Longtime patron and part-time employee of the Bay Bar & Grill, Brittny Beshore is now co-owner/operator along with her business partner Cliff Nelson.
“Two local kids living the dream,” she says. They bought the spot a year ago as a passion project with plans on leveling up the food, drink and overall vibe.
Nelson is a longtime manager at Bittersweet Bistro and Beshore’s industry lore and pedigree is also prolific. Her father was a bartender, so she started by working alongside him before blooming into a savvy front-of-house employee at Cafe Cruz and then managing Pono for several years.
Calling herself a very social extrovert inspired by the family camaraderie aspect of the industry, when she heard a rumor that Bay Bar was for sale, she put her hat in the ring, wanting to appreciate and improve upon the place’s legacy.
She describes her revamped Bay Bar as aesthetically pleasing with an intentional upscale sports bar ambiance, modern and minimalist with neutral beach tones and pops of teal blue. Local art, photographs and keepsakes adorn the walls, and décor is punctuated by nine TVs, a pool table and a jukebox. They also bring in top local musical artists.
Beshore highlights the food menu starting with apps like chicken wings, shrimp ceviche and her personal favorite: battered and deep-fried pickle chips with house-made ranch. Main dish specialties include the double smash burger with white cheddar and raved-about house-seasoned French fries, the fried chicken sandwich and chicken and waffle sliders. Their full bar offers a signature cocktail list featuring a diverse delicacy of libations.
What’s your goal in owning a bar you used to frequent?
BRITTNY BESHORE: I knew plenty of local bar-goers who would rarely come to the Bay Bar before I became owner. I listened to their reasons for not coming here often and decided that I wanted to elevate our local standing and make changes that would improve our public image as well as add another desirable destination in the Capitola Village.
How did the food menu come together?
We want to be a sports bar so we took commonly found bar food and focused on elevating those concepts by focusing on attention to detail and high-quality ingredients. We make as much as we possibly can from scratch, most of our menu items are in-house recipes and we really want the love that we put into the food to come through.
209 Esplanade, Capitola, 831-334-4687; baybarcapitola.com
