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HERE & NOW

LA'S NEXT GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD BAR SAN GABRIEL

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ACAPULCO BLEU

bar developing establishment that offers other specialties at their
Va’La Hospitality office at Boyle Heights.
Va’La the name as described by Diaz represents his home
DAMIAN DIAZ MIXING IT UP town in The Bay of Vallejo, along with Aaron and Othon’s Los
Angeles home roots. The combination of childhood hometowns
itrus scents linger in the air as the bartender finishes created the perfect name of Va for Valle and La for-Los Angeles,
up an old-fashioned ready to be sent out to a customer resulting in Va’La Hospitality.
Cdressed in a suit, he sways to the beat of the music with Va’La was created with the incentive of gathering their individual
his arms opened wide as he smiles and greets, “Welcome.”
and united talents accumulated from years of experience as
Damian Diaz is behind the bar, hair tied up, he can’t be missed bartenders, consultants, and much more says Nolasco.
wearing a black tee-shirt with the iconic scene of “Ham” Va’La is described by the trio as their home office and their
standing with a baseball bat from the film “The Sandlot.” “ABC “baby,” what was built with their bare hands and where they
from The Jackson Five” fills the dim lit room, while Othón spent days hammering at walls to develop a functional bar. The
Nolasco is bussing tables and Aaron Melendrez hands customer's team lost countless hours of sleep and spent plenty of free time
menus.
building DIY projects with minimal income and no job offerings
The Va’La Hospitality guys are working and smiling from ear-to- at the time.
ear they are the three new co-owners of the former Westbound “We finally joined forces and we literally couldn’t get a fucken gig
and have partnered up with previous owner Sarah Meade. The and we had this hospitality company,”
popular location at The Art District of Los Angeles has been
revamped and now offers a new cocktail menu along with a full said Nolasco. “All we were doing was meeting every day at
kitchen led by chef Geo Delgado. our office, we were going over proposals, we spent $10,000 we
didn’t have at the time on a logo and website we wanted for our
The new Here & Now bar is open after months of preparation company.”
following the previous bars closure. The former Westbound was
opened for two years when Meade chose to shut it down, many After years of being part of the bartending industry and spending
customers were upset including the Va’La Hospitality guys. countless hours’ negotiating proposals with clients, the Va’La trio
expresses their choice to treat others and their crafts with respect,
Sarah Meade is not just a business partner explained Diaz, she is as they demand for others to do for them as well.
a close friend they have come to trust and care for after becoming
regulars at her previous bar. The closing choice affected Nolasco, We can’t on one end expect people to respect us
Melendrez and Diaz in a personal manner and they found and then at the same time fuck someone over for
themselves feeling eager to step in and revamp the location and “a bargain price because we have leverage” said
do whatever had to be done to keep the bar running. Nolasco.

“We all came together like the Power Rangers so to speak, Aaron, Although their Va’La Hospitality development was not an easy
myself, Othón and Sarah,” said Diaz with a smirk. journey Nolasco, Melendrez and Diaz believe that the lessons
and time spent waiting for their “big break” was an accumulation
Melendrez, Diaz and Nolasco are co-owners of a consulting and

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