Conversations with Josh Buckhalter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Buckhalter.

Hi Josh, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My path to Last Call Society was not a straight line. It grew out of more than 20 years of experience in hospitality, events, marketing, branding, ecommerce, and building communities around the things I genuinely enjoy.

Long before Last Call Society existed, I had been involved in Southern California’s hospitality and nightlife scene in different ways. Over the years, I saw how much work goes into creating a great bar or restaurant experience. It is not only about the drink being served. It is the atmosphere, the staff, the storytelling, the presentation, and the feeling people have when they walk through the door. I also saw how difficult it can be for independent businesses to reach new customers, especially when there are so many places competing for attention.

I eventually created Drunken Gentlemen, an independent drinking club and apparel brand centered around drinking culture, creativity, community, and craft. It gave me an outlet to combine my experience in hospitality with my background in branding, design, marketing, events, and ecommerce. It was never meant to be about encouraging people to simply drink more. It was about appreciating where you are, what is being made, who is making it, and the stories and friendships that can come from those experiences.

My co-founder, Adam Dahl, and I first connected when he was in the early stages of launching PintLife in Los Angeles. PintLife is a passport program focused on the craft beer and brewery community. About a year later, when PintLife expanded into Orange County, Adam and I began collaborating on events and activations throughout the local craft beverage scene.

Through that work, we realized that our experience and strengths complemented each other. Adam had already developed a working passport model through PintLife and had experience building relationships with breweries and growing the program into multiple markets. I brought my hospitality background, creative direction, branding experience, event knowledge, and the culture and storytelling I had developed through Drunken Gentlemen.

At the same time, I had already been thinking about creating some type of curated drinking program. Orange County has an incredible collection of cocktail bars, lounges, restaurants, speakeasies, tiki bars, hotel bars, and other unique destinations, but the scene can feel fragmented. People often know the places close to home or the few locations they see repeatedly on social media, while great businesses in other cities may remain completely unknown to them.

Rather than build something separately, Adam and I decided to combine what each of us had already created and learned. That collaboration became Last Call Society.

From the beginning, we knew we did not want it to be just another discount book or a list of bars. We wanted to create a curated experience that gave people a reason to explore Orange County more intentionally. Every participating venue needed to bring something worthwhile to the program, whether that was its cocktails, hospitality, atmosphere, creativity, history, or overall guest experience.

We also wanted the physical passport itself to feel special. We live in a time when nearly every experience requires an app, a login, or another reason to stare at a phone. We saw that more people were looking for ways to disconnect, be present, and enjoy tangible experiences again. The physical passport allows members to choose a location, bring the book with them, order the featured cocktail, receive a stamp, and build a personal record of their journey throughout the year.

There is something different about holding the passport, turning the pages, and seeing the stamps accumulate. It becomes a keepsake rather than something that disappears into a phone after it is used.

We officially introduced our first Orange County Craft Cocktail Passport for the 2026 program. It includes 38 participating locations across 15 Orange County cities. Members can visit each location and enjoy one featured cocktail for $5. The passport also includes a membership card that provides return visit perks at participating venues, because we want the program to create repeat customers rather than only a single discounted visit.

Getting to that point required much more than printing a book. We had to develop the brand, curate the venues, build relationships with owners and operators, coordinate the offers, create the website and directory, produce photography and video, explain the program to customers, and continually promote the participating businesses.

We are still a small company, so Adam and I remain closely involved in nearly every part of it. That includes venue relationships, customer service, marketing, events, social media, product development, partnerships, and planning what the program can become in the future.

One of the most rewarding parts has been watching people use the passport in the way we originally hoped they would. Members are planning nights out around it, traveling to cities they do not normally visit, bringing friends with them, and discovering locations they may have otherwise overlooked. We have grown to more than 500 members and continue to build the community.

For us, that number represents more than passport sales. Each member can generate visits for dozens of locally operated businesses. When someone discovers a new favorite bar, returns for dinner, attends an event, orders additional drinks, or brings friends back later, that is where the program can create a lasting impact.

We are also learning as we grow. The first edition has allowed us to understand what members enjoy, what venues need from us, and where the experience can be made easier. Building a new concept requires constant communication and adjustment, especially when the program involves dozens of independent businesses that all have their own staff, policies, schedules, and operating systems.

