Street is one block long. And it's a historically important restaurant. There were like always three or four or five restaurants on that street. Francis and I have spent a lot of time on Cornelius Street in our lives in including, um, Mario Batali's first restaurant was Poe there and, um, David Page and Barbara Shin's home had.
Steve:The, the
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oyster
Steve:across.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:was next to that. Yep. Yep. and, uh, Tony Agan, so when Poe was right next to you, uh, Tony Agan was the bartender in front. There were like 25 or 30 seats, and then Mario Vitali was in, in with the dishwasher in the back. And that was, and there were a couple of waiters running things around, but it's crazy. But that, but it's really nice to see you revitalize that street and that Al Street Cafe was important for a long time.
Steve:Yeah. But, um, now at the end of Cornelia Street, Jeff Bell from PDT is opening a venue in the next couple months.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh, I
Steve:that's really exciting. Yeah, it's like this, uh, like agave, uh, centric bar that his longtime bartender is gonna be running. That's on us upstairs, and then a cocktail den downstairs as well. More of a classic cocktail den.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:people don't realize that. We cheer when a, when a great new restaurant or a great new bar opens close to us. Yeah. And there's two reasons why we do that, because chances are you're not gonna spend your whole night in our bar. Right? Chances are you're gonna, you, you're gonna hop from place to place to place. And at the same time, we want a cool place to go. That's close to our place, right? That's
Steve:Oh, a hundred percent. I can't agree more. That's why the more the merrier bring them on,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:hundred percent.
Steve:right now is, is, is doing really well
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep.
Steve:super bueno and schmuck. you got Mr. Paradise there, you got Barack that just opened. You got, um, geez, uh, PDT of course you got death and Co. You got Mario Margot, they're all right there in the East Village and in walking distance. And I think that's great. And
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:And then I think, and then I think
Steve:what's that?
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:the nice thing about those places, so they're small places where you might not be able to get a table right away and it's not quite as convenient as it been Gule, but you, you know, you can go to the next place if you can't get in right now and wait.
Steve:Put your name on the list. Go to the next place they call you. It's a short walk over. I just think the more, the more the merrier down. Uh, one, one block away, um, from us, the Dear Strangers opened, and that's from former bartender, colleagues of mine at employees only, and partners in Panama. So they're dear friends and they have a great product there. So we send people down there and again, the more bars that open up Donna Cocktail lounges on this street. Donna's been around for a minute now, so there's a lot of really good spots on this street are one block away and then a short walk as angels share in Kat Kitten and Dante.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:You want to be the best cocktail neighborhood in the world. Right? Yeah. And you can't do that by yourself. You know, here we're down in New Brunswick, listen, we wanna be the best restaurant city in, in New Jersey. I, I can't do that with my two restaurants. Right. I need, I need four or five other good restaurants in town, or, or it can't happen.
Steve:Yeah, definitely. And it's not like, it's not oversaturated, it's a place like New York, a place like Singapore is oversaturated at the moment. You know, it's just not enough people to go around,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Mm-hmm.
Steve:uh,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Actually.
Steve:the places, you know.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Actually, I want to, I wanna talk more about Singapore taking an American concept abroad and operating in different places and kind of how you got to be where you are. I'm glad we started with sip and guzzle, but your, your origin story and your journey here is pretty darn interesting. So we're gonna take a quick break. We're gonna go back on the other side and we're gonna talk about that. So don't go away more with Steve Schneider in just a minute.
Steve:Grab yourself a drink. Take a break.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:So Steve, the, one of the things that Francis just mentioned as we were, uh, closing that last segment was we're gonna talk a little bit about your origin story and your journey. Now if you know me, you know that I think journey is the most overused word in the English language right now, especially on podcast. Okay. But once in a while, I come across somebody and I think, wow, that guy really did have a journey. Yeah. Okay. And you really did have a journey, man. You're, you're, I know you're still in the middle of it, but Wow. talk about, an intrepid trip, you know, on the high seas, you have had a journey.
Steve:Thank you.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:To whatever extent that you wanna talk about it. And I know that you get asked about this a lot and people should go watch the movie, Hey Bartender, to learn more. But, you know, tell, tell us a little about how you came to bartending, owning bars, caring about it so much, and you know, that sort of thing.
Steve:uh, I was a senior in high school during nine 11. that was September, of course, nine 11. And I graduated later that year and went right into the Marines. So that was a time, of course, um, in our, in our part of the world, here in our community where we're very united and, uh, very go America go. And, uh, I signed up, uh, went right away. I didn't know what the heck I wanted to do in, uh, after my high school career. Um. I was an athlete, I was the class clown. Best award I ever won. Um, and uh, yeah, so, um, I was like, all right, Marines, let's go. So I spent, four years in the Marines. When I was in the Marines, I had a bit of an injury. So, um, I was stationed down in Washington, DC I started bartending in Georgetown. And you know, I was 19 years old. And, I used to chew tobacco behind the bar. It was great. Uh, you know, uh, it was like a dive bar, 18 beers on top. Uh, it was like the end of the disco era. Disco shot era. Uh, cocktail culture wasn't really anything. Um, you know, you had to memorize prices. That was really fun. But, uh, for a man who had a head injury. Um, memorizing these shooter recipes where if you didn't know the recipe, just made it red
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah.
