Owning and operating is work and Brenton is no stranger to either of those.
Brenton Land is an owner/operator that doesn’t believe in Defeat. His little bar, The VIG Bar is located in the neighborhood of Nolita in NYC… and although it’s not packed with square footage – it’s packed with people every night. In a time where bars take themselves a little too seriously, VIG bar pokes fun at trends and makes sure that there is plenty of fun to be had.
After bartending at this bar for year he became a partner right before the pandemic. Like most bartenders and hospitality workers, we were crippled, but this wouldn’t slow down his determination to figure out solutions to daily problems. As food was a requirement through the shutdowns Brenton dialed into Lombardi’s (who’s claim is America’s First Pizzeria) to strike a deal in which they provided for each other. The VIG Bar would call in orders for patrons and Lombardi’s would sell an additional 100 pizzas per week.
We dive deeper into why it was time to renovate the classically wooden facade and begin to move what was known to be a “bar-bar” of the old days into the powerhouse of fun and youthful energy it harnesses today. How many bars have you ever walked into where your cocktail list is a Question and Answer section designed to poke fun at those “mixologists” that take themselves far too seriously.