Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Sartain.
Hi Daniel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My first job was washing dishes at a little seafood restaurant. I was 16 and needed to make money, so my friend hooked me up with the gig. I quickly started bussing tables as well as pulling long shifts in the dish pit. I liked interacting with guests, and knew my next job would be waiting tables. Just after my 18th birthday, I got my first job at a corporate casual restaurant serving tables. I loved the pace and the demanding nature. I quickly realized I had a knack for it. I knew I needed to get behind a bar as soon as I was of age, so that’s what I did.
The next phase of my career was wine. I worked at many high end places throughout the triangle, thru the years. I cut my teeth in management by a young age, understood service and bar tending, then studied wine relentlessly. Most of my jobs as a GM centered around wine, as well as the other aspects of managing a full service restaurant.
I wanted to work with the best the Triangle had to offer, so I moved into the premier dining establishments to further hone my craft as an FOH professional. Years with Ben and Karen Barker at Magnolia Grill, and Scott Howell of Nana’s , taught me so much about the focus and passion required to run a noteworthy restaurant. I’m forever grateful for those years.
When it was time to venture out on my own, I partnered up with one of those mentors, and opened Bar Virgile. For the first 4 years, I was the first one in, and the last to leave. I knew that if I wanted any sort of culture beyond my presence, I had to put in the work. I actually enjoyed nearly every day of that work and that time, though it is trying and exhausting.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My entire career has not been smooth. Nothing of value is ever easy. The success I’ve found is not based in luck, though luck certainly helps. I enjoy the autonomy of being an entrepreneur, but my early days were trying. I think I may have learned more in learning what NOT to do watching others, than I learned from doing things right. I also have learned more from my own mistakes than I have from any successes. I changed jobs on average, every 2 years. Sometimes, that felt a bit unstable, and nothing is stable about this industry on the whole. 90% of restaurants fail, and there are thousands of reasons why. The best navigation is to learn from mistakes.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Bar Virgile is an old world feeling, American Brasserie. We specialize in simple food, done well… and quality cocktails. Hospitality is our #1 core value. We talk incessantly about what it means to have hospitality in your heart.
Our consistency and our overall vibe within the store sets us apart. Our team speaks the same language and we are a gelled unit. I don’t think you see that everywhere, making our efforts at least a little more noticeable.
Every dish and every cocktail comes from the heart. Whether it’s gauging the salt levels on a sauce, or analyzing a cocktail to death, we dig in. We want people’s hearts and mouths to be happy.
What are your plans for the future?
Our only plan is to keep our consistency and create a positively charged work environment for our team. We feel it necessary to take 1 day, 1 guest, 1 experience at a time, and to stay in the moment. If that works, and we continue to be successful, we will grow. We’ve already added 2 other fun bars to our mix, and we hope to continue.
Pricing:
- $20-$50
Contact Info:
- Website: https://barvirgiledurham.com
- Instagram: @bar_virgile_durham
- Facebook: Bar Virgile Durham