Steve:with sour mix.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right.
Steve:but still memorizing recipes, memorizing prices, uh, handling a crowd, working with a team to achieve a goal. Um, pouring beer coordination, stuff that required, uh. You know, it, it sort of was the best re rehabilitation for me. I think even if it wasn't scientifically the, the rehab I needed, uh, mentally, personally, I, I feel like it aided in my, in my healing. So I was, uh, having a blast there, uh, working in a, a diving live music venue, um, beating up Georgetown kids, you know, it was pretty easy.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah, for an ex-Marine especially.
Steve:Yeah. Yeah. Especially, especially if you're not, I was underage so I wasn't drinking that much, you know, so, you know, you being sober and them drunk, it's like easy mode.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah.
Steve:But, uh, all jokes aside, it was really fun and I had a blast and it's something that I felt like I can continue on doing. I didn't wanna go back to school and I got discharged. Um, you know, I, I didn't have anything else, so it's like the only thing that made me happy was, the bar. So I wanted to, gotta figure out how to, how to make it a career, right?'cause like, as fun as it is to be, you know, 20, 21, 22, bartending, like, like, you need, you need a, a career at some point. I knew that was gonna run out eventually, you know?
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:And it, that was a time in the world where it was difficult to make a career as a bartender.
Steve:Yeah. There
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:was, that was before.
Steve:That you didn't, you didn't know anybody. It's a career you got into when you screwed
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Mm-hmm.
Steve:you know? Um. You know, you were failed at something. That's what, that's what got you in the thing. I was a injured marine. Failed marine, uh, you know, a lot of failed musicians and performers, actors, uh, people from jail,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep.
Steve:know, it's like bartending is what you did. Um, so it was a wild time to say the least. You know, a bunch of people that, uh, had nothing much to lose, you know.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep.
Steve:So when I got discharged, there was this Washington DC based competition called Fastest Bartender Competition. And it was very much, uh, like, you know, a dive bar, club nightclub kind of based thing, like, kind of like flare bartender style, poor checks, and it was speed and accuracy competition. And I won several times, right? I won a few times. They retired me. Um, and that's the first time what, what? Yeah, you never lose when you judge, but, um. I, I, not only did I, I have this thrill of competition now, and it's like, wow, this is a lot of fun. also made money for the first time with prize money. And prize money was big. You know, every competition was like five grand. You know? And when you're in the Marines and you're young, you make dumb decisions. You, they give you a credit card that maxes out at like 600 bucks, right? And then they increase it to a thousand, and then 2000 and then fucking 50,000. You all of a sudden you got this, you know. A PR that, uh, you make a payment and then you owe more. Like, how the hell does that happen?
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah. 28%. Yeah.
Steve:that feeling, seriously, that's a tough feeling. It's like, you know, I was living in my car at one point, it's tough to, you know, Marine, no longer in the service, living in his car. Bartending, uh, just to like make cash to try to pay. It was just a vicious cycle that you don't wanna be in
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:that story goes the wrong way for a lot of people. Yeah.
Steve:it does. It does. But winning these competitions, I, I ended up buying a car cash. I bought a Mazda Miata, 1992 Mazda Miata convertible. I'd never been in an accident. I bought that fucking car. I got rear-ended three times in four months. It was like, but it was like, it was great though. And I paid off my credit card debt, you know? And, that was the, uh, high point. But during this time, I met this guy named John Hogan, who he worked for a Las Vegas company called Bar Magic, but he was from Annapolis, Maryland, and he was consulting on a DC project, and he asked me if I wanted to be a part of it. He was at the Fastest Parts Center competition and we had a mutual friend. from him I learned proper free pouring techniques. I learned about fresh ingredients, I learned flare, I learned, um. You know, sphere verification and foams and stuff like that, that
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right.
Steve:at, we're looking at around 2005 at
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Mm-hmm.
Steve:now, 2006 or so. And then, um, something happened back home in Jersey. I'm from Bergen County, New Jersey, but I'm from about five miles west of the George Washington Bridge. And my, my best friend's mother, was sick, terminally ill, so I wanted to make it back home just to be there. You know, I had already been discharged. I was having fun, but. I went back and I got the first job I can, uh, in Hoboken, New Jersey it was a restaurant called Amanda's and a Legian Cafe. They were
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh yeah.
Steve:So I worked at both of those places and that's where I was like making my own ginger beer and having like fresh and fresh cocktails and stuff. And not, not many people were doing that at the time, you know? it was still the very much, so the, vodka martini. V-shaped glass. Anything with fruit, was a martini, you know, it was still peach martini, chocolate martini, french martini,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh yeah.
