Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah McCormick.
Hi Leah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
My love for hospitality industry all started in high school in my hometown of Evansville, Indiana. In high school, I had multiple fast-food jobs (Dairy Queen, Arby’s, Schlotzsyk’s Deli) in which I discovered I had knack for the industry. It didn’t take long before I realized I wasn’t very impressed with the pay and I was quickly becoming bored executing the same routine day in and day out so I applied for a serving job at Logan’s Roadhouse just down the street.
I remember I had confidence that I had the ability and skill set to do very well on tips alone. I knew how to hustle and fortunately realized early on the importance of building relationships with customers. I naturally knew I needed to build a core group of “regular” customers (people that request to sit in your designated section). I found it was incredibly easy to build my own crowd; something as simple as remembering someone’s name, remembering what they like to drink, or showing excitement that you recognized they were a returning customer, went far and typically added a dollar or two to the tip line. I had the mindset that if I always had a full section, I was guaranteed to always be walking away with full pockets and I did! I quickly moved my way up to working different positions at Logan’s (server to cocktail to bartender and corporate trainer) and I truly enjoyed and loved every single position (but hated the peanuts).
Although I was happy at Logan’s and making great money, I wanted to go bigger and continue to be challenged. At the age of 20, I decided to take a leap and move solo to Nashville in 2005. I got hired right away at an upscale restaurant called Amerigo located just a few blocks from downtown. Many of my co-workers were older and Amerigo was their career job. I remember feeling that I had to prove myself to them. Here I was a young girl from a smaller town trying to sell high-end wine when the only wine I had ever tried (keep in mind I was under 21) was Boones Farm.
Amerigo often had us take classes to improve our pallets, help upsell wine, as well as, learn the proper terms when describing different tasting notes. Every single class we had to take, I made sure I listened better than everyone else. I was a sponge and I was determined to show I had just as much skill set as everyone else. Eventually, I was winning all the featured wine contests amongst the crew. I went from thinking white zinfandel was fancy to selling some of the most known and expensive wines and blends from all over Italy, France, and Napa Valley. I was proud how far I’d come and Amerigo thought me that not only was I great a sales but I sincerely loved learning about the beverage industry. I loved all the knowledge I was gaining about all the liquid goodness surrounding me but I was bored and couldn’t help but feel I was a bit out of place. I missed the silly banter I used to have with customers while working at Logan’s. At Amerigo, I had to be a robot that repeated fish and steak specials while wearing a starch shirt and tie that had the same knot for over a year due to not ever caring enough to learn how to tie it. I couldn’t joke with tables or carry-on conversations. People were there to have a romantic night or quiet dinner, not BS with their server.
I decided on a whim to leave Amerigo. I left behind a two-year career, health insurance, friends, and guaranteed tips to pay for Nashville rent and the party lifestyle so many of us hospitality folks enjoy. However, I was certain something more was out there for me that would better fit my personality.
In 2007, I decided to apply for a job at the Flying Saucer. It was a craft beer joint that had 89 beers on draft and over 100 beers in a bottle. The waitstaff was basically all female and the uniform was a short plaid skirt and knee-high socks. There was smoking, cussing, and laughter! The girl servers had confidence and sass. The pace was quick and the tables were full. I had just found my new home.
I worked at the Saucer for four years. My section was always packed. My “regulars” became my family and my co-workers are still some of my best friends today. There were always so many people coming and going that I ever knew what each shift would bring. I discovered that all this time that I’ve been working in the industry that I’ve actually been networking. I was unintentionally making my way to the top.
At the Saucer, my eagerness to continue to learn about beverages continued. We always had classes with actual brewers and distributor representatives coming to host tasting classes, company parties, or grabbing a quick lunch. I always had someone in my ear teaching me something about craft beer or the industry itself. It started to become a real passion of mine. Through this job, I was able to start working large and well-known beer festivals and huge craft beer events. At these events, I continued to be focused on building my massive network.
I look back at this time and The Flying Saucer is a place I will always remember. I made some of my very best friends, I worked under a GM I still respect, I met my future husband, I was invited to some of the most sought-after events, and I tried some of the most rare beers. My “regulars” during that time are still some of the best people and my customers/biggest fans today. I can honestly say, I was truly happy about every aspect in my life at that time.
Unfortunately, I had one major thing that I thought was holding me back; a college degree. I wanted to be running with all the craft beer representatives and I thought the only way I could get that job was if I had a college degree. I decided to leave my happy place and move back to Evansville, Indiana where rent was cheap (thanks, mom!), I wasn’t so distracted to party at all times of the day, and I could truly focus on my future. In 2010 I attended University Of Southern Indiana and majored in marketing.
I did the day in and day out boring and painful school routine. Luckily, the marketing major has much more visual appealing and interactive classes. I decided to take a social media class in which one of our assignments was to brand ourselves on Twitter (this was when Twitter was fairly new) and my professor suggested I brand myself as a craft beer enthusiast. This made me EXTREMELY happy because I had been missing my Nashville lifestyle and friends. “HoppyBeerGal” Twitter handle was born and I started gaining tons of followers. I would randomly tweet beer knowledge or give a shout-out when I was drinking a beer I enjoyed and people would engage and listen. It was fantastic! Through this Twitter account, my next employer found me. It seemed like we would be a perfect fit.
