May 1, 2017

Meet Sam Rokoff of Bridget McNeills in Lakeview

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Rokoff.

Sam, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Obviously the story consists of many chapters. The abridged version is that I got recruited to help open up a hotel on the North Shore in Chicago and moved to Lakeview from the Boston area. While living in Lakeview, I would often frequent the local establishments. After all, many people in service, hospitality, and customer service unwind over drinks. One day, a lovely lady entered the bar that I was at (Bridget McNeills) and after months of trying to informally impress her, she finally accepted an invitation to go on a date (to a Cubs game). Turned out, we both lived close to Bridget’s so we’d cross paths every couple days. One thing led to another and we started dating. A year or so later, I was looking for a job closer to home and was speaking with the current owner of Bridget’s. Over time, it became apparent that he wanted to sell the business and we decided to set up a purchase program and buy the place. Needless to say there have been ups and downs and, although the driving decision to purchase the place was business related, we like to share the romantic aspect every once in a while. Of course, my younger years, mentors, parents, education, friends and investors all play(ed) a key role in ‘my story.’

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an smooth road overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Small business ownership should not ever be described as a smooth road. Maybe it’s more like our wonderful roads in Chicago. Some days, it is easy street, other days…you better watch out for the crater sized pot holes! In the beginning, learning the ins and out of the industry, how to properly maintain the equipment, and being both a friend, boss, and employer all at the same time was no small task. One of the hardest challenges we’ve had to overcome came this past fall. While others were excited about the Cubs World Series, our team was mourning, as we lost two wonderful employees within a week. One longtime neighborhood bartender passed away unexpectedly and a very young, up and coming chef who recently moved to the area had complications during what was described as a ‘routine’ surgery.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Bridget McNeills – what should we know?
Our business is that of a small neighborhood bar and kitchen. Our food is fresh and prepared with love by a veteran staff. We specialize in elevated comfort food. Nothing with micro greens nor olives in the meatloaf, but very good, American, pub fare. I’m most proud of the smiles and stories that customers share with us and the relationship the team has with our community. It’s the spot that people first come to after being out of town for a few days, it’s the spot that people take their out of town friends to- ‘to show them the neighborhood’, it’s a place that welcomes everyone, from all walks of life (much like Lakeview). What sets us apart? Well, that’s a loaded question as it’s in the eyes of the customer, in my opinion. However, our customer oriented perspective, willingness to be flexible and ability to accommodate any reasonable request is what sets us apart. There isn’t a chef in the kitchen who is going to say NO substitutions.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I imagine everyone would answer this question a little differently. Of course being able to listen and the ability to stay calm during times of uncertainty are a must. As far as the most important quality or characteristic, I’d have to say my ability to be versatile is most important to our success. Each employee, each vendor, and each customer is different. Making things more challenging, even the same person might be different and require something different depending on the day. Some days I need to be a friend, other days I need to politely escort a patron out. There are countless situations each day that require the wearing of countless ‘hats’.

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