We had the good fortune of connecting with Dali Parker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dali, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I truly feel that one habit that attributed to my success is showing up daily. What I mean by that is a sense of consistency. Simply having the discipline to show up. This shows a habit of dedication.

And secondly the habit of gratitude. It is easy to down a negative thought- but rather instead choosing a better feeling thought aligned with a moment of gratefulness stating “I am so lucky I get to do this…”

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Chula Vista Brewery and Chula Vista Brewery of Eastlake are your local neighborhood breweries of the South Bay. When we first opened in 2017, we created our space with the intent to be communal. Our long open tables showcase that. We wanted to create a space that is welcoming, that feels inviting. With beer, well we know beer brings people of all backgrounds together. We knew at this time, our community lacked such a space so we created it in terms of wanting good solid brews, a warm space to serve good people that drink good beer, in our neighborhood.

Was it an easy thing to do? Absolutely not! I truly feel we had to jump through so many loops to make this happen. Back when we started, gaining capital was a large issue. Aside from not having any investors, simply my husband and I. Big banks were not helpful to small start ups like us that were considered risky. We truly believe in working with your local neighborhood banks that are a part of your community because they are invested in your neighborhoods growth like you.

Anyone can open a business, the challenge remains in keeping it open.

Many people don’t know Chula Vista Brewery is the only Black (and I like to say Brown owned too), brewery in San Diego. We are Veteran owned and operated. San Diego is known as the “Capital of Craft” and is home to over 150+ respected breweries. Only one is Black owned and latino owned, well the count is extremely small here too- only 2 or 3. We have a huge task ahead of ourselves in terms of us needing to change this. Where does this start? I like to help by providing education, resources, jobs, training and much more in my community by proactively showing up every day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First place I would host is our CVB Mariachi Sundays at our 3rd ave location. This is a South Bay must. Every Sunday 3pm-7pm, Mariachi Diamante de San Diego blesses us with amazing sounds.

Secondly I would take them for coffee and dessert to MMM Cakes on our local 3rd Avenue downtown strip.

For Lunch or Dinner, I would showcase one of my 3rd ave favorites, Teriyaki Grill- this is hands down one of my favorite places and special gems on our block.

And finish off the weekend with a great facial or massage at Balensis- another one of my local favorites.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow! What a deep question. It really does always take a tribe to come to a collective success. For me personally, my family has always been the anchor of my grit.

It goes to the simple task to listen to what’s upcoming, or what was coming- even when it was just a far fetched idea that I could clearly see and envision in my mind- and, instead of projecting their fears, or anxieties and doubts to me- they simply listened, smiled and encouraged me.

This for me started since I was a little girl, where my mother would look at me and tell me how smart I was, and how she would rave to all her friends on how smart her daughter was- in those moments I truly internalized those words. And it is because of that faith that was placed and rooted deeply in me, that I truly felt (and feel), like I could do anything.

Aside from that, the power of reading. I became an avid reader at a young age (again thanks to my mother) and my local school library and public library. Reading opened up my imagination and my world.

Website: www.chulavistabrewery.com

Instagram: @CVBREWERY

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.