How Rudy Manzur Went from Barback to Bar Owner: Mistakes, Operations & Running Aftermath NYC

What happens when a criminal justice student trades textbooks for cocktail shakers?

Meet Rudy Manzur—Dominican-born, NYC-made, and the owner-operator of Aftermath, a beloved neighborhood bar in Ridgewood, NY.

Rudy's path wasn't linear. He came to New York to study at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, worked retail in the hat industry for Disney, traveled the country for events (including a Super Bowl), and never imagined he'd end up behind a bar.

Working as a barback at his cousin's beer bar, Rudy learned the ropes—the mistakes, the grind, the beauty of hospitality. He fell in love with the industry. He read every book he could find, absorbed wisdom from seasoned bartenders, and took a leap most people only dream about: he opened his own bar.

Now, Rudy runs Aftermath—a space where community, craft, and authenticity collide.


This is a story about taking risks, learning on the job, and creating something meaningful from scratch.

If you’re into hospitality industry insights,  this episode is for you!
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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Whether it's the art of bartenders, the hotel and hospitalize, or the wildest bartels, expect raw conversations of the people or your favorite cocktails and keep the nylon alive. If you love barth, it's great. And the stories that bring them to life, follow us after and subscribe to keep the conversations flowing.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Hello, welcome back to another episode of Bart. Talking about podcast. Yeah, everybody from New York City, everybody who's watching in other countries, and also everybody who's like uh, you know, in this industry of bartenders, brands, brand ambassadors, and cocktail lovers.

SPEAKER_05 1:20

Yes. I just want to shout out to everybody who I ran into uh the last BCV convention. Uh thank you all guys. It really means a lot to uh for us to be recognized. Uh but why don't we start this uh amazing episode by introducing our guest?

SPEAKER_00 1:35

We have here Mr. Rudy Mansu. How are we doing? How are we doing? For Aftermath, uh cute and amazing Bart in Ritreuth, Queens. Uh, but we're gonna go through that because we wanna know who's Rudy.

SPEAKER_06 1:48

Absolutely. Yeah. The Knicks just won the championship, so we're all a little bit more. Oh yeah, we're champions.

SPEAKER_05 1:57

Another championship.

SPEAKER_06 1:58

Knicks in five, Knicks in five. Yeah, we got it right. I'm still I'm still recovering. I'm still recovering.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Well, how are you? We're gonna have more parties for the Knicks.

SPEAKER_05 2:08

Yeah, hopefully no more uh burning uh school buses. School buses and taxi cows, that's not the way to go. But you know what? Congrats to Knicks, congrats to all the the fans. And then uh I know you guys had a busy night that night. Uh but record. Record night. It was definitely crazy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:26

That's that was the good thing. Like also, it was very nice that many, I think it was because of the Knicks, but many bars were able to like showcase, you know, show the the game. And I was like, everywhere you go, you see a TV screen. The city was chaos.

SPEAKER_04 2:41

It was the city was a crazy, cute, beautiful chaos. Yeah. I see. That's the best way I could put it.

SPEAKER_06 2:48

It was chaotically beautiful. It's chaotically.

SPEAKER_04 2:50

Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_05 2:51

Uh, why don't we start by introducing you uh and by knowing more about yourself? Absolutely. Uh Rudy, we know you uh background a little bit, but for the audience who doesn't know you, yeah, uh would you like to introduce yourself?

SPEAKER_06 3:03

Yeah, I got into uh I start from the beginning, right? I got into this industry about pandemic time, uh, which is an interesting time to start a new life.

SPEAKER_03 3:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 3:12

Uh fast forward, father of two, uh born Queens, New York, and uh here we are, man. It's just insane. Crazy.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Are you are you original? I mean, you were born in New York City.

SPEAKER_06 3:23

I was born in the Dominican Republic, Dominicano, Doromio. Born in the Dominican Republic, y creci un año allá, un año ki. So it was a nice experience. I got both experienced growing up. Um two years over there. My parents travel a lot, my mom traveled a lot. So I was like, I'll spend time ungaño con mi abuela. Uh we're gonna do this in by Spangles, by the way, guys.

SPEAKER_02 3:47

Perfecto.

SPEAKER_06 3:48

Uh I traveled, uh, you know, go spent a lot of time with my grandma. Um, and just my mom would be like, hey, do you want to come this year to New York? I'll come back. So it was it was a very unique experience, and um I loved it. It was great.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

I think it's uh, you know, as a kid, sometimes you feel like, oh, I'm making friends, and then I have to move back, and then you make other friends, and I think it could be good, but also kind of like, what am I gonna do now? How is it?