Steve:you know, the whole deal.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:We like to joke that, uh, the martinis in a lot of places at that time were ordered by color. Yeah. Not by,
Steve:exactly. But I mean, that's the way it was, you know, and I always remember, uh, a French martini if it tastes like shit, you made it right. Uh, so, but um, during this time I was working at Aly, the, the former owner of Aly Cafe. His name was Eugene Flynn.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:I know. We knew Eugene.
Steve:And he is great. He's a great man, One of his former employees, his name was Anthony Gilio. Anthony Gilio was a writer, um, and a wine guy. Yeah, so, so. that's amazing. I freaking love Anthony and he's got a lot to do with my career. So he was a writer and he asked Eugene, his wife's 40th birthday, Hey, you got any bartenders? I could create a cocktail for my wife's 40th birthday. He's like, oh yeah, you gotta get Steve. So I rolled up with my own bar that I built by hand. had this, the mustache, you know, the whole deal, the vest and the tie, Cocktail had like pomegranate in it, which was the ingredient at
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Steve:yeah,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:How wonderful had just come out
Steve:oh man.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:people were using that. Yeah, I remember.
Steve:yeah. Oh, you can make Grenadine,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Plus, we were all making our own Carine. Right.
Steve:Yeah. For the first time. Yeah. So, um, that is where, uh, you know, I met Jim Mehan that day. It was a, a great party. I think I did really well. I at a good showing and we became friends and a few months later it was the Food Networks New York City Wine and Food Festival here in, uh, near the Highline. And he said there's this big event, like 700 people. It's like, uh, he was the editor with Jimmy Head of, of Mr. Boston's
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah, I rewrite
Steve:book.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:of.
Steve:Yeah. Yeah. So he's like, I wanna put your drink in there. And bartenders, they weren't getting written up at this point. They
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right.
Steve:you know, being on a list of contributors for a book like Mr. Boston that had been around for 70 something years. You know,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:And I just wanna point out, I just wanna point out that the bartenders who were getting written up were in London, New York, Chicago, and New Jersey is famously ignored no matter what you're doing here. And so that was really great for you.
Steve:also I wanted to go into New York City,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep,
Steve:But any place I check for a job, they said two years, New York City
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:yep. Yep.
Steve:I was like, what the fuck man? I won. Am I allowed to swear? I'm
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah. Now yes. You're, you're,
Steve:I'm sorry. So I was like, like I, I won these competitions, like I worked higher volume. I can bang with anybody.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:yeah.
Steve:this? How do I get New York City experience if I can't get a damn job in New
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right.
Steve:So, um. He's like 700 person party. They're releasing Mr. Boston. Um, they want me there, but I don't make cocktails. You can create a cocktail for 700 something people. I'll give you equal billing. He's like, I can't pay you, but trust me. Like, it'll be a great opportunity. So I spent like a month and a half, right? Like getting prepared for it. But before that, we got the email saying, you know, thank you for doing this, mixologists. And they gave the list, right? The, the booking. It was Tony Abba. It was Audrey Saunders, Julie Reiner, Jim Behan, za j Cosmos, and fucking Steve Schneider, right? Like an unknown 22, 20 3-year-old. You know, like what, like what is going on here? So I was like, Tony, and what the fuck man? What are you trying to do to me? He's like, uh, I'll get somebody else. I was like, nah, man. No, no, don't worry. I got this. I shared the bar at this event. It was a wild party, and I shared the bar with the employees only team. And that's where we sort of, uh, became friends. one of the bartenders, we were so shitfaced to be honest, but one of the bartenders, he said to me, he goes, Hey, um, we have a rare spot opening. One of the guys are leaving. Why don't, why don't you come work with us? You know? So I was like, yeah, totally, man. Uh, give him a hug. Yeah, I, yeah, I'll be there. And, uh, a couple weeks later I showed up at employees only just to like laugh about the night, just to like say hi to everybody. And the first thing this guy said to me was, Hey man, where's your resume? We vouch for you. Like, we're waiting. So I was like, wow, this guy's actually serious. So I got my resume together. Maureen, already five years worth of experience at 23, you
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Competition winner.
Steve:Yeah, yeah. Um. Competition, the fastest part there and this and that. And he's like, Hey, the owners are having a meeting, whatever Wednesday, 3:00 PM Just show up. Trust me. You know, you're good. So I showed up, I saw Igor and Henry Lafarge outside, and they're like, Hey, what, what's going on? Whatcha doing here? I was like, Hey, Brazo and the bartenders, he told me you guys were hiring. Um, here's my resume. And Igor just, he opens it and he closes it. He goes, former Marine. I like that. We could use a discipline guy like you. Can you start next week?
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:I, oh.
Steve:I was like, whoa. And then we were off to the races. And then, um, that for me was John Hogan was the first guy that I met that was an adult that was working in this industry,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Mm-hmm.
