Meet Vanessa Pozzobon | Operating Owner of Mission Bar

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

Hi Vanessa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I took a risk with Mission Bar, and it was one of the best risks I have ever taken. I was living in Australia and going through some health issues and wanted to come home for a little while to be around family. I called my friend and let them know that I was going to be home for a while to see if they had any work available for me while I was back. They called 3 days into me being back and told me they had an opportunity for me. I came and met them at Mission Bar, was asked to help them set it up, help open the bar and I accepted the role. A month of being back and being at Mission Bar, I was feeling better, my health was better, and I was genuinely happier. 4 months after opening, they put me in charge of running the bar and 1 year or so in they offered me ownership and I became the operating partner of Mission Bar.

Should I not have taken the risk of leaving my life in Australia and coming home and meeting with my friend at Mission Bar, who knows where my life would be, but I am so grateful for the opportunity I was offered of being co-owner of Mission and being a part of Downtown Santa Ana. All the people I have met, and the friendships and relationships made at Mission Bar really warms my heart. The risk I took to move back home and be a part of Mission Bar really saved me in a sense and has made me grow and accomplish dreams I never thought I could have.

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?
Mission Bar is a craft beer bar in Downtown Santa Ana. We have 42 taps of different beers, all independently owned and operated breweries. We have 2 pool tables and host vinyl record nights, karaoke, a cumbia night and show all the UFC fights.

I got where I am today with the support and opportunity I was given by my business partners. They trusted me to take over and make Mission Bar what it is today and staple in downtown Santa Ana and your local beer bar. There were lots of challenges opening a bar in an area you didn’t grow up in but so quickly we were welcomed and have now celebrated 7 years of success thanks to all our customers that support us. Covid days was a challenge to figure out ways to keep striving, we sold growlers to go and then once outdoor dining was allowed, I asked the City if they can allow us to use an alleyway next to the bar to be able to set up outside events, dancing events, bands and vendor pop-ups, one of which our friend Melissa Resendiz would host. We teamed up with lots of local food trucks and food pop-ups and thankfully they accepted and we were able to still strive in hard times.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take to downtown Santa Ana. There are so many amazing places to go in Santa Ana, from coffee at Corazon Coffee Bar, to lunch or dinner at Perlas, Chapter One, Lolas and even a slice of pizza at Loosies. There are so many options to choose from.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Without the love of my family, I wouldn’t be who I am and I thank them for giving me the support and love to keep going everyday. My father is one of the hardest working people I know and I get my work ethic from him so I am so thankful for him always doing all he did for us and showing me what you can accomplish by working hard.

My partners in Mission Bar for always being supportive of me believing in me, trusting me and giving me opportunities I never would have thought I could accomplish.

The community of Downtown Santa Ana for welcoming me and Mission Bar to the neighborhood. A business cannot be successful without the support of the community as well as the amazing team we have at Mission Bar.

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

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

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mission-bar-santa-ana

Image Credits
Michelada photo with michie bottle, photo credit: Hector Gomez