Meet B&V Whiskey Bar and Grille's Codi Binkley, one of North Bay Business Journal's 2019 Forty Under 40

April 29, 2019

Codi Binkley, 39, owner of B&V Whiskey Bar and Grille in Sonoma, is one of North Bay Business Journal's Forty Under 40 notable young professionals for 2019.

Responsibilities with your company: I run the whole company 363 days a year. I do Management, hiring, day to day operations, maintenance, sometimes cooking, bussing, serving, bartending, dishwashing and much more.

How do you exemplify the spirit of being a top Forty Under 40 professional?: This would be an amazing opportunity to receive this award and show the youth in our community that hard work and dedication pays off.

Years with company: 7

Length of time in current position: 7

Employees: 35

Number who report to you:35

Greatest professional accomplishment: My great professional accomplishments. I started my first business at the age of 21 in Santa Cruz California with a band called Rockbottom Blues playing professional shows up 24 times a month with bands like the Doobie Brothers, Etta James, Los Lobos and many more. Then Moved to San Francisco started a band called the Whiskey Thieves continued playing and managing full US Tours with bands like Journey, Taj Mahal, Joe Cocker and many more.

As I started to get a little older had my first son named Jaden and wanted to be home more. So I started my first event planning, audio visual business called HomeGrown Grooves. As that became more popular. I had always wanted to start a pedicab company. As I had seen in my other states and countries while on tour.

So next I launched Sonoma Pedi this was the states first ever wine tasting pedicab company. I had 6 cabs running 12 tours a day going to 3 wineries cheese tasting then chocolate tasting then dropped off back on the Sonoma Plaza. At this same time I was also working on the board with the butterfly Child foundation for a dear friend named Cody Cordallas. He had a rare disease call Epidermolysis bullosa.

So I planned events, car show, dinners every 6 six months to make sure he had is own home and all bills paid. Then in 2012 I started working on a project on the Sonoma Plaza originally called Burgers and Vine trying to bring a high end burger slash music venues to the historic Sonoma Plaza.

This has been open for 5 years on February 22nd 2019. I also started a professional painting company last October 2018 called Sonoma Valley Painting Company. I have also raised 100's of thousand of dollars for organizations in these years such as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Aids walk every year, Boys and Girls club, Sonoma Valley high School Sports, Band, Baseball, Native Sons of California, Mentor Sonoma, and so much more. Thanks again

Greatest professional challenge: The greatest professional challenge has to be running a successful restaurant for five years on the Sonoma Plaza. This has had its shares of ups and downs but by far the hardest challenge I have ever faced.

Best advice received: If you don't drive your business, You will be driven out of business.

Single most important event in your professional life in the last 12 months: The single most important event in my life in the last 12 months is hitting our milestone for the restaurant being open for 5 years and overly exceeding our expectations.

What steps is your company taking to sustain your organization and morale in the current economy?: The steps we are talking to sustain our organization is to stay connected with the constant change in community and economy. Such as living wage, providing an amazing work place and giving them the best tools they need to be there best.

Next professional goal?: My next professional goal is to pick a local organization to dedicated myself to help provide growth and teach my sons that every little bit helps. Then after that start my own brand of spirits and wine label.

Education: Sonoma Valley High school, SRJC, Cuesta Junior College, Cabrillo Junior College

Hometown: Sonoma

Community/nonprofit activities: Sonoma Boys and Girls Club, Native Sons of California

Mentor/admired businessperson: Dean Bierschs, owner of Hopmonk. Earl Gordon, owner of Earls Electric. Lisa Binkley, senior vice president of National Credit Reporting Service Inc.

What is your most disliked buzzword?: Yelp

Typical day at the office: Starts off with doing all the paperwork from the night before. Then adjusting all banks for the bartenders am and pm. Then all social networking for the specials and happy hour. Then contacting all catering, weddings, after parties, etc. The list just keeps going on and on.

Best place to work outside of your office: Across the street in the Historical Sonoma Plaza because my WIFI reaches there and its beautiful.

Hobbies: Music, coaching my son's sports teams, biking, swimming, painting, writing and many more.

What you wanted to be when you grew up?: I wanted to be just like my parents a professional musician.

#1 thing you want to accomplish by the time you turn 40: I want to start another business.

First job: I was 14 working at the Sonoma Golf club washing carts and sometimes a caddy.

Meet B&V Whiskey Bar and Grille's Codi Binkley, one of North Bay Business Journal's 2019 Forty Under 40

Forty Under 40 winner

Forty Under 40 winner