Picture above from left – Bryan Dias of The NOLADrinks Show and Turning Tables’ Geoffrey Wilson, Tyrē Brown, Ari Nicholas, Touré Folkes, Francisco Miralda, Chelsea Reid, and Shaun Williams at Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits in the Bywater of New Orleans.

Hey, All! We’re back with new shows here in 2024! And we’re excited to kick things off with one of our favorite interviews to bring you – our annual Turning Tables show! As we’ve done before, we chat with leaders from the organization as well as recent graduates from the program.

We are at the fine wine bar and retailer, Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits located in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans – thanks to them for their terrific hospitality!

In our first segment, we chat with members of the organization’s leadership – Touré Folkes, their founder, Geoffrey Wilson, Shaun Williams, and Ari Nicholas. For those not familiar with Turning Tables, they let us know a bit about the organization, its history, and mission. They provide education and programs for black and brown individuals who are looking to get into or continue to build a career in the bartending, hospitality, and drinks business industries. They advocate for “equity, diversity, leadership, and career pathways in the bartending community.” We also talk about how they have grown, their amazing success in continuing to achieve their mission, and more!

Pictured above from left – Touré Folkes, Shaun Williams, Bryan Dias, Geoffrey Wilson, and Ari Nicholas.

Pictured above from left – Tyrē Brown, Chelsea Reid, Bryan Dias, and Francisco Miralda.

In the second round, Touré sticks with us while three recent graduate externs – Francisco Miralda, Chelsea Reid, and Tyrē Brown. We discuss their experiences in the program, what drove them to get involved and apply for this highly competitive opportunity, and their enthusiasm for and interests in the industry. As with every cohort to pass through Turning Tables, this group is full of talented and passionate individuals!

If you’ve ever heard any of our previous Turning Tables shows, this one is no exception – there is lots of important conversations paired with some good laughs, too!

Connect with Turning Tables and Bacchanal on Instagram.

Cheers and Be Well, You All!

~ Bryan

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