Today we’d like to introduce you to Derich Carlson.
Hi Derich, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I worked as the Market Culinary Partner with Red Door Grill for the last 4 1/2 years, where I met my fiancé Grace. She had been with Red Door as a Managing Partner for the last 6 years. This past December, we welcomed our daughter Zoey into the world and began to think of new career paths. We have always wanted to open a restaurant, and after visiting BLVD Tavern for brunch one Sunday morning, we fell in love. The location, the menu, and the staff just blew us away. We knew with the event space in the back how much potential it had and were eager to start. We finally closed and took over on May 11th. We have already extended weekend hours and are super excited to be opening for lunch on Wednesday, June 21st.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not necessarily a struggle, but our biggest area of opportunity will be spreading the word about our new hours and the availability of our event space. Many times we have guests in, and they are seated in our private dining area or patio. They tell us they have been coming for years and had no idea it was there! We are trying to highlight these areas and get some events booked!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We create craft cocktails and have a scratch kitchen. Our attention to detail and hospitality sets us apart from the rest, along with our event space in the back. Having such a large space for parties/weddings/rehearsal dinners in the heart of KC is very rare. Our food and beverage packages have a variety of selections and can accommodate any party.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Our main advice is to use your contacts and trust your gut. There are many people we have met in our combined 28 years in the industry and a lot of lessons we have learned. The most important thing we have learned that has served us the most is caring for people. Whether that is guests or your staff, if you do the right thing and take care of people, all the other details will fall into place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blvdtavernkc.com/
- Instagram: Blvd.tavernkc
- Facebook: BLVD Tavern
Image Credits
Liv Harshbarger