Steve:know, and that's what I needed to see. And he was, he was so old, he was like 30 something. And, you know, it is like this old guy is, is still doing it, you know, and then of course, meeting people like Eugene, who, um, has a very humble beginning as well. And then people like Anthony who used to be a server at one of Eugene's places.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep.
Steve:more adults that I'm meeting as I'm coming up, it's like raw talent and get you so far you needed, you needed an adult to, to prove it. to, you
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Sure.
Steve:reaffirm that, hey, you can do this.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep.
Steve:That's when I started working at EO and my career took off. I finally was around like-minded people. Um, the founders, there were bartenders in their own right, so they kind of like, it was a perfect storm of timing. And there was only a handful, only five or so cocktail bars at the time. When I first started, there was, you know, angel Share Milk and honey, um, Flatiron Lounge, US and Pego Club.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep. Yep, yep,
Steve:PDT came later, uh, death and Co came later. it was like were the big time, you
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:yep. You, yeah.
Steve:and
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:the must go-to list. If you, if you were an aspiring bartender, you were on our, frankly, we had a little sheet of places our bartenders had to go and visit to see. The kinds of things that we wanted them to achieve, and employees only was definitely one of those places.
Steve:Yeah. It was, uh, it was, it still remains different to this day, you know, is and, uh, um. worked my way up, became the bar manager. I ran that bar for many years, very successfully. uh, I was drinks one day and this guy walks in, right? And at employees only we have our little psychic is like our space storefront. And then
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep. Mm-hmm.
Steve:and there's a bustling bar and it's, it's loud music and people standing, you know, it's packed. And this guy walks in and, uh, looks confused as shit. So I could have done one or two things. could have said, um, Hey guys, look at this fucking guy. You know?
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah. Yeah.
Steve:I could have said, Hey, I got a seat opening up. Come here. Uh, I did both. Um, so, uh, I sat this guy down and it was his first cocktail bar experience, and he had a blast. And he's like, I want to interview. I want to interview. I'm a filmmaker, you know,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh,
Steve:I
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:oh.
Steve:I make documentaries. I, I worked on a league of their own, like, you know, like I've, I've done some stuff, you know, and I hear artists bullshit all the time. So I'm like, yeah, whatever, dude. Like I'll see you. And he showed up and we had like a, an hour and a half interview and, uh, he's cracking up. He is like, yeah, this is the one.'cause uh, originally he was interviewing this guy, Steve, Carpe In Connecticut about like dive bars, but he is like, no cocktail bars. That's the future. So he is like, I want to, uh, interview you. And then three years later, hey, bartender comes out.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep.
Steve:I didn't audition for anything. It was just a chance opportunity with a guy to bar first experience, changed his life, spent three years of his life following what we do for a living, and it came out. And then that, that took my career, of course, that, that took my career to a whole nother level
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:What brought you to stage left. So that's, you know, that's exactly, you know, that that had to be close to the pinnacle. Huge. It wasn't the very tippy top. It had to be close to the pinnacle.
Steve:yeah, I, I just think, I think everything went downhill after that. Yeah. That was it. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I'm, I'm now, I'm, I'm on the back nine now.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:So Francis just had a cameo in, uh, hey bartender as well, and had a screening here in New Brunswick. I think I said five words. Yeah,
Steve:and uh, you know, I watched it for the first time at Tales. They had a 10 year anniversary last year, but it was actually 11 years. But who cares?
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah, whatever.
Steve:Watching it. Uh, wow. It, it, it was a moment in time. It was a time capsule. So say what you want and how it aged. Uh, that's the way it was,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh, I think it's a, it's a, it's what a documentary does. I think it was, I think it was really great. It captured the enthusiasm of the moment and a, and an industry in transition. Yeah. It was super accurate.
Steve:cringed most of the time, except for the B-roll footage of, of me bartending with my old friends it took me back to a, to a sort of, uh, just a time when we were much more carefree, you know,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah. I mean, you were a kid when that movie, you were literally a kid when that movie came out.
Steve:I was in my twenties, but
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah.
Steve:when we were filming that I was in my
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah. Well, I, I do. The other thing that I,
Steve:now. I'm 42 now. It was like a long time ago. You know,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:we were talking, we were out with Tim McCurdy. We went out for drinks last for Martinis last night with.
Steve:love Tim McCurdy.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:awesome, by the way. And, uh, it was one of those famous, like, I can only come out for one. You want another one? Yeah. Okay, I'll have it.
Steve:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. How many pints do you have with him? Come
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:No, we had martinis. We were talking about martinis on his podcast, and then I had to have one. So we went to Keen's and had some martinis. It was great.
