MILLERSPORT – He is young and rising quickly.
“As a child, I was always very social and involved,” recalls Nathan Riley. “Growing up, I was very entrepreneurial and wanted to own a business like my father. I come from a very large Appalachian family that taught me the importance of community and a strong work ethic.”
“In high school and college,” he added, “I sold shoes and clothing and worked as a pizza delivery driver, waiter, flower delivery driver and videographer for the local cable TV company. I even worked for my cousin’s landscaping company one summer.”
“I knew I loved the food industry when I first took a job delivering pizza at 16,” he noted. “The constant chaos, problem-solving and teamwork were so exciting to me. No two days are the same and you’re creating and revising a new plan every minute.”
Today, Riley is the manager of Herinafter Cocktail Tavern, 3430 North Bank Road Northeast, in Millersport.
“That means I do pretty much everything,” he explained. “We have a small staff, so I have to take on a lot of different tasks. On any given day, I’m a waiter, a bartender, a host, and even help in the kitchen doing the dishes. We have a great team mentality and always live by the motto ‘everyone’s table is everyone’s table.’ That means we don’t usually have sections or tasks and we always want the guest to be the center of our thoughts.”
“The friendships and relationships you can form with guests are what keeps me coming back,” he added. “It’s a great feeling when you can turn a cocktail, appetizer or snack into an experience. Service workers can be important members of their community just by serving others.”
Riley, 24, grew up in Glouster, a village of about 3,000 people in Athens County, graduated from Trimble High School in 2018 and from Ohio University in 2022 with a degree in business administration.
“Herinafter hit me at a weird point in my life,” he said. “I had just graduated from college the summer before and wasn’t quite sure what my life would look like after graduation. I needed a job and was lucky enough to find Herinafter. I started about a month after it opened and have been here ever since. From serving to bartending to general manager, I’ve loved helping this place grow.”
Ben Long is the owner of the Hereinafter Cocktail Tavern.
“Nathan is a younger GM who is making a big difference here at Herinafter,” Long said. “He has built up a great clientele and is doing a great job for me. I think he has a long, successful career ahead of him in the restaurant business.”
“I’m really grateful and happy that I found Herinnach,” Riley replied. “I’ve gained so much knowledge and experience in service as well as management and leadership.”
“Making friends and sharing laughs with guests is the best part of my job,” he concluded. “Knowing that people can trust me to give them good cocktail, wine and food recommendations and that I’ll take care of them on special occasions is a great feeling. It’s never really an easy job, but always very rewarding.”
Aces of Trades is a weekly series that focuses on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, funny jobs, or people who make ordinary jobs special. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at [email protected].
