The Bartenders

A.K.A The Creatives

Tara White & Jenna Cortesi

CoFounders & Company Owners

How We Got Here

Tara and Jenna were once two strangers yet shared the same aspiration—a determination to succeed in their creative skill sets, never stopping the hustle until they made it happen.

It all began five years ago when their worlds collided at work behind a Chicago-based, French restaurant’s dimly lit bar. Despite their love for serving up refreshing cocktails that would knock your socks off and engaging in casual conversation with those at the bar, they both had their sights set on something more… Night after night of stirring and shaking drinks, the two would close up the bar and head out to their after-work happy hour where whiskey shots and cocktails accompanied their daydreams. Amongst stories of nightmarish freelance clients and job interviews—both successful and not—the chitchat always led to brighter visions of one day landing the perfect fitting job that supported their creative passions.

Determination rarely goes unnoticed. Out of the blue, both Tara and Jenna were recruited to Hogsalt Restaurant Group’s creative team. Tara signed on as the Head of Photography and Jenna joined the Design and Illustration Team as the Lead Graphic Designer. Those happy-hour, career-shifting daydreams quickly became a reality and they got to do it side by side.

After three years of successful creative endeavors under the Hogsalt umbrella, the year 2020 created uncertainty for many, including them. By happenstance, Tara and Jenna found themselves working for the same client. Together, they once again collaborated on building a brand from the ground up. At the close of such a successful project, it dawned on them that they wanted to create a team of their own and Voila! Happy Hour Collaborative was established and the rest is history.