In 2025 I was in Barcelona with Torres Brandy for their global competition, the Torres Brandy Zero Challenge. I had stayed an extra night in Barcelona so that I could explore some of my favourite haunts – and discover some new ones. When traveling, we try to visit our bartenders at their bars so on this night I visited Liv Rosengren. Any good traveler knows that you always ask the bartender where your next stop should be and on this night, Liv told me I had to go to FOCO. So I headed to Gracia and had one of the best bar experiences of my life. The co-founders of FOCO, Tom and Theo, were not at the bar that night but all I knew is that if they could create a place like this, with wonderful staff like this, they must be pretty darn great. We saw Theo speak on a panel at Barcelona Cocktail Fest and when we later asked if we could do a little interview for this here piece, he immediately said only if Tom was included too. This reminded us of the dynamic duo, Hannah and Siobhan. We love a good team who does great things together.
Bartender Atlas: Where were you born?
Tom Godfrey & Theo Quinn: London. United Kingdom.
Also London, United Kingdom.
BA: Okay, and where are you guys working now?
TNT: FOCO Barcelona
BA: Either one of you, what’s your job title or how would you describe her role in the industry?
TNT: Head barback.
Electrician.
BA: Now that you’re in Barcelona, where do you go out to eat and drink on your days off, or just to check things out?
TNT: Henry’s Bar, El Xampanyet, Fast Eddies, Metl, home.
Yeah a lot of home, not each other’s though.
BA: What do you do outside of work stuff, when you’re not eating, drinking, when you’re not doing research, what’s the fun thing you’re doing?
TNT: A lot of sports. We both do endurance. A lot of sports.
BA: What kind of sports?
TNT: He does ultramarathons. I do Ironmans.
BA: Okay, I’m gonna ask you, Tom, who’s your favorite fictional bartender?
Theo: Does James Bond count?
BA: I mean, I think he’s drinking it.
Tom: I don’t know anything about him. I’m not going to say no to James Bond. Moe Syslak.
Theo and BA: OOF! Moe Syslak! Great call!
BA: What’s one album that you guys think everybody should listen to, whether it’s in a bar setting or not?
TNT: Demon Days. Demon Days by The Gorillaz.
BA: An incredibly London answer.
TNT: Yeah.
BA: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
Theo: I tell you what, I will say it’s probably not the best ever, but today in that chat that we just had, “go the extra mile” from Giacomo was, it was gold, it really was gold.
Tom: Honesty’s the best policy. That’s the advice from my father.
Theo: Apply it Tom. That was a lie.
BA: What’s something that you’re excited about? A lot of dark stuff going on but what’s something exciting?
Tom: The new generation of bartending. I think I would throw that out there.
Theo: Yeah I think food, yeah always excited about food food and drink.
Tom: I think F&B is just something that we really really like.
RETURN TO ALL HOSPITALITY GEMS
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Posted May 6th, 2026
