We recently connected with David Tyda and have shared our conversation below.
David, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
The building that BARCOA is located within is listed on the National Register of Historic Places – it was built in 1928 as a “castle” for the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization of community leaders. Somewhere along the way, it became known as The Hardware Store. So when we decided to open an agave spirits bar in the space, we asked ourselves: What is a tool used in the tequila/mezcal-making process? We landed on the coa – it looks like a pizza paddle but it’s razor sharp and agave farmers use it to shave the leaves off an agave plant before harvesting. The word “coa” is very hard-sounding, so we attached the word “bar” to it and it just had a ring. It sounds like barbacoa, and also sounds like it’s an actual word. While processes to make these beautiful spirits gets more and more industrialized, this hand-held tool is a symbol of keeping tradition and cultural history alive.
David, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I started throwing food festivals in 2010, and in that year, co-created the world’s first taco festival. By 2019, it was attracting nearly 40,000 attendees and there were over 300 copies of the event around the world. I was fortunate enough to be able to sell the festival, which was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make, and then made a joke to friend, Ryan Oberholtzer, that I’m annoyed by all these bars that call themselves speakeasys, yet everyone knows how/where to find them … that I’d like to find a basement, sell shots for cash without a liquor license, and open a real speakeasy. Ryan walked me over to a basement in Downtown Phoenix and it was obvious the space wanted to be a bar. We began talking about our love of Mexico, spirits from Mexico, and doing things for the community. So, we got to work – negotiating a lease, developing the mission of the brand, and executing it. We didn’t seek out being bar owners. We didn’t even have a business plan. The space literally found us. So I think it’s important, when building a business, to have your heart open and try to listen to what the universe wants you to do. Although I’m not getting financially rich from my festivals or bar ownership, I’m completely fulfilled by them. I’m back at throwing a Taco Festival, and have a Pizza Festival in the fall. Although I’ve thrown many other food festivals, these are the two that keep me connected to a community I love. When building a business, unless it’s for pure profit, ask yourself how you can do something original for the community – you’ll probably find your purpose there.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Literally, just don’t be a d*ck. It’s that simple. I’m always amazed by the lack of self-awareness behind people in business. You should exercise compassion and work with integrity every step of the way – my dad taught me that. Sure, it’s good to build a personal brand, but ask yourself – what are you doing for others, how are you treating others, and are you stealing ideas? For instance, the Taco Festival was ripped off at an astounding rate. I was always amazed at how no one in those organizations thought 1) can we do better, rather than just copying? and 2) how is this going to make the original producers feel? Some would say that’s not their concern, but I’d argue it’s the root of their mission. They’ve admitted to you that they will step on anyone to get ahead. Whereas if they had integrity, you’d be hearing stories about how they were “inspired by XYZ, so they created XYZ.” Reputation is built on acknowledging others, holding them up, and expressing your heartfelt mission.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
So, the pandemic sucked. As a festival producer, my income went to $0 immediately with retroactive effects (when it hit in March of 2020, that meant our last paycheck was our last festival, back in November of 2019). And, BARCOA was slated to start construction in March 2020 so it hit a 12-month delay. During our down time, I became an advocate for the live events community, appearing on news segments, marching for aid, writing letters to leaders, letting people know about the unique effects on the events industry. A lot of festival producers were forced to switch careers during this time, but I buckled down on finances, focused on trying to make a comeback, and Ryan and I got to work on building the bar. We adjusted the business plan a bit to weather the storm, but now businesses are thriving. In both cases, that pandemic time helped me get more in tune with what’s important – community building, a focus on culture, and drinking good tequila along the way!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.barcoaphx.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/barcoaphx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.tyda
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-tyda-3273964/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaveTyda
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/barcoa-agaveria-phoenix
- Other: www.phxfest.com www.phoenix.pizza www.instagram.com/phxpizza
Image Credits
Christina Barrueta