We recently connected with Colin Campbell and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Colin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

We started on the island of St. Maarten in 2006. After working together for a few years, it felt like time to do our own thing, so we began looking for a beach bar. But the deal had to be right — island life can be unpredictable, with long off-seasons and the constant risk of hurricanes. We spent nearly a year exploring opportunities all over St. Maarten, and even in Anguilla and St. Kitts/Nevis, before finding The Red Piano. It was a no-brainer. We could charge twice as much as a beach bar for the same products.
The location was surrounded by 1,200 timeshare hotel rooms with high occupancy year-round. After the beach bar closed, there was nowhere else for guests to go besides the casino. There was a strong local and student community that would support us. The previous owner was struggling and ready to sell. He offered great financing and had made mistakes that were easy for us to fix. The bones were solid — with hands-on owner/operators, it was going to be hard to fail. Over time, we refined the concept and built something that worked.
Fast-forward ten years, it was time to move off this island. When Jason found a location in Santa Barbara, it clicked. The same idea could work here: bring people together through live music and genuine hospitality. There’s something timeless about people sitting around a piano, drinking great cocktails, and singing familiar songs. It turns strangers into friends. From day one, our marketing strategy was simple: we’ll invite our friends, they’ll invite theirs, and we’ll have a party. It worked — and still does.
Now we’re looking to grow again. We explored Austin and Nashville but landed on Traverse City — a vibrant community with weddings, birthdays, bachelorette parties, and tourism at its core. For us, as we still bootstrap everything, it’s easier to be a medium sized fish in a small pond, than a tiny fish in the sea. We are hyper focused on our core offering and it’s working.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve spent most of my life in hospitality; hotels, restaurants, bars, yachts, you name it. I’ve always been drawn to creating experiences that bring people together and I always like to live where other people vacation. Early on, I learned that the best nights aren’t about luxury or price tags, they’re about connection. When I worked at Club Med in 1996, I remember someone asking the hotel GM time off. In her thick Armenian-French accent she said, “Why you want time off? These people work one, two, maybe three years to save up enough money to come and hang out with you in paradise for ONE WEEK!! They give so much to be with you, how are you going to return that?” And she was right. People can spend their leisure time and budget anywhere, so when they choose to walk through my door, that’s a gift.
When we started The Red Piano on the island of St. Maarten, the idea was simple: create a space where people could drop their guard, sing along, laugh, and feel like they belong. That vision carried over when we opened in Santa Barbara. We don’t have TVs or DJs. We have live musicians, familiar songs, great cocktails, and a room full of people from all walks of life who end up singing together by the end of the night.
Our product isn’t just drinks or music — it’s magic moments. We bring people together through live music and genuine hospitality in an atmosphere that connects people and builds community. What sets us apart is how deeply we care about that connection. We’re not chasing trends; we’re cultivating something timeless. Our guests feel it, our staff live it, and that energy fills the room every night. I’m most proud of the community that’s grown around us, the friendships, the fundraisers, the nights that people still talk about years later.
At its heart, The Red Piano isn’t just a bar — it’s a reminder that joy is contagious, and that music, laughter, and kindness still bring people together in a world that often feels disconnected.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Our reputation was built long before The Red Piano ever opened its doors. Both Jason and I spent years bartending at other venues, and we earned a name for being reliable, honest, and good at what we did. We built trust, with owners, co-workers, and guests, and when it came time to start our own place, those same people supported us. That foundation meant everything. We care deeply about our community.
Once we opened, the principle stayed the same: you have to show up. Show up for your guests, your staff, your supporters, and your community. We worked relentlessly, day after day, because we understood the responsibility that came with people choosing to spend their hard-earned money and their precious time with us.
I’ll never forget one regular, Gary, who drank Canadian Club and Mountain Dew. We didn’t even serve Mountain Dew, but after his first visit, we keep a six-pack under the bar just in case he walks in. That’s what hospitality means to us: noticing the details, caring enough to go the extra mile, whatever that means to the individual.
In Santa Barbara, that same spirit has grown even deeper. We still show up every day, but now we also give back — hosting fundraising events for local nonprofits at no cost so that every dollar raised goes directly to their work. It’s been amazing to see how much good can come from a piano bar that simply cares.
At the end of the day, that’s our formula: show up, do your best, own your mistakes, and do it again tomorrow. That’s what built our reputation — and it’s what keeps it strong.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience isn’t a single story for us, it’s a muscle you build and use every day. In this business, things are going to get hard. Doubt creeps in, competition ramps up, and there are moments where it would be easy to tap out. You can’t. You just keep showing up and getting after it.
Running hospitality businesses has tested that in every possible way. In St. Maarten, we faced hurricanes that flooded the island and shut down the airport — a nightmare for a tourism-based economy. In California, we’ve seen wildfires, COVID shutdowns, and plenty of other surprises. Each time, the only move was forward.
You learn to adapt, stay calm, and keep serving your team and your guests the best way you can. There’s no finish line for resilience — it’s a practice. Every day brings a new set of challenges, but that’s the deal when you sign up to build something that matters.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theredpiano.com
• Instagram: @theredpianosb
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theredpianosantabarbara/

Image Credits

James St.Vincent for the photo of Kenny Loggins and Hunter Hawkins and for the second photo of the whole room from behind the piano player