Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Gomez.
Hi Alan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I had worked in the beer industry for about ten years, as well as working in coffee on & off for 12 years, and my wife & I had just moved back to California from Oregon. I really did not want to go through the hassle of building a new resume and going through the interview process, I really was so exhausted just by the thought of making the effort to impress someone else. So, instead I went the more difficult route and decided now was the time to try and open my own space. I felt like it was the only time in my life where things lined up enough to be able to try. With zero business experience, I set off to start one. Found an investor to loan me some money and started a coffee popup just to start generating revenue. Almost a year later, I found a space and opened up the most make shift cafe anyone has ever seen. I was waiting for my beer & wine license to get approved so we opened up with just coffee for a while. Then once approved, we turned into more of a wine bar/restaurant. We’re constantly evolving our menu in terms of wine offerings, food, beer, even coffee.
It’s funny, I started this place on such a whim, and I never thought it would grow to the level it’s currently at, but here we are. Nearly five years later, and we’re seemingly a staple in our neighborhood. It’s not come without issues though, as I mentioned, I had no experience in managing/growing a business so with my lack of skill in that area came many ups & downs… A lot of downs, but all of the learning opportunities that have helped me become a better business owner.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
This has probably been the rockiest road I’ve ever faced. No business experience and no partners or mentors to help me along the way, I had to fend for myself and figure things out as I go. I’m really good at adapting to my environment, so I didn’t really doubt my ability to be able to open a business. But there are so many things that are very stressful. Stuff that kept me up at night were things like money management, growth, menu development, employee management/retention, even social media… When you’re as inexperienced as I used to be, even the little things have a toll on your mental health.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I say I specialize in beverages overall, all my knowledge comes from my palate, I drink & taste very often. I wouldn’t say I’m an expert but I definitely have a certain skillset when it comes to tasting & describing & communicating about wine, beer, coffee, and any other beverages. I guess that’s what I’m really known for, we have regulars that are always asking me for advice when selecting bottles of wine & whatnot, many variations of that type of scenario. Really what I’m most proud of is just that I manifested this place into existence. If you took me back to a year before I decided to open my own place, I would think it’s impossible. I’m just in awe that I’m able to accomplish something like this, I created a destination for the neighborhood, and it’s wild.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I don’t know if I can objectively describe what I was like growing up… I have my own idea of what I was like but I’m sure people like my mom or friends would describe me differently. I guess I was a bit of a loner throughout school, I loved loud music & cars… I was in like a “screamo” band in high school, but who wasn’t? And it’s definitely reflected in Commodity. We play loud music, drink wine and have car meets. Really it’s my high school personality evolved.
Contact Info:
- Email: alan@commoditylbc.com
- Website: commoditylbc.com
- Instagram: @commodity.lb
Image Credits:
Joey Espina
