Travis Tober
Longtime bartender and accomplished mixologist, Travis Tober has 25+ years of experience at top restaurants and innovative cocktail bars across the country, working at nearly every position in the beverage industry. He has spent years creating and consulting on national beverage programs for well-known restaurant brands including Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Landry’s, Hard Rock Cafe and TGI Fridays. Tober is now the Owner of Nickel City, a nationally-acclaimed East Austin cocktail and neighborhood bar opened in 2017. Under his guidance, Nickel City has quickly risen to become one of the top bar programs in the country, drumming up a slew of accolades including Esquire’s “Best Bars in America,” Garden & Gun’s “Best Southern Bars in America,” Perrier's "World's 50 best discoveries," Bar and Nightclub's "Best Neighborhood Bar," CultureMap’s “Tastemaker Awards: Bar of the Year,” Time Out’s “Bar Awards: Best New Bar,” Austin Monthly’s “Best New Bar,” and was a 7 time Finalist for Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards for “Best American High Volume Cocktail Bar.” and " Best American Bar Team" Prior to Nickel City, Tober was Beverage Director at VOX Table and head mixologist at the Four Seasons Austin, where he elevated the beverage program to previously unseen heights.
An established thought leader in the industry, Tober was named Best North American Bartender for Whiskey Magazine’s “Icons of Whiskey America 2019” award and "Austins Bartender of the year 2021" Texas Restaurant association's "Restaurateur of the year 2023" He is also an Owner at Nickel City Fort Worth, Nickel City Houston, The Down 'n Out Fort Worth, Murray's Tavern Austin, Uncle Nicky's, Best Little Wine and Old Pal In Lockhart, TX. Find him on Instagram @thetober. @thetober