Exploring Life & Business with Ivo Peshev of Flair Project

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ivo Peshev.

Hi Ivo, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I got my start in hospitality back in Bulgaria when I was 17. I was working in bars and nightclubs, and at the same time, traveling and competing in flair bartending competitions, which were huge at the time. I was constantly surrounded by passionate, driven people who genuinely wanted to elevate the craft. That mindset stuck with me and shaped the way I approach every business venture to this day.

In 2007, I moved to the U.S. and transitioned from nightlife into the fine dining world. I worked my way up: bartender, lead bartender, bar manager, bar director. Throughout it all, one thing never changed. I’ve always believed that hospitality is about more than just serving a drink. It’s about creating a space where people can let go of the stress of life, even just for a couple hours. That’s always been my goal, to make people feel taken care of, excited, and connected.

Eventually, I realized there was a real need to shift how bartending was viewed, especially in the U.S., where too many saw it as just a side hustle or college job. So in 2012, I launched Flair Project Academy in Santa Barbara, a bartending school focused on building career bartenders. Not just teaching technical skills, but instilling real values: pride in the craft, a genuine passion for hospitality, and a strong understanding of sales and service.

Word spread quickly. Event planners in town started to notice the caliber of our bartenders, and that’s how we entered the event space. What started as a training program evolved into something much bigger. Over the past 12 years, we’ve grown into a full-service, design-forward cocktail catering company. But our mission hasn’t changed. We’re here to elevate the bar experience through creativity, collaboration, and personal, engaging service that actually makes an impact.

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’s definitely not been a smooth road, and honestly, I wouldn’t expect it to be. Building any business is hard. You’re constantly juggling everything: product, marketing, operations, culture, competition. But building a business you’re deeply passionate about? That’s even harder. Drawing the line between doing what you love and making it financially sustainable is one of the biggest ongoing challenges, not just in the early years, but even now, more than a decade in.

Even with systems in place and a clear process, that tension between craft and commerce never fully disappears. But for me, the hardest part, and the most important, has been building a team that truly shares the same values. In our industry, the guest experience lives or dies by the people behind the bar. And you can’t fake hospitality. You either care or you don’t.

I’ve invested a lot of time, energy, and resources into creating a culture that supports the kind of team we need, one that delivers with consistency, pride, and genuine care. It starts with how you treat people. Inside our office, we’re proud of the systems we’ve built, but even more proud of how we treat each other. We like to say we’ve got a corporate backbone without the corporate soul-sucking. That’s the only way I’ve found to build real trust and to keep that passion alive in an industry that runs on human connection.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Flair Project?
Flair Project isn’t just a cocktail catering company. It’s a movement to redefine what bar service can be. We exist to prove that a bar isn’t just a corner of the room that serves drinks. It’s a centerpiece of connection, energy, and experience. What we do is bring the bar to life. We build immersive, design-driven cocktail programs that not only elevate events but become part of the story people remember.

We’re known for creativity and polish, but what really sets us apart is the intention behind everything we do. From the custom glassware and interactive service moments to the way we design our menus around the client’s vision, every detail is built to feel personal, effortless, and exciting. And behind the scenes, we run one of the most structured operations in the industry. Logistics, staff training, communication — we’ve built systems that make magic scalable.

What I’m most proud of is the culture we’ve created. A company where bartenders are valued as professionals, not gig workers. A place where clients feel taken care of because the people serving them genuinely care. We’ve taken something that people often see as functional, the bar, and turned it into an experience that can shift the entire energy of a room.

I want people to know that if they care about hospitality, about design, about giving their guests something memorable and meaningful, we’re the team you want on your side. We don’t just serve drinks. We craft experiences that make people feel something.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about LA is the energy. There’s this creative pulse here that you don’t find anywhere else. People come to LA to build something, to make something meaningful, to push boundaries, and you feel that in every conversation, every collaboration. It’s a city where ambition and artistry coexist, and that’s been a huge source of inspiration for me both personally and professionally. The diversity, the food, the style, the events — it’s a playground for people who think big.

What I like least? Honestly, it’s the disconnect that sometimes comes with the pace. Everyone’s moving so fast, chasing so much, that we can forget to slow down and actually connect. Hospitality thrives on human connection, and in a city this busy, it’s easy to lose sight of that. That’s part of why I do what I do, to create moments that feel real in a city that often moves too quickly to notice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.flairprojectsb.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flair_projectsb/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flairprojectsb
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flair-project/?viewAsMember=true