I graduated from USI in 2012 and accepted a job as Marketing and Social Media Director with Tin Man Brewing Company based out of Evansville, Indiana. Evansville had not had a brewing company in quite some time so I was thrilled to be involved in building something from the ground up. The owners of Tin Man gave me quite the budget to launch and I delivered. I worked with extremely talented graphic designers. We worked together to bring some of the best marketing campaigns Evansville had ever seen. We were even getting national recognition for our creative launch! It was amazing. Opening day was Black Friday in 2012. The place had a line that went all around the building before the doors opened and the line continued throughout the evening. For the first time, I felt like an accomplished and very proud professional.
My career at Tin Man lasted for a few more months. The owners and the head brew especially had different approaches to their work ethics vs mine. I had to be honest with myself and make the tough decision that all this hard work and heart I put into opening Tin Man didn’t really matter if it were an unhealthy work environment. I left them in July of 2013 and moved back to Nashville to join the best and final crew I’d ever have to work for or with, Yazoo Brewing Company.
Neil McCormick, my now husband, reached out to me as the senior sales representative for Yazoo. Neil and I met at the Flying Saucer and kept in contact while I was in Evansville. Thanks to Facebook, he saw all the neat things I was doing with Tin Man and notified me about an opening at Yazoo. He said I would be in charge of sales (remember I discovered my love of sales while at Amerigo) in Knoxville and Chattanooga. I’d be working based out of Nashville and home base would be at the physical brewery located close to downtown. HELL YES! I didn’t even have to question the job. Sign me up. Let’s go!! I visited close to a dozen restaurants, grocery stores, and bars daily. Day in and day out I noticed I would question some of the processes and lack of efficiencies these accounts were executing but at the end of the day, I wasn’t there to
tell them how to run their business. I just wanted them to carry my product.
I worked at Yazoo for a little over five years. In 2014 Neil and I welcomed our first baby into the world. It was amazing. I still loved the craft beer life, but I noticed it was a tough balance to be great at my job and be a mother as well. In the beverage industry, you’re constantly hosting beer events, and drinking throughout most of the day is not unusual. I started to get tired of the routine.
Neil and I then welcomed our second child in 2017 and the road time and drinking quickly lost its luster. I knew I had to make a change and that’s when an acquaintance of Neil’s mentioned he was selling his barely year-old bar. I knew there was no better time to make the leap and that finally all my knowledge I’ve been complying over the years could finally be put to use.
I remember seeing the bar for the first time. It was absolutely perfect.
It was built out of a shipping container and was completely outdoor. It had two sand courts with neighboring shipping containers next to me that had their own concepts, but I was the only bar. My lease put me in position to control the entire outdoor space and its vibe. As cheesy as it sounds, it was love at first site. In February 2018 I received the keys to my very own bar, Sandbar Nashville (and found out two days later I was pregnant with our third)!
The concept was easy. All I needed to do was create an environment that feels like the beach; let’s do some fresh fruit frozens, welcome all ages, dogs allowed, and let’s just have a good buy laidback time. Let’s keep our menu simple and focus on quality and volume. Let’s shut her down sometime in November so myself and team have some time to rest and get our creative energy flowing again before opening her again in March! Sure we’ve had some hiccups along the way (thanks, COVID), rain isn’t great for business, and the heat is sometimes unbearable but we are one of a kind. We are not just a bar but an experience for all!
Each year I add to the concept to make it better. Through this entire journey, it’s been so important that I stay completely debt-free and cash flow everything. People that have been coming to Sandbar since the beginning have a certain investment with us because they saw how little we started and how “big” we are now. I have a GM, Emily Wylie, that has been with me since the start. She can finish my sentences and knows my almost every move. Myself and Sandbar are really lucky to have her.
As you can see, if you’re still reading this novel, every single part of my journey led me here. I needed the fast-food jobs to realize I wanted to make more money. I needed those serving jobs to learn how to network and build knowledge about the industry and all its moving parts. I needed to work those beer festivals to learn how to keep up volume and pace while laughing and having a great time. I needed the jobs at the brewery to witness others’ inefficiencies and mistakes which in return got me ahead of the game.
My journey has been truly amazing. I am one of the few people that can honestly say that I have never not been happy. If I didn’t like a circumstance I was currently in, I changed it and found a way to make my life better. I appreciate all events that have happened throughout my life and I’m hoping I can pass this same attitude down to my kids because at the end of the day, you can have all of this “stuff” but family is what really makes me happy and that’s currently my favorite “job”.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest struggle has been navigating Covid. I had to close the entire 2020 season. I was denied first and second round of PPP so had to get creative and make profit somehow. I created a delivery business in which I had delivered my fresh fruit frozen juice pouches. It got me through Covid and has allowed me to still be open today.
We’ve been impressed with Sandbar Nashville, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are an all-outdoor patio that specializes in fresh fruit frozen drinks. All ages are welcome, as well as fur babes (dogs). Come hangout in Nashville’s only beach with skyline views and good-time vibes. We offer organized corporate outings and dog birthday parties as well.
Contact Info:
- Email: events@sandbarnashville.com
- Website: sandbarnashville.com
- Instagram: Sandbar Nashville
- Facebook: Sandbar Nashville
- Twitter: Sandbar Nashville
- Youtube: Sandbar Nashville
- Yelp: Sandbar Nashville
Image Credits
Nashville Guru
TallBoy Marketing
