We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dan Sullivan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dan , thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Owning a bar was always a dream we had, and we knew what kind of place we wanted. We were certain Charleston was our market, and we knew honoring our grandfather, Bumpa, would inform a lot of the aesthetic and atmosphere. It was a clear vision that we maintain today.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Dan Sullivan, and I own Bumpa’s with my brother, Conor. We grew up in Pittsburgh and had a terrific childhood full of family time, sports and imagination. Bumpa’s is a downtown Charleston bar and restaurant with aspects from our Irish heritage. It’s home to an inviting atmosphere, craft cocktails, local beer and top-notch quality food, all inspired by the playful spirit of our family, especially our grandfather, whom our business is named after.
Before opening Bumpa’s in 2020, I worked in finance for over twelve years, and my brother worked in corporate sales for ten years. We weren’t feeling fulfilled in our corporate roles and always wanted to create a true family business together; hence, Bumpa’s was born!
I am most proud of the incredible team we’ve put together. We love coming to work every day and spending time with such upbeat, positive, and kind people who take pride in their work. Everybody brings their input and has a sense of ownership. We want everyone to feel like this is their place too.
Through Bumpa’s, we’re carrying on our grandfather’s legacy, whose greatest joy in life was connecting with people and enjoying their company. We want people to know that family is evident here. This place means so much to us, which is reflected in our service and quality.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I would say the biggest test of our resilience, both for our bar and the industry as a whole, was COVID. We had no choice but to open for the first time during the pandemic, and we had no idea how that would go or what the new landscape would look. But we persevered, kept our people safe, and fulfilled our promise to our patrons to run a clean business.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I think in the beginning it was hard for me to let go of my grip on the day to day, and focus on the bigger picture of our business. It was my baby, so to speak, so I thought I needed to have my hands on everything. But I learned to trust my amazing staff to make the right decisions, and allow them to grow and help us run the business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bumpas-chs.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bumpas_chs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bumpaschs