“My favorite moments are always seeing people’s events come to life and how hard our staff works to make it the best event yet.”
As the General Manager of South of North Brewing Co and Event Sales Manager for it’s parent company, Tahoe Investment Capital & Stewardship, Savannah Mendoza loves to provide a great experience for her guests. Savannah also avidly gives back to the community by volunteering with VDay Tahoe, SOS Outreach, the League to Save Lake Tahoe, and Bread and Broth.
Congratulations to this week’s 40 under 40 honoree, Savannah Mendoza!
Can you tell us a little about your responsibilities and accomplishments in your current position?
I started as the general manager of South of North Brewing Co in October 2019. Per most general manager positions, this entails overseeing the operations of the brewery from creating schedules to making sure bills are paid to ensuring our guests are having a great experience.
Working within this company has always been a great experience and therefore employees tend to stick around. I am happy to say that we have worked a lot on employee appreciation and our employee retention is increasing. I think that also has a lot to do with the increase of support from the local community. It can be hard to go down to Stateline for an evening out, but as I chat with more community members, we are gaining more local patrons. We really appreciate all the support!
In December 2019, I also started working on event sales for Tahoe Investment Capital & Stewardship. This includes both onsite events and pick up catering, as well as working to expand our catering efforts. I work with clients at South of North Brewing Co, Ten Crows BBQ, Community Speakeasy, Social House Craft Sandwiches, California Burger Co, and Poke Rok. I love working with our clients to help make their events as enjoyable and seamless as possible.
What has been your favorite professional moment in the last year?
I have to say my favorite moments are always seeing people’s events come to life and how hard our staff works to make it the best event yet. Being able to work with such wonderful people, both colleagues and clients, is such an amazing thing. I am surrounded by brilliant minds and caring souls.
Do you have a professional/life mantra that you live by?
“Choose your attitude”. I am a firm believer that if you choose your attitude you can change your whole mindset.
Who is your role model?
Lizzo! She is absolutely amazing, believes in herself, works hard, and builds other people up.
Why choose Tahoe to make your home and career?
Initially, I wanted to move to South Lake Tahoe because of the amazing summers here. I had spent some time visiting here during college and thought it would be fun to live in the mountains for a bit as a Marine Biologist. Now here I am nearly six years later, not working as a marine biologist at all, and loving Tahoe life!
Are you active in any volunteer roles or community groups?
Yes, I am active with VDay Tahoe, SOS Outreach, the League to Save Lake Tahoe, and Bread and Broth. During the first week of living here, I saw the audition flyer for the Vagina Monologues and thought “well, it would be great to meet a group of empowered women”. I have been involved with VDay Tahoe ever since moving from performer to co-producer.
During my second winter here, I got involved with SOS Outreach, a nonprofit aimed at connecting underserved youth with adventure sports. I got to meet a lot of really awesome community members through that and have been snowboarding with some awesome kiddos for five winters now.
I started volunteering with the League to Save Lake Tahoe in the summer of 2018, after transitioning from a full time employment with them to working in the restaurant industry. I am a core volunteer with them and enjoy a variety of events/programs but my favorites are Eyes on the Lake and Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day.
Since the start of the shelter in place order for COVID-19, I have been volunteering with Bread and Broth to distribute food packages to kids. It has been a lot of fun getting to know families in the community.
What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?
All the summer sports! Biking, hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, running, and swimming. I also started cross country skiing this winter which I look forward to continuing to next winter.
Where are your favorite South Shore stomping grounds?
I really enjoy running, floating, paddleboarding, and just hanging out along the Upper Truckee River. In terms of my favorite local businesses, I love MacDuffs, Freshies, Turn 3, and Ten Crows BBQ.