Staff Spotlight: Meet Julianna Parsons
Mixing Experience with Heart
There’s something instantly comforting about talking to Julianna Parsons. Perhaps it's her warmth, or maybe it's the quiet confidence that comes from having built a career spanning decades, states, and various styles of hospitality. She’s the new Beverage & Bar Operations Manager at Alcove, and though she’s only been in Alpine a few days, her story already reads like a great cocktail: layered, bold, and made with intention.
Julianna's first restaurant job was at Perkins, a family-friendly breakfast chain, where she stayed for more than eight years, advancing from server to assistant general manager. But like many who start young in hospitality, she eventually wondered: "What am I doing with my life?" So, she went looking for a broader experience, and when a brand-new Olive Garden opened in her town, she jumped at the chance.
Olive Garden gave her access to something new: alcohol service. There, she expanded her skills, delving into wine, beer, and spirits, and eventually became a bartender, as well as training others, sometimes in one-on-one sessions and sometimes with groups of 40. "It was very regimented training," she says. "I learned a lot."
Over the years, Julianna's work life took on the rhythm of transformation. After a personal chapter in which she cared for her aging parents, with her father eventually moving to a 350-acre retirement property where she served as assistant director, she shifted gears again, enrolling in college courses. She juggled photography, bartending, and management and eventually earned a degree in graphic design. But she kept returning to the bar, not just for the flexibility and community, but because she genuinely loves the science behind cocktails. The way flavors and ratios come together feels like baking to her. “It’s all technique and proportion,” she explains. “It’s like your grandma’s cookies. Once she’s nailed it, she just knows.”
Julianna went on to co-open a bar in downtown Minneapolis, where she helped curate a menu and design a higher-level experience. This led to a role as a head mixologist at a fine-dining restaurant with a wine list of over 350 bottles, which she balanced with training roles and daytime marketing work. Later, she joined the After Midnight Group, working on limited-time promotions for venues such as the Mall of America and big game stadiums.
A move to the Minneapolis airport followed, where she was drawn by better hours and a steady schedule. However, she and her husband had a goal in mind: Texas. They planned a move once their son graduated. Then COVID hit. Shutdowns lasted nearly two years in Minnesota and many of the restaurants she'd helped build closed their doors
Eventually, a headhunter called about a job near Dallas-Fort Worth. They visited, but big city living didn’t click. A second trip brought them to Austin, and Julianna fell in love with the Hill Country. She joined the Hyatt Regency, located just outside Austin, where she oversaw the launch of a new craft cocktail bar and eventually managed 11 Hyatt outlets. But post-pandemic staffing struggles led to a restructuring, and she was laid off.
She took a role at the Austin airport with Delaware North, but something was missing. “It was all transactional,” she says. “I missed the creativity.” Her husband saw it, too. “You’re miserable,” he told her. “Why don’t you leave?” And so… she looked again.
She found the Alcove job through LinkedIn and was immediately intrigued. “It felt more creative. More artistic. More me.”
Her leap to Alpine wasn’t entirely out of character, as Julianna comes from a family that doesn’t shy away from bold choices. Her parents were long-time foster parents, and she was their 72nd and final foster child. Julianna still has family, including an aunt who’s 101 years old. “My aunt always said: ‘Take the risk. Do the thing.’ She went whitewater rafting in her 80s,” Julianna said. “So, I had no hesitation about moving to a small town, sight unseen. It’s a new experience. It’s life. Do it.”
Already, she says Alpine feels more welcoming than Austin. “The people are warmer here. And these mountains? Gorgeous.” At Alcove, she’s thrilled to be working with a team that’s eager to grow. Her plans include teaching the staff the science behind spirits, from the fermentation process to the chemistry of cocktails because when it’s all said and done, Julianna loves the science. No distilling on-site (that's illegal!), but deep dives into how bourbons, whiskeys, and international liquors are made. She wants to maintain Alcove as a place where you can enjoy a relaxed dinner and a Michelob Ultra or elevate the evening with a custom cocktail crafted with care.
Julianna is also excited to introduce future events, from “his and hers” cocktail pairings for weddings to specialty creations for private gatherings. She’s already drawing inspiration from her fresh start in West Texas, dreaming up cocktails that reflect the region—like a sotol-based drink. “Stay tuned,” she teases. “We’re bringing it to life.”
Personally, she's focused on settling in. Her husband and their four dogs (two Dobermans and two rescues) will join her soon, and they're looking for a place with some outdoor space. Professionally, she's ready to keep growing and experimenting with house-made bitters, liqueurs, and new seasonal offerings.
