“Farm to Table”
An Interview with Shannon Saulsbury
Flagship Restaurant Group, Wine & Saké Program Manager
By Lisa Gmur, CSW
raise a glass
The year was 2002 when two Nebraska natives (Nick Hogan & Tom Allisma) and two Texas natives (Anthony Hitchcock & Tony Gentile) united to create a fresh take on sushi they called Blue Sushi Sake Grill. Their next concept was a Tex-Mex restaurant called Roja Mexican Grill. Four years later they branded themselves Flagship Restaurant Group and opened a few more of their Blue Sushi concept. In 2010 they expanded to Texas and two years later to Denver.
A diverse variety of new concepts have continued to be developed over the last dozen or so years from Chicago, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Austin and of course, their headquarters in the state of Nebraska.
Pictured Left: Shannon Saulsbury, Wine & Saké Program Manager
THE INTERVIEW
The Mark Wine Group
Welcome to The Mark Wine News! We would love to hear about your literal beginnings.
Shannon Saulsbury
I grew up on a farm in northwestern Iowa.
The property used to belong to my grandparents, and at one point they had the largest llama and alpaca farm in Iowa.
Now, my parents grow Aronia berries on the same property.
The Mark Wine Group
That is seriously cool. Who doesn’t love llamas and alpacas. Did you grow up wanting to be a vet? Or something completely different like a model or rockstar?
Shannon Saulsbury
Doesn’t everyone dream of being a fashion model AND rockstar? Actually, I remember the first “dream job” I decided on in 5th grade—it was to be a Chef.
I was clearly onto something, as I have always worked in food and beverage in some capacity. I started my career in non-profit food work and pivoted towards the service industry about 10 years ago.
I couldn’t be happier.
The Mark Wine Group
The Food & Beverage industry is not a bad way of life. I can attest to that. But thinking it was not your very first job. Am I right?
Shannon Saulsbury
Back to the farm life—I worked at a horse stable near my home.
I recognize that cleaning up after animals may seem unglamorous, but it taught me the importance of consistency and showing up when other living beings rely on you.
The Mark Wine Group
Being a reliable human is of utmost importance. And farm life sounds kind of idyllic.
But you are a city girl now.
What’s life like living in Omaha, Nebraska, headquarters of the Flagship Restaurant Group?
Shannon Saulsbury
Life in Nebraska is dreamy in a lot of unexpected ways. Omaha is a perfect-sized city. People here are interesting, intelligent, and most importantly—kind. We have a music and arts scene that is world class.
I almost never get stuck in traffic, I can afford a comfortable and quaint life for myself, and life here is lived at a pace that feels lovely.
I’d recommend it to everyone, but part of me would rather savor Omaha as one of the country’s best-kept secrets.
The Mark Wine Group
It does sound kind of dreamy. Now, let’s talk wine. Do you remember your first taste of wine or maybe beer?
Shannon Saulsbury
I went to college in Vermont, and that is where I first fell in love with craft beer, local spirits, and wine of various styles.
I think the first wine I had that caused an “aha” moment of falling in love was La Garagista’s ‘Ci Confonde’ Pet Nat Rosé. It blew my mind. Little did I know, La Garagista would soon be recognized as one of the world’s best natural wine makers shortly after.
I guess I have good taste!
The Mark Wine Group
I can confirm you have great taste in wine.
I have really enjoyed all of the Quick Sips we have done from Paul Dolan and Buehler to Roederer Estate and Louis Latour.
If I remember correctly from our conversations, wine was not a part of your upbringing?
Shannon Saulsbury
That’s right. I didn’t really grow up around a lot of alcohol, to be frank. But I did grow up around agriculture and around food.
Once I discovered the world of wine, it was a natural fit. Safe to say, my family drinks a lot more wine now that I bring the “good stuff” to every family gathering.
The Mark Wine Group
They are probably wondering how they got through all those years on the farm without the nectar of the Gods.
You did say food was a very big deal. Do you remember a favorite childhood restaurant experience?
Shannon Saulsbury
When I was 10 years old, my aunt and uncle in New York made the mistake of bringing me to Babbo.
I was young and moody and had a meltdown because I didn’t understand any of the menu. I still remember sitting there angrily as their team treated me with grace—carefully scraping the crumbs from my setting with a silver spoon, asking the Chef to make me plain butter noodles (which were amazing), and delivering me three perfectly round scoops of gelato after it all. It was that night, ironically, that made me fall in love with restaurants.
Babbo showed me the power of pure hospitality and of creating moments of delight. Now I aim to show that level of care to our guests every day.
The Mark Wine Group
Yes! Going above and beyond. It’s the most amazing feeling to make people feel special.
