John Machacek, Chief Innovation Officer for the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, has worked with countless startups throughout our community over the years. He knows their ups, and their downs, but most of all, he knows the questions to ask them. Here are John Machacek’s 10 questions for Shannon and Adam Wiedman, Starbird Lounge.
1. Will you please tell me your elevator pitch to describe Starbird Lounge?
Starbird is a mid-century inspired cocktail bar in the heart of downtown Moorhead. The vibe is a little nostalgic, a little tropical, and very welcoming. We focus on wellcrafted drinks, from tiki-inspired cocktails and rum-forward favorites to really solid classics, so there’s truly something for everyone. Our staff is what makes it special. They’re incredibly talented and genuinely care about creating a great experience for every guest who walks through the door.
2. What made you decide to open a tiki bar?
It was a lot of years of dreaming that started after we visited our first tiki bar back in 2017. We were in the Pittsburgh area and just happened to stumble into one—and we loved everything about it. The vibe, the fun glassware, the creativity behind the cocktails—it just felt like such a unique experience.
After that, anytime we traveled to a new city, we made a point to seek out the local tiki bar. It kind of became our thing. Then in 2020, when we were all stuck at home during the pandemic, we created our own little tiki oasis. We really dove into rum and started learning about the rich history behind tiki culture and cocktails, and spent a lot of time experimenting at home.
We always felt like a tiki-style bar would do really well in the FargoMoorhead area. For a while, we kept hoping someone would open one—but eventually we got tired of waiting and decided to just go for it ourselves.
3. I really love the nostalgia vibes of the lounge. The place feels warm, comforting, cute, and I’d say almost a 50’s or 60’s feel. How did you come up with the design and intentions for the vibe?
The tiki theme was obviously our starting point, but tiki can mean a lot of different things. When we visited other tiki bars, none of them were the same—each one had its own personality. So, we knew pretty early on that we didn’t want to just copy a certain look.
What we really wanted to lean into was the era. We kept asking ourselves, what would a bar that survived in old downtown Moorhead look like today? Almost like a love letter to the bars that were torn down during redevelopment for the Moorhead Center Mall. We were really inspired by mid-century design—a little bit of Graceland, a little bit of old Vegas—that classic, nostalgic feel.
The space itself had some bones from a previous tenant, but otherwise it was a total blank canvas. We went in and took a ton of measurements, brought everything into Adobe Illustrator, and started designing layouts. We even taped things out on the floor and sat in camping chairs where we thought booths would go, just to understand how it would actually feel from a customer’s perspective.
We worked with a contractor on some of the more technical pieces, but honestly, we probably did about 90% of the finishing ourselves. So much of the vision was in our heads, and it was hard to fully explain that to architects or contractors. In a lot of ways, it just felt easier to build it ourselves and bring it to life the way we were picturing it.
4. Well, I’ll say your Adobe Illustrator, taped floors, and camping chair views did the trick, as it is a cool place. Many people have probably thought about opening a bar or restaurant, so some readers may find this of interest. In fact, my major in college was Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Management, as my 20-year self had thought it might be something I would want to do later. So, as two people who have now opened a new bar, what are some of the early steps to start the process?
I think the biggest step was just deciding to pull the trigger and move forward. At some point, you have to rip off the Band-Aid and jump in.
We kind of laugh about it now, but we signed the lease and ended up occupying the space for about a year and a half before we even opened—and we definitely didn’t have the funding fully figured out when we signed. It wasn’t the most conventional approach, but once we committed, we were all in.
We reached out for help pretty quickly. You connected us with some great resources, and the SBDC was incredibly helpful. One of their advisors, Bill Schalow, had actually run a bar in his younger days, so he really understood the industry. He helped us work through projections and all the “educated guessing” that comes with starting something like this.
We also leaned on a business attorney, our banker—shout out Town & Country Credit Union—and the City Clerk’s office in Moorhead. The clerks were especially helpful in walking us through all the steps and requirements to open properly.
We learned early on that you can’t do something like this entirely on your own. You have to lean on people who know more than you do and be willing to ask questions.
5. The educated guessing and financial forecasting can be tough for a new business, so it’s good to have resources like the Small Business Development Centers to help with that. Between not knowing what to expect and what may be “normal” for Starbird once you get past the initial honeymoon newness period, do you now have a good handle on what normal may be?
In the beginning, we were pretty naïve—we really didn’t know what we didn’t know. We talked to friends in the industry, worked closely with the SBDC, and did a lot of homework. We mapped out what we planned to offer, what ingredients would be required, and what we thought our margins would look like. A lot of it was educated guessing.
Looking back, our projections were off a little, but honestly, not too bad. There were definitely surprises, but nothing wildly out of left field.
Now that we have a full year of operations behind us, we finally have real data to look at. We can compare month to month and see how this January stacked up against last January, for example. It’s helped us understand what we did right, where we stayed on track, and where we might want to make adjustments.
It’s been really rewarding to see Starbird succeed, especially knowing how much time, thought, and work went into those early projections. And now, having lived through a full year, we actually understand the numbers in a way we just couldn’t at the beginning.
6. Have there been many surprises or key learning lessons now that you have over a year of an open business under your belt?
Every day feels like a new lesson. The biggest surprise has really been how positive the experience has been and how much support we’ve felt from the community. That’s something we love about Moorhead—people here are fiercely loyal to their local businesses, and we’ve felt that from day one.
