We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jason Odio. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jason below.

Alright, Jason thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
This is something I think about often; what is it all for? Owning businesses can be very demanding especially in the hospitality industry. When friends and family are enjoying weekends and holidays is when we are the busiest. There are also times when you work the most and make the least which could be challenging mentally and physically. But when it does work and things come together there is an unexplainable reward. I also remind myself that hanging out at a place you love, most of the time with people you love is way better than being stuck in a cubical.

Jason, 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’m a Miami Native that started throwing parties in high school. That led me to a position at the early age of 18 with Opium Group who at the time was one of the leading groups in nightlife. I learned the ins and out of the business but most importantly amassed an amazing network of friends. At 29 I went off on my own to try and do things differently and for that same network that was now in different stages of their lives. In hospitality, you are constantly dealing with different characters and their moods. Learning how to navigate those moods and characters is what can set you apart and give people just what they’re looking for. We’ve also been able to open very different concepts that service a broad audience or even people looking for specific experiences at different times. We own and operate, La Otra, Baby Jane, Bebito’s Cafe, and YesJuice.

Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses
Yes, I was a GP in buying a mezcal brand, Sacrvm. It was an incredibly rewarding process because not only was this the largest business as far as the value I was a part of purchasing but it dealt with purchasing the Mexican assets and business. We bought this business because it aligned with our core values and we saw so much growth in the category. I learned a lot, made great friends along the way, and continue to help grow this business.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.
I met Marcelo through a mutual friend in the industry. It was at a time when we were looking to rebrand my first concept, Sidebar and Marcelo was looking to open his own venue. Partnerships are tough but right away I noticed how he included his family in his dealings and treated those around him. Aside from his obvious value of being an industry veteran those things resonated with me. From there we’ve grown to be great friends, have a ton of mutual respect, and have lots of plans for growth together.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jasonodio

Image Credits
Picture of Jason – Roger Silva Picture of La Otra – La Otra Picture of Baby Jane – Charlie Garcia Picture of Bebito’s – Annhy Shim