SPEAKER_06 4:16

You know what? I I think you see amigos con the time, like, oh, I'll be back, you know, we will talk here and there. But I always look forward to like starting, you know, going back and like catching up with my friends from New York and then catching up with my friends in the Dominican Republic. And I was pegged with my family. So my family was my primos, who are else. So I had a group of amistad that we had. Yeah, to all the corillos in the city.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

But I think that's also a nice quality of like Dominicans. Um like Mexicans, we have our families, but in a certain way I don't think we are like super close. That's my opinion, experience that I see with Dominicans. Like you guys are always like, con el primo, con la tía, con la abuelita, andas gigantesca.

SPEAKER_05 5:10

I also think it depends on the size of the family. Because um on my mom's side, we had a big family, and when we used to get together, it was like 15 cousins. Or or or like fairly uh 10 cousins per se, right? Uh plus the families and everything. But that was when I was in Mexico, is my family's mainly in Mexico. Yeah. And when I came to New York, like my cousins have this their families, but the congregation is smaller because it's not as much. Yeah. But it depends, you know, like if you go back and forth, if you come to New York, like you say, you know, experiencing like the amount of friends from here, and then you go back to the Dominican Republic. Uh what was the one of the big experiences that you uh can talk about as a kid, you know, like probably going back to the Dominican Republic and recognizing or remembering something that you did as a kid.

SPEAKER_06 5:58

I think that that's I think growing up, uh, you know, and uh, I think we're talking about this off camera a little bit. Uh growing up in a certain like, you know, uh we love to be outside. And I know Mexico's pretty similar as far as like the heat. You got the heat going on. Traditions are uh I think they get celebrated a little bit uh more impactful back, you know, where we're from. Like Christmas in Dominican Republic, and I'm pretty sure Christmas in Mexico, it's I think I don't know, they don't work. Nobody works in the Dominican Republic from like December 12th, December 5th to like January, let's say February. El Día de los Reyes. So I think having those experiences like growing up in that in that time frame, como la Pascua Pascual, like Christmas time and all that. And I think growing up and having that time like with my family was like, you know, I I still dream about like going back and having spending Christmas over there, like the like that time frame.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

Yeah, I I mean for me as like as a kid, I remember that uh it was very weird because my mom or she she wasn't like super Catholic, but she was like kind of religious, and for some reason, uh you know, in Mexico we do Las Posadas. Yeah. So they start from the 16th to the 24th. I thought it was a tough No Virgen. Oh well, it's nine days. I know it's nine days.

SPEAKER_04 7:32

Let us know in the comments.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

I I was always picked like La Madrina del Niño Dios. So I was always like a la Roro Niño, right? And I I mean I didn't like it because I want to play with my friends. Of course. But I guess in the Dominican Republic, like uh that that's what I I seen from Dominicans that I really like. Like the parties that everybody's dancing, merengue, and I love that. But besides parties and everything, like se llama merengue.

SPEAKER_05 8:15

Yeah, my my first uh actually introduction to the Dominican uh music was uh uh what was this my I got can't remember the the name of this singer.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

But what's the song?

SPEAKER_06 8:27

Uh Anthony Santos, Anthony Santos Anthony Santos, Anthony Santos.

SPEAKER_05 8:32

Uh that's what they say. I don't know, seven, eight years old when I first started listening to the music in Mexico City. Wow, Santos. Anthony Santos se fue Mundial.

SPEAKER_00 8:47

No, sí, yo recuerdo que Anthony Santos. Uh the first song I I think it was um, I don't know, but I was like 16 years old. So you were probably 13.

SPEAKER_05 8:56

Nah, no. No, like you know, like I grew up in Mexico City, and in Mexico City we have this uh we call DJs or Sonidos, Sonideros. And sonideros used to like go and play whatever kind of music. But I remember the back then was like the Colombian low-pitch uh music, and uh Anthony Santos.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

But I remember that when we hear, because I think the first connection with the Dominican Republic was um Juan Liz Guerra. But it was like more like baladas, like slummis. Uh but then Anthony Santos, like we didn't know that was bachata, so we used to dance as a cumbia.

SPEAKER_03 9:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

It was weird, but it was weird when I moved here because I was like, why these guys don't know how to dance his music? Uh well, but then um so how was your interaction like like when you moved? When did you move to New York? Like completely in New York?

