Who say’s that a restaurant and bar can’t be your second home? If there is someone downtown who lives, works and breathes his passion, it would be restaurateur Aaron Phillips, owner of FleetWood and BeachWood restaurants. Aaron hails from San Francisco and got his start in the biz at a very popular club called MoMo’s. From there he moved on to hone his bartending skills at some of the coolest clubs in San Diego while picking up a degree from SDSU. While putting in 100-hour workweek’s as a bartender and home inspector remodeling and flipping homes, he was able to stash some cash and open his first establishment downtown — The FleetWood. Later on, he opened The BeachWood in Pacific Beach. Now with 15 years of industry experience under his belt, this over-achiever and party animal still believes in running his places with a hands-on management style and some of his best friends are now part of his trusted management team. He still puts in tons of hours between both joints and loves every minute of it. I met up with Phillips at FleetWood for this interview — and had the privilege of experiencing some of the best jalapeño artichoke dip I’ve ever tasted, which I washed down with their signature mojito. The place has the feel of a Cheer’s-type bar, where everyone seems to know one another, and it manages to avoid the pretentiousness that plagues so many downtown clubs. Phillips couples that attitude with a masculine but warm décor and vibe in the lounge and restaurant, a real treasure among the locals. Alexandra Rosa: What’s up with the “wood” thing you seem to have going with both restaurants? Aaron Phillips: A family uncle died suddenly and he thought a good name for a restaurant would be FleetWood after Moses Fleetwood “Fleet” Walker who was an American Major League Baseball player and author who is credited with being the first African American to play professional baseball. I wanted something that was Americana and was not going to wash out in five years. AR: Since you are a workaholic and the restaurant industry can be demanding, how do you blow off stream when frustrated? AP: Yep, it can be crazy, but it’s a people business so it goes with the territory. But when I do need to get away, I head to the beach and play my guitar. Also, my close group of friends and employees will go out of town where nobody knows us and we can relax. Being known in this town is a good and bad thing. AR: Since you were a bartender for many years, what is your favorite cocktail? AP: The Cadillac Margarita. Shaken not stirred. AR: What is most effective advertising you have done besides word of mouth? AP: In the summer at BeachWood I have these super hot chicks ride trikes up and down the boardwalk inviting folks to our place and handing out flyers. AR: What makes FleetWood different from all of downtown’s other establishments? AP: We accept everyone, we party hard and everyone gets along. We have a family feeling here, and since a lot of our friends are in the industry and would come over, we decided to give them 25 percent off their tabs. I want people to have a good time and I do whatever I can to make that happen. AR: If you were not in the restaurant business what would you be doing? AP: Real estate. I don’t like bosses. AR: Aaron, I don’t think you have to worry about that for now. Your employees seem to admire and respect you even if you are their boss.