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“Kindness + Dope Food + Clean Beverages + Sustainable Supplies” is the tagline for Field Bar, a thriving restaurant, bar, and bottle shop in Tacoma, WA, founded by Brian Hibbard.
A restauranteur and natural wine and cocktail expert, Brian first opened Field Bar in 2020 as a bottle shop, then expanded it into a restaurant in 2021. Now, Brian is focused on growing the business in a way that feels both genuine and sustainable—and he’s working closely with Black Gallina to make his goals a reality.
With Black Gallina’s help, Brian secured a competitive loan that would allow him to expand his business and spend more time focused on the things he loves: hosting people, buying wine, and brainstorming new opportunities. Below, he shares the story behind the loan and the importance of working with people who care about what you’re doing and who always have your back.
One of my mentors told me to always “pay for your blindspots.” Part of being a small business owner is recognizing that you can’t do everything yourself, but who you hire to help makes a big difference. Our previous accountant didn’t fit our needs, and that started to affect the way we did business and explored new opportunities.
I realized I needed someone who could not only guide me through the confusing world of taxes and money, but who could also help me forecast growth, outline projections, and provide guidance on how to do what I wanted to do.
Around this time, I met Caleb through a mutual connection, and I liked his approach. I’ve been so pleasantly surprised with how much Black Gallina offers, what they do, and how they have my back. But what set Black Gallina apart—aside from providing the services I needed—was their appreciation for what I was doing with Field Bar. It’s clear they don’t just do work in exchange for pay; they believe in the value of small businesses and want to help small business owners thrive.
Yes. Initially I had all these questions running through my head: should I just figure it out on my own? Is this something I can afford? Am I the right candidate for this? But I knew I didn’t want to become stagnant, and I knew Black Gallina cared about our business.
There is a lot of kindness, grace, and absolutely zero judgment from Black Gallina. They meet you where you are, and the level of dedication and care you get from working with them is awesome.
For example, they always alert me of available loans and grants for small businesses and provide guidance on whether to apply. In one scenario, I applied for a loan that would help me with future expansion.
My application was denied, and when I told Black Gallina, they asked me if they could call the underwriter (of the loan). After Black Gallina chatted with them about my application and provided them with additional documentation and information, the underwriter reversed their decision and ultimately approved my application for the loan.
Black Gallina went out of their way to do that without me asking. Their willingness to go above and beyond and go to bat for me and my business was super unique—you just wouldn’t get that with anyone else.
First off, there’s a general lack of anxiety and stress. I don’t have to worry that Black Gallina is doing things correctly. When you start working with them, you get the immediate feeling that a) they care about you b) you don’t need to worry c) deadlines are not as important as you think. There’s a lot of humility and integrity that makes it refreshing to work with them.
Black Gallina also humanizes money, which helps me not feel like a robot in the process of running a business. I’m still learning how to utilize the freedom that comes with having Black Gallina on my side, but being able to focus on the areas I love and learning how to grow with my employees and business has been the most valuable change so far. It’s really nice to have someone who has my back.