Episode description
Drawing on 15+ years of experience managing bar programs in San Francisco, Phoenix, Oakland, and San Diego, Karl Goranowski is the Fenton Family Restaurants’ tenured Beverage Director across all five of the brand’s restaurant/bar concepts in Tucson, AZ. On a weekly basis, Karl can be found curating five distinct cocktail lists, a 250+ bottle wine program, and four craft beer programs –– across BATA, barbata, Tough Luck Club, Reilly Craft Pizza + Drink, and Fentonelli’s Pizzeria + Bar –– using local makers and seasonally available ingredients.
As a sober bartender, Karl taps into his decades of expertise and skilled team of over 20 bar professionals to bring his ethos to life: curated spirits in creative cocktails. Sobriety has broadened his focus to encompass the overall guest experience beyond drinks and service, which gives him a more thoughtful approach to inclusive options for everyone. Professionally, he has developed a solution-oriented mindset, emphasizing continuous improvement, fostering collaboration, and trusting his team's creativity.
A firm believer that the best drink a person can have is the drink in their hand, he focuses on creating flavorful, well-balanced cocktails that enhance the overall guest experience. He attributes all that he has to hard work, sobriety, camaraderie, and a little bit of luck.
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Founded in 2016, the mission of Ben's Friends is to offer hope, fellowship, and a path forward to anyone who struggles with substance abuse or addiction. By coming together, starting a dialogue, and acknowledging that substance abuse cannot be overcome by isolation and willpower alone, Ben's Friends hopes to write a new chapter in the lives of food and beverage professionals across the country.