Kind of like that “drop dead” food and wine pairing. The one that just sings and delights.
Do you have one of those?
The Mark Wine Group
Yes! Love that one. Well, honestly, I love pretty much all minerally-driven European white wines. Do you have a favorite varietal that you would like everyone to try?
Shannon Saulsbury
Areni, which is one of the indigenous varietals of Armenia and one of the oldest winemaking grapes in the world.
It’s an exceptional grape and can produce wines reminiscent of Burgundian Pinot Noir, but with a hint of pepper.
Armenian wines are absolutely blowing up right now, and you need to get your hands on them.
The Mark Wine Group
We have Greek, Lebanese and South African wines in our portfolio. Why not Armenian!
Have you been to Armenia?
Shannon Saulsbury
I have a knack for ending up in somewhat random wine regions such as Sicily and Armenia.
While I look forward to visiting more classics in the future too, I have to say that I have a deep love for wine regions with such ancient history such as those.
CONTINUED
The Mark Wine Group
I totally get that. I am also enamored with ancient history, especially in how it relates to wine.
I wrote an article years ago about ancient wine vessels like amphorae.
Do you have a bucket list of wine regions that you would like to explore?
Shannon Saulsbury
This year, I hope to plan travels to a few Southern Hemisphere destinations such as Argentina, South Africa, or New Zealand.
I called 2023 my year of domestic wine exploration, and I want to make 2024 a year of exploring the Southern Hemisphere.
Shannon Saulsbury
It is one of my greatest pleasures. Traveling for work means I get to fall in love with new places and simultaneously grow a deeper love for my own home.
Shannon Saulsbury
I travel domestically for work. I spend a lot of time in various parts of Texas and Arizona, and both have very cool developing wine scenes. I enjoy all of my time spent in both places, and all over the US.
The Mark Wine Group
That’s nice! Getting to travel to the same cities, multiple times. You really get a feel for a place and get to know the local scene.
Now let’s talk Flagship. How long have you been with them?
Shannon Saulsbury
I have worked for Flagship Restaurant Group for a little over three years now.
One of the things that attracted me to this company is how long people tend to stay with them.
That is always a good sign that you will want to stay too. I look forward to many more years with Flagship.
Shannon Saulsbury
I have worked for the top farm-to-table restaurant group in Vermont, the top farm-to-table restaurant in New York (Blue Hill at Stone Barns), and multiple smaller restaurants with local focuses.
Sustainability and immersive dining have always been at the core of my interests, and I have been excited to bring my passion for incredible wine to this company as well.
Shannon Saulsbury
I first look at our concept and its cuisine. Who is going to dine here and what do they want? Then I set out to find new wines to bring to each community that I hope will spark some magic for them.
I focus on family-owned producers with sustainability focuses and prefer to showcase lesser-known varietals from lesser-known places.
Wine, for me, is about finding really good stories. What unforgettable stories can I tell alongside our unforgettable food?
Shannon Saulsbury
We have multiple concepts that all operate uniquely. Some of our programs focus on long-term relationships with producers we have always loved. Other programs are continuously curated to bring novelty and depth to our guests’ experiences.
The wines that are right for us are the ones that share our values: a commitment to eco-conscious and transparent sourcing, a commitment to exceptional quality, and a commitment to offering the best guest experience imaginable.
The Mark Wine Group
Do you find that people buy different wines in different cities? Different regions?
Shannon Saulsbury
Absolutely. That is what makes my job so fun! I love traveling and dining out to stay on top of industry trends. I genuinely enjoy getting to know each community, meeting all of the guests that come in to see us, and hearing about our guests’ unique interests. All of that inspires what I do.
Any time we open a restaurant in a new city, people always like to tell me what they think people in that city enjoy drinking, often in a limiting way. I like to challenge those preconceptions and bring in new wines that are relatable but original in their own way.
Each community is different, and one-size-fits-all approaches are rarely successful as restaurant groups expand as ours has. Of course, there are certain wines that are classics and staples, but beyond that, I aim to customize my wine programs to each city, state, and neighborhood that we become a part of.
The Mark Wine Group
So we know you are something of a trendsetter, Areni and all, but how do the industry trends play?
Shannon Saulsbury
I love keeping up with wine trends just as much as I love timeless classics. I think most wine drinkers are pretty similar in that sense.
There is a time and place for bubbly and rosé, but also for falling back on the beauty of classic wines that we know and love for their consistency. A balance is important in that sense.
The classics like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet fare will continue to maintain a strong market share, and for good reason. If that many people love a certain grape, there is probably a solid reason why. That being said, I am excited to see the increasing popularization of grape varieties that are resilient in our age of climatic shifts and grapes that are less water-dependent.
