Meet Krista Barrella | Bar & Restaurant Operator

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

Hi Krista, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
I have many but one that has stood out to me over the years is “Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation” What I like about this quote is it that it displays that lack is simply not part of the equation. It is through hard work in preparing for when the opportunity you have been waiting for arrives not luck, not chance.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career ultimately started when I was 16 with my first job as a hostess. Since then, I have always gravitated towards the bar & restaurant industry. After I moved from New Jersey to San Diego, I got my start in the Pacific Beach Hospitality community as I put myself through college. This of course blossomed into a budding Management career with the Verant Group and ultimately, Ownership of bar Ella! My first bar and restaurant in tribute to my family, the Barrella’s. Has it been easy? No. They say nothing worth having is easy though, right? Ownership has come with a whole new set of challenges that in year one have been plentiful. My team and I have worked tirelessly to build our business from the ground up and maintain our high level of service and meet the expectations of our guests. Some lessons that I have learned is that if you want something you truly have to do it yourself. No one is going to do it for you and no one is going to work as hard as you to accomplish the goals you have set. A strong team is a compliment to the hard work required to build something from the ground up. Something that I’d love the world to know about our brand is that we are a small business and we are on the constant hunt to out perform ourselves and our competition over and over again without out pricing ourselves in our neighborhood. We understand that our guests have many many choices when it comes to food and beverage options so we are very grateful when they choose us over and over again.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, the options truly are endless. Depending on the time of year, there are so many variables as to what would be best in spending time with a best friend. An immediate stop would be the beautiful coastline of Torrey Pines State Beach. This, to me, is one of the most beautiful parts of the world where the ocean meets the cliffs, absolutely breathtaking! Follow that with an acai bowl or sandwich from Rubicon Deli, I’m a simple gal! Dinners to include bar Ella of course, Isola in La Jolla, Kettner Exchange, if we are feeling adventurous The Lion’s Share is amazing and time permitting anywhere on Convoy! What a week that would be!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am so fortunate to have been surrounded by encouraging mentors all my life. From my parents who raised me to have an incredible work ethic to coaches, the first management team I worked under and of course my current partners and peers. I always look for and appreciate the lessons learned from previous experiences and then put them into use in future situations. I also love to read, an interest I picked up from my Mother, and a standout book was recommended to me by one of my peers, written by renowned restauranteur, Danny Meyer. “Setting The Table” is a book I read annually that reignites my love for hospitality.

Website: https://www.barellapb.com

Instagram: @bar.ella.pb

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-barrella-8a635739

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barellapb/

Image Credits
Counterflow Marketing
Jim Sloan Photography