Steve:love that.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:But we
Steve:he is a great podcast
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:He's fantastic. He's terrific. He's fantastic. Well, he was talking about how. He, he's kind of a great avatar for people who weren't here because he's able to ask the question to someone who wasn't here
Steve:Yeah.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:as it was things were coming around. But one of the things we talked about with him was it was a much smaller world back then, you had five cocktail bars in Manhattan, so if you were in the cocktail, you, you knew somebody who worked in every one of those bars. Absolutely. You probably knew the owner of every one of those bars.
Steve:Yep.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:When you saw each other out, you know, there were only five cocktail bars in New York City, a city of 8 million people, and it was a different feel back then. So it was a little cringe, but it was also, look, we were inventing something. We were creating something. But afterwards, I think a super interesting thing for us that we don't know much about is you took, employees only concept and all your bartending knowledge abroad.
Steve:Yep.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Singapore so that it was a, that's bold move too. And that wasn't like to London, which has a similar culture to New York City Right. And you went to a place with a completely different culture, completely different expectations and what happened when you got there. Yeah. Lightness about that.
Steve:yeah. So Singapore itself, uh, at the time, 28 Hong Kong Street was around the first iteration of Jigger and Pony was around, operation Dagger was there. there was a handful of really cool like cocktail bars, but only a couple that kind of laid the groundwork for more demand. And we had a couple people we knew over there that had been successful. So they were trying to get, uh, Igor Hijas Mavic, one of the founders. He loves tropical climates. Um, every January 1st he would go for the rest of the winter to, uh, to somewhere in Southeast Asia. And then I would join him maybe for like 10 days or so. But he'd be out there for like three months. Um, Singapore felt like the place where the very first Singapore cocktail week, they invited me and Igor there. We did a, a shift at a place called the Cuffing Club. And our speed and style. It's like, yo, we would crush it
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Steve:we just, yeah, we just can hustle. We know we, we knew we can crush it and everyone speaks English there. The economy was great. So, uh, you know, one thing went to another, we finally found the location that, uh, felt right. It had the skylight, like it just, the building was a perfect building that we needed. So, um, I had been saving money, for years before that. I had an opportunity to invest and, uh, Igor brought me on as a junior partner regardless, but my investment kind of doubled my shares and, Moved out there, uh, 2016 in the spring of 2016. We opened up about 76 days later. Um, what a freaking scavenger hunt I went on.'cause it wasn't, it was hard to find stuff there then. Now it's super easy, know where to find glassware. I. Know, I don't know where to find a napkin to put the glassware on, the straw, to put in the, in the glass, the ice to go in it. I don't know where to find any of that stuff. So I just had to go to places and like if I had a, a high ball glass or something I liked. Could I get you anything else? Uh, no. I'm good. But um, where do you get this bev nap and where do you get this glass? You know?
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:I can't imagine. I think one of the things about owning a bar and in America, it's only gotten more complex. We opened a bar in 1992. We were 27 years old and. You know, we were very resourceful. We'd worked in bars for a long time, but we knew around here, and this is before the internet, but we knew an HVAC guy, an electrician, and a construction guy, and where you get your glassware and are, we were roping in our neighborhood, so we, we knew a lot of the, so we knew the supplier chain, what was going on. We also knew the laws, we knew the regulations, we, and we could find out what we didn't know. I, and that is. A hundred times more complex than it was in 1992. If you try to open one today, there's a million more regulations and laws to follow. I can't imagine going to a place where I don't sort of have the inside story on. I mean, we try, when we tried to open here with all we knew, we'd have inspectors come in and say, oh, see that? Yeah, you can't do that. That's against this regulation. Like, I didn't know that your plugs are more than six feet apart. You, you gotta pull out all your electric.
Steve:luckily the, the people that were local, they were nightclub people though. Like they had, they, they were running the, uh, the nightclub Pangaea, which was in Marina Bay Sands, which is like the highest grossing nightclub in the world at one point. You know, so they knew all the, that
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh, so they're your partners out there?
Steve:They were,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh yeah.
Steve:our partners. They
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Partner. Gotcha.
Steve:Um,'cause they used to live in New York and, and they had a connection with Igor and stuff. So I, I, I went as the, the, uh, drill instructor for the bar program. I went, I was the bar guy that was gonna be there every day.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:How long did you stay out there?
Steve:Well, we just turned nine, which was, uh, last weekend from the time of this recording. So last Monday was our anniversary party.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:How long were you out there though? Living there.
Steve:in the last nine years, I'd say I spent about four and a half years total,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Wow.
Steve:worth of time. But I spent the first couple years there um, it was intense because put in perspective at employees only New York, we had 20 people were there for over 10 years,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right.
Steve:Right.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep.
Steve:a new person joins. They got 20 people with experience that'll teach'em how to work this bar
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep.
Steve:our style. Um, and I'm talking 20 people, floor kitchen, uh,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right?
Steve:it,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep.
Steve:you know, like door host, bus boys, food runners, all cumulatively, 20 people 10 years. I went alone
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah. Yep.
