“So, it originally started out as just wanting to do a little corner bar: doing some food here and there, making some crazy drinks and staying on top of the trends. Not gonna lie–dad was a little skeptical that the wild drinks would sell in a small town corner bar, but it blew up from there: the first night open, the bar was full of martinis and we were lighting stuff on fire! People were going crazy for it! He was like, WTF??? So, we needed to move to a bigger location, which was four and a half times the size. Now we do banquets and we’re more of a restaurant with a bar in it than we are a bar. My sister and I make a great team and we’re glad our father had faith in us. It’s been a crazy eleven years that we’ve been in business. It’s been crazy.

I have a great staff. I have a great staff. I can’t even complain about that. I have some of the best people that would do, like, anything for me. I’m so blessed with that. I look on Facebook at these small businesses that are closing because they don’t have employees and can’t get (help)…we have never, ever had that issue. But man, we have the best people. We really do.

My family (motivates) me, A hundred percent. I want my kids to see that you can be successful. I want them to see that you don’t have to go to college; you don’t have to go get a six-year degree. You can do anything that you put your mind to doing. You have to be motivated and you have to just do it and go for it, you know? You can do anything. So I think that’s the big thing for me. And just be happy! I’d rather do something that I love than hate my life every day going to work. So I try to instill that in them, for sure.”

Lauren Temarantz-Maga, 2001
Owner, R Bar and Grill
Owner, enVie Boutique