Today we’d like to introduce you to Danny Bradley
Hi Danny, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Sure! I graduated from Film School in 2010 and spent the next several years freelancing in film. In 2012, I moved to Saint Augustine where I opened a bicycle shop as a co-owner. Nearly three years later, 2015, I found myself back in Savannah to adjust my focus back to film. As you might imagine, filmmaking can be sporadic due to long project absences or delays. I began looking for a job, nothing that would be permanent, to supplement my career in film. I never even had a thought about the food and beverage industry. I think now that I am in my late-ish 30’s (eek!), I grew up in a world where EVERYONE’S parents worked in a 9-5 office, so that felt familiar to me. But, I couldn’t really decide on something that I felt I could learn from or would enjoy so I applied to a restaurant.
I started working at The Florence as a back server. I definitely felt out of place…growing up all I really knew was chain restaurants, my family was not very food adventurous. But, I remember leaving my first shift and thinking, “Shit…that was fun”.
I fell in love with the industry at that restaurant. To me, it felt like I was telling a new story every day, much like a movie. It kickstarted a sort of creative energy that I’ve never lost. So, I took it all in, learning as much as I could and within my first few months I became a server. I really loved that, the interactions and curating of an experience. After my first year I was the lead server. I learned how to communicate issues and improved the way I collaborate. But still, I wanted to know more.
I started training behind the bar and that was a special moment for me. I loved being able to tell a story in a drink.
In 2017, The Florence closed…we won’t get into that. In my opinion, it should be remembered as one of the key pieces that changed the food scene in Savannah.
I was hired at The Grey as a bartender that same year. I still had a lot to learn. I had great mentors there and after a year, I worked up to the head bartender. I put up my first beverage menu there. I learned a lot about myself and I met some amazing people that mean everything to me. I grew there. I also learned a lot about the operations of a restaurant and I found myself enjoying that very much. I owe a lot to them.
I am now the AGM at Saint Bibiana. This is the restaurant of Hotel Bardo, across from Forsyth Park. It is invigorating. It is fresh. We have an incredible team and I am looking forward to the future growth that Bardo and Saint Bibiana hold.
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?
If anyone ever tells you this industry is a smooth road, they are lying. What has always fascinated me about the food and beverage industry is that, every single day is different. You will never know what the next day is going to hold. I find it amazing, but sure, there are times that a curveball is thrown at you that you can’t hit.
The great thing I’ve always found is there are incredible people in this industry. Every restaurant has a team behind it that learns to synchronize and fine tune into a vision and that creates such a strong bond. Also, and I hate myself for this…but a quote from ‘Batman Begins’ (film nerd): “Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up”.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I think…at this stage of my life, I consider myself a storyteller. I still direct short films, but my future is the f&b industry. It allows you to direct a scene and create an immersive space. That is how I learned to express myself in films and it evolved into my mindset of a dining experience.
I believe you asked about something that sets me apart from others. I don’t love that question personally, because I think everyone in this industry has something to give, unique from one another. I’ll throw in a another Batman quote: “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me”.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
That is an endless list!
I could write for a year about the incredible friends and mentors I have gained since I got started. Here’s a few that immediately come to mind. Kyle Jacovino and Ali Crumpton showed me the impeccable standards and poise of what a restaurant could be, they opened the door to my interest. John O and Mashama helped me fine tune that interest and gave me a platform to grow. Daniel and Tart, who mentored me how to navigate and stay inspired. And a previous partner who allowed me the long hours and late nights to keep growing and moving forward. I grew, we didn’t.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dannybradley.com
- Instagram: dannybradley
