OENO WINE LOUNGE - Key Persons
Shift Kitchen and Bar and Oeno Wine Lounge Owner Dara Wong, a 2022 Young Athena Award Nominee, has a passion for pastry and a love for wine. As a business management graduate of the prestigious University of Denver, Dara boasts an impressive resume thanks to time spent alongside culinary legends such as Master Sommelier, Bobby Stuckey and James Beard Chef, Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson of Frasca Food and Wine (Boulder, CO). She furthered her culinary knowledge as the Assistant Pastry Chef at Sweet Basil in Vail, CO. Prior to launching Shift in 2016, Dara served as the General Manager and Pastry Chef of Flagstaff's own Tourist Home Urban Market. She then opened Oeno Wine Lounge in 2021 in order to continue her love for hospitality and her involvement in the Flagstaff community. A Division I swimmer for the University of Denver, Dara spends much of her free time with her wife Sierra at the gym, running with their pups, and hitting the slopes.
Job Titles:
- SOMMELIER & GENERAL MANAGER
Tyler McBride's passion for guest services started early. Right out of high school, he became and activity guide for The Ranch at Rock Creek, the world's first Forbes Five Star Guest Ranch. His passion for food and beverage (especially wine) and all things hospitality grew and developed at the world-renowned Amangiri Resort in Southern Utah. Here he worked as a maître d and restaurant supervisor. With the help of incredible mentors from Aman, he passed the CMS Introductory Sommelier exam and his WSET level 2 certification in Wine and Spirits. While managing Oeno Wine Lounge, Tyler is also currently pursuing a BA in Hospitality Management and assisting Professor Julene Boger in teaching "Introduction to Wine" at NAU every spring semester. Most recently, Tyler passed his Certified Sommelier exam making him one of just 3 Certified Sommeliers in Northern Arizona.