Why do you actually have your own place, if it's not fully you? 

That is a question I often want to ask, when I visit places I like to share our beverages with, and get to hear that they like them, but are not sure if their customers would like it. 

To me that somehow strikes me as very strange, as in my view; it is your time to shine, you have made the decision to open up a place, where you can express your own love for certain flavors, aesthetics, so do it. 

And I get it, opening up a place is scary; a lot of money and debt is involved, but what is probably the most scary, when you're making it 100% your own place, is setting your own taste up for judgment. 

But isn't that the whole point of creating your own place and for what reason are you doing it otherwise? 

In my now almost 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry I can say for certain that people don't know what they want when they go to a place, sure they have their preferences, but in the end, you go out to drink and eat better stuff than you can get in your own home, as you can also fulfill that social function there, and it saves you probably  ton of money, so why not offering your favourite stuff, and creating your own community of like minded people.

So what are we actually looking for when going out, when it comes to beverages and the food? 

I believe we are looking for new things, things that other people, that are probably are more into them than you are, have spend time to select the drinks, learn the story and history of them and thereby are able to enrich your knowledge, extend your flavour palette, and might offer your next favorite drink or thing to eat. 

And I go to the places that are authentic, that share my values and idea's in regards to sustainability and service, but also what they have to offer, knowing that people that come there are like minded, so it's a nice to meet up with other people, discuss idea's or share knowledge. 

For me at least, that is the excitement of going out, and even if you would go out to catch up with friends, or go dancing in a club, it is a certain experience you're creating, and by adding these experiences can only enhance that total experience, and for me that is the function of gastronomy or hospitality in a broader sense.