Briana O'Connor

Though her passion for wine developed later in her career, Briana's love of hospitality began at the age of 21 in New York City; first as a hostess and maitre'd, then soon after as a fine dining server. She had the pleasure of working for the Fireman Hospitality Group at Redeye Grill in Midtown, before moving on to Danny Meyer's Blue Smoke & Jazz Standard in the Flatiron District.

In 2009, Briana moved to Los Angeles, where she was thrilled to be a part of many opening restaurant teams, including Sotto Restaurant (Steve Samson and Zack Pollack), Bavel Restaurant (Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis), and most recently as a sommelier at Melanie in the Beverly Grove area.

In 2019, she co-founded Lokey Wine, a wine consultant company focused on making wine more accessible and less intimidating for restaurant staff, guests, and clients. Through staff training and wine events, Briana and her company continue to share her great passion for wine through fun, unpretentious wine education.