Aron & Pam Schwartz
Aron Schwartz, corporate chef, OWB Restaurant Group, LLC; Pam Schwartz, director of Operations, OWB Restaurant Group, LLC/co-founder, Ranch 45
Homebase: San Diego
How did your love story begin? Pam: We met in college at the CIA in Hyde Park, NY. I was a senior and Aron was a freshman. We first met right after Aron started school. He needed a haircut and was looking for somewhere to go. I suggested the local barber shop; his response was, “I don’t go to a barber, I go to a stylist.” My first reaction was, “Who does this California boy think he is?” Fast forward a year and a half and our official first date was New Year’s Eve weekend riding dirt bikes in Ocotillo Wells. A year later, he proposed in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express in Poughkeepsie after his graduation. We will celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks. Our first Valentine’s date was 2022.
Favorite thing about one another: Pam: My favorite thing about Aron is how he talks me off a ledge and brings perspective to most situations. That’s what brought us together. After long days of classes and thesis writing, we would sit and talk for hours on the banks of the Hudson River. He is my sounding board.
Aron: Pam has the ability to help me believe in myself and helps me focus. As a wife of a chef, she allows me to work the hours needed and keep the crazy schedule. She also lets me surf as often as I like.
Favorite date night: Our favorite date nights are date mornings. At least twice a month on Mondays, we go out to breakfast after we take the kids to school. A lot of weeks, it’s the only time that we get to see each other.
Favorite tradition you have as a couple: Monday breakfasts. We also love finding new markets and bookstores with large cookbook sections.
What does your happily ever after look like? Pam: We are in the middle to end of high school with our kids right now. The immediate goal is to help them get into the colleges that they want to attend. We’ve always wanted a house in the Berkshires. Our oldest is looking at schools in New England, so that dream is getting closer. We’d like a place where we can host pop-ups events in New England and California. Aron has always wanted a shack on a beach, where he can cook what he wants and surf the rest of the day. Who knows what the future will bring.