SPEAKER_06 10:04

Uh I think high school. When I get to high school, I was like, you know what, uh me quiero quedar aquí, terminar, porque I was going to college and all that. So I think it was great. Um I think you don't know if you pass it, but the school in our pays in the materials. So I llegated and passed at the high school flying up, excellent. Solly de la high school and comment to college. But where did you go to college? Yes, nice yeah. I'm an observer. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:48

So what did you so in that time when you were in college, you were you working in restaurants or no, no, no.

SPEAKER_06 10:54

So I sort of trabajed retail.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 10:56

So my background, tuve much experience with retail, trabajaba, Disney trabajé un poco. But don't you create more company of deportes that seemed to be like, comment to the tiendas, and I pushed a corporate. So I was viable at the World Cups and those. Uh, the Super Bowl, those events I was via. You know, I'm pretty probably like maybe five states that I have, but I have quite those.

SPEAKER_00 11:43

Do you have like a pref, like not preferred, but like besides New York City, I guess. Do you have another city that you feel like?

SPEAKER_06 11:49

Oh, I love New Orleans.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Oh, yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_06 11:51

New Orleans I have tanto, you don't have sabor, tanta vida. Obviously, Florida is very bonito, but I think New Orleans has tangible. I love it everywhere. Don't come at me. I love it everywhere, I love it everywhere. Chicago, Chicago tiene la attitude como the like New York hustle kind of thing. Yeah. But less aggressive. It's like depends where you go.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

Depends where you go. Depends where you go. So how did you get into hospitality?

SPEAKER_06 12:32

So before the pandemic, a one amount of barrage of cerveza Beer Wax. And shout out to Chris and the family.

SPEAKER_00 12:50

In New York.

SPEAKER_06 12:58

And I said, okay, I want to approach more of this industry. I'm a barback, and as I was, I was like, one day I took it, one day I put it very busy, and I'm certain and go, and so, and I was like. And I was in the five semasures. I was directly to the domain, and it's it's yeah, it's funny that you say that you fall in love because I feel like um you know, every every job is I it's you know fine.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

But coming also from retail, it's also hospitality. But then I don't know, for some reason, and I don't know how to explain, but because I I think everybody who's been here will say that the same. It's like even though you you can have a bad night with like rude uh customers and everything, but you go the next day because you wanna I don't know how what do you have that?

SPEAKER_06 14:06

That you feel in love, like it's like visitas in your casa. My mom sort of, okay, you got so you see that the hospitality in your casa. Um para me translates into the service industry. Like, you know, people are coming into your house, you want to make sure that they're being taken care of. Uh alguien is like, okay, you you had a, you know, on somebody who's like, okay, yeah, it's just a bad experience. But you know, when the gentleman enter to casa, at your establishment, or they're looking for some type of like release of some type of fun, some type of that, and just it's just let me take care of that. Whatever time frame you're there, let's have make sure you're having a good time. In this time, I think I was talking about Anthony Bourdain much. May he rest in peace. And I enamored the culture of the traveling and the mundes. Different different, but hospitality sends equal. Come, toma, te invito, te abrazo, bienvenido.

SPEAKER_05 15:27

It's a cultural language that I think I feel like it in every country is very different in their own way. Uh because cultures are very different in approaching things, right? Uh, for uh if you go to France, if you go to Italy, and if you go to South America or if you go to China, perhaps they're all gonna be very different, but they're gonna be hospitable in their own way. Yeah. You know? Uh and that's one thing that I like actually about New York City that you know we are a multi pot and everyone is here. So you can if you choose to eat one certain type of food one day or work certain type of drinks, you go to that place, right? Yeah. And that's what you're looking for. And you know, like when you plan a birthday or get together, or maybe perhaps a date, you go to that particular place for that reason, right? And so you expect that too. Uh but when we say uh we have a bad experience sometimes because uh sometimes uh uh our guest uh doesn't know what they want, and it's our job to direct them and to give them that hospitality, uh that welcoming, and you know, make them feel great. Because at the end of the day, you want them to come back another time, probably bring 10 more friends, you know. Right. Uh and that's what we are here for. Yeah. We are trained professionals who we uh doesn't matter what how we started. Uh the point is that you know, once you're there, you have to uh take care of your guests. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 16:42

And uh so you were the bar back there?