I also want to continue to showcase ancient grape varieties that only get their story told through our continued support of them.
Shannon Saulsbury
I fully support stelvin caps/screw cap closures for all wines meant to be consumed young in their years. I admire and intentionally support producers that are adaptive and innovating in our constantly changing world.
Now, I will never want screw caps on my vintage Barolo, but as for fresh and easy-drinking wines? Yes! Let’s keep finding ways to become more sustainable and low-impact in our wine consumption.
Shannon Saulsbury
Many of our concepts (such as Cham Pang Lanes, Memoir, and Clio) feature wine cocktails. Wine cocktails are often some of our strongest performers. It just goes to show how malleable wine can be.
Blue Sushi Sake Grill; Responsibly caught, humanely raised, and mindful of earth.
Revival House; A slice of cocktail paradise.
Try our wines & sakés at blue sushi sake grill
G Joy
Sakemoto Junamai
Hakutsuru ShoUne
Momokawa Organic Nigori
Yoshinogawa Winter Warrior
Hakutsuru Awayuki Sparkling
Moonstone Coconut Lemongrass
King Estate Pinot Gris
CONTINUED
The Mark Wine Group
That it is! Who doesn’t love a Mimosa or Sangria? Of course, wine isn’t all you have on the menu.
You have a fantastic saké program. Have you expanded saké into any other concepts besides Blue Sushi Sake Grill?
Shannon Saulsbury
Saké has continued to spark interest for so many people. It meets a lot of industry trends in the sense that it is generally gluten-free, additive-free, and otherwise “clean.”
I am enthusiastic about featuring saké at as many restaurants as possible not only because I love it, but also because of how well it is currently performing with consumer interests.
The Mark Wine Group
Of course, as will everything, wine, cocktails and sake. It’s all about education, right? How do you engage your staff to sell?
Shannon Saulsbury
One of my main goals with staff engagement is to inspire our teams to have a lot of pride in their work. When people take pride in what they do, engagement is a given. I hate this idea of people in the service industry being “jaded”.
When you invest in your team and give them the time, tools, education, and support they need for success, they will become the best versions of themselves.
I believe Flagship is better at that than anyone else.
Shannon Saulsbury
I talk to people. I get to know them. In getting to know them, I devise ways to make magic for people. My main goal in guest engagement is to create as many little moments of delight as possible.
Everyone could use more delight in their lives. In an increasingly virtual and disconnected world, delight is one of the value-adds of restaurants that will never be obsolete.
Shannon Saulsbury
The low ABV and non-alcoholic beverage trends are real. Beyond that, what I see a lot of is what I call “moderate premiumization.”
Essentially, our guests want wines that are high quality and craftly made, but do not break the bank for a weeknight dinner or date night.
Shannon Saulsbury
We are certainly one of the early adopters of diverse non-alcoholic and low-ABV beverage programs, and I am proud of that.
We will continue that work. As for the “moderately premium” taste of many wine drinkers right now, that is my bread and butter.
I love finding great value wines to share with our guests.
The Mark Wine Group
We have definitely seen an uptick in our Non-alcoholic wines like the Alcohol Removed Mionetto Sparkling Wine and the Hand on Heart range of wines.
How do your wine sales currently forecast?
Shannon Saulsbury
It varies by concept, understandably. Rather than look at it as a percent of sales, I look at it from the perspective of volume.
Even at our concepts where wine represents a smaller portion of sales, the volume that we drive means that we have a significant impact.
It makes me excited to get to support so many exceptional producers through that kind volume.
Shannon Saulsbury
In most cases, moderately premium wines. These are not the cheapest wines, nor the most expensive.
Our guests are smart—they want great quality and great value.
The Mark Wine Group
I think that is the trend, which is awesome. So, what’s your favorite part of your job?
Shannon Saulsbury
Is it cheesy to say every part? There is no other job I would rather do than what I get to do now.
Shannon Saulsbury
Continued success is only guaranteed through constant and thorough engagement by my team and I.
That can be mentally and physically demanding in a lot of senses. It requires a lot of genuine passion to commit as much of ourselves to it as we do.
The Mark Wine Group
Always being on is never easy. It takes grit and dedication. But I am guessing you have had and to continue to have mentors that really inspire you?
Shannon Saulsbury
I have had a few mentors along my journey. I hesitate to say this because I know he will read this, but no one has been more impactful to me in my professional career than my current mentor, Anthony Hitchcock.
He is probably the most brilliant COO working in our sector right now. Beyond that, he is an incredible person and leader.
The Mark Wine Group
We couldn’t agree more! He is a very cool guy. His commitment to everyone and everything at the company is front and center. And his passion too.
You and every other Flagship employee are very lucky to have him as a leader.
Thank you so much for this!