Victoria Parizo

It was August of 2021, and like most days, Victoria Parizo was on her way to work. She had spent the last three months fighting to make ends meet by working four jobs and to be frank, she was exhausted: “[One night] I was at a Bible study with my friends and I was outside having a panic attack because I was like, Oh my gosh, I haven't had a day off in like a month and I'm going to have to have another two months going forward, not having a day off and I was terrified.”

 

Victoria had made it a daily habit to go through the drive-through at her favorite coffee shop, Bridge City Flagship, on her way to her Trader Joes' job. It was a sweltering hot day, the kind of day where all you want to do is sit by the pool with a lemonade. But instead, she was sitting in her old black Volkswagen Jetta, AC on full blast, waiting patiently for her iced coffee, when Matt Meyers, the manager of Bridge City Flagship, stuck his head out the window and offered her a job.

 

“And then when I was there, Matt was like, ‘Do you want to quit one of your

jobs and like, come work for me at Flagship full time?’ And I was like,

how about I quit all of them and come work for you

full time” Parizo laughed.

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Bridge City Flagship has been immensely popular since its opening in 2016,

and the idea of opening a second location had always been a thought in the

back of everyone’s mind. But they needed several things, a building and

someone to run it, most importantly.

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In May of 2022 an empty spot next to Farmhouse Tacos opened,

and in partnership with Sidewall Pastry Company, Bridge City

was able to acquire the building. Now they were only missing one thing: someone to manage the new location.

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Parizo’s ability to connect with others made her the perfect candidate for the job. “Like she just has so much care and love for those around her,” describes Kate Nobles, Parizo’s roommate, “She has a gift for being able to talk to anyone and welcome people, getting to know them. And just like really making someone feel seen.”

 

She brought something that Bridge City Flagship had been lacking. When she eventually left the Flagstaff location, her absence was noticeable: “And I saw how the way the Hampton Store [Flagstaff] shifted and changed when Victoria left…the community left with her” says Nobles.

 

It was clear to the owner, Gregory Ward, that Parizo was the perfect person to lead this project. So, he came to her with a proposition: “He asked me if I wanted to be one of their Guinea pigs and be sent off to go help open up a store. I was like, yeah, sure, why not? So, then that ended up being Travelers Rest and I've been a manager ever since.” remembers Parizo.

 

Now that there was a building to sell coffee in and a person to run it, Bridge City Travelers Rest was born, and by August 2022, they were open for business. It was a rough couple of weeks for Parizo that included long hours and sleepless nights: “Man we all just worked really long hours. I think that first day I worked maybe like 17 [hours].” 

 

                 

 

 

 

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Parizo has lived many lives and worked many jobs, but one thing that has remained constant is her love for others and ability to bring people together. By embracing change and trusting her abilities, she transformed Bridge City Travelers Rest into more than a coffee shop, it became a community. She is well-loved as evidenced by the several 5-star Google Reviews that name her specifically. Community is only as special as the ones who make it special and Parizo makes Bridge City Travelers Rest pretty special. As Furman student Catherine Farr remarked, “When I think of Bridge City Travelers Rest, I think of Victoria."