SPEAKER_06 16:46

What was the next uh So I got promoted after that surely into uh bartender? So uh and when I say that it was more like craft beer. So it was like porn beers and we'll do mixed drinks here and there, but it was mostly uh craft beer. And uh fast forward to 2022, 2020, the pandemic happened, you know, the world stopped. You know, I got put on furlough, which is like okay, you you don't lose your job, but no sabemos que va pas. Um and then my cousin out in Williamsburg opened up the week of the pandemic, unfortunately, and fortunately for him, opened up a restaurant called Aura Cocina. Um Steven, shout out to you, create hospital. But it was a blessing in the best way, I think. Um so he opened that up, and you know, he dealt with it for a little bit, you know, with the open clothes, you know, and then they were doing drinks to go. And uh he reached out to me out of the blue, he says, I need a bar manager. And I'm like, I know how to pour beer. And he's like, No, no, no, you need to come, you need to come. And my cousin is like uh very like, go, go, go, go, let's figure this out, let's figure this out. And like, I was like, you know what? I'm very go, go, go too, we'll figure this out too. So I go and I'm with Nelson, um, consulting. Oh, yeah. Shout out to Nelson. Shout out to Nelson. Um great mentor for me at that uh at that time. Um, I got a shaker, you don't have any, but I was enamored of the idea of like bartending and like every like every bartender starts. Like, oh my god, I want to learn how to make drinks. And Nelson meaning, I see potential in you. I think I'm gonna train you a little bit. Nelson at this time was firm with that.

SPEAKER_00 18:37

Kiss, I mean Papo!

SPEAKER_06 18:40

Yeah, do it again, you know, do it again. And you know, it was disrespectful or anything. For me, it was okay, we're we're we're trained, we're training mode.

SPEAKER_00 18:57

I need you to do another push-up.

SPEAKER_06 18:59

And I meant you appreciate it. I went and don't know that and I appreciate it. I appreciate this, and this means I'm gonna the only library I compressed in my life that I saw and I left and appending more, appends. And I was with the industry, I appreciate things and Felipe, who passed by, or of one manner or another, and I was appending.

SPEAKER_00 19:43

So you were a call to be a bar manager, and then at that place, what happened with that place?

SPEAKER_06 19:49

It's still there. Oh yeah. Still going strong. Um that place, you know, the pandemic was an interesting time. Yeah. But economically. Aftermath, beerwax screens, which I was saying. But I have a barrack with Ariel.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

And how long were you working with your cousin?

SPEAKER_06 20:35

The Beerwax Screens, and I'm gonna lance what the principle of 2022 and Aftermath.

SPEAKER_05 20:49

I remember I remember when that was that was Beerwax, because I passed by and I didn't have a drink in the past. But when you guys took over and you turned it into Aftermath, um, I mean, I've been we've been there for several times and the cultures are amazing. Now I mean, if the guys who live here in New York, Rich Right and Bruce Bushwick or like with surrounding areas, I'll recommend them to come. Not because you're here only to say that. But I know that you know the cult are amazing.

SPEAKER_00 21:14

Uh yeah, because also you can uh if if you come to Aftermath, people think like, oh, it's in Queens, and uh now Richard is is getting big, but it's one of the I we were talking the other day and I that your place is one of those like not like pretentious. Do you guys really like to do, you know, what are you doing? And the music and the vibe is like very inviting, and I feel like you know, coming to this place where like you feel like you know, we can listen to music, also uh have a little, you know, something to eat, and it's zero pretentious. I feel like that's that's that's very cool.

SPEAKER_05 21:54

Yeah, that's what I like aftermath, honestly. A lot of you can go there, have a drink. I I know you guys also do outdoors.

SPEAKER_06 22:25

Aftermath for me is a middle ground for those. There are gente who gusts the cockeleria, or gents who can appreciate, or gents who can do a cerveza, or for us, it's like a perfect intersection of all this. And it's like natural for us. Like, okay, let's make cocktails, we're gonna do some good drinks, not pretentious, we're not gonna be snobby about it, and you know, and here you go. And you can have this and you can feel comfortable, nothing.

SPEAKER_00 22:56

And I feel also like you know, the neighborhood, it was because I remember when um before that uh space, it was, you know, the the theater, and then it became like a like a uh rental building, and then I remember that space was empty. And then one day I was passing, and then I saw someone at the bar, but I thought it was just like the building bar, and then I think it was another like a one store next to it. Yeah, and then it was big Big Wax. Can we talk about how the transition was to Aftermath?

