Bar Goto

Bar Goto

April 22, 2026 · 58 min · Season 1 · Episode 23

About this episode

Kenta Goto discusses his journey from bartender to bar owner and the success of Bar Goto in New York City.

When Kenta Goto left Pegu Club to open his own place on the Lower East Side, he was stepping into unfamiliar territory. He knew how to run a great bar program — but building a business from the ground up was something else entirely. So he did what came naturally: he studied. Kenta read everything he could about owning and operating a business, and that preparation paid off. From day one, Bar Goto clicked, eventually growing into one of the city’s most beloved bars and expanding with a second location in Brooklyn. On this episode of The Buildout, Kenta sits down with Adam to talk about taking the leap from star bartender to owner, what he learned while preparing to open, and how Bar Goto became a lasting New York success. Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/buildoutpodcast Bar Goto: https://www.instagram.com/bargoto_nyc Kenta Goto: https://www.instagram.com/kenta_san VinePair: https://www.instagram.com/vinepair Hosted by VinePair Co-Founder: https://www.instagram.com/adamteeter Produced and edited by: https://www.instagram.com/dolldoctor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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