Your Villa - Desert Cities - December - January 2022

Four Desert Dames’ Journey as Restauranteurs by Elizabeth Scarcella If you’ve spent any time in the Coachella Valley, you have assuredly come across the indelible imprint of Charissa Farley-Hay. Most know her for her 30 year career in the interlocking paver industry, as well as, the plethora of social and charitable events in which she has contributed. While Charissa jokes that she never thought she’d find herself as one of the first women in construction in SoCal, she also did not imagine running a highly acclaimed restaurant and bar. While these businesses may seem as dissimilar as protractors and rutabagas, Charissa draws on the parallels, demonstrating how the construction business set her up to nimbly cross over into running a restaurant and bar. Using the business acumen she developed from 30+ years as an entrepreneur, Charissa was unknowingly primed to take on the daunting task of re-imagining an existing restaurant concept. Like she did for Farley Pavers, it became essential that she be adept at putting in fool proof processes to catch costly mistakes, groom raw and skilled talent, surround herself with like-minded staŠ that also have a passion for exemplary service, and most importantly, uphold a strong company culture. Before endeavoring into restaurant ownership, Charissa admits that she naively believed that her passion for food, wine, ethnobotany and global travel prepared her to step into the role as restaurateur. However, she was quickly humbled to discover that cooking for a party of six in her home kitchen does not translate to the demands placed on a commercial kitchen that pumps out food for 200 nightly. At the intersection of “oh crap” and “I’ve got this” is where Charissa shines. While others may have decided they have no business venturing into an unknown business, Charissa is not one to take “no” for an answer, especially when it was the power of love that propelled Charissa even deeper into her “can do” drive and determination. Soon after meeting Bill Hay, who would became her husband, Charissa discovered their skills and passions combined might create a new vibe in the desert at Wildest Restaurant and Bar, which was originally founded as Wildest Greens by the Valley’s beloved Denise Duberry-Hay. Knowing that she is among top local female culinary proprietors, Chairssa proudly says “I am flattered to be in the company of the extraordinary women I have so long looked up to in this industry— Dodi Henry of The Nest, June Trubee of Jillians, and Connie Cultaro from La Spiga.” Charissa looks to their leadership and innate abilities to glean valuable lessons that only come from years served in the restaurant industry. Unlike the Grand Dames of Coachella Valley Culinary , Charissa realizes she is at a young stage of restaurant ownership, and therefore, admires the women who own and operate an eating establishment in our community. Upon examination, it became evident that these “Grand Dames” have three remarkable traits in common— they co-own the business with their husbands, they have a contagious love for serving others well and all have found enduring success having been championed by other strong and powerful women. Dodi Henry, an 11 year restaurant veteran, who owns ‘The Nest’ with her husband Kevin, remembers beginning her career at her uncle’s restaurant 48 years ago. It was in the culinary industry that she met her husband, who she worked with at three other establishments before taking over ownership of The Nest. When asked what drives her to keep showing up day after day, she aptly said,”to make others happy”. She also noted that providing a better life for their three grown sons is yet another compelling reason. Analogous to the other Grand Dames, Dodi notes that it was a strong female presence in her life that assisted her greatly in forwarding her career. For her, it is her mom. Dodi is still using her mom’s Bosnian recipes that continue to satisfy her customer’s palate. Whereas, June Trubee, along with her husband Jay, has owned Jillian’s since 1994. Named after their then 1.5 year old daughter, June reminisced about first seeing the venue that would become a dream realized for her culinary trained chef husband. She too says it’s the love of seeing her customer’s satisfaction that drives her to continued improvement. Claiming “common sense” as her secret ingredient, June says that has enabled her to navigate through the ebbs and flow of business. June has an aptitude of surrounding herself with good people, including her two grown daughters and her mentor, Patricia. She fondly recollects how she admired Patricia, a well respected chef, FOR THE LOVE OF IT 8 | YourVilla Magazine