Working Classic is a term coined by the illustrious Mark Brickey some years back on an Adventures in Design podcast interview to describe the type of shop SOP is, and boy howdy it really caught on. It's been the best way we've heard to describe the type of garments we offer--ones that can work hard with you and be in style years from now while the fashion trends come and go.
Today, we're really happy to finally bring to life an idea we've had for a long, long time. Working Classic will be a regularly occurring feature here on the SOP blog that features customer/ friends (aka "friendstomers") doing cool shit in cool shit. It's intended to be a mini extension of how much our customers inspire us day after day through their hard work, creativity, kindness, and passion for their trade. Ya'll already know us, now here's some of our peeps:
Volume One:
Phil Pretty, Chef/ Partner at Restauration in Long Beach, CA
Q: Was becoming a chef/ restauranteur always your path and what originally drew you to working in the kitchen?
A: The kitchen camaraderie is always what drew me to the kitchen, but creativity is what shaped my path as a chef/ restaurateur.
Q: What about the opportunity at Restauration brought you back to Long Beach after working in LA so many years?
A: The opportunity to cook in my own home town in a way that no one was doing is ultimately what brought me to Restauration.
Q: Tell us about the farm you own/ operate in North Long Beach. What's grown there and what kinds of events are you hosting?
A: We have a farm in town called Organic Harvest Garden where we grow about 40% of the produce we use at Restauration. We also use the farm as an event space where we serve a true farm-to-table experience.
Q: What's next for yourself and Restauration?
A: Next for me is a new secret concept. As for Restaurantion, we are going to continue to grow our farm in size as well as continuing to source as close to home as possible.
Q: What's the last album you bought?
A: Kendrick Lamar "DAMN." So fucking good!