Meet Jonathan Miles | Food & Beverage Consultant, Global Expansion Director for BTGCCO, Bartender, & Mixologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jonathan Miles and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jonathan, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. Had I not taken a chance on myself and taken a job offering out of state I would’ve missed a really great opportunity to grow. Assessing risk is the machete that I use to clear my path during my journey in entrepreneurship. The experience from risk seep into my life and I’m able to pour into others and business to help them grow. If you push through that feeling of being scared and actually jump, really amazing things can happen.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Honestly, my journey to where I am today is not conventional. After high school, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. Military wasn’t for me nor was getting a trade and inspiration in my hometown was far and few in between. I went to school for nursing, during my requisites, I ended up meeting a CRNA. She got me into a shadowing program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where I got to be in the OR and saw a few surgeries. Although it was very exciting, my newfound interest came to a simmer when the CRNA and I spoke about the ROI. I lost interest. I switched majors, but by that time the passion for schooling was gone and I dropped out. My parents were disappointed; however, I had a plan(or so I thought). I did logistics for a bit and soon realized being in an office wasn’t for me either. Throughout those years my success came from bartending and doing private events so I started my private bartending business. Fast forward to today I have my own food and beverage consulting business, as well as private event company, and a director role with Bridging The Gap Coffee Company. I wouldn’t say anything was easy and I failed a lot during those times, but failure and disappointment only last for so long and those lessons you get during those times are what’s going to propel you forward.
Now with my role at Bridging the Gap Coffee Company I bring a tenacity and resilience to help grow our company. In just six months, we transformed a mere whiteboard concept into a reality by personally importing specialty Kenyan coffee! Not only are we expanding Bridging The Gap Coffee Company, but we’re also using it as a vessel to dive into mentorship and other avenues of community activism. It’s not just about coffee; it’s about creating positive change and uplifting those around us That’s what I want the world to know about my brand and story.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting we’d absolutely have to have a night at Marcel and end the night drinking cocktails at Holiday Bar. Two of my personal favorite places in the city. Other than that we’d have to stop by Rock Steady and see my friends there, but specifically my guy David Gary. He’s a phenomenal bartender. Another night I’d take her to Tulum to visit my friends there Jazmyn Green and Guy Lacossade who are some killer bartenders. Tulum and Rock Steady are great spots because of the people that work there. Easily some of the better staff in the city. We’d fill the rest of the days with a few beltline trips and restaurants. But the last night I am visiting my first friend I ever made when I moved out to the city Darnell at Spondivits. That’s my guy so we’d end the week with a bang!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Outside of my loving parents who taught me through example what resilience and hard work are. Two individuals named Maricus Cobb and Andrew Spencer really got the ball rolling for me when they asked if I was interested in shifting gears from bartending to operations. The knowledge I got from them and their company Yahweh Hospitality essentially put the battery in my back. Glenn and Doris Phillips, two people whose kind words and mentorship pushed me to continuously think outside of the box in my early 20’s and not accept anything less of excellence. There are so many other people I would like to thank as well, such as my godmother Robin Philson, friends, my siblings, but specifically my friend Tyrome Bivins. Tyrome had a vision and asked for my hand to help build a coffee company. We’ve been rolling ever since with its expansion. The team he’s built and where we are going is incredible, I couldn’t be more proud. All glory to God for the people he’s put into my life.

Website: https://www.btgcoffeecompany.com/

Instagram: @thej_miles

Other: Additional IG:

@superstartenderpro
@btgcco

Articles of me:

https://thirstymag.com/introducing-the-gentleman-jack-culture-shakers-atlanta-2024/

Image Credits
Photo credits(Instagram):

@ibholley
@tyromedb_
@nyxxevrlstng