In mid-March when California restaurants were forced to close, owner Tony Monaco and his team adapted quickly to produce dishes that would travel and hold up well for customers to enjoy at home. But the Blind Pig Kitchen + Bar is so well known for its custom craft cocktails, they immediately received orders for pre-batched cocktails with all the fixings. And not to be left out, craft beer lovers attempted to “Kill the Keg” Tuesdays through Saturdays by ordering a beer or two (or brought their own growler to fill up) to earn an exclusive Blind Pig t-shirt.
“We wanted to bring the same experience our guests would receive at the restaurant,” said Monaco. “It was really important for us to maintain service and quality while still upholding the social distancing regulations.”
The gratitude from guests and community was overwhelming, Monaco says. “We’re so fortunate to operate in close-knit communities that help one another when times get tough. Every order, every tag, post, message, and comment on social media has meant the world to us and fueled us on.” That generosity flowed back as The Blind Pig offered 50 free lunches each day to families in need.
As this first Father’s Day is celebrated at The Blind Pig Kitchen + Bar in Yorba Linda, it feels like a celebration of family in many ways. “My father is a business owner as well who cultivates a family-like culture with his employees, and I feel the same way,” says Monaco. Growing up Tony always felt supported by his dad who coached almost every sport he played, support that continues to inspire him to keep The Blind Pig team going. “He was always the coach that fired the team up with the pregame speech, which was usually just as hilarious as it was inspiring!”
“It’s been extremely rewarding to dream up this idea of a restaurant, navigate the process of executing it, build a central team to support it, and, as an end result, thrive as a business in a community,” says Monaco. “The Blind Pig is a close-knit family I value as much as my own.” At the end of the day, The Blind Pig Kitchen + Bar is a “Go-Team!” kind of place that feeds the family and community, who feed that love right back into it.