About Us
About Sherra
Sherra is the co-owner Operational Architect and Maintenance Department of Your Only Friend.
Growing up outside Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of an automotive engineer and a stay-at-home mom, Sherra’s introduction to the hospitality industry was through her fascination with the commercial dishwashing machine at The Huron River Hunting and Fishing Club, the private dinner and social club where her mom worked on Saturday nights.
Moving to Chicago to pursue her dream of working in the advertising field, she landed at the industry giant DDB Chicago, before becoming Human Resources Manager for the former Food and Beverage supplier at The United Center sports arena, Bismarck Enterprises. She began her bartending career at Chris Chelios’ annual charity event at the Chicago institution Stanley’s Kitchen and Tap, where she worked as a part-time cocktail server on weekends. It was at both Stanley’s and Melvin B’s Truck Stop where she discovered that her one true passion of creating neighborhood cornerstones where people come together, more than for the cocktails and food that initially drew them, but as a chosen family.
Sherra moved to Washington, DC, in 2015, to be closer to her immediate family and was offered the opportunity to work for the James Beard nominated and 2017 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award-winning “Best American Cocktail Bar”, Columbia Room in 2018. She soon became the Assistant General Manager in 2019. At Columbia Room, she was able to share her love of history and storytelling with guests, as well as explore scientific and precision approaches to cocktail creation collaborating with Paul Taylor. She has participated in nationally recognized bartending competitions including the Heaven Hill Bartender of the Year competition in 2020. Sherra brings her passion and joy for creating one-of-a-kind guest experiences, as well as curating an inclusive, skilled, and knowledgeable team to Your Only Friend.
Sherra loves baseball and her perfect afternoon is sitting in the sun at Wrigley Field with a cold beer, friends, and family cheering on her beloved Cubs.
About Paul
Paul Taylor is the co-owner of Your Only Friend, a cocktail and sandwich bar in Washington, D.C., opened in partnership with his best friend Sherra Kurtz. Since opening in January 2024, Your Only Friend has earned a place on Washingtonian’s "Top 100 Very Best Restaurants" and was named one of the best new restaurant openings of the year.
Before launching Your Only Friend, Paul was a partner and general manager at the acclaimed Columbia Room, the pioneering cocktail bar founded by Derek Brown. Over his twenty-year career in the hospitality industry, Paul has worked nearly every position behind the bar and in the kitchen, sharpening both his palate and his leadership.
As Bar Manager of Southern Efficiency, Paul was voted “Best Male Bartender” in Washington, D.C. by One Love Massive. He is a 2018 graduate of the Bar 5 Day Program—touted as the world’s most comprehensive spirits and mixology training—as well as the González Byass Sherry Master Program, where he studied under winemaker and master blender Antonio Flores in Jerez, Spain.
The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a creative pivot: Paul returned to the kitchen and began channeling his love of food into sandwiches. Drawing from years of culinary study and his deep respect for chef-driven technique, Paul now fully embraces his self-proclaimed title as a sandwich expert.
Paul lives in Virginia with his wife, Kaitlynn, their two kids, Kasey and PJ, and their dog Franklin, where they cook, entertain, and grow ingredients in their lush backyard garden. When he’s not building sandwiches or testing recipes, you’ll likely find him thumbing through one of his many cookbooks with a glass of natty wine in hand, while Action Bronson sets the vibe.