Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Heather Hoffman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Heather thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about your team building process? How did you recruit and train your team and knowing what you know now would you have done anything differently?

I remember finally getting the keys to Propagation I looked at my partner and said, “OK! Now I can finally tell people.” Any work team is important, but in a bar, it’s even more so. Customers are engaging with you and watching you throughout their entire experience.

I had long dreamt of owning a bar, and I always kept an ongoing list of people I would be lucky to work with. It was early COVID, so everyone was in a bit of a panic. Luckily, I just zoned in on that list — and almost everyone I had on it came on board. I know it’s different when you’re the boss, but everyone on that list was someone I had worked with in one way or another. They knew I was hardworking, and I knew they were too.

Building a team was something I had never really done before. People were moving out of the city, and there weren’t many bars open, so recruiting was unlike anything it had ever been. When we finally opened our doors, we were welcomed with open arms. Folks really missed socializing. Honestly, I didn’t think we were going to be as busy as we were. I was so proud of the team — none of us really knew what we were getting ourselves into. We just learned to be there for each other and to pivot when we needed to.

Heather , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve been in the hospitality industry since I was 15 years old — so over 20 years now. I went to school for business, and I was bartending at a pretty big club when I realized that I couldn’t be stuck in an office. It just wouldn’t make me happy. Being around people having a good time was something I wanted to make a career out of. So I decided to work in every type of bar I could to figure out which type I eventually wanted to own.

Every type of bartending you could think of — I did it. I bartended for the San Francisco Giants, worked at one of the biggest nightclubs in the nation, and everything in between. But my favorite type of bar was always the neighborhood bar. So I had my goal, and I worked toward it.

Sometimes I wondered if I would ever be able to achieve it. The price tag was astronomical, and I didn’t know how I was going to afford it or attract the right investors. But I kept my head down, kept working, and made sure everyone knew that, one way or another, I was still going to make it happen. It took ten years for that dream to come true.

I think I’m most proud of not giving up on that dream. There were times when I worked at places and thought, Why am I here? But thinking back on those moments now, I’m grateful I didn’t give up.

Propagation is truly the bar of my dreams — filled not just with plants, but with so much love and passion.

Let’s move on to buying businesses – can you talk to us about your experience with business acquisitions?

Yes, Propagation was actually another bar. Crazy enough, it was 2020, and there were several bars we were looking into. At that point, I had been a bartender for 15 years, and owning my own place had always been a goal of mine. Honestly, I had no idea how to even start the process, but it was the first time I saw pricing that actually seemed achievable.

Then my wife, Lauren, asked me, “What if I was your partner?” It honestly had never crossed my mind. She was already well into her career and thriving — plus, she had never worked in a bar before. I remember the moment she said it; I just started to tear up. (I’m tearing up right now, haha.) She’s an incredible designer and woodworker, and I knew that together we would make a pretty special team. Her believing in me was incredibly empowering.

Once we narrowed down our options, we just pushed forward. Business can be tricky for newcomers. I think it’s extremely important to have mentors and people who have done something close to what you’re trying to accomplish. If you lead with kindness, most people are happy to help.

That said, our landlord tried to take advantage of the fact that we had never signed a lease of that magnitude before. Luckily, I caught some fine print, and we asked a friend to recommend a lawyer. There are just so many components to running a business, and surrounding yourself with people who genuinely want to see you succeed should be everyone’s baseline. We were incredibly grateful for that lawyer recommendation — it made a big difference.

We ended up renegotiating the lease, which was a major contingency in the acquisition. The broker went back on some of the negotiating terms, trying to play hardball, but we pushed on. I didn’t realize at the time that I needed to be flexible — I wasn’t going to get everything I wanted out of the deal. The process was long and extremely stressful. There were times when I didn’t think it would go through.

In the end, we got about 85% of what we wanted, and we were happy with that. Now, we’ve been in business for four years, and we love being a place where our community can come together and create memories.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I honestly believe that being genuine is the most effective strategy for growing your clientele — it resonates with people. If you’re excited about your product or business, they get excited about it too, and that’s what keeps them coming back. Sure, there will be mistakes and setbacks, but we’re all human, and people actually want to help and be part of something. Reaching out to your community and sharing ideas is a great way to grow — pun intended.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.propagationsf.com
• Instagram: @propagationsf

Image Credits

Ely Dominguez

Naima Naz