But at the heart of it all, she’s drawn back again and again to the same thing: the joy of creating something with your hands, your knowledge, and your heart. “Fresh is always better,” she says. “Whether you’re cooking, baking, or mixing drinks….it should be real, it should be intentional, and it should bring people together.”
Staff Spotlight: Jana Harbour
Bartender • Artist • Secret Homebody
If you’ve pulled up a stool at Alcove Social in the past year, there’s a good chance you’ve been greeted with a confident smile and a perfect Ranch Water from bartender Jana Harbour.
Jana first got into the service industry as a server at the Hotel Saint George in Marfa and gradually worked her way up to bartender. When a friend told her about a new spot opening in Alpine called Alcove Social, she sent in her résumé and started the next week. “I loved not having to drive to Marfa anymore,” she says.
By Spring of 2024, she had unofficially stepped in to support bar management. While Alcove still doesn’t have an official bar manager (yes, they’re looking!), the team has created a strong rhythm together, and Jana is a key part of that flow.
Despite the fast-paced nature of bartending, Jana considers herself a homebody. “People think bartenders are all about partying, but I really love sitting on the couch with my cats.” When she’s not behind the bar, you might find her creating acrylic paintings or handmade jewelry—her artwork is actually on display and for sale at the Alcove. “Whether you’re a cook or a bartender, you’re an artist,” she says. “There’s the presentation, the creativity. I’m thankful I have a place to put my art up.”
Her drink of choice— off the clock—is a Ranch Water. It’s simple, clean, and refreshing. Her least favorite? “An Old Fashioned,” she says with a laugh. “It’s such an art piece and people always want it customized—it’s a time-suck when we’re busy.”
Bartending, she explains, is a constant balance of multitasking, memorization, and people skills. “You have to manage priorities—who's next, who’s waiting, what they had, what they want—and still be social and engaging. Sometimes people just want to watch, so it feels like hosting a cooking show.”
She loves making espresso martinis and the signature Purple Sage Bloom. Her ideal customers? “The ones who know what they want. Don't ask me to recreate a mystery drink from a vacation you had five years ago when it's packed in here,” she laughs. “Good directions are the best.”
After a shift, she winds down by playing her own Spotify mix while she cleans, then grabbing a bite at Santana’s (“they have great rice”), and heading home to unwind with her cats and favorite shows.
One standout memory? “When a former bartender convinced Benjamin to let us paint the walls. We closed for three days, listened to music, painted, and even refinished some of the tables. It was fun to bond and be creative.”
If she could invent a cocktail, it’d be a decadent twist on a cosmopolitan, made with house-made raspberry syrup. It’s deep red and bold—just like its namesake. “I’d call it Texas Red, after the character in the Marty Robbins song.”
Her dream vacation? “A beach bar in the Caribbean.”
Her backup career? “Bank teller,” she says. “It’s actually a lot like bartending—you’ve got rushes and you’ve gotta multitask.”
And her final words of wisdom?
“Be nice—and tip the bartender.”
From Supporting Act to Center Stage: The Story of Alcove Social
A year ago, Alcove Social was little more than an afterthought. A cozy beverage bar tucked alongside the Granada Theatre, it operated primarily as a supplement to the theatre’s events. With one bartender covering the entire operation, seven nights a week, there was no food and no live music. It was just drinks and the occasional catered event. Trivia night was the only regular activity.
Fast forward to today, and the picture looks dramatically different.
This Spring, 2025, Alcove Social employs a team of 14: five bartenders, four cooks, and five servers, with more positions still waiting to be filled. What began as a small supporting role has grown into a vibrant, standalone destination in its own right.
The Moment Everything Changed
The shift in strategy wasn’t just a slow evolution, it had a defining moment. On December 29, 2024, in that week between Christmas and New Year’s, Alcove had no Granada events to rely on, no concerts or crowds to draw from. Yet the bar posted its fourth-highest sales day of the year. Four people were working, and the place was bustling without the help of a headlining act. That day became a clear signal: Alcove Social could thrive on its own.
“That’s the moment I realized the bar could itself be a standalone business,” said Benjamin Garcia, owner. “It changed how I thought about the future of Alcove Social. We no longer had to rely on the Granada’s event calendar to bring people in. We could build something more than what I had originally thought. That moment shaped our entire strategy for 2025.”
