Bar Director Jesse Held Steps Down at Jester

The drinks master will focus more on his Earl Giles brand.

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If you've heard the rumors this week, they're true.

Jesse Held, the talented bar director for Jester Concepts (which includes Parlour and Borough, Monello, Constantine, Mercado, and P.S. Steak) has stepped down from his post. Held told me that he will be relinquishing his day to day role to Jeff Rogers, but will still be involved in an advisory role, "I'll still be around a bit, helping with the transition and consulting on things."

Held was with Jester from the beginning, "I've been there for 7 years, Brent Frederick told me he had this basement in his new restaurant he was planning and asked me what we should do. I said, we'll figure it out, and Parlour was born." It's beyond question that Parlour helped usher in the local cocktail scene, while also providing a foundation to the buzzy North Loop neighborhood. Since then, he's been a force on the local bar scene, training and mentoring bartenders across both towns. 

A few years ago, Held started a new project with pal Jeff Erkkila. Their Earl Giles company was formed to be a side hustle to the bartending gig, creating tonics, sodas, and elixirs for professional and home mixologists. "It was always meant to be a side deal, until about a year ago when things started happening. I can't talk about all the details just yet, but we've had some really great opportunities show up. And it's just time for me to really buckle down and make things work, grow this company. We have some new investment in the business and it's a big responsibility when someone trusts you with their money. Plus, I get to innovate and do fun stuff, this is all new territory for me!" 

While it's hard to imagine the company without him, Held says that everyone was very supportive. "Brent kind of always knew he was leasing me, that I would do something else someday. He's been such a mentor to me, groomed me and taught me to be a business man, I couldn't be doing this if I hadn't learned from him."

So I guess we'll say goodbye to the Held era of Jester, and see what's coming next. You'll see Held around town, consulting on other projects like the Thr3 Jack golf joint coming to North Loop and Elephant Bar coming to Lowertown. But stay tuned, drinkers, and raise a glass the next time you see him.