Tell Me A Story: A Piece of Monty’s Den Lore

Yvonne Besvold standing in front of a small airplane
A 42-year career in finance wasn’t all numbers and spreadsheets for Yvonne Besvold (’82). She found plenty of adventure as the CFO of Patagonia, including jaunts to Alaska and fishing trips to Montana with her husband, Chris Besvold (see photo below), whom she met at SDSU and married soon after. Photograph courtesy of Yvonne Besvold.

Yvonne Besvold (’82) recalls her trailblazing days as SDSU’s first woman bartender at Monty’s Den, where fast pours and lifelong lessons went hand in hand.

By Yvonne Besvold as told to Suzanne Finch

Yvonne Besvold (’82) was hired in 1981 as the first woman bartender at Monty’s Den, the storied on-campus bar that was located in the original Aztec Student Union from 1978 to 1998. After graduation, she went into finance, working at Neiman Marcus Group and Disney. She recently retired from Patagonia as CFO. In her own words, Besvold reflects on the fun, chaos and happy memories from her days as one of Monty’s most memorable faces.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I HAD TO LEARN behind the bar at Monty’s Den was how to pour a craft beer with a perfect head of foam. I also had to learn how to work under pressure, since I had to pour drinks, wash glasses and take money at the same time.

This was especially true on Fridays. Starting at noon, the place would get packed, and you’d have lines five people deep, yelling your name to get you to fill their pitcher. Things moved a little faster when you got to know your customers and what they drank. In fact, when my husband and I were working as ski instructors in Europe, a regular customer recognized me and called out my name. As soon as I saw him, I remembered him and his beer of choice: Watney’s Red.

Yvonne Besvold and husband, Chris Besvold on their wedding day. Photograph courtesy of Yvonne Besvold.
Yvonne Besvold and husband, Chris Besvold on their wedding day. Photograph courtesy of Yvonne Besvold.

Lessons I learned while tending bar worked for me in the business world as well. For example, I learned how to strike up a conversation with anyone and find common ground. I also learned to follow the rules: My husband, Chris, whom I met at a Lambda Chi Alpha party, still resents that I didn’t let him cut in line on Fridays or give him free beer. Best to just follow the rules. 

In retrospect, one of the best decisions I’ve ever made was to come to San Diego State. I had an amazing experience and got a fabulous business education that I was able to use throughout my entire career. And I am proud to be part of the Monty’s Den legacy.