Growth by Design
The decision to expand didn’t happen by accident. Live music on Friday nights was added in May 2024. By September, the kitchen opened its doors, filling a long-overdue need. Before food was available, guests would often walk in, ask if they served food, and head right back out when the answer was no. The kitchen changed that story.
The menu itself has roots in collaboration. Alcove teamed up with James Smith, formerly of Chateau Wright Winery, adopting the menu from the food truck that once operated there, including popular items like the hummus plate with grapes. Some displaced food truck staffers came on board to help launch the kitchen at Alcove, but jumping from serving 7 plates a night at the winery to 40 plates a night at Alcove proved to be challenging, requiring a turnover in kitchen staff. (That number has since more than doubled as on busy nights, they now serve over 100 plates.)
Investing in People
From the beginning,Garcia wanted to build a team that sticks around. He wanted a place where good people stay because they’re treated well. That meant competitive pay and a zero-tolerance approach to drama and nonsense. The result? A strong crew with a great attitude, committed to offering guests not just good food and drinks, but an overall positive experience.
Guest expectations here are simple: a comfortable atmosphere, high-quality offerings, and consistency. Everything that comes out of the kitchen is good. The place is reliably open every day until 10 p.m., exactly when the sign says it will be.
The Cinderella Hours
One of the things that sets Alcove apart is the care the staff puts into the space itself. Cleanliness isn’t an afterthought, it’s a core value. The team runs what they call “Cinderella hours,” a rotating shift where staff members take turns doing deep cleaning and sprucing up the bar and restaurant. But here’s the twist: each staffer chooses their own task, tackling whatever they feel needs attention. There’s no checklist, no micromanagement; just autonomy and pride in ownership.
What’s Next
Growth brings new challenges, like managing alcohol inventory, which requires significant upfront investment (wine and beer are typically bought by the case, paid out of pocket before a single glass is poured). But it also opens the door for new opportunities.
In early February, Alcove introduced The Loft, adding another layer to the experience and expanding the ways the space can be used. As 2025 unfolds, the bar continues to lean into its new identity, not just as Granada's sidekick, but as a place that’s thriving all on its own.
That sense of independence doesn’t stop with the business itself. Garcia has also made it a priority to give back, regularly offering the Granada Theatre space, which is typically the bigger-ticket venue, to local nonprofits, community groups, and city organizations either free of charge or at a steep discount. It’s part of a bigger belief that the space should serve the town, not just the bottom line.
“It’s important to me that this place adds something good to the town, not just for the folks who come out to eat and drink, but for the people doing the work to make the community stronger,” Garcia said.
Behind the Scenes with Mr. 5-Star
When Christian Froman moved from southeast Colorado to Alpine this past January, he wasn’t planning on becoming a cook. But life had other ideas. With a young family to support and making a fresh start in a new town (chosen in part because his partner had family here and a village is better than not), Christian found himself stepping into the kitchen at The Alcove.
“I’m not a professional cook,” he says with a laugh, “but I’m a quick learner.” Thanks to a solid connection during his interview with owner Benjamin Garcia and the promise of competitive pay, he jumped in, learned the ropes, and now holds down the grill like a pro.
Though the menu is intentionally simple, Christian has a couple of favorites to make. “It’s a toss-up between the Diablo Burger and the loaded fries,” he says. The burger is fun to master; I’m “getting it down to a science”. And when it’s finished, “once the skewer goes in, it’s picture-worthy.” We eat with our eyes, after all. The fries? “They just look pretty.”
His personal favorite to eat from the Alcove menu? The flat-iron cheeseburger with bacon, avocado, and mozzarella.
Christian’s “secret ingredient,” whether at work or at home, is simple: love. And while there’s a friendly internal competition around earning five-star reviews, he focuses on standing out through customer connection. “I like talking to people, checking in about their experience, how long they waited, that kind of thing. I thought that would be a different thing for this place. It’s all about making a good experience.”
His favorite compliment? One customer declared: “Christian is an angel sent from heaven to make burgers.”
If he could cook for anyone living or dead, it’d be Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, preferably on a cheat day. “He likes pancakes. A lot. I’d make him a big ol’ pancake stack.”
When he’s off the clock, his comfort food of choice is tamales.
What keeps him happy at The Alcove? “The environment,” Christian says without hesitation. “There’s no drama, no bad vibes. It’s easygoing, and we’re all pretty close in that sense. It helps to be appreciative.”
His best kitchen hack? Patience. “When it gets hectic, just remember — people have to eat regardless. That helps me stay calm, cool, and collected.”
And if he ever opens his own spot? You’ll know it by the name: Burgers Are Flying.