Steve:and I'm supposed to train 20 kids alone on how to. Work employees only styles, they'd never been, they just heard we were popular. they just wanted a piece of it. They saw a frigging hay bartender, you know, and there's like, they, they don't know what the heck it is. So how do I explain vibe and energy and feeling? You can't, you just need to execute. And hopefully they, they pick it up. So every day, you know, 14 hours a day, there I was seven days a week, you know, from prep. To service, to closing, making sure they were doing things the EO way. Um, even everything, the way the lighting is, the music, the way you even put the napkin down, the way you even put the menu back. I had a way to do everything, you know,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yep.
Steve:like,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Well, in order to create the speed that that you guys had at employees only, everything's gotta be in its place and, and you know, a place for everything, right? That's gotta be the.
Steve:Uh, yeah. You have to do things a certain certain way. You can't just slap the logo and throw a white jacket on somebody and say, Hey, you go, it's employees only. It's about culture. It's about the training and, and it's about developing these bartenders into being whatever it is. An employees only bartender was to me.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Were there cultural barriers, um, from the employees you had that, you know, there was stuff that wasn't assumed?
Steve:No,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Talk to us about that.
Steve:Um, so. Fundamentally, I guess growing up, uh, in the culture there at, very used to, just like in school, you don't really ask questions, you just kind of answer them. You know, you speak when spoken to, and here I am wanting a chatty high volume bar. You know, it's like very, it's different for them. They're very shy by nature.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right. Mm-hmm.
Steve:to strangers. Um, but at the end of the day, they're, they're, they're good people. They're, they're awesome kids. And so it took a while for them to get'em out of the shell a little bit. But as the first time I really saw kids develop into amazing bartenders in their own right, and they're all doing really well right now
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:That's great. That feels good, right?
Steve:some, some people on step still there.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah. That's great.
Steve:From the opening. Um, o other, other people are for my first, uh, principal bartender there, he opened up two places in Singapore
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh, that's great.
Steve:we still are friends. was tough. I, I took the opening staff, I took them all here to New York and they experienced employees on New York and that helped them to like, Hey, this is what the fuck I'm trying to do
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah. Yeah. You gotta see it.
Steve:yeah. So, uh, I remember. It just took a lot of time and energy.'cause if I'm not there, the dream don't come true.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Of course not.
Steve:so, but I was young enough and I had enough energy, um, that I was able to power through. but I was old enough that I had a lot of experience that I knew what needed to be done. You know, a lot of people, they opened up bars way too young and the concept is incomplete and they lack a lot of the experiences that they could have gotten someone else's dime to, to really grow.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Honestly, if somebody asked me the biggest mistake we made as young entrepreneurs, you know, I was 26, he was 27, opening stage left. Uh, my answer is always, we should have waited two more years and lost somebody else's money for that time, for that time during those lessons.
Steve:Yeah. Yeah.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:those are, those are hard lessons to learn. Yeah. Yeah. And
Steve:And once you become an owner, it's, the stakes are so much higher.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:yeah.
Steve:you lose your job, guess what? Everybody loses their job.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah.
Steve:And people rely on you though. I mean, like, you have of course your own debts that you need to pay. People entrusted you with money, you put your own money down. The stakes are so high. It's not like you CI can't just be a fun loving bartender and fuck around all the time and have fun like I did at a, you know, what, if I could have one more shift in my twenties at eo. I would, I would go back. That's what I would do. I would go back to freaking like 2012 and I would work one more shift with my, with my old team and, uh, and just, and be the bot and just be super irresponsible,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:people don't, people don't realize and they see us having fun, right?'cause our jobs are fun. Okay. And they see us in, in the restaurants or behind the bars, and what they don't realize is that's the best three or four hours of our day right there,
Steve:Yep.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:You're there, e everything's going. The, the machine's working. People are having a good time. You, you get to, to ka bits a little bit and, but there's all the stuff before and after that you gotta grind out. It's gotta get done.
Steve:I'm happy you said that, mark, because in Singapore we opened up mid-June. Um, by mid-December, I'm worn out, man, I am hurt and I'm worn out. They're still not getting it a hundred percent. They're faster, right? But they don't, they don't have all the intangibles that I need, you know, to be complete. they still have a, have a bad sense of, uh, the lighting. You know, they still have a little bad sense of what music to play at a certain time. couple things going on that just weren't right and they finally made me take off. So I had a, uh. like a Sunday matinee, and I saw Les Mis local, uh, uh, Singapore,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Production.
Steve:no, it wasn't local, it was from London's, like Broadway people,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Traveling show. Yeah.
Steve:whatever the heck London's Broadway theater group is, whatever the, their equivalent to Broadway. Um, and they did Les m right. And I'm not so big a theater guy, but I, I. appreciated a good performance, you know, and, and I could be cultured, you know,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah.
