Emily Bielagus and Mara Herbkersman
The Ruby Fruit | Los Angeles
April 2024
Mara Herbkersman joined the hospitality industry at age 16, but had dreams of pursuing a career in the movie industry. In 2004, she moved to Los Angeles to study theater at the California Institute of the Arts. Still feeling drawn to restaurants, Herbkersman committed to hospitality instead, working in both kitchens and front of house. In 2014, she joined the team at Cascabel, built the wine list and bar menu for the modern Mexican concept, and went on to open three more restaurants for the group. When she heard that her friends, Rising Stars alum Spencer Bezaire and partner Sabrina, were opening a restaurant of their own, Eszett, she saw her next move and joined the team in 2019. During the pandemic, Herbkersman moved to Highly Likely as general manager—while also running her own private catering business—and returned to the Eszett family in 2021 as general manager and wine director.
A longtime New Yorker, Emily Bielagus spent 15 years in and out of the hospitality industry while pursuing her music career. Ready for a change of scenery, Bielagus relocated to Los Angeles in 2020 and joined the team at Kismet before moving to Tilda Wine Bar, and then finally to Eszett, working as a server and bartender. Bielagus and Herbkersman became fast friends, and, one day, while eating family meal over a trash can, they set their sights on opening their own lesbian bar.
On the hunt for potential locations, the duo started hosting Sapphic nights at Eszett (called "Leszett") and running pop-ups around town out of Herbkersman's 1984 Volkswagen Westfalia. In late 2022, the Bezaires approached them and let them know they were selling the restaurant. Bielagus and Herbkersman jumped at the opportunity to take over the space. They flipped the restaurant in two weeks and opened The Ruby Fruit in February 2023. With a vegan-friendly menu and a wine list that exclusively features female and queer-led producers and vineyards, the cozy wine bar places an emphasis on community. From lesbian bingo nights, to book clubs, to “Queereoke,” Bielagus and Herbkersman have created a welcoming space for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.
