george seabolt - Hawaii Beverage Guide

GEORGE SEABOLT
BARTENDER, BAR 35
W
ith an exuberant smile,
a hearty laugh and
personality to match, is
an amazing bartender, George
Seabolt of Bar 35. His love of film:
large and small screen, allowed
him to be a Soundman for a time.
George experienced the fascinating
processes of Production, or rather
being ‘behind-the-scenes’. As a
result, he is a self-proclaimed
“behind-the scenes” guy. Taking
a step back, he noticed that the
dynamic relationships among the
employees, employers and patrons
of Bar35 were like those feelgood movies that have come to life.
Lesson being, “It’s not one person
that makes a place,” humbly states
George. Bar 35 will be celebrating its
10-year Anniversary soon.
HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE: Before
Bar 35, please give our readers a
brief history of yourself: personally
and professionally?
GEORGE SEABOLT: I’m originally
from West Virginia, the youngest of
seven siblings. Although I’m from
the mainland, this treasured value
of family, or “Ohana” was instilled in
us. I believe that they (my kids) will
pass this value on, and so forth. Our
parents raised us to be independent
while keeping a tight-knit family
unit. After graduating from high
school in West Virginia, I did a
brief stint in the Navy. As a young
twenty-something, two “rocking”
movies: Roadhouse with the lategreat Patrick Swazye, and Cocktail
with Tom Cruise, spearheaded my
Bartending career. I started out as
a Door-person for a friend’s club. In
no time, I was working behind the
bar! Over a period of years, I gained
vast knowledge and experience as I
bartended in various clubs and bars
in Charleston, WV and Huntington,
WV. I found my forte, as a Volume
Bartender savoring the ‘rush’ where
the adrenaline starts pumping, and I
get into the ‘zone’ where technique:
the combination of speed, efficiency
and accuracy, social skills: customer
service, and the concept of perfection
come into play, in order to serve 500
patrons at any moment. On a lazy
Sunday afternoon, I decided ‘out-ofthe-blue’ to move to Hawaii. A friend
agreed to come with me, and in four
months time, we were in beautiful
Oahu, HI. My first job here was at
ScooZee’s in Ward Center back in
August of 2001. In October of that
year, I began bartending part-time
at Indigo hired by Dave Stewart, who
was the co-owner of Indigo Eurasian
Cuisine and who eventually became
the owner of Bar35. In the blink of an
eye, I had been transitioned to fulltime bartender at Indigo, and had to
leave ScooZee’s behind. After four
years, Indigo unfortunately closed its
doors. However, Dave Stewart kept
me on as bartender at Bar 35 that
opened its doors in 2005 becoming
one of the first lounge-styled bars in
the heart of Chinatown.
HBG: What are the factors
responsible for the longevity and
success of Bar 35?
GS: Simply put, Bar 35 strove for the
long-term that meant putting in the
long haul of hard work, the evolving
with the times, and keeping close to
heart the concept of value and quality.
We make every effort to provide our
guests with great specials, delicious
food such as our home made-toorder pizzas using fresh and local
ingredients, quality cocktails at
great value, diversity amongst our
customers, and a safe environment.
Most important are the people that
work at Bar 35. Our bartenders
and staff are a top-notch group
with “A+” personalities that parallel
to their “A+” expertise behind
the Bar. Many a great bartender/
mixologist have made their mark
here: Alicia from Livestock Tavern,
Brandon and Justin from Manifest,
Chandra and Daniel, Tanner from
Pint+Jigger, and Joe from O’Tooles
to name a few. When you enter our
establishment, it’s as if you’re on
vacation. The atmosphere has a
mellow, yet fun vibe to it. “There’s
a good karma here, ” says George
with a vibrant vibrato in his voice. We
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