Meet Erica Abell: Head Chef & owner

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

Hi Erica, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind opening up our own business, The Burbank Pub, was to own/work at a restaurant that is part of the community. I’ve spent over a decade building a family from the staff I work with as well as our guests.

What should our readers know about your business?
The Burbank Pub is a pirate themed pub with tiki influences. We were hoping to transition more towards being a larger tiki bar but since the pandemic it’s been hard to move forward. We are looking for a bigger brighter tropical future! All three of us, (Walker, Frank and myself) have been working in the restaurant industry for quite some time. Lots of hard work, sweat, tears and passion has gotten us where we are business wise today. Starting something especially a restaurant from scratch way not easy. The pandemic is and was a big kick in the butt for our industry. This is what I have always wanted to do. I’ve learned you can’t give up! Push yourself and help push others to move forward. “Everyone has got to realise you can’t hold onto the past if you want any future. Each second should lead to the next one.”
— Joe Strummer

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.
Obviously besides The Burbank Pub, some of my favorite places in Los Angeles would be The Magic Castle, Tiki Ti and Tonga Hut for cocktails, Coles for a French dip and classic cocktails as well as live music, The Mermaid and Animal…. so many options. 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 had so many influences it’s hard to narrow it down…. but if I have to pick one, I would give a shout out to my father. He introduced me to music, food and he let me be me. Showed me that I could be a strong female and not to let anything stop me.

My wonderful husband Walker Roach as well as our business partner Frank Howell deserve a big amount of credit for helping get our dream off the ground! The Burbank Pub is a team.

Website: Www.theburbankpub.com

Instagram: The_burbank_pub

Twitter: Theburbankpub1

Facebook: Facebook.com/theburbankpub

Yelp: The Burbank pub