From Bartender to Bar Owner with Whitney Wingfield | EP229

Step into Episode 229 of On The Delo as Delo sits down with Whitney Wingfield, owner of Brick & Barley, for an honest look at what it takes to build a neighborhood bar people treat like home. A fourth-generation Arizona native who started in the bar industry at 19, Whitney shares the path from the original Dos Gringos to selling her house to buy the place where she had already worked for 13 years. The conversation gets into the work guests rarely see: staffing, repairs, regulations, responsible alcohol service, late-night calls, online reviews, and the judgment it takes to spot trouble before it starts. Whitney also explains how AZ Bartenders grew through weddings and corporate events, why responsiveness and flexibility matter, and why knowing how to make a drink is only one part of being a professional bartender. Whitney revisits Brick & Barley’s Bar Rescue experience, including what felt made for television, the publicity that still brings people in, and why she insisted that the production avoid structural changes that could create expensive compliance problems. She and Delo also talk about the bar’s community-first atmosphere, late-night food, wings, burgers, healthier options, football, and why Whitney has no desire to chase a second location. Chapter Guide (Timestamps) (0:00 - 1:57) Summer Business, World Cup Crowds, and Four Years of Ownership (1:58 - 5:42) Whitney’s Arizona Roots and Her Start at the Original Dos Gringos (5:43 - 9:29) Selling Her House, Buying the Bar, and Growing AZ Bartenders (9:30 - 12:14) What Great Bartenders Need: Responsiveness, Training, and Judgment (12:15 - 15:13) The Daily Reality of Ownership, Regulation, and Tempe Community (15:14 - 19:46) Behind Brick & Barley’s Bar Rescue Experience (19:47 - 24:02) Handling Reviews and Building a Bar Around Good, Late-Night Food (24:03 - 27:00) Why One Location Is Enough and Why an Owner Is Never Fully Off (27:01 - 30:07) Daily Non-Negotiables, Jack the Dog, Football, and 37 TVs (30:08 - 35:12) Rapid Fire: Bourbon, Yacht Rock, Gummy Nerds, Steak, and Bar Talk (35:13 - 36:13) Closing Thoughts and the Community Energy of World Cup Crowds 💬 Share your biggest takeaway in the comments, then send this episode to a bartender, restaurant owner, or local-business supporter who will relate to Whitney’s story. 👉 If you appreciate honest conversations about hospitality, ownership, and the people who make neighborhood businesses matter, hit Subscribe and turn on notifications for more episodes of On The Delo. GUEST LINKS: 💼 Whitney Wingfield on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-wingfield-391564a1 🍻 Brick & Barley Website: https://www.brickandbarleyaz.com/ 🍸 AZ Bartenders Website: https://www.azbartenders.com/ PODCAST LINKS: 🔗 Connect with Delo: https://linktr.ee/iamthedelo 📚 Grab Delo’s FREE Hospitality eBook: https://toastability-production.s3.amazonaws.com/iiaxm3o0iqiawpe96g9o5efki5gh 🤝 Delo’s Preferred Business Service Partners: https://iamthedelo.com/connect 👥 Entrepreneur Community: https://www.builtdifferentcommunity.com 📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/IAmTheDelo 📷 Instagram: https://instagram.com/iamthedelo 💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/daviddelorenzo1 🍽️ Restaurant Resources: https://www.runningrestaurants.com/subscribe DISCOUNT CODE: DeLo2025