SPEAKER_06 23:32

Yeah, so Beerwax, uh Beerwax Queens, when I was on Beerwax in Brooklyn, um and Ariel and my primo comenzamos a pension, okay, we gotta open up a bar, we wanna open up a bar. We economically listen, what was idea, you said cocktails, you said you know hospitality, service, and my prima could approach. And I saw Chris, the Beerbacks, and I said, Okay, we have a part of two. And obviously I coordinated and we're doing, we're going to use locals. And when we were the first local that we were, and we were trying to, and we were enamored with that. You had pelicas when I was in cine. Nostalgic nostalgic. 20 years later. 20 years later. Where's my customer? No, no, but see what I'm enamoring. And it was of all the projects that you can do a little bit more, because it was a turnkey. Recall extra funds and beerwax screens.

SPEAKER_00 25:34

What was the more challenging? Like, because you said like opening from scratch, you know, like you have to build a bar, you have to. What was the more challenging feeling?

SPEAKER_06 25:46

The experience sale. Eso es lo más challenging. It's like a matrimonio. Okay, you have to do this, you have to do this, you know. And we appreciate much. Okay, we don't have a cocktail bar that you know beer wax for the cerveza, we have visions different. And okay, I'm going to go with this, you and we go with this, and now you know we are. If you have to append and learn it on the spot.

SPEAKER_05 26:57

And after we had Up the Man, Via Wax, for renovate ViaWax, or there was a transition?

SPEAKER_06 27:07

We were for two years, and it was okay, it was rapid, in this time we had challenges with the department of edification, we had to get a construction. Fue un project that we were like a montagna enorme, it comes from the sun. For now, for now, for now, and we created, we are a little bit too, appreciate and creating.

SPEAKER_05 27:47

Hands on, hands-on, a little bit, and perdón que te interrumpe, and what the number Aftermath?

SPEAKER_06 28:14

And in one of the aftermath, okay, what significa? This is what's like the aftermath of what the BR6. So I think aftermath.

SPEAKER_05 29:12

Irish bars.

SPEAKER_00 29:13

Irish barbs, but not like a cocktail bar, right? And then uh I think also, you know, um knowing Kiwi and and you guys de lo Mio, I think that's a very impressive uh growth with Dominicans and how you represent your culture and also how you are like we're present, right?

SPEAKER_03 29:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

So um I feel like also like your food and everything is like like I said, it's Dominican, it's not like also pretentious, it's also like super welcoming. So I feel like you're growing during this time. Uh uh, it's been like two thumbs.

SPEAKER_06 29:50

Yeah, gracias, gracias. Which I love going to, you know, but we don't have this. We have cocktails, the music, obviously, is the music for us. Anthony Santos toca don't say, the bachat, the bingo. Primer Anthony Santos. Anthony Santos, yeah. So we're gonna create a space for that, always okay, like I'm summarily orgulloso of Dominicano, and obviously create one space for us, by us, for us, kind of thing. And for those.

SPEAKER_05 30:54

Yeah, the food, I mean, and that's another thing. They the the kitchen is actually at the front of the door. And it's a small kitchen. Yeah, and you know, it's it's basically an open kitchen. Yeah, but it's small. Um, exactly. Yeah, yeah, and because normally you'll see the like at every bar that you go, normally the bars are always facing, like first, you know. But this one would you walk in and then you see the kitchen. You can grab a snack, you can grab a cocktail, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 31:21

Um I mean, I think it's it's freaking great. And and not only that, I think I'm gonna underline that the first Dominican who came, uh, the first Latino who came to New York is actually Dominican, and it's written in the books and and uh in the museum uh of natural history.

SPEAKER_03 31:37

I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_05 31:38

Oh yeah, first immigrant. Yeah, first immigrant. And well he wasn't even actually an immigrant. He came back here, you know?

SPEAKER_00 31:46

Um I mean that's that's another part because you know, like we were talking about the New York City's uh melted pub and having you know a Mexican chat working with Dominicans, but it's not like we're Dominicans and we're Mexicans, right? And uh like how do you build your team around the city?

SPEAKER_06 32:06

That part was a process. I was in a location that's a Cream who was in Ridgewood for many times. One of my main bartenders' hobbies were a gem at us, and I said, If you want to go back a year or two, and the chef needs a chef, and the rompecables were so, and the parties that were, when it was the puzzle, it was perfect. It's just they add such a great thing to us.

SPEAKER_05 32:56

I mean, it happens for the reason we call it destiny. Yeah we're destined to be together.

SPEAKER_06 33:00

I love it. I love it, I love it.

SPEAKER_00 33:02

And uh in this process, I know you have two kids. Yeah. When do you start forming your family?