You go into something like this with a plan, but there are always things that force you to pivot. Something unexpected comes up, and you figure out how to adjust and move forward. When we were building the actual bar rail area, for example, we realized the height needed to be higher than we originally planned because of some pipes that we hadn’t anticipated. So instead of a traditional setup, we created a tiered bar with a small rail where guests can rest their drinks. At first, it felt like a setback, but it ended up becoming a design feature people really enjoy—one of those happy accidents.
There have been lots of pivots like that. We originally thought we’d lean even more heavily into the tiki theme, but over time, we realized how important it was to focus on wellcrafted cocktails across the board, whether they’re tiki-inspired or not. We’ve tried to really listen to what customers respond to and evolve from there.
Our staff has also made the experience better than we ever expected. Many of them came in with different types of hospitality experience, and many were brand new to bartending. That mix has been a strength. People with bartending backgrounds bring valuable knowledge, and those coming from other industries bring fresh perspectives. Together, it’s created a thoughtful, creative approach behind the bar. Watching the team grow in confidence and skill has been one of the most rewarding parts of starting this business.
7. I’m glad you brought up your team, as I planned on asking about that. As someone who has been to Starbird quite a few times, I’ve really noticed how friendly your staff is, how helpful they are with customer questions, and how complementary to the vibe they are. Plus, I have a bit of inside information because my daughter works at Starbird, so I’ve heard about the positive environment and culture. Can you comment on any particular strategies or insights on how you’ve nurtured that?
From the very beginning, our main focus when hiring was “hospitality”. You can have all the bartending experience in the world, but if you don’t take care of people and create a welcoming experience, you’re probably not the right fit for Starbird. Bartending skills can be taught. Hospitality is more of a mindset.
We also try to give our staff the tools they need to be successful and operate with a team-first mentality. We want the bar to feel approachable and comfortable, never intimidating. For us, it’s about confidence without ego—creating an environment where guests feel taken care of and excited to come back.
Interestingly, it wasn’t intentional, but quite a few of our bartenders have coffee barista backgrounds, and some had even worked together before. That’s translated really well into bartending. There’s a similar rhythm, attention to detail, and focus on consistency. It’s also made for a cohesive team that genuinely enjoys working together, and I think guests can feel that.
We’ve all experienced workplaces where it feels difficult to ask for time off or call in sick, and we never wanted to create that kind of culture. This is a job, not someone’s entire life. We want people to enjoy being here, feel supported, and still have balance outside of work.
A lot of the culture has developed organically, and our biggest goal now is simply to protect it and continue building on it.
8. And how about your strategies around your branding and marketing?
Branding was something we took really seriously from day one. With Adam’s background in design and branding, and both of us having years of marketing experience, we were able to come out of the gate with a really strong, very cohesive brand. If we had hired that out, it likely would have cost a significant amount, so that was definitely an advantage.
But branding goes beyond just visuals—it’s about being present and consistent. We try to stay active in the community, understand our demographics, and really pay attention to what our customers respond to. You can have a vision, but you also have to be willing to adjust based on what people are excited about.
A big part of our marketing approach is keeping the drink menu fresh and evolving. Our “Drink of the Moment” gives our bartenders opportunities to create and feature a specialty cocktail for a period of time. It gives guests something new to experience and creates a sense of anticipation around what’s coming next. At the same time, it highlights the creativity and talent of our team, which is really central to our brand.
9. We are getting to the end of my questions, so let’s do my time machine question. If you could talk to Shannon & Adam from some time in the past, what kind of hindsight advice would you give yourself as entrepreneurs?
Shannon: I would tell myself that it’s going to be really hard—harder than you expect—but that’s exactly what makes it so rewarding. There will be long days, stressful decisions, and moments where you question everything, but pushing through those moments is what makes the outcome feel so meaningful.
I’d also say that the support will amaze you. Friends and family will show up in ways you don’t anticipate, and the community will welcome you more warmly than you imagined. You won’t be doing it alone. And when it all starts to feel like a little too much… at least you’ll have a fully stocked bar within arm’s reach.
Adam: I’d remind myself that it’s gonna be incredibly tough, and that there’s going to be a lot of sleepless nights and 18-hour workdays. But never forget what got you here in the first place— community support. Surround yourself with good people, listen to those who are smarter than you, pivot when it’s needed, while never forgetting your goals, and always show up for your community. Always.
10. To wrap it up, what can we do as a community to help the two of you and Starbird Lounge succeed?
The biggest thing the community can do is simply keep showing up— especially this summer. If you’ve been to Moorhead lately, you’ve probably already experienced some of the detours. Center Avenue, right in front of our bar, will be completely closed for a few months during construction, which will definitely make it a little more challenging to get to us and some of the other nearby businesses.
We’re genuinely excited about the improvements coming to Center Avenue and what that will mean long-term for downtown Moorhead. It’s going to be a great investment in the neighborhood. But in the short term, those construction months will be tough.
So, we just encourage people to be patient with the detours and continue to support all of the businesses that will be impacted. A little extra effort to navigate around construction truly makes a big difference for small, locally owned spots like ours.
About John
John Machacek has been helping local startups with the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation for over a decade. Before joining the GFMEDC ream, John’s career path has varied in areas such as banking, accounting, and management in the nonprofit, food & retail sectors.
Starbird Lounge
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