Caitlin Corcoran

Safe Hospitality Advocate

Caitlin Corcoran has dedicated her twenty year career in hospitality and beverage to some of the most singular flavors in the world: coffee, agave, and wine. Caitlin’s passion for service began early, with an after-school job working as a barista. Over the next decade, she honed her skills in the coffee world, gaining experience in training, sales, and management. In 2012, she made the move from coffee to cocktails signing on as bar manager at Port Fonda. Her hard work and dedication to creating “the best agave bar program in the Midwest” were recognized by Food & Wine Magazine.

In 2014, Caitlin took on another challenge, becoming managing partner of the newly opened Ça Va, named one of “the best Champagne bars in America” by Liquor.com. Caitlin helped to establish Ça Va as a unique and beloved place for all to relax and celebrate. Ça Va has been featured in Food & Wine, Vogue, Elle, and Architectural Digest, New York Times, as well as on CNN and Wine Enthusiast. While at Ça Va, Caitlin acquired her sommelier certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers. In the fall of 2019, Caitlin decided to step away from Ça Va to pursue an interest in wine-making. Caitlin has learned and worked in the cellars of Division Wine, Gramercy Cellars, and most recently Château Coupe Roses in Languedoc Roussillon.

Most proud of her work around developing and practicing radical inclusive hospitality, Caitlin has been an outspoken advocate for the changes long overdue in the restaurant industry. Caitlin addresses these issues in 2019 at the national Women Chefs and Restaurateur’s conference and with Radio Cherry Bombe for their “Kansas City'' podcast episode. Her advocacy coincides with her work supporting MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault), her role as a Board Member for Women in Hospitality United, and writing an Op-Ed piece for the James Beard Foundation’s Impact Series “What does it mean to be safe in a restaurant?” Caitlin has been selected for both the James Beard Foundation Women Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellowship in 2018, and the 2019 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Fellowship.