SPEAKER_06 33:11

My side project, my my idea. Yeah, I think it's a good idea. Um part of what you and my sponsor, okay, we want to have kids and totally plane, it was like a beautiful surprise. And it's okay, I think I'm living tantas at the same time, like Aftermath, my personal life, and those two have been creating and creating, and the people have bends, they have much bends, and create a balance into teaching and focus in what you want. I feel like you in a time in okay, what version of me can.

SPEAKER_00 34:19

But like my choice, it would be like, when do you meet your girlfriend, your wife?

SPEAKER_06 34:27

Ah, my story of amount. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And in this time, I think, and I think you don't stay in that serious, in this or the other, one ago, cases. Ella lo ve como un challenge. I love you, baby.

SPEAKER_00 35:00

She's also she's Mexican. She's Mexican, she's not a little bit.

SPEAKER_06 35:03

She's Mexican, but it's del norte, del norte.

SPEAKER_00 35:11

And uh, how's that like also working with your partner and then building a family, and then it's like different to like two different cultures. How do you feel about it?

SPEAKER_06 35:24

La cultura mexicana me encanta. Cuando fui a conocer la familia y todo eso, yo sí hay muchas cosas diferentes, pero para mí hay muchas cosas que van hand to hand con la cultura dominicana. O sea, nosotros hicimos el coro. Ustedes también tienen su coro, ustedes hacen su fiestas, suena y les decimos. Yo creo que un poquito más a veces más de nosotros, sí. O sea, una boda y después la postboda, allá, o sea, la preboda, la cuenta de la boda. El padrino viene también de los dos. No, no, no, no, no, no. O sea, me encantó, vi mucha como el calorcito. Los mexicanos lo tienen bien, bien presente y o sea, están ahí.

SPEAKER_00 36:18

I mean, I know that you said like I focus on my family and work, but you know, we have other um guests that also they are parents, but we didn't like really go into it. Like we're gonna be parents soon, but it's like the industry is very demanding, especially if you work at nights or you have to go to events, you have to go, I don't know, meeting with like brands and run a business as well.

SPEAKER_05 36:42

And run a business as well.

SPEAKER_00 36:44

So, how do you manage? Like, how do you plan your week?

SPEAKER_06 36:47

Your timing. Yeah, um it's constantly creating by evolving, evolving, evolving. It was next, it's the most basic aftermath I could start. At the domain, the people don't know that you're at the casa at the 50th. The most grande va to the casa all the time and says, I left all the time, okay, the casa no, the households not. There are sacrifices that a lot of you, but setting the boundaries of your family, of your family, what is more important, today. My mother is very patient and the process of it. Because this is a process and it is very difficult for those. But what it would have been, it would have and what you can say? You wanna be disorganized, no vaso. If you want to do this, no vaso pasarin.

SPEAKER_00 38:02

It's got an organized plan and so you live like let's say like social life as a single man, you know. I don't know if you were like that kind of like guy that used used to go and party and everything.

SPEAKER_05 38:18

Once upon a once upon a time. You know, but what you say is that your parents are in the industry. But not to start in fiesta, part of concept, involved with what we want, with the activities of the people to start in relevance. Because the cocktail is evolving. Yeah. It's evolution. What are the new tools, what I would use in my bar, what you can do with my barrage, the person who invites my barra, who does it to my own. And connect, relating to us with others, but we have to stay, relevant in a certain way. And the relevant doesn't say or simply, what happened, information. Appends, because you know that appending other people are very important. Like I said, we appreciate it and appends how this event, what I do for an event. 100% how you can see a liquor. There are things, you know, but I think at the end of the day, the importance of the family is what my priority is, but also this balance that is more important. The balance is the most difficult, but when you have a person who lives in this industry, don't have this stress that, oh my God, you have to go to the house because I have to do this, no, oh my god, I have to do this. We have and it's a person, and I think you're in this moment because we have the main industry, we don't go here or simply in your house to work, get the television, and yeah, no matter what, right?

SPEAKER_00 40:21

For me, I think that function and chair mentioned is especially to enter that a lot. And for me, this is important that he takes this, because I think he's a strong, and I think I consider that I'm gonna go, you will tell you all the way. But I think there's this balance of not all the days, obviously, because it's not like you like, you know.

SPEAKER_05 41:12

You gotta decompress, you gotta relax a little bit. But when you have a niño, you don't have to sent me like oh round two.

SPEAKER_03 41:29

Slip pilot.

SPEAKER_06 41:30

Slip by it.

SPEAKER_00 41:42

And and your wife is not is not at working anymore.

SPEAKER_06 42:00

So it's like a lot of planning. You y Ariel somos la operation, okay, day to day, vamos, repair this. It's a good good team, continue. Yes, can you?

