Walk In Social Club

From Fluffernutters to the Hotsy Totsy Club: Jessica Maria on creating her own path to opening up one of the Bay Area’s most beloved neighborhood bars, and everything in between.In this episode of The Walk-In Club Podcast, we sit down with Jessica Maria, whose journey started at 13 year. We trace her roots back to Massachusetts working at Uncle Tony’s, where teenage shifts were full of flirting, fluffernutters were important, and the spark of discovering community in and what that really means. From cocktail waitressing in hotel bars to a surprise stint behind the scenes at Bill Graham Presents, Jessica learned every rung of the ladder through hustle and heart—including deadlifting kegs, tracking inventory for every show, and translating cocktail specs into Thai during her time running a bar in Thailand.Her story winds through reinvention after reinvention—management roles taken by instinct, improv gigs, a move across the world, and the important rebuild of Hotsy Totsy. Through it all, Jessica reminds us that hospitality isn’t just about service—it’s about play, pressure, perseverance, and choosing love for the industry again and again.We get into:Fluffernutters - a MUST try experienceThe early years of bar magic at Blake’s on TelegraphFaxing a resume to a mystery ad that led to Bill Graham PresentsRunning a bar in Thailand (and living through a tsunami)Rebuilding Hotsy Totsy with the help of communityHer take on where the industry is headed, and how we can helpJessica’s story is a reminder that there’s no one way to show up in hospitality—but showing up with intention, curiosity, and care will always be the way forward.Follow @hotsytotsyclub to keep up with news, updates, a fun times! Follow us on Instagram @WALK.IN.CLUB and join the conversation!👉 If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry 📨 Send in your questions, comments & suggestions to The Walk In Club HERE!Whether it’s about life in hospitality, wellness, work-life balance, or industry stories, we want to hear from you.  Submit your thoughts, and we’ll bring them to the table in future episodes! 🖤 Share your W.INS with us HERE - It’s easy!Each Wednesday, we’ll celebrate wins from our community. Your win will remain anonymous unless you give us permission to tag you. Read, share, and cheer for your community’s wins. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry

We recorded this week’s Monday Pod back at The Combine in downtown Oakland (big thanks to Alex Hooper for the space, the sweat, and the vibes). After taking a movement class together, we settle in for a slower check-in—one that gently shifts what our check-ins might even look like moving forward. Ashley brings the grounding question: “What does support look like for you right now?” Alex shares about his upcoming men’s retreat in the woods, and Hannah names her craving to create more and stop holding herself back.That conversation leads us right into this week’s theme: the fear of failure and the fear of regret—and all the spirals in between. We explore what’s really underneath our hesitation, the “what if” loops we get stuck in, and how hindsight can sometimes steal us from the present moment.We talk about:The quiet courage it takes to give someone a complimentSocial regret, talking to your crush, and getting out of your own wayHow fear and failure can co-exist, and why regret often feels heavierThe stakes we weigh when deciding to go big… or play it safeWe wrap with a thoughtful listener question about how our time in hospitality has shaped our wellness journeys—what we’ve learned, unlearned, and how we’ve navigated the push and pull of care, burnout, and showing up for ourselves. Follow us on Instagram @WALK.IN.CLUB and join the conversation!👉 If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry 📨 Send in your questions, comments & suggestions to The Walk In Club HERE!Whether it’s about life in hospitality, wellness, work-life balance, or industry stories, we want to hear from you.  Submit your thoughts, and we’ll bring them to the table in future episodes! 🖤 Share your W.INS with us HERE - It’s easy!Each Wednesday, we’ll celebrate wins from our community. Your win will remain anonymous unless you give us permission to tag you. Read, share, and cheer for your community’s wins. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry

From Urban Farming to SOP Queen: Alissa Johnson on Adapting, Surviving, and Reimagining a BusinessIn this episode of The Walk-In Club Podcast, we sit down with Alissa Johnson whose path through food, farming, academia, and bar leadership is anything but ordinary. Alissa is the heart behind Oakland’s iconic Legionnaire Saloon, Beeryland and The Oakland Whiskey Library—but her journey started with a $5/hour counter service job and a dream of becoming a chef.We dive into Alissa’s early roots in urban farming and food systems, her love of side-by-side coffee tastings, and the pivotal moment she realized the classroom wasn’t where she could make the biggest impact. From speech therapy grad school to building her own distillation rigs during a WWOOFing experience in Napa, Alissa’s story is one of reinvention, resilience, and serious resourcefulness.After juicing citrus behind the scenes at the Starline Social Club, Alissa stepped behind the bar and never looked back. We hear how she helped lead through the chaos of the pandemic, a shifting bar identity, and the realities of tip fatigue in a changed industry.We get into:🌱 Learning distillation by actually building her own rig🏫 The burnout of working in under-resourced academic systems🍋 Juicing for Starline Social Club as a gateway to bartending🏛️ BTS of operations behind the bar🛠️ Becoming the "SOP Queen" and how structure helps fill in the gaps💬 Why it's cool to care—and how community, systems, and adaptability are key to surviving the long gameAlissa’s story is a reminder that hospitality is about more than drinks—it’s about connection, curiosity, and the courage to change course when the path ahead calls for it.🔗 Follow @legionnairekaraokesaloon, @beeryland_oakland, and @oaklandwhiskeylibrary to keep up with Alissa’s work and pour into the East Bay’s most intentional spaces. Follow us on Instagram @WALK.IN.CLUB and join the conversation!👉 If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry 📨 Send in your questions, comments & suggestions to The Walk In Club HERE!Whether it’s about life in hospitality, wellness, work-life balance, or industry stories, we want to hear from you.  Submit your thoughts, and we’ll bring them to the table in future episodes! 🖤 Share your W.INS with us HERE - It’s easy!Each Wednesday, we’ll celebrate wins from our community. Your win will remain anonymous unless you give us permission to tag you. Read, share, and cheer for your community’s wins. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry

We recorded our very first Monday Pod outside the usual studio— from The Combine in downtown Oakland (huge thanks to Alex Hooper!). Ashley checks in after a week of choosing softness and staying close to her “why,” Alex returns from a fun show at Red Rocks, and Nick shares a weekend that didn’t go to plan—but still landed as a win.From there, we get into what it means to not be okay, and how hard it is to sit in the in-between without rushing to fix it. We get real about discomfort, friendship, therapy, and the small moments that help us move through heaviness.From there, we dive into:The urge to “solve” hard feelings—and why it’s not always that simpleWhat it means to build awareness around your patternsTherapy, stigma, and finding what actually works for youThe difference between physical and emotional painWhy sometimes just the next step is enoughWe wrap with six cartwheels (Petaluma, we see you!), a creative challenge featuring a very specific pigeon, and big gratitude to The Combine for hosting our first remote Monday pod.Friendly disclaimer: We’re not professionals—just friends having honest conversations, sharing our personal experiences in hopes of opening up space for others. If you're struggling or need someone to talk to, we strongly encourage you to reach out to a mental health professional and please know, you’re not alone. Follow us on Instagram @WALK.IN.CLUB and join the conversation!👉 If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry 📨 Send in your questions, comments & suggestions to The Walk In Club HERE!Whether it’s about life in hospitality, wellness, work-life balance, or industry stories, we want to hear from you.  Submit your thoughts, and we’ll bring them to the table in future episodes! 🖤 Share your W.INS with us HERE - It’s easy!Each Wednesday, we’ll celebrate wins from our community. Your win will remain anonymous unless you give us permission to tag you. Read, share, and cheer for your community’s wins. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry

From Cynar to putting ACME Bar on the Whiskey map—Jennifer Seidman on Owning Your Voice and Reimagining Bar Culture in the BayIn this episode of The Walk-In Club Podcast, we sit down with Jennifer Seidman—visionary owner of Acme Bar and Little Bird Bar—who’s helped shape the landscape of Bay Area bar scene for over two decades. Jennifer’s story begins with a paper route in Palo Alto, winds through the chaos of flyering for nightclubs in San Francisco, and lands in North Beach bars where she learned to bartend by saying yes and figuring it out later.Jennifer reflects on the days when women weren’t allowed behind the bar—when the only entry point was cocktail waitressing. That didn’t stop her. She earned her stripes, held her own, and eventually opened Acme Bar in 2002 in what used to be a smoky, carpeted dive called Mike and Mary’s. We hear how a single $20 pour of Hudson Baby Bourbon put Acme on the whiskey map, landing her in Bourbon Review and Whiskey Advocate.We get into: 🥃 Her early days bartending in North Beach and working her way into the craft🔥 Opening Acme in 2002 and witnessing the rise of “red bars” like Ruby, Radio, and Acme🧼 Turning a carpeted, smoke-filled dive into a respected whiskey destination🌟 How a $20 pour turned into a top level whiskey program and national whiskey recognition🕊️ Reimagining Radio Bar as Little Bird—a softer, more intentional space grounded in community💬 Her take on longevity, leadership, and why reinvention is part of survivalJennifer’s voice is sharp, grounded, and unapologetically honest. She shares what it takes to stick around—not just to survive, but to evolve. Her story is a testament to what’s possible when you lead with integrity, learn from the hustle, and aren’t afraid to change the room you walk into.🔗 Follow @acmebarandco and @littlebirdbar to tap into decades of Bay hospitality, poured with purpose. Follow us on Instagram @WALK.IN.CLUB and join the conversation!👉 If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry 📨 Send in your questions, comments & suggestions to The Walk In Club HERE!Whether it’s about life in hospitality, wellness, work-life balance, or industry stories, we want to hear from you.  Submit your thoughts, and we’ll bring them to the table in future episodes! 🖤 Share your W.INS with us HERE - It’s easy!Each Wednesday, we’ll celebrate wins from our community. Your win will remain anonymous unless you give us permission to tag you. Read, share, and cheer for your community’s wins. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry

We kick things off with a question we might regret: should we make a Walk-In Club version of 75-Hard? One that's focused on being attainable and fun for friends in our industry to participate in? From there, we dive into the idea of doing hard things—not because we “should,” but because of what we gain on the other side.Nick opens up with his personal update on the pod (first shared, yes, we kept it in!), and Alex reflects on how hard it is to measure growth in real time—like at summer camp, when the lessons don’t hit until later. We also get into TikTok as a weirdly helpful productivity tool (maybe?), and whether filming your actions can actually keep you present. It’s confusing. We unpack it.From there, we dive into:The “Effort Paradox”—why hard things often feel best after we do themThe cartwheel challenge, and what it says about our resistance to play and failureThe stress spectrum—moderate vs. severe—and how knowing the difference can help us grow without burning outVulnerability as a gold nugget of life—if we’re brave enough to step into itThe simple truth: we can’t control what others do, but we can control how we respondBeing a teammate in every part of your life, and how small actions add up to something biggerWe close with a few community questions, a status update on our friend’s knees and ankles post-race (spoiler: they survived), and a very real conversation about stress-eating salami sticks. Don’t worry—we’ve got some solid snack swaps from the Meat Stick Masters.  Follow us on Instagram @WALK.IN.CLUB and join the conversation!👉 If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry 📨 Send in your questions, comments & suggestions to The Walk In Club HERE!Whether it’s about life in hospitality, wellness, work-life balance, or industry stories, we want to hear from you.  Submit your thoughts, and we’ll bring them to the table in future episodes! 🖤 Share your W.INS with us HERE - It’s easy!Each Wednesday, we’ll celebrate wins from our community. Your win will remain anonymous unless you give us permission to tag you. Read, share, and cheer for your community’s wins. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry

From the goal to be a barback to now accomplished Bar Owner—Gabriel Holland on Learning Through Experience and Leading With A Humble HeartIn this episode of The Walk-In Club Podcast, we sit down with Gabriel Holland, a gentle force in Oakland’s hospitality scene and the proud owner of Theory Bar. Gabe’s journey is one of quiet persistence—learning by watching, doing, and asking questions. From his first days busing at the Claremont Hotel to becoming a barback at Pican, he never rushed the process. Instead, he kept showing up, stayed curious, and let every role teach him something new.As a food runner at Pican, Gabe began to understand one of the most important lessons in hospitality—how to bridge the gap between front of house and back of house. Learning patience and communication in the middle of that line helped shape the way he leads today. He shares how having supportive management during those early years gave him the kind of confidence that makes delegation feel respectful, not performative.We explore:🍽️ Starting at the iconic Claremont Hotel and a short pivot into retail before finding his way back into restaurants🍸 Learning the craft of bartending on his own time—from shadowing to inventory to not grabbing pint glasses from the top🤝 Bridging FOH and BOH and why early support from leadership helped shape the way he leads today💥 Navigating the uncertainty of Covid and finding solid footing again🏠 Opening Theory Bar with intention—not for status, but to build something rooted in care and communityGabe shares the kind of wisdom that comes from showing up day after day, without the need to prove anything. His story is a reminder that success doesn’t always shout—it often can move quietly, guided by heart, humility, and a deep commitment to the craft.🔗 Follow @thebar_theoryoakland and @g_keepitbogey to support the space and experience the care behind every pour. Follow us on Instagram @WALK.IN.CLUB and join the conversation!👉 If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry 📨 Send in your questions, comments & suggestions to The Walk In Club HERE!Whether it’s about life in hospitality, wellness, work-life balance, or industry stories, we want to hear from you.  Submit your thoughts, and we’ll bring them to the table in future episodes! 🖤 Share your W.INS with us HERE - It’s easy!Each Wednesday, we’ll celebrate wins from our community. Your win will remain anonymous unless you give us permission to tag you. Read, share, and cheer for your community’s wins. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry

We kick off with Alex fresh from Mexico (again) and then roll into something special: introducing Ashley to the Monday crew! Ashley shares how they show up in life as a “secondary care physician” (aka, the friend who’s basically your unpaid therapist) and how deeply they care about making sure others feel seen and valued. We talk about the joy of working with a crew, the importance of listening with intention, and the power of creating community through authentic connection.From there, we get into the meat of the episode:Success vs. Perfection—why perfection isn’t real, and how practice, patience, and failing forward actually move us closer to meaningful success.The myth that you need to have it all figured out before starting something. Spoiler: you don’t.The being vs. doing mindset—how it’s not always about what you do but how you do it.The classic “do you clean the mess or do you just throw some paper towels on it and keep moving?” question.Giving ourselves permission to be learners, to practice, and to grow.The simple, but not always easy, “5-second rule” to just start.And, of course, we wrap up with a gratitude roundtable.This episode is packed with laughs, reflection, and lots of gold nuggets—plus, we’re SO excited to welcome Ashley into this community. Follow us on Instagram @WALK.IN.CLUB and join the conversation!👉 If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry 📨 Send in your questions, comments & suggestions to The Walk In Club HERE!Whether it’s about life in hospitality, wellness, work-life balance, or industry stories, we want to hear from you.  Submit your thoughts, and we’ll bring them to the table in future episodes! 🖤 Share your W.INS with us HERE - It’s easy!Each Wednesday, we’ll celebrate wins from our community. Your win will remain anonymous unless you give us permission to tag you. Read, share, and cheer for your community’s wins. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry

We dive into how The Walk-In Club Podcast itself was born out of stepping into the unknown (hello, imposter syndrome) and how that’s led to more connection and purpose than we ever expected. From feeling charts and other tools to finding ways to support each other, we share how leaning into discomfort can actually open doors.We also unpack vulnerability, the power of naming what feels awkward or hard, and how community helps us navigate the messier parts of growth. And of course, we take a moment to reflect on how grateful we are for this space—for the lessons, for each other, and for everyone tuning in.No how-to guides, no expertise—just an honest conversation about how discomfort is often where real growth begins. Follow us on Instagram @WALK.IN.CLUB and join the conversation!👉 If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry 📨 Send in your questions, comments & suggestions to The Walk In Club HERE!Whether it’s about life in hospitality, wellness, work-life balance, or industry stories, we want to hear from you.  Submit your thoughts, and we’ll bring them to the table in future episodes! 🖤 Share your W.INS with us HERE - It’s easy!Each Wednesday, we’ll celebrate wins from our community. Your win will remain anonymous unless you give us permission to tag you. Read, share, and cheer for your community’s wins. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry

From Starbucks to Bar Consulting—How Casey Carr Built a Career on Systems, Creativity, and a Little ChaosOn this episode of The Walk-In Club Podcast, we sit down with Casey Carr, who went from slinging coffee to becoming a respected bar consultant, opening over nine bars and helping shape the next generation of hospitality professionals. We explore:🍺 How he started at Starbucks to his transition to BJ’s, formerly PJ's - learning to love systems in corporate restaurant culture🔥 The "trial by fire" approach to learning and why being charismatically stupid is a secret weapon🏗️ What it takes to build a successful bar program—from menu pricing to staff education🏠 Why the concept of a third home is crucial to the future of hospitalityCasey breaks down the real work behind bar consulting (spoiler: it’s not as glamorous as it sounds) and shares what every bar owner should know before bringing in a consultant. Whether you’re a bartender, a bar owner, or just someone who loves a great cocktail, this episode is packed with insights, humor, and hard-earned wisdom.🔗 Follow @caseyisthatguy for more industry insights, consulting expertise, and a belly full of laughs. Follow us on Instagram @WALK.IN.CLUB and join the conversation!👉 If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share it with a friend. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry 📨 Send in your questions, comments & suggestions to The Walk In Club HERE!Whether it’s about life in hospitality, wellness, work-life balance, or industry stories, we want to hear from you.  Submit your thoughts, and we’ll bring them to the table in future episodes! 🖤 Share your W.INS with us HERE - It’s easy!Each Wednesday, we’ll celebrate wins from our community. Your win will remain anonymous unless you give us permission to tag you. Read, share, and cheer for your community’s wins. #Hospitality #Teamwork #Podcast #Wellness #ServiceIndustry