Looking ahead, we are developing the next stage of Last Call Society for 2027. Our plans include a second Orange County edition and expansion into Los Angeles, Long Beach, and San Diego. Each market will need to maintain the same focus on thoughtful curation, local identity, and worthwhile experiences rather than simply adding as many locations as possible.

We are also developing a Last Call Society app that will add a digital passport option and make the program easier to manage as the network grows. However, we do not want technology to eliminate what makes the physical passport special. Our goal is to allow the physical and digital experiences to exist together.

Someone who wants to put their phone away, carry the book, collect stamps, and experience the program in a completely physical way should still be able to do that. Someone who prefers a digital passport, digital membership card, venue discovery tools, and reward tracking will have that option as well.

Today, Last Call Society is still at the beginning of what we believe it can become. We started with a shared appreciation for craft beverages and local hospitality, but the larger vision is to build a community around exploration, connection, and memorable experiences. We want to help people discover places worth supporting while giving participating businesses another way to turn first time guests into long term customers.

For me personally, Last Call Society brings together nearly every part of my professional background and many of the things I have always cared about. It combines hospitality, design, storytelling, community, events, marketing, and the excitement of discovering a place you cannot wait to tell someone else about. That is what brought us here, and it is what continues to guide where we are going next.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a completely smooth road, but I also think that is true for most businesses trying to build something new.

One of the biggest challenges has been coordinating a program that involves dozens of independently operated venues. Every bar, lounge, restaurant, or hotel has its own management structure, staff, hours, policies, and communication process. Even when an owner or manager fully understands the program, staff turnover can mean a new bartender or server may not know how the passport works. We have had to continually educate venues, answer questions, create clearer instructions, and improve how information is shared with both management and frontline staff.

We also learned quickly that a program like this requires much more than recruiting great venues and printing a passport. We are managing customer service, venue relationships, social media, content creation, promotions, website updates, events, fulfillment, and technology, while still trying to grow awareness of a brand that did not exist a year ago. We are a small team, so there are days when we are handling everything from a member question to a venue issue to planning the next phase of the company within the same hour.

Technology has been one of our most frustrating challenges. For the 2026 program, we rely on a third party platform for certain digital check in features. It has not always performed as reliably as we expected. Some members have experienced issues where a QR code does not complete the check in correctly or redirects them to the wrong page. The response time from the service provider has also been slower than we need when members are standing inside a participating location trying to use the program.

That is difficult because, from the customer’s perspective, Last Call Society is responsible for the entire experience, even when the problem is caused by technology we do not directly control. We agree with that responsibility. Our members should not have to understand which outside company operates a particular feature. They simply need the program to work.

We have been documenting every report, helping members directly, and communicating with the provider while we work through the current issues. It has also reinforced why we need more ownership over our technology. For 2027, we are developing our own app and check in system so we can create a smoother experience, respond to problems faster, and build features specifically around how Last Call Society members and venues actually use the program.

At the same time, we do not want technology to take over the experience. The physical passport is an important part of our identity. We intentionally created something people could carry, stamp, collect, and use while taking a break from their phones. The challenge has been finding the right balance between preserving that physical experience and offering enough digital support to make the program convenient and scalable.

Another challenge is that hospitality businesses can change quickly. A venue may close, adjust its operating hours, change management, introduce a cover charge, or update its policies after the passport has already been printed. Because the program runs for an entire year, we have to respond to changes that were not known when the edition was produced. We try to communicate updates clearly, work with ownership when possible, and find fair solutions for members, but it is an ongoing reality of working with independent businesses.

Building customer awareness has also taken time. The concept is simple once someone understands it, but it still requires explanation. The passport includes a one time $5 featured cocktail at each participating location, while the membership card provides separate return visit perks. We have had to make that distinction clearer through our website, social media, venue materials, and customer support.

There is also the financial reality of building a physical product. Printing passports, producing membership cards, developing the website, creating professional photography and video, maintaining software, and marketing the program all require upfront investment. You are paying for much of the program before knowing exactly how quickly the public will adopt it. We have grown to more than 500 members, which we are proud of, but growth is still something we have to work for every day. We cannot assume that simply creating a good product means people will automatically find it.

