Meet Trailblazer Samantha Biszantz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Biszantz.

Samantha, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After years in the hospitality industry in positions from housekeeping to restaurant manager, I decided to open a bar in Vail with my business partner, Jeremy Campbell. We thought there might be a need for a bar like ours in Vail Village and turns out we were right! Root & Flower has been open for almost four years now, and we have dreams to expand in the very near future.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been mostly smooth. We are very fortunate. My advice is to get involved in your town or neighborhood and get to know everyone. Friends go a lot farther than foes when dealing with local governments and the powers at be.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Root & Flower Vail – what should we know?
Root & Flower is a wine bar that specializes in cocktails. That’s our joke at least because we did start as a wine bar and now cocktail sales far exceed wine sales. Our most popular drink is our Gin & Tonic made with two Colorado products – CapRock Gin & Lost Identity Floral Tonic. It is seriously unlike any gin & tonic you have ever had! I am most proud of how much the local population in Vail loves our bar, and I also love when tourists come in every day of their vacation. Vail has a very high end and well-traveled customer base so its flattering that we compete with the places they love at home. I believe it is because we not only have great products, but our staff is knowledgeable and willing to share that knowledge in a friendly, modest and fun way.

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Focus on your work, not your gender, position, age, whatever it is that differentiates you. Being in the restaurant business, you have to do everything from cleaning the bathrooms to writing the checks to greeting the customer. Never be too proud to do any job, just get the job done with a smile. You will be rewarded for it I promise.

Additionally, I would say be grateful for some (if not all!) of our female characteristics. My staff calls me “Mom” and I love that because I know its because I take care of them. We haven’t placed an employment ad once in our company’s existence because our employees feel appreciated and loved. Whether it is cash bonuses or gifts like new ski socks or random cookies I bake, there is a warm family feeling amongst our staff and we know that always starts with mama bear.

Contact Info:

• Address: 225 Wall Street #103A
  Vail, CO 81657
• Website: www.rootandflowervail.com
• Phone: 8583495024
• Email: samantha@rootandflowervail.com
• Instagram: @rootandflower
• Facebook: @rootandflowervail

Image Credit:
Charles Townsend Bessent & Kirsten Dobroth

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