For Subscribers

The Best Bar to . . . Network Without Spending Big Bucks: Copa D'Oro This Santa Monica, Calif., hangout offers the kind of soft lighting and easy-on-the-wallet happy hour that can appeal to Gen-X startup founders.

By Jennifer Wang

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Copa D'Oro | Santa Monica, Calif.

Step into Santa Monica's Copa d'Oro and it's obvious what matters: cocktails and conversation. For the first, a distinguished bar nearly as long as the room, accented by backlit displays of spirits and gleaming arrangements of fruits, vegetables and herbs. For the second, the absence of distracting screens; instead, a beat-driven soundtrack just loud enough to encourage lively chatter among the stylish late-twenty- and early-thirtysomething regulars from the local startup scene.

The soft lighting and antique metal-wood-leather scheme makes Copa a winner on looks alone, but cash-conscious BIZ Experiencess will appreciate the bar all the more for its extended happy hour--5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and all night Monday--featuring $5 cocktails, $6 paninis and $7 appetizers.

Copa is busy without the hassle, has a simple menu and is "quiet enough but still cool," says Patricia Handschiegel, serial BIZ Experiences and founder of Chic Market.

"Even if you can afford it, everyone loves a deal," she says. "And I always try to keep my overhead as low as possible."

Order like a regular: Let the cocktail-savvy bartenders serve up a just-for-you drink. Pick a spirit and customize with a selection of farmers-market-fresh ingredients.
Go: 217 Broadway; (310) 576-3030; copadoro.com

The Best Bar to...
Show Off Your Classic Style in Louisville, Ky.
Celebrate a Big Win in Las Vegas
Hang With Hipsters in Portland, Ore,
Hide Out in Safe Haven in Nashville, Tenn.
Get Some Work Done in Seattle
Rub Elbows With a VC in New York
Rent a Stylish Meeting Space in Boston
Find a Behind-the-Bar Mentor in allas
Get Green Inspiration in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Get the Business Scoop From a Bartender in San Francisco
Related Articles
Bar Keep: How a Bar Becomes Your Own
Five Businesses Born at a Bar
Business and a Beer: An BIZ Experiences Roundtable:
Tips for Making Pub Quizzes a Team-Building Success
Knowledge on Tap: The Business of a Beer Sommelier

Jennifer Wang

Writer and Content Strategist

Jennifer Wang is a Los Angeles-based journalist and content strategist who works at a startup and writes about people in startups. Find her at lostconvos.com.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Science & Technology

OpenAI's Latest Move Is a Game Changer — Here's How Smart Solopreneurs Are Turning It Into Profit

OpenAI's latest AI tool acts like a full-time assistant, helping solopreneurs save time, find leads and grow their business without hiring.

Social Media

How To Start a Youtube Channel: Step-by-Step Guide

YouTube can be a valuable way to grow your audience. If you're ready to create content, read more about starting a business YouTube Channel.

Starting a Business

I Built a $20 Million Company by Age 22 While Still in College. Here's How I Did It and What I Learned Along the Way.

Wealth-building in your early twenties isn't about playing it safe; it's about exploiting the one time in life when having nothing to lose gives you everything to gain.

Money & Finance

These Are the Expected Retirement Ages By Generation, From Gen Z to Boomers — and the Average Savings Anticipated. How Do Yours Compare?

Many Americans say inflation prevents them from saving enough and fear they won't reach their financial goals.

Business Solutions

Boost Team Productivity and Security With Windows 11 Pro, Now $15 for Life

Ideal for BIZ Experiencess and small-business owners who are looking to streamline their PC setup.