Firefly Restaurant

Conception
In 1993 Brad and Veva were working at Embarko Restaurant. Brad was a frustrated chef, and Veva was a frustrated artist and line cook. Both shared the dream of a restaurant where the food was great, the service attentive, and the atmosphere magical, where the employees were interesting and kind people, who were encouraged to be themselves and honestly offer a great dining experience. They dreamed of a restaurant where the customers felt like they were at a friend’s house for dinner and that friend just happened to be a great cook. Brad and Veva were indeed dreamers, but more importantly, they were inexperienced and naïve enough to believe they could actually pull it off.

Birth
They began searching for a place with a stove and room for some tables and chairs. What else could you need? They already had a name. After weeks of constant brainstorming and countless bad restaurant names, Brad called Veva one night and said "Firefly?" and both immediately knew that it was perfect. They walked into the restaurant known as La Roca, which in its prime was a bustling, immensely popular Latin seafood restaurant. But under different ownership, it was nearly empty every night. Both Brad and Veva really liked the setting, nestled in the blustery far-reaching outskirts, away from what most people perceive as Noe Valley. After looking around for about two minutes, Brad was ready to walk out. This was one ugly restaurant! Veva took out her sketchpad and begin making some little scribble drawings. Brad said, "let’s go". Veva said, "it could work". Besides, it was the only place they had seen that they could afford to buy.

With a few dollars left over and a couple of talented friends, they began the work of creating a dream out of a nightmare. With Veva’s resourceful vision, the dining room became a land of comfort and whimsy. With Brad’s dogged determination, the layers of caked on grease were stripped off and the ancient cooking equipment was resuscitated.

Darling Childhood
On Nov.3rd, 1993, Firefly invited their friends and family to a run-through night. They ran out of most of the food by eight o’clock; napkins and menus alike caught fire from the open flames burning on the tabletops; Brad's parents were aghast that when the bathroom door was opened, you could see inside it from the tables. The following day, Brad was thinking, "what have I done?" while Veva was hanging a regal velvet curtain to block the view to the bathroom.

Many Friends and even family were hired because Brad and Veva thought it would be so great to be surrounded by loved ones, working together to bring magic into a brief moment in their customers’ hectic lives. After a couple of weeks, they decided it would be better to hire people who actually knew what they were doing, but also the kind of people who they wanted to become their friends and family. People like Laura and Diana came to them, both who are still here and have become the spirit of the restaurant.

Awkward Adolescence
When they were looking for a restaurant, Brad and Veva were thinking that 20 seats would be nice. Then they could cook everything themselves, serve everyone themselves, and then clean up when they were done for the night. Veva would hand make all the plates and tableware, and there would even be particular plates designed for specific menu items. Suddenly they found themselves with a sixty-seat restaurant and no management experience between them. They discovered that people don’t just automatically do what you want them to without asking them. Or often even WITH asking them. They found that not all people are honest or trustworthy. They wanted to love ALL the customers and then found artwork missing from the bathroom at the end of the night. They found that when an employee didn’t show up for work, they had to work, no matter how much they had been working already. They found that often the day would leave them feeling like there was no way to go on.

But then, they began to see how beautiful their restaurant was. They felt what it was like to be appreciated by those they served. They had created a family, with all the good and bad that comes with it, and that had made it worthwhile.

Adulthood
Now Firefly has reached adulthood, but we continue to grow and learn. Karen Lo is now our manager, and we couldn’t ask for more. She has breathed new life into our aching bones, has built an incredibly proficient, caring floor staff and elevated our wine list to new heights. If you’ve been to Firefly in the last year, it’s likely that you’ve had the good fortune to be greeted by Karen’s warmth and vitality. Jan-Henry Gray is now our Chef de Cuisine. Jan came to us years ago with a lame resume and an incredible passion for cooking. We hired him as an entry level pantry cook and stood by and watched as he quickly moved his way up the Firefly culinary ladder. Jan’s creativity and sensibilities have taken Firefly’s menu to new levels of excitement and deliciousness. Brad’s wife, Jennifer, has joined the management team as Firefly’s bookkeeper and overall voice of reason. But perhaps the greatest addition to the Firefly team is Brad and Jennifer’s one year old daughter, Essie, who’s made everything fun and exciting again (if not a little harder to get things done). Veva has ventured out into the world of possibilities, but still adds her creative touch now and again. If you see a particularly inspired flower arrangement, or some beautiful new curtains gracing our walls and windows, chances are Veva’s been around. Brad is still cooking, although most often it’s for Essie.

Our 13th birthday ... Wow! Thank you for making 13 years so special! Coming soon, the latest collectable Firefly "Yummy" t-shirt celebrating the lucky 13.

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