We have also had to learn when to make adjustments without losing sight of the original vision. Some ideas sound great during planning but become more complicated when they are introduced across 38 different venues. We have learned to listen closely to members, owners, managers, and staff because each group experiences the program differently.

The struggles have been frustrating at times, especially when an issue affects a member and we cannot resolve it as quickly as we would like. However, every problem has helped us understand what needs to improve. The current program is giving us real information that we can use to build a stronger version for 2027.

We are still learning, but we are not discouraged by that. We would rather acknowledge a problem, take responsibility, and improve the system than pretend everything has gone perfectly. The goal is to build something that lasts, and that requires patience, transparency, and a willingness to keep refining the experience.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I often describe myself as a jack of all trades because my professional background has never fit neatly into one category. I have worked across nightlife, hospitality, craft beverages, events, real estate, lending, apparel, ecommerce, branding, marketing, sales, partnerships, customer service, and small business operations.

On the surface, those industries may seem unrelated, but each one taught me skills that I still use today. What connects everything is that I enjoy taking an idea, building the structure around it, and turning it into something real that people can experience.

My introduction to nightlife and events started shortly after high school and continued through college, when I spent several years promoting clubs and nightlife events. That became my first real education in marketing, hospitality, audience development, and working directly with venues.

A major influence during that time was Daniel Park, the owner of AcropolisRPM, which is now Acropolis Music Group. Daniel taught me a great deal about producing and promoting events, working with venue owners and managers, building relationships, and understanding what it takes to bring people through the door. We are still friends today, and many of the lessons I learned from him continue to influence how I approach partnerships and events.

Club promotion may look glamorous from the outside, but there is a lot of work behind it. You have to understand your audience, create excitement, promote consistently, communicate with venue staff, manage different personalities, and solve problems quickly when something changes. You also learn that your reputation matters. Venue owners and managers need to know that you will follow through, communicate clearly, and handle problems professionally.

That early experience taught me how important relationships are in nightlife and hospitality. It also taught me that people do not only remember the event itself. They remember how they were treated, how the venue made them feel, and whether the experience gave them a reason to return.

From there, my career expanded into real estate and lending. Working in those industries gave me a much deeper understanding of sales, negotiation, contracts, financial responsibility, and guiding customers through complicated decisions. It also reinforced how important trust is when someone is making a major financial commitment.

I became successful enough in real estate and lending that the money I earned gave me the opportunity to pursue one of my first major entrepreneurial ideas, Notion Clothing.

I started Notion Clothing in my early to mid twenties. At that age, I had ambition, creative ideas, and the financial ability to invest in something I believed could become successful. What I did not yet have was the experience or discipline that I have today.

The business ultimately failed, and by the time it ended, millions of dollars had been lost. That is difficult to admit publicly, but it is also one of the most important parts of my professional story.

Losing that much money forces you to look at business differently. I learned that having capital does not automatically mean you know how to protect it. Revenue is not the same as profit, and growth is not always healthy growth. A business cannot survive on creativity, excitement, or a strong product alone. It also needs financial controls, realistic margins, clear agreements, accountable partners, proper planning, and the willingness to make difficult decisions before problems become unmanageable.

Notion Clothing taught me lessons about inventory, production, branding, partnerships, expenses, cash flow, and the dangers of expanding before the foundation of a business is secure. It also taught me how quickly money can disappear when decisions are based on emotion or optimism instead of accurate numbers.

At the time, the failure was extremely difficult. Looking back, however, it became one of the most valuable learning experiences of my life. Many of the decisions I make today are shaped by what went wrong during that period.

I pay much closer attention to costs, margins, contracts, ownership structures, inventory, partnerships, and whether an idea can operate sustainably in the real world. I still believe in taking risks, but I take them with a much clearer understanding of what is at stake.

That experience also changed how I look at failure. A failed business does not mean that everything connected to it was a waste. Notion Clothing taught me lessons I probably could not have learned from a book, a class, or someone else’s story. It gave me firsthand experience with both the excitement of building a company and the consequences of making mistakes.

My career later brought me deeper into the craft beverage and hospitality industry through roles with Noble Ale Works and Asylum Brewing.

