From Bartender to Brand Builder: The Story of How Happy Hour Came to Be

Happy Hour is a branding and design agency dedicated to helping restaurants and bars craft experiences that resonate. We believe a strong brand goes beyond a catchy logo and trendy color scheme. It's the atmosphere you cultivate, the service you deliver, the story you tell, and the emotions you evoke in your guests.

After a successful ten-year career in the hospitality industry, I pivoted to marketing and design and spent the next several years cutting my teeth at a local digital marketing agency. While exploring all of the incredible bars, restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops St. Louis has to offer with my wife, Mary (also a marketing and creative professional) we couldn’t help ourselves from filtering our experiences through a creative lens. We noticed that there was so much opportunity to help these businesses refine their brands, elevate their social media channels, and optimize their websites. Fast forward to March 2024 when a temporary setback presented itself. I saw an opportunity to combine my lifelong passion for hospitality with my expertise in branding and design, and I launched Happy Hour.

My introduction to the hospitality industry was a modest, but largely unforgettable one. I started busing tables at Pi in the Delmar Loop during its peak, eventually moving into a server position. I’ll never forget those couple of years; the people, the parties, the camaraderie – it was definitely a moment. I had moved to St. Louis from a small town in Illinois just a few years earlier, so the job really opened my eyes to what city life was all about. Pi felt like so much more than a pizza joint – it was incredibly well-curated; no detail had been left untouched. It was, as they say, a vibe. I started to understand the importance of brand and design in the restaurant world and realized that in order to stand out and be memorable, you had to be different.

About a year later, I packed up a duffel bag and moved to New York City for a summer to study graphic design. Upon my return to St Louis, I spent the next several years working in some of the city’s best bars: The Royale, Taste, and Juniper just to name a few. As a “mixologist,” it became apparent how important it was to curate an experience for my guests. They could get a cocktail anywhere in the city, yet they chose to sit at my bar and experience me and my creations. It made me realize that dining out is so much more than the food and drinks.

Like a lot of hospitality professionals, I started feeling burned out from the late nights, lack of free time on the weekends, and all of the other pitfalls that come with working behind the bar. I’d also been experiencing some serious FOMO from not having completed my undergrad after all those years, so I decided there was no better time to address that constant nagging and finish what I’d started. I tied up some loose ends at STLCC and went on to study marketing and advertising at UMSL, graduating with my Bachelors (and making the Dean's List!) a year later. I was finally primed to pursue a career in marketing and design.

Shortly after graduation, I landed a job as the community engagement manager for a local restaurant group. Not bad for an old guy fresh out of college! I was able to put my newly acquired marketing and social media knowledge to work, as well as flex my graphic design and photography muscles. It was a great opportunity to get my feet wet, experience a normal schedule, and open doors to future opportunities. The COVID pandemic led me to transition into a position at a digital marketing agency, where I gained a deep understanding of the technical aspects of the field, as well as a strong foundation in brand strategy and identity design.

Recognizing the value and potential of brand strategy and design as a service, I spearheaded the creation of a dedicated branding department at the agency. We weren't just churning out logos; we were crafting holistic brand narratives that truly captured the essence of each client.  The results spoke for themselves – we saw some impressive wins in a short time, proving the power of a strategic approach to brand development.

After an unexpected turn of events, I was presented with the perfect chance to launch my own dream – Happy Hour. Happy Hour exists to help bars and restaurants accurately and consistently convey who they are and how they’re unique, by crafting a memorable story and creating a compelling brand identity.

Happy Hour is a culmination of 15 years of me just doing the things I love; and if we’ve crossed paths along the way, thanks for helping me get here.

Cheers!