Steve:so I'm there watching it and I'm blown away. The music was great, the lighting was great. The blocking, the costumes, the movement, uh, everything was just spot on. And I just, I was like, wow, they're so good, you know? And, uh, I was just thinking, I was like thinking to myself, I go, you know what? I bet somebody fucked up. But I didn't. I couldn't
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Mm-hmm. Right.
Steve:And that changed my perspective, and I just chilled the fuck out after that. just like, man, we're busy as shit. We're making good money. We're fucking crushing it this first six months. Like, don't be so crazy.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right. Mm-hmm.
Steve:the kids grow. Let them give them a leash. Let them grow into their own. Don't let them be you. Let them be them. You know, this is different. You know, everyone's having a good time. Chill the fuck out. The lights are too bright. Just lower'em and move on. Um. And I just, it really just gave me a, gave me like a breath of fresh air and some new light and hope that, that they're gonna get it. And then mid-January, I remember it was probably the second week of January I walked in and just like what you were saying, the machine was just cranking on all ceiling. There's, the lighting was great. It was great. The, just the, the sounds of the bar sounds were right. The set, you know, the setting was exactly what I needed it to be. And I was like, wow, we did it. You
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Just like,
Steve:Igor, happened.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:yeah. Yeah.
Steve:It, it, it just seemingly overnight. I remember vividly walking in there and being proud of that project, and then we, we paid back the investment in nine and a half months and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. And I, uh, yeah. Well. We were cranking, and then I was able to reinvest a lot of that money. And right now I have, I'm either a, a share, a shareholder, investor operator in eight different venues,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:That's great. That's fantastic. That's great.
Steve:I couldn't have done it without just, you know, hustling. Again, I was old enough, I was 32 when we went there. I was old enough I had some experience, but I was young enough that I still had the
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Steve:and then every place got easier and easier.'cause you learn, you know, you learn,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Well, the skill
Steve:just, just chill out a little bit too. I know what needs to be done.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:and there's a skill that you pick up in opening a new place. The skill of opening a new place is the different than managing your existing place. But
Steve:100%.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:I do wanna make a, uh, bring, put a little bow on something we were talking about. How about being young, bar, young, carefree bartenders? I think this industry and a few things I think this industry provides. Look, not everybody's gotta be an owner and we chose to be owners and we chose to have a job that we cannot leave behind when we walk out the door. Right? Um, it's not nine to five, but, you know, we mark and I think about our bar all the time and the, the mortgages always do at the end of the month. And, uh, payroll happens every week. And, but what this. Industry does, and we talked about, you know, the people who've made a mistake can come back in the, in the restaurant industry. This industry provides an a non-traditional on-ramp for a lot of people and because of the tipping culture. I, I, I'm always, I. upset when I hear people bash tipping as some sort of persecution of waiters, waiters and bartenders in America make more money than waiters and bartenders anywhere else in the world, and there's a lot of flexibility, and you can make enough to own your own bar if you want, but it's a, it's an on-ramp to a good living when you become good at it. I, I think we all recognize that, that bartenders can go on and own their own place, right? Yeah. You got, you got three of them sitting in this room.
Steve:Yeah, that's right.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:But what I wanna say is you also don't have to, and I think that I know bartenders who make a good living and waiters who make a good living, and restaurant managers who make a good living, One of the things you can do is you can, when you leave, you don't take the job with you. And that's unlike very many jobs.
Steve:Yeah.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:um, there are, there are, there are pitfalls to this, there are dangers in the, in the restaurant business, but I think, uh, the restaurant crew has brought a lot of on-ramps for a lot of people who need a different way in and can have a job where you, you don't have to, you don't have to do what you do. You don't have to move to singing. Poor. You don't have to, do all the things that we do. You can, but you can, but you can, but you can move to Singapore if you want. Right. You can pick up all your stuff and move to Singapore and say, I'm gonna bartend in Singapore, but you can also just have a great job. So I, I think restaurant business sometimes takes a bashing, uh, as, oh, you're just a waiter. Oh, you're just a bartender. And we've worked, we've all worked very hard to keep that from
Steve:seeing that less and less,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:I agreed. Yep.
Steve:'cause there's college courses now in
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Yeah. Yeah.
Steve:uh, I actually contributed to a, a course at, uh, FIU in Miami.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Oh, nice.
Steve:it's something I never thought possible as being a kid who used to chew tobacco behind the bar and beat up Georgetown kids. I didn't think I'd end up teaching these, uh, you know, or having, even having a means to reach kids like that. You know, so it's, it's pretty remarkable and, uh, I feel honored and it was my privilege to sort of grow up with the cocktail industry and to see where everything is, um, has become, know, I'm not sure if we jumped the shark. I don't think we jumped the shark yet, but, um, I think the possibilities, our endless, I think at the, the industry is, is really doing some really cool stuff. And, um, yeah, I mean, I just, I do love what I do, but I, I do think now, um, I. Being here at Guzzle, I'm behind the bar full time. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. I'm here Thursdays and Fridays. That's when I'm with my family. Um, Saturday, I, I come in, that's my, that's my bar owner day,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Uh,
Steve:you know, Hey buddy,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:yeah. Shaking hands and.
