(This article was written by Abigail Muniz-Garcia and was featured in the September 2024 issue of Explore Harlingen Magazine.)
Yo no soy cualquiera. (I am not just anyone).
Those are the words that greet you as you step into Drink Up in Harlingen, Texas. The lyrics, painted on the mirrored wall above the bar, come from one of Christy Mendez’s favorite Karol G songs entitled “Gucci los Paños.”
“That song says it all, so it had to be at the heart of the bar,” Mendez, the owner of Drink Up, said.
Other song lyrics such as “99 red balloons” among others, riddle the walls of the establishment.
Evidence of Mendez’s eye for detail and how she had her customers in mind when designing the space, quickly becomes apparent with a tour of her business. Equipped with comfortable seating, a lit selfie mirror wall across from the bathrooms, a customer calendar where they can annotate their birthdays, a selfie couch, an ample size bar, and bathrooms adorned with chalkboard paint to allow patrons to leave messages, Drink Up, which recently celebrated a one-year anniversary, became Mendez’s business venture after her divorce.
“I try to be as hospitable as I can, and that is a big difference that might set me apart from other bars,” Mendez said.
Mendez is no stranger to being a business owner though.
“I’ve had businesses for like twenty years,” she said.
Having her daughter, Shelby, motivated Mendez to become an entrepreneur so she could be around and more available for her. Mendez and her former spouse owned body shops and she helped build those businesses from the ground up. She also owned a nursing and staffing agency at one point.
After her divorce, Mendez said she had an “a-ha” moment. She knew she had to move on and move forward. Even though she wasn’t a frequent visitor at bars, the times she did go out, Mendez said she didn’t feel comfortable.
“No one had the music I liked to hear, the vibe, just the hospitality,” she said. “The quality of the drinks… I know what I liked, and I know what I didn’t like.”
“I knew I needed to open something. Entrepreneurship is in me,” she said. “Everything pointed to opening a bar.”
Mendez said she wanted to create something between Cheers and Friends. “That’s the kind of environment that I have. I try to know everybody that comes in.”
She said she also feels fortunate with the staff she has from the bartenders (which includes her 22-year-old daughter, Shelby) to her marketers.
Mendez credits her daughter with being a driving force.
“She was a big part in helping me get this bar going. She tries to be here as much as she can,” Mendez said of her daughter who is currently in her last year at UTRGV and working on a degree in accounting.
Drink Up was recently voted Valley Morning Star’s 2024 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Happy Hour.
When asked how they managed that, Mendez said, “I don’t even know. Just consistent specials… I’m very lucky with my customers.”
As for what the future holds, Mendez says she doesn’t quite know but has a positive outlook.
“This is the first time I’ve done something for myself,” Mendez said with a smile. “I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I definitely feel good about it.”
Commenti