SPEAKER_00 42:16

Yeah, yeah, and and I feel like you know, like I we see your bar and you know it's very thoughtful, like, you know, you have your machine, you have like it was I think it was built like mentally to be prepared for that.

SPEAKER_06 42:39

You know, we're small bar. So it's a we have to pick, we have this or we have this. So sometimes we have to we need a big eyes machine so we can do the remodel now. So it's like we have to pick and be very we have to figure it out little by little how we obtain and the private room that is at the room. Okay, we need to cut the room, we need to do this, and we're appreciating a private room that you just designated for private events.

SPEAKER_03 43:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:38

And um eventually, you know, we like it or not, um it's it's evolving, but also I think in the other hand it's like uh beneficial because like I said, I feel like um I think in the real we b we made a lot of uh, you know, contribution to make uh to add more flavour. A hundred percent. And uh one of the things like for example, I really like it, is like now that I'm pregnant, I I it's not like my hand uh it's around alcohol, but just going to your bar and having that like um the non-alcoholic uh Ganibaldi.

SPEAKER_05 44:16

Oh Ganibaldi. Kiwi is a genius for that one.

SPEAKER_00 44:19

So finder orange, it's really really good.

SPEAKER_05 44:21

I love it. I mean all the colours, el huesaso, that was my el huesazoo. Oh, el quisque la libre. Quisquea libre. It's like a like a like like a Cuba Libre. Cuba libre. But but quisquea libre. You guys should try it honestly.

SPEAKER_00 44:40

And talking about Kiwi as well, I feel like uh you know having him as well in your in your team is uh it's uh a good addition because also he has a lot of like experience uh coming from Manhattan. And knowing also the world of cocktails is it's another good addition.

SPEAKER_06 45:00

Yeah, you're and going back to the team is okay, yo and Aries sabemos tanto, and my sponsor Alex sabe tanto. But I'm like, we need to bring in gente that we can get with fresh eyes and we're gonna say. You guys, we gotta tighten up here. But you take it if you want. I'm like, no, no, no, no. You what is it? Like give it to me. Like if it's gonna make the experience more for those, then that's what we're here for.

SPEAKER_05 45:45

Because if you can serve three people at a time, yeah, when you can serve uh six to ten people at a time. So you know, like you it's not really cutting corners, it's like make making the efficiency work better for everybody. And I think that's good. I mean, you have the space to do that. Yeah. And um, I mean, for the BC nights that I've been to, it's uh it's really good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:05

And I mean the events for me is cool because then you bring DJs and then we dance.

SPEAKER_05 46:09

And the space, the high ceiling that I like, like I love it because it's so spacious.

SPEAKER_06 46:12

Yeah, it does it it it's a double-edged store sometimes because like sometimes it's like, damn, I wish this, you know, we could tighten it up a little bit. Yeah, but it once it's packed, I'm like, damn, I'm so happy I have to spend it. I'm so happy I can do this.

SPEAKER_05 46:24

Especially during the summer, it gets like super humid, but that place is always chill. Yeah, like there's always good air conditioning. Yeah, thank you, Khan Edison. Yeah, we are very lucky, honestly, because we have been to spaces where it's it could be 100 degrees outside and then the AC is not working, but there's an event happening, and then you're like, you don't want to leave because you're like, I made it all the way here to be to this. Right, right, right. You know? Um, but yeah, yeah. I mean, I think uh I I I look forward to see more events there, honestly. Thank you, thank you. I mean, you have you guys have the space and you have the uh a great team that you can rely on. I mean, you build it and you're part of the team yourself. Um, I mean, I don't know. I I see some of the things good things are on on you guys, honestly. And we hope for like for more things.

SPEAKER_00 47:08

Yeah, we're neighbors, so we'll see.

SPEAKER_05 47:10

We're neighbors, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:11

Yeah. Uh how's your like how's your menu work? And like do you change it like every season, or like how do you uh uh we try to change it quite often.

SPEAKER_06 47:20

It's seasonal sometimes, and we're getting ready, and I I laughed because I was like, we're we're getting ready to load up version two or whatever menu we have now. So on this, okay, it went from this many cocktails and then we tripled it. It's like, okay, can we execute tantos cocktails? Okay, apprendimos. Let's cut it down. Now we're in the process of let's cut it another way down to do those cocktails that we're gonna say, we're gonna say like perfect every time. So we're we're switching gears, we're looking at a little bit pending at the numbers. What are they vending, what's moving, what we have to fight to the gentleman, what are we putting, what was the opportunity?

