Today we’d like to introduce you to Shireen Imani.
Hi Shireen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Chulita started as a passion project between friends that moved to California from NYC. After spending 10+ years in the little neighborhood of Nolita in Soho, I was looking for the next opportunity to live within a small community in a big city. Venice was one of those neighborhoods. I felt that with all of the recent changes with gentrification in Venice, it needed a small locals neighborhood restaurant and bar. A place where you could meet your neighbors, a place that had a cute design but didn’t take itself too seriously, and a place where you could feel like you were a part of your community.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road at all. We opened late November of 2018. It is one of the worst times to open a restaurant. The winter is very slow and by the time I opened (which is always later than you expect), I was broke and we had no customers. After getting through the grueling first year of business, we were welcomed into our second year with Covid and the pandemic forcing us to shut down for two weeks and then get creative. We launched a take out business which we were not even planning on having and spent day and night running my operation with one cook, one dishwasher, and one bartender.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Chulita is a locals neighborhood mezcal and tequila bar with small bites in Venice, California. We are known for being a casual spot for friends to gather, dates, anniversaries, parties, etc. I think what sets us apart from others is our accessibility. We want to be inclusive of everyone that walks through our doors and that is what I am most proud of brand-wise. I love how many locals I have met throughout this process. I love when they tell me how nice the staff are and how all my employees have such a strong sense of pride representing their culture.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think if you are lucky enough to find a mentor, stick to that person and LISTEN. Business is so complicated that there isn’t one right answer to solve a problem but rather an analysis based on a decision-making process. If you can find someone that will help spend the time to teach you the way they think then you have struck gold.
What has worked well for me is to surround myself with a lot of different people with different skill sets and gather as many opinions and advice as general. Also, don’t always look to someone above you. The most important things I have learned have been from everyone in my organization from the dishwasher to the chef.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.chulita.com
- Instagram: chulitavenice
- Facebook: chulita
- Yelp: chulita
