Jaime and Shriver were two years into a lease, which in New York means they were just about to open. “Our slated date was March 15. So we didn’t.” Before High Low, the two worked in nearly every form of food service, mostly beverage and cafes, which they also managed. This place would be more personal: a Vietnamese-influenced all-day bar with Shriver taking the lead on menu direction. With a slim staff to start, she found herself in the kitchen with her mom, crafting their perfect banh mi — which patrons now enjoy in their backyard, along with a curation of craft brews and natural wines.

We spoke with Jaime about the lead up and what Intro. 2233 would mean for their new business.

What was it like trying to open as a new business during a pandemic?

Jaime Hodgkin: We took a couple months to retool our concept, focus more on to-go stuff, adding delivery, even changing our front area to sell wine. We opened up in May and rolled with the punches to start outdoor dining. We never actually did indoor dining but built structures in the front, winterized our back space, added heaters, and continued to adapt. 

And you have a great outdoor space to work with, at least. 

JH: Yeah, it was great and now it’s a necessity. It’s how we’ve been able to survive. We also have a front area with street-side seating, but the back area is definitely where people want to be. It’s a little more private and more our space. 

Have you had any contact with the DOH this year?

JH: We don’t even have our letter grade. We’ve been calling them trying to get that inspection out of the way. They just keep saying they’re only doing COVID compliance. We’ve been checked on a few times in terms of spacing and seating and temperature checks. But we’ve never fully gotten involved with the DOH. I’ve spoken to people about whether we’re even allowed to operate — which is 20 days after you submit your paperwork, so they said, “that’s fine, you’re fine.”

We definitely feel like we’re still only soft (or halfway) open. We haven’t served anyone inside yet. We’ve just focused on what we can do with what we have, and a lean staff. We have someone doing pastry now and just hired a savory lead, but mostly it’s just been Shriver and I. 

How has your relationship with the DOH been in your former roles in the industry?

JH: I started working in food service in 2008. Back then I was a waiter in a huge restaurant in Times Square, so I was very much a small cog, and then I worked my way up. Shriver’s been here since 2011 or so, and has worked straight as management and dealt with that as well. We’ve both been managers, mostly of cafes, and worked in bars, restaurants, and various forms of food service. So we certainly know about all the ins and outs of getting health inspections and permitting — even so much that when the COVID inspectors come in here and show their badge, my heart still drops, like, uhhh, oh my god. And then I remember, oh, they’re just checking our [COVID] paperwork.

What would you change about the relationship?

JH: The biggest thing that we all notice is the inconsistency between inspectors, issuing fines on things that were totally approved and looked at during the last inspection. And just having to fight, and go back and forth about certain violations and fines; going through the Grade Pending system, waiting on another inspection, which could happen at any time. Then to have all those things we’ve corrected not looked at, and get docked for other things. It's a consistency issue more than anything else. Obviously we’re all about food safety in this industry and want to do this well. But if no one tells us the first time what’s wrong, and they come back the second time and tell us it’s wrong, we don’t have a chance to fix it. We’ve had places that’ve gotten perfect grades or two points off. The inspector will come back again and everything is exactly the same, but we get ten points off. 

What kind of violations?

JH: Having a three compartment sink that isn’t able to submerge our biggest tray. That’s a violation from the last inspector but another one said it was fine. Or something common in cafes, having the steam wand for the espresso machine in a bleach bucket, which doesn’t really make any sense because then you’d be wiping steam or bleach into people’s steamed milk. It’s always been up to the inspector.

Can you share the financial reality of this inconsistency, and what the passage of Intro. 2233 would mean for you?

JH: Thankfully we haven’t had an inspection here yet. I love the idea of having a cure period to fix things without getting immediately fined. For us, it would be huge. We just can’t take on any fines right now. There are a lot of places I’ve worked where they had a health code lawyer on call, basically to make things go away. But it’s just another person you’d have to deal with and retain. It just seems silly. 

I worry about us because we have a downstairs kitchen and an upstairs kitchen, coffee, bar, everything. Getting fines on something like that, especially now in the pandemic while we haven’t been able to follow-up on any sort of aid yet, it would just kill us. Especially because everyone is being affected by a downturn in business, and the SLA is going around and looking to fine people. We haven’t had any issues with them but the fines can be massive. It’s just not the time for that. 

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Jaime Hodgkin and Shriver Tran are co-owners of High Low Beverage Company (295 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237), a Vietnamese-influenced all-day cafe & bar.