At Noble Ale Works, my responsibilities covered several areas, including general management, marketing, events, customer service, sales, and distribution support. At Asylum Brewing, I worked in marketing and event coordination.

Those roles gave me a deeper understanding of how breweries, bars, and hospitality businesses operate behind the scenes. You learn quickly that a successful hospitality business is not only about making a good product. It also depends on consistency, communication, staff training, customer service, events, community relationships, and giving people a reason to return.

I was able to see the business from several different perspectives. I understood the guest experience, but I also saw the operational challenges facing owners, managers, sales teams, production staff, bartenders, and event coordinators. That knowledge plays a major role in how I work with participating venues through Last Call Society today.

I later created Drunken Gentlemen, an independent drinking club and apparel brand built around drinking culture, creativity, storytelling, events, and community.

Drunken Gentlemen allowed me to combine many of my interests and professional skills. I worked on brand development, apparel, product creation, graphic direction, online sales, marketing, collaborations, events, and customer relationships.

The goal was never to simply encourage people to drink more. It was about appreciating the experience, the venue, the people creating the drinks, and the stories and friendships that can develop around those moments.

Drunken Gentlemen taught me how to build a brand around more than a product. A shirt or piece of merchandise may be what someone purchases, but the identity, story, and community are what make them feel connected to the brand.

I am also involved in Bucky’s Toys & Collectibles, which is my family’s business. Keeping that business operating is one of the things I am most proud of professionally.

A family business carries a different level of responsibility because it is connected to more than income. It represents years of work, personal history, inventory, customer relationships, and the effort of the people who helped build it before you.

Operating Bucky’s Toys & Collectibles has required me to manage ecommerce, inventory, customer service, shipping, product research, photography, online marketplaces, pricing, and the everyday challenges that come with retail.

The collectibles business requires accuracy and attention to detail. Customers need to trust that an item is being described honestly, photographed clearly, packed properly, and delivered as promised. A small error can affect both the customer and the reputation of the business.

Keeping the family business going has also required constant adaptation. Retail and ecommerce have changed dramatically over the years. Platforms, fees, customer expectations, shipping costs, and technology continue to evolve. You cannot operate the same way forever and expect the business to survive.

Today, much of my focus is on Last Call Society, where I serve as Co-Founder and oversee brand direction, partnerships, marketing, content, customer experience, and business development.

Last Call Society brings together nearly every part of my professional life. It combines nightlife, hospitality, craft beverage culture, event planning, venue relationships, branding, ecommerce, sales, partnerships, and community building.

We created the Last Call Society Craft Cocktail Passport to help people discover local bars, lounges, restaurants, speakeasies, tiki concepts, hotel bars, and other cocktail destinations while helping those businesses reach new customers.

My role is extremely hands on. On any given day, I may be communicating with a venue owner, answering a member’s question, reviewing photography or video, planning a promotion, working on the website, developing a partnership, solving a technology issue, reviewing expenses, or discussing the future direction of the company.

That variety is something I enjoy. I understand the creative side of building a brand, but I also understand that a creative idea has to function as a real business. A great logo, product, or marketing campaign is not enough if the customer experience is confusing, the margins do not make sense, or the business cannot deliver what it promised.

I believe what sets me apart is my ability to work across both the creative and operational sides of a business. I can help develop the concept, shape the brand, create the product, form partnerships, market it, sell it, communicate with customers, and then deal with the challenges that occur after it enters the real world.

I am also willing to do the work that is not exciting or visible. Building a business involves much more than public events, social media, product launches, or celebrating successes. It also includes difficult customer conversations, financial decisions, inventory management, vendor issues, technical problems, shipping, contracts, staff communication, and constantly adjusting when something does not work as expected.

I do not consider myself an expert in only one narrow area. I consider myself a resourceful operator who understands how the different parts of a business affect one another. That is what I mean when I call myself a jack of all trades.

What I am most proud of is helping keep my family business operating while also building several businesses from the ground up. None of them started with a large corporate team or unlimited resources. They were built through persistence, relationships, trial and error, personal investment, and a willingness to handle whatever needed to be done.

