Today we’d like to introduce you to Byron Stithem.
Hi Byron, 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?
My career in hospitality began when I graduated from Belmont in 2007 with a Music Business degree. Turns out there weren’t nearly enough entry level music jobs for the number of graduates they were churning out so I got a job at a bar. In the years that followed I went on to work in some impactful cocktail bars and restaurants before finding my way to Japanese fermentation. From there I began working on sake production techniques and traveling to Japan regularly to hone our craft to eventually launch Proper in 2016. Since then Proper has expanded to a full suite of beverages and distillates as well as two physical locations called “Rice Vice” in Nashville and New Orleans. I’ve also recently started a soda company with my 14 year old son.
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?
Sake as it turns out is not a well known beverage category, so there is not necessarily a traditional market space readuly available. We’ve had to be creative with our approach to getting it into people’s hands. That coupled with the declining consumption of alcohol has made for some reasonably strong headwinds.
What matters most to you? Why?
Hospitality and serving people unique, transportive experiences has been the through line for all of our endeavors. In an increasingly isolated world we believe in supporting opportunities for people to gather.
We also have a passion for the relationship between Japan and the US so we strive to create micro journeys that can share some of the culture that has given us so much.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://propersake.co
- Instagram: Rice_vice_proper_bev / ricevicenola
