Caitlyn Johnson takes away the work and worry of special events with a wave of her magic wand. At least, that’s what customers think.
In reality, The Barrel’s general manager puts in a lot of hard work behind the scenes. But her strict organization, keen eye and impeccable sense of style are her pixie dust.
“That’s what I love about it,” Johnson said. “Our customers want to do something, but they’re busy. They want to make it special, but they’re stressed out.”
Johnson eliminates the worry and stress for planning events, promising exquisite menus, delicious drinks and enchanting settings.
“Between The Barrel, The Cork Club Lounge [in The Barrel] and The Bartonville Tavern, we have the perfect event space for any occasion between the different concepts,” Johnson said.
Once described as “all business” by The Barrel’s owner Brandon Bohannan, Johnson joined the staff a little more than a year ago, and in addition to event planning, she also oversees staffing and the restaurant’s social media platforms.
The hospitality industry was a career switch for the busy wife and mother, who worked as an operations manager for emergency rooms for a decade.
“It’s been a good change,” she said. “It’s been fun to help create so many celebrations.”
Johnson has planned all types of special events, including corporate lunches, birthday parties, wedding rehearsal dinners, baby showers, happy hours and dinner events.
“We really do a little bit of everything,” she said. “And that’s what I enjoy; we can customize it for them.”
Johnson said she and her team can provide food, drinks, decorations and even live music – all with personalized details.
“Depending on the event, we do customized menus – food or drinks,” she said. “I’ve also done a his and her cocktail for weddings and featured cocktails on birthdays, too, based on the guest of honor’s favorites.”
Johnson said the best aspect of the job is forming bonds with people. In the span of a year, she’s seen the children of their regulars grow and change, and she’s helped plan wedding dinners and luncheons with hopes of one day celebrating the anniversaries of those same couples.
“I love that we’re local and community-centered,” she said.
Although Johnson had never considered planning events professionally, the restaurant world has provided the perfect avenue to indulge her creativity and connect with the community.
“I’ve enjoyed being able to put it all together,” she said. “I have a great chef, a great mixologist and our owner and assistant manager is a florist. When you have that team that you can piece together, you think, ‘why not?’”
“That’s what I love about it. Our customers want to do something, but they’re busy. They want to make it special, but they’re stressed out.” Caitlyn Johnson