Steve:no. Yeah, that's my Saturday. until I get in the way and then I leave,
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:I love it. I love it. By the way, I'd have to leave after I, I'd have to leave after 15 minutes. Yeah. If I, if I only stayed till I was away.
Steve:because I, I work behind a bar. I work, you know, the slower days, so I bartend, but I'm not in the tip pool, you know, so
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Right.
Steve:makes more money. Um, and it's fun for me, and I like being that close, you know, by the time the lease is paid up. Or by the, by the time the lease is over, rather. you know, I'm in my mid fifties and I just think this is my last, this is a job. And I'm like, I'm happy I got a job. Um, I, I have a, a schedule that I, I really enjoy. this for me is gonna be my career, my job. For the next foreseeable future. I feel like I'm at a, a, a point in my life where I really need to think about the next 15 years of my life. And in the meantime I got a great job here at Guzzle and I have an amazing team, wonderful partners and a great product. And, uh, just a nice. situation and I'm just trying to reinvest money a little bit here and there into things that I think can take me later on in life. And that's what I'm doing now.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_120007:Well, Steve, it's been an honor and a and a pleasure to have you on the show to catch up after all these years. Alright, man. Well, you know, you can visit Steve Schneider as you said. We'll put all the details in the show notes and, uh, stick with us. We'll be back in just a moment. You're listening to the restaurant guys. You can find out more@restaurantguyspodcast.com.
the-restaurant-guys_2_07-01-2025_134209:It's so nice talking with Steve Schneider. Really, I, I was the most in-depth con. We've known him for many years and he's always kind to us when we visit him, and he's visited us, but that's the most in-depth conversation we've ever personally had with Steve. Absolutely. Super, super cool guy. So, Steve talked about something that he was a moment in time for him and I had some similar moments doing. Doing something similar. He went to see Les Miz and just kind of decompressed from everything in the world. Okay. So when we were seniors in in college, yes. Was right when Les Miz was the hottest ticket you could get. I remember. Okay. And I took theater appreciation that year with Professor Eric Krebs. That's correct. So if you were in theater appreciation, you were able to buy. Late tickets and inexpensive tickets. 20 bucks, 30 bucks. They were really cheap. Right. To go see Les Miz. and the seats were terrible. I remember one of the times I saw Les Miz, my head was actually touching the back wall in the back corner. Yeah. But it was 20 bucks, but it was 20 bucks to go see Les Miz the house, which, which had hot show on on Broadway, which, and so I would go through the, the theater department. My a date for the entire year was like, Hey, I got tickets to see La m you want to go see La m And I would be able to, Jennifer's dirty looking me right now'cause I never took her to see La Miz. Uh, but it was my a date. It was my, it was my move. Senior year of college was it? How many times did you see M four times. You don't remember that one of those times was with me. Yeah, you weren't. No. Not just not just you. Yes. Yes. So was that, So that was a show where I had a date who canceled at the last minute. Oh yeah. And the assistant manager of the restaurant where I was working. Oh, what? And they literally canceled like the day before. Mm-hmm. I think it was Jody. I don't remember who it was, but it, no last names please. But, but, um, I got canceled on the day before. And Hal Taylor, who was, you know, a nice enough guy. Mm-hmm. But, you know, not my first choice for the hottest seats on Broadway. And, and, uh, he's like, I'll go with you. I'm like, no. He's like, I'll pay for my ticket. I'm like, it was only 30 bucks. He's like, I'll go with you and I'll pay for dinner. And I was like, oh, no. He said, I'll pay for half a dinner. I'm like, damn, straight. You will. And I, and I held out and it was, I had one day to get a date. And so you went with. A woman and I went with fucking how? I will always remember that. And it was, oh, it was a rotten, Let's not bore the listeners anymore with our little walk down memory lane. But yeah, no. What is, but, but a. You know, a last minute ticket to a Broadway show. You know, there are lots of places in the city you can do that. You know, in, in London, tickets are still very inexpensive to see great shows. Yeah, I, I strongly recommend that little dinner out. It's perfect evening. I thought the parallel he drew was great though, because it is, the dining is theater and especially to a guy like Steve. Mm-hmm. And employees only why it works. What makes employee different is it the cocktails. It's not just the cocktails, it's the cocktails, it's the uniform and like you said, lighting music. Temperature and it all just works, and you don't know why, but the hole is greater than the sum of the parts. And I think bars and restaurants and theater have a lot in common exactly that way. Well, it's there an escape from your every day. Mm-hmm. That's how a great bar works, like theater and like Stage left and Catherine Lombardi. And with that, we will leave you all. Until next time. I'm Francis Shot. I'm Mark Pascal. We are the restaurant guys. You can always find out more@restaurantguyspodcast.com.