We’re looking forward to introducing you to Ari Stevens Zhang. Check out our conversation below.
Ari, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
People often think we’re just a wine bar or just a bottle shop, but the truth is we’re building something that lives in between. It’s a space where you can hang out, try something new, grab a bottle to go, or stick around for a really good meal. We’re not fully all-day yet, but that’s the direction we’re heading. Soon we’ll be open in the mornings with coffee and daytime food, and that’s going to let us show even more of who we are.
Another thing people sometimes miss is that we’re serious about wine, but we don’t want it to feel serious. We’re intentional about what we pour and how we talk about it, but we’re also trying to keep it fun and approachable. Some folks assume that means we’re casual across the board, but there’s a lot of thought and care behind the scenes. We just want people to feel welcome, not talked down to.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Ari, and I run Good Clean Fun, a wine bar and bottle shop in downtown LA. We focus on wines that are made thoughtfully and honestly, mostly from small producers, and we try to serve them in a way that feels warm and easy. No snobbery, no pressure to know everything. Just good wine, good food, and a space that feels good to be in.
Right now we’re open in the evenings, but we’re working on becoming an all-day spot with coffee, daytime food, and more ways to hang out. It’s been a slow build but we’re really proud of what we’re creating — something that feels casual and fun on the surface, but has a lot of care behind the scenes.
What makes it special is the people. The winemakers, the team, the regulars. It’s a mix of community, curiosity, and a genuine love of food and wine. That’s what drives the whole thing.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Probably a really curious kid who liked building little worlds. I was always organizing things, hosting people, setting the mood, making a vibe. I cared a lot about how things felt. The music, the lighting, the energy of a space. Even before I had the language for it. I liked connecting people, feeding them, getting them to try something new.
That’s still in there. I just have better tools now.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Perfectionism, for sure. I’ve always had a fear of putting something out into the world before it feels fully finished or fully right. I’d get stuck trying to make every detail perfect, and then because it wasn’t perfect, I wouldn’t follow through at all. I’d overthink it or hold back instead of just getting it out there and learning from it.
That’s been one of the hardest things to unlearn, the idea that done is better than perfect. I’ve had to push myself to just move forward, to trust that things will evolve, and that not everything needs to be polished on day one. It’s still something I work on all the time.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
I think a lot of smart people are overvaluing optimization and undervaluing vibe. There’s so much focus on systems, efficiency, scaling, and hacking things into perfection, but sometimes that misses the point. Especially in hospitality. You can’t spreadsheet your way into a space that feels good. You can’t A/B test your way into real community.
The human stuff still matters. The feeling in the room, the way a place smells, how someone looks up and says hi when you walk in. Those things are harder to measure, but they’re the reason people come back.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’d stop saying yes to things out of obligation. The meetings I don’t really want to take, the events I don’t really want to go to, the projects I agree to even though they don’t light me up. I’d let go of trying to be polite at the expense of my own time and energy.
It’s so easy to get caught up in what you should do, but if the timeline was clear, I’d be a lot more focused on what actually matters. I’d spend more time building what I care about and more time with the people who make me feel like myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gcfwines.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GCFWINES
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aristevens/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gcfwines/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/good-clean-fun-los-angeles
Image Credits
All images by Sofia Nilsson for Good Clean Fun.