SPEAKER_05 48:07

Yeah, it's the most idea.

SPEAKER_06 48:08

So we're always paying attention and we're constantly evolving. So after we are, there's a lot of frozen or something that we have the pop-up menu and things, we're camping too much chévere because when you have a clientele in the neighborhood, more than not, the people seeing a trend.

SPEAKER_05 48:35

But the rum doesn't get at the end. And the rum is overlooked. Because the romances, no, but the person that the rum they do in quality of the world, that has perfiles totally different and that you can use a rom that for me exactly. When the tequila or the mezcal have a perfect different, but um that they vendor more and that's what the client is, right? And the cocktails that are the wesas, that's what we wanted because it's like a tiki cocktail. It's very good for the zone, especially for all that. So we're gonna go with alcohol.

SPEAKER_06 49:16

Or in the studio garbage, we do it on the Pathfinder, and if you can the alcohol, like let me go with my pan and Mama Juan.

SPEAKER_05 49:23

And my Panama Mama Juan is a little bit.

SPEAKER_04 49:38

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06 49:38

Coming soon from a second.

SPEAKER_00 49:40

We're gonna let Kiwi to talk about it. But yeah, definitely it's it's it's another thing that for me, like seeing the because you know, we hear Mama Juana here and there is if you're not Dominican, uh sometimes you you hear about like, oh Dominicans have this, right? But then seeing it in a bar and like in a manner that is not just like chugger or whatever, but it's it's it it's building in a it's building a cocktail. Yeah. I think that's also another kind of like um not a snobby, but like a with a very well presentation that it's like not just Mama Juana is in this way, right?

SPEAKER_03 50:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:17

And that's another Dominican, I think, uh, representation that helps like telling other people like we're not just this, like Mexicans, right? We say like we we just don't need tacos, it's another thing. So I think like you guys showing your your uh heritage is it's also very like I'm I'm very proud as a Latina because I feel like sometimes we also kind of like overlook other things, and um, like I said, I really appreciate that we have this bar here in the neighborhood, but also other people can come and see like you know, you can have something else that is not necessarily you have to go to Gushwig or you have to go to Manhattan, it's like right here in the neighborhood. You know, yeah. So but thank you, thank you so much for us sharing your story.

SPEAKER_06 51:04

Thank you guys for having me. Thank you guys for having me.

SPEAKER_00 51:06

Yeah, uh finally we made it, we made it happen. And um I don't know if you wanna do a shout-out to someone. This is Joe Kennedy.

SPEAKER_06 51:15

Ah, shout out to everybody, shout out to Aftermath, shout out to my wife Alex, uh my kids. I love everybody, I love Ridgewood. Uh more things coming soon. Fingers crossed, and uh yeah. Can you tell the address of after my uh 1680 Madison on the corner of Cyprus in Madison, right there.

SPEAKER_00 51:33

The L train is very close, guys.

SPEAKER_06 51:34

Our train is two blocks away. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 51:36

Our train is two blocks away. And if you guys go there, tell them we're stand by bar, talk to talking bar.

SPEAKER_00 51:42

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 51:44

Go now. Listen now.

SPEAKER_00 51:47

Yeah, and and let us know if you try not just the Westasso and Elivaldi, non alcoholic. Uh, you can comment if you try another one and uh tell us your your thoughts, and we can tell uh Rudy what you think about it.

SPEAKER_05 51:59

Let us know. Thank you. Yeah, guys. Thank you so much for another week. Uh please, if you guys like this uh episode, like, subscribe, comment. And if you like more, if if you like to watch more of these episodes um or more episodes like this, go to our website walk talking talking bar nyc.com.

SPEAKER_00 52:19

And yeah, don't forget to tip your bartenders and also uh please still uh you know like, subscribe, and share. And uh be nice to people.

SPEAKER_06 52:30

Yes, be nice, just be nice, just be a nice person.

SPEAKER_00 52:32

Yeah, we're gonna put uh here um Roddy's uh social handle, but also if you wanna say your handle for your personal or the aftermath.

SPEAKER_06 52:41

Aftermath.nyc and then Mazur Mansour on on Club.

SPEAKER_00 52:46

You can reach and you can also see the the Instagram and see what's happening.

SPEAKER_05 52:50

Yeah. Um Thank you, Lily, for another episode.

SPEAKER_00 52:55

Uh we're gonna say goodbye, the three of us saying bye talking, talking bar.

SPEAKER_05 52:59

Okay, let's do it. All right. One, two, three. This is Bye Talking Talking Bar.