Content strategy for hospitality & lifestyle brands
Bar Nouveau began as a vision and became a living, breathing restaurant through care, patience, and steady leadership. From the earliest days, my role was to help build not just a business, but a culture, one rooted in respect, hospitality, and the belief that when people feel seen and supported, everything else follows.
Working closely with the chef and sole owner, I served as a strategic and operational advisor, building the foundational systems that allow a restaurant to grow into itself. That meant shaping service standards, training and mentoring the team, and designing a guest experience where warmth and intention were felt from the moment someone walked through the door. Every guest is welcomed with a small cocktail, a favorite of the chef, a quiet ritual that sets the tone for the evening. Checks arrive tucked inside vintage romance novels, a nod to the chef’s grandmother and a reminder that hospitality is, at its core, an act of love.
The results speak to both heart and rigor. Bar Nouveau earned over 30 five-star reviews within its opening months, achieved full books night after night, and reached profitability in under three months. The restaurant also received a coveted in-print dining review from Portland Monthly Magazine, affirming what guests were already saying: this was a place that felt special without trying too hard.
More than metrics, the work at Bar Nouveau reflects how I approach restaurant leadership. New restaurants rarely unfold as imagined, they evolve, much like people do. My role was to help guide that growth with steadiness and care, mentoring the chef through the inevitable twists and turns while building a business that is both successful and deeply human. Photography: One Haus Creative | Design: Julianne Seely
Role
Strategic hospitality and business advisory
Service design, team development, and culture building
Guest experience design and experiential touchpoints
Operational systems and sustainable growth frameworks
Leadership mentorship and ongoing operational guidance
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
the sun never sets on cool
Dear Heather Wallberg is about designing experiences that make people feel welcome. Informed by hospitality and real-world practice, the work is shaped by what guests experience from the first hello to the last goodbye.
