Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Ribeiro.
Hi Ryan, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
The idea for Sobremesa started when I returned from living in Europe. Spending a little over two years in Europe, I fell in love with the romance of wine. I went to many wine festivals, met winemakers, and visited vineyards all throughout Europe. My Father, being from Portugal he grew up on a vineyard and would talk about how great the lifestyle was to be involved in winemaking. When I got back to the states, I noticed that Savannah did not have a wine bar, so I thought let’s open one! LOL Myself (Ryan Ribeiro) and Guinn McMillion, opened Sobremesa in August of 2022 but the journey started in the Spring of 2021 with a few other locations that just didn’t work out, then in Fall of 2021 we signed the lease for 2312 Abercorn and then the work began. I ran the entire buildout and renovation to eventually end up with what we have now. The business ran for an entire year with many successful evenings of service, primarily focusing on our wine-by-the-glass program and charcuterie as we had the largest by-the-glass selection in the city, with over 30 wines by the glass and fresh cut charcuterie.
Around this time Guinn had let me know that she had a great opportunity within her company and would like to sell her shares of Sobremesa. Keep in mind that both Guinn and I had full-time jobs and ran and operated Sobremesa for the first year, very difficult and demanding personally but we did it. At this time, there was only one person I trusted to take Sobremesa to the next level, and that person is Mr. Jason Restivo! Jason and I had known each other since he was the GM of Garibaldis but really started to grow our friendship when he owned The Atlantic. Seeing what he did with the Atlantic, it was a no-brainer to see if he was interested in coming onboard with me. On August 31st, we signed the closing documents, and Jason officially became a co-owner of Sobremesa with me!
Since then, sky’s the limit! We have added new tables with new seating, renovated the bathrooms, turned the kitchen from a cold kitchen to a fully operating hot kitchen with full food service, bringing back some of the favorites from the Atlantic menu and continuing to grow our new menu items! We have successfully executed 4 large wine dinners, fundraisers, and many popups along the way. The journey has just begun, and the buzz is intensifying with every new dish we create and the endless advancements we are making to the wine list. Our wine and food program is growing at Sobremesa, and soon, we will be the hottest eatery with the city’s best wine selection! So happy to have Jason as a partner and friend! I look forward to the next few years as we take Sobremesa to new levels!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning and operating a food and beverage location is not easy and there are many bumps in the road along the way that you don’t know of when starting out. You don’t know what you don’t know! With that said, the road has been bright and enjoyable! Having to create and curate a large wine by the glass list was fun project but took lots of focus and research to constantly have new wines for our guest to enjoy was challenging. I also had to become an Instagram genius overnight due to the popularity of advertising on its platform. I still do all of our marketing, but what used to take me 30 minutes now takes me 5, so that’s one obstacle that has become easier!
Hopefully, our next struggle is going to be how we figure out how to accommodate 100 guests a night and successfully serve them at the level we expect. Quality of service and the guest experience are things that we hold in high regard and will never let slip.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In 2001 I enlisted in the United States Navy, was rated as an Aircraft Mechanic and worked on the F-14 Tomcat and the P-3 Orion. I advanced quickly and fell in love with aviation. Once discharged from the Navy, I went to college in Florida at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. After completing my Bachelor, I arrived in Savannah in 2006 and was employed by Gulfstream Aerospace and spent the next 14 years there advancing my professional aviation career. I started as a Tech 1 in the Service Center and ended my time at Gulfstream in Completion Sales and Delivery. During that time, I purchased 4 homes in Savannah and lived in Europe for a two-year period. I love real estate, finance, and people, so the next career choice was a perfect fit. Gulfstream is a wonderful company, but I had enough of corporate America and was ready to take myself to new levels. My good friend Jeffery Stodghill was/is the Branch Manager of Certainty Home Lending, as I was interested in getting into the industry, Jeff helped me make that a reality. In 2020, I gave Gulfstream 3 months’ notice and started as a Loan Officer in December of 2020. Since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed the freedom and the challenge of the industry and have had excellent success in my new career. It has also allowed me to be an owner and co-operator of Sobremesa!
I am most proud of Sobremesa and what we have created and where we are going. The challenge and the journey never ends, and your creativity and mind can take you wherever you want to go. My mom gave me a gift years ago, and it’s a little wooden sign that has three words on it. Dream it, Believe it, Achieve it, and have lived by those words ever since. Sobremesa is exactly that, and at this point, I think we have achieved it!
I am different and the same as others, but I think what sets me apart is the fact that I don’t stop. I have never been scared of hard work because hard work works! To open Sobremesa, I had to work a full-time job and grow that career while working many nights at Sobremesa and growing the business. Probably the most challenging adventure yet!
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck is always a factor, and we have had a little of both, but mostly good luck!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sobremesasav.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sobremesawine
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sobremesawine
Image Credits
@calvinwaynephotography