Not every business succeeded, but every experience shaped how I operate today. Club promotion taught me how to build excitement, understand an audience, and work with venues. Real estate and lending taught me sales, negotiation, financial responsibility, and trust. Notion Clothing taught me hard lessons about growth, money, structure, and failure. My work in breweries taught me hospitality, service, consistency, events, and community relationships. Bucky’s Toys & Collectibles taught me responsibility, accuracy, adaptability, and the importance of protecting customer trust. Drunken Gentlemen taught me how to build an identity and community around a brand.

Last Call Society has brought all of those lessons together.

I am still learning and still building. I do not think being an entrepreneur means having every answer or succeeding at everything you attempt. It means being willing to figure things out, accept responsibility when something goes wrong, learn from the consequences, and continue improving without losing sight of why you started.

For me, the most rewarding part is seeing an idea become something tangible. Whether it is keeping a family business alive, creating a product someone chooses to purchase, producing an event that brings people together, or seeing a Last Call Society member discover a new favorite venue, those moments make all of the work behind the scenes worthwhile.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Over the next five to ten years, I think the hospitality and beverage industry will become much more focused on experiences rather than simply selling food or drinks. People are becoming more selective about where they spend their time and money, so venues will need to give them a real reason to leave the house. A good cocktail will still matter, but atmosphere, hospitality, music, storytelling, events, and the overall feeling of the location will become just as important.

I also believe more people will look for opportunities to disconnect from their phones. That will not be true for everyone, but I think there will be growing interest in experiences that feel physical, social, and present. People are surrounded by screens all day, so something as simple as carrying a passport, collecting stamps, and exploring a new place can feel refreshing.

At the same time, technology will continue to play a major role. Guests will expect easy reservations, digital memberships, updated venue information, rewards, and simple ways to discover new locations. The challenge will be using technology to make the experience easier without allowing it to replace the human side of hospitality.

That balance is important to how we are building Last Call Society. We plan to offer both physical and digital options. Someone who prefers an app, digital passport, venue map, and reward tracking will have that choice. Someone who wants to put their phone away, carry the physical passport, and collect stamps will still be able to enjoy the program that way.

I also expect drinking habits to continue changing. I am already seeing more younger consumers choosing mocktails, lower alcohol options, or deciding not to drink during every social outing. I do not see that as a negative for cocktail culture. It creates an opportunity for bars to become more creative and inclusive.

A well made mocktail should receive the same attention as a cocktail. It should have balance, presentation, quality ingredients, and a reason behind it. People who are not drinking alcohol still want to meet friends, enjoy a great venue, and feel included in the experience.

Another major shift will be the importance of loyalty and community. Attracting someone for a single visit is helpful, but turning that person into a returning customer is much more valuable. Hospitality businesses will need to create stronger reasons for guests to come back through service, recognition, special events, meaningful perks, and a sense of belonging.

I also think local curation will become more valuable. People already have access to endless lists, reviews, videos, and recommendations. The problem is no longer a lack of information. It is knowing which places are actually worth visiting. A trusted local program can help narrow those choices and give someone a reason to explore a venue they might otherwise overlook.

Artificial intelligence and automation will become more common in marketing, customer service, scheduling, and business operations. Those tools can help companies work more efficiently, but they cannot replace genuine hospitality. A bartender remembering your name, making a thoughtful recommendation, or helping create a memorable night is still a human experience.

Overall, I see the industry moving toward quality over quantity, experiences over transactions, and stronger connections between venues and their customers. People may drink differently, discover businesses differently, and use more technology, but they will still want places where they can gather, celebrate, explore, and connect.

For Last Call Society, the opportunity is to grow with those changes while protecting what makes the program feel personal. We want to use technology where it adds value, preserve the physical experience for people who want it, include more nonalcoholic choices, support independent businesses, and continue giving members a reason to discover somewhere new.

Pricing:

• 2026 Orange County Craft Cocktail Passport: $25
• Includes access to one featured $5 cocktail at each of 38 participating Orange County venues
• Includes a Last Call Society membership card with additional return visit perks at participating locations
• Valid from January 1 through December 31, 2026
• Special promotions and discounted pricing may be offered at select times throughout the year

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lastcallsociety.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lastcallsoc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lastcallsoc/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshbuckhalter/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lastcallsoc
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lastcallsoc

Image Credits
Crafted Visuals Media / Jose Ruben Rodriguez
https://www.instagram.com/craftedvisualsmedia/