Meet Quin Cody | Restaurant Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Quin Cody and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Quin, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
The concept of work-life balance, as presented by our country, is something we struggle with regularly. I’m not sure it actually exists as something obtainable, but rather as something we strive for. As self-starting entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry, the traditional notion of work-life balance doesn’t exist for us, or at least not in the terms most people would understand. They may not know what it’s like to have your team be your family and your business be your home. We have the privilege of host our community and beyond every night and celebrate with them every life change. We have no plans to live outside of The Alchemists’ Garden for the first 5 years. We walked into this with a love for what we do and what we can bring to our community; that’s what balances us. Not to say that we don’t get worn down from it all, but that’s the price you pay to be in this industry that gives so much.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We all enter hospitality for different reasons. Each of us, the owners of The Alchemists’ Garden, had different plans for our lives. Whether it was to become a doctor or engineer, but every once in a while, someone who joins the food and beverage industry as a means to an end falls madly in love with it. It’s something that is hard to put into words. The best way I can describe it is to compare it to that moment when you take your first bite of the most delicious dish and your taste buds sing, and your whole body responds, lighting up your face. For us, I think that’s what this industry is. It caught us unaware and held us captive.

We have chosen to take the finer points of our collective 75 years in this industry and bring them into The Alchemists’ Garden to create something new. With a passion for elevated cocktails and food that looks as good as it tastes, we dreamed of this place for years before it opened. Just four bartenders drinking rum on a beach in Puerto Rico during a bartending convention named Tales of The Cocktails. The Alchemists’ Garden origin story is very much a story of everything falling apart to become something entirely different. This makes more sense after I tell you we signed papers and received keys to our restaurant and cocktail bar in 2020, two weeks before the whole world stopped. But we were raised by this industry; pivoting and hard work were nothing new to us. So we set to it, doing most of the renovations ourselves while creating a brand that inspired us and we hoped would inspire others. In August of 2020, we opened our doors. Or rather, we moved our tables to the streets like many restaurants at the time and offered our community some comfort in those unsure times. After years of relationship building and pouring drinks for the people of Paso Robles, it was really amazing to watch them rally around us to help carry us through.

Here we are, four years later. Choosing each day to educate ourselves and push farther to bring each creative and delicious item on our menus to our community and its visitors. We have learned that it’s less about reinventing the wheel and more about how far it can take you and who is there with you on the journey.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, honestly, in Paso Robles, that is so hard! We have over 300 wineries and a culinary scene to match it. First, I would beg them for more than just a day. Then, I would give them a list that looked something like this: Rava, because only the best days start with bubbles; Wine Shine Distillery; then Etto pasta bar; J Dusi; Cairjn; Lazarre; McPryce Meyers; and Les Petites Canailles. Not to mention Sensorio and ziplining, the scenic drives and hikes all up and down the coast line. I really do love the Central Coast.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I can’t imagine ever reaching this point without all of the women in my life: my grandmother, who was a woman ahead of her time, heading up a male-dominated workplace when she wasn’t even allowed to have her own bank account; my mother, who never let anything stop her even as a single mother; my soul sister, who dreams hard and works even harder. She, on her personal journey, saw a gaping need for healing in the female community and, using her career in photography, started a retreat called Persephanie Unleashed to help women from all walks of life find joy in the journey of just being. My business partner, Alexandra Pellot, whose endless focus and drive has been the light guiding all of us at The Alchemists’ Garden.

Website: https://www.alchemistsgarden.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alchemistsgardenca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alchemistsgardenca

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-alchemists-garden-paso-robles

Image Credits
Sarah Kathleen