“The Cove’s roots are deep, and it has stories to tell. Just like the rums on our shelves.”
The Smuggler's Cove Crew
Martin Cate
Owner
Martin Cate is a rum and exotic cocktail expert and the owner and creator of Smuggler’s Cove. He is also the author of the James Beard Award-winning “Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki” (Ten Speed Press, June 2016) with his wife Rebecca Cate. Martin is a passionate rum collector and conducts educational seminars and officiates rum & cocktail competitions across the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. He is also the co-owner of Hale Pele in Portland, OR, False Idol in San Diego, CA, Max's South Seas Hideaway in Grand Rapids, MI, and California Gold in San Rafael, CA.
Rebecca Cate
Co-Owner
In 1999, Rebecca Cate inadvertently fueled Martin’s madness by famously uttering words (which she thought were a joke) about making a spare bedroom a home tiki bar. Since then, however, she too has been swept up in the tiki fantasia, first as an enthusiast, then helping Martin open and run Smuggler’s Cove. The opportunity to coauthor the book “Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki” allowed what had been just a weekend and vacation escape to turn into a fulltime journey. Rebecca earned her PhD in personality and social psychology from The University of California at Berkeley in 2006, and spent over a decade leading large-scale studies of behavioral health interventions as well as topics related to retirement and longevity.
Dane Barca
Bartender
The Good Reverend Doctor Barca, Esquire works both sides of the bar as hard as he can. Dane has lots of experience and qualifications that he won’t bore you with, except that he wrote a book that is currently ranked three million places below O.J. Simpson’s seminal, If I Did It. Dane has been with the Cove almost from the start and will likely remain there until the end times—so until next week, tops. Bottoms up!
Melissa Garcia
Bartender
Melissa has been in the restaurant business about 15 years. She has worked in kitchens and the front of the house as an expeditor, receptionist, host, cocktail server, manager, bartender, and bar manager all over the city, but bartending is what she likes the best. She was previously a bartender at Trader Vic’s San Francisco shaking, blending, and stirring up lots of fun and tasty rum libations.
Isaac Marin
Barback
BIO COMING SOON.
Christopher Ward
General Manager
Originally from Memphis, Christopher arrived in San Francisco 15+ years ago in pursuit of a 365-day motorcycle riding season. He's acted as steward of everything from specialty food shops, restaurants and bars, and operates a clandestine vintage scooter repair shop somewhere in The City. When not at the Cove, he can be found living dangerously at excessive speeds on a tricked-out Lambretta - and if it is hockey season he'll be watching his Philadelphia Flyers make a run for Lord Stanley's Cup.
Daniel Winans
Bartender
Danny is a Bay Area transplant coming to us from Cleveland, Ohio (with pit stops in Chicago and Seattle along the way). Please don't be alarmed if Danny says 'thank you' or 'sorry' to you for no apparent reason, he is from the Midwest and literally cannot help it.
Tim Symes
Bartender
Beethoven’s Fur Elise, Anton Chekhov’s The Bet, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin. All fusions of art that transcend time and define grace. All still left me wanting. All still can’t compare to the moment Portland native Timmy Symes turned on an AutoChlor at Smuggler’s Cove.
Gabe Moreno
Bartender
Gabe comes to us from Santa Barbara, Ca where he was born and raised. He’s fairly new to San Francisco, having been here for 2 years now. He previously worked at Test Pilot and has been tending bar since he turned 21. Now 28, Gabe is getting his masters in sports management at the University of San Francisco. When Gabe isn’t at the Cove, he enjoys playing basketball and going on runs. Gabe loves sports and will happily talk your ear off about anything sports related. Don’t ask him what his favorite teams are tho, since he is a Bay Area transplant you may be disappointed….
Simon Jimenez
Barback
BIO COMING SOON.
