From Arizona to Osaka By Robert “Bert” Brunner, Co-Founder of Devereux Golf
There are moments in building a brand when you get to step back and appreciate what’s happening. Opening the Devereux flagship in Osaka was one of those moments for me.
A few of us recently traveled to Japan to visit our business partners and celebrate the opening. We went knowing how much work our Japan team had put into the store. Seeing it in person, and meeting the people behind it, meant more than I expected.
The store sits on a corner in an Osaka neighborhood you want to spend time in. The kind of place where you walk the streets, meet friends, stop into shops, and pay attention to what people are wearing. Devereux felt at home there.
Our friends across the Pacific had taken the culture and character of the American Southwest and interpreted it through their own perspective. Every detail had been considered, from the decor to the way the product was displayed. It was warm, inviting, and stylish, with a feeling that made you want to stay awhile.
As someone who spends so much time thinking about how this brand should look and feel, I appreciated the care they put into it. They understood what we were building and brought something of themselves to it.
Our Japan team welcomed us from the moment we landed. After helping us get checked into our hotel, they took us out to meet the crew who had worked so hard to bring the store to life.
The first night was cold beers, takoyaki, shared plates, and laughs around a restaurant table. Meeting a new group of people can take a little warming up, especially when you live across the world from each other. This felt easy. These were our people. You could see it in how they carried themselves, how they treated us, and how much they cared about Devereux.
Eventually, the beers gave way to jet lag, and we headed back to get some sleep before the opening.
We spent the next day walking and shopping around Osaka. Getting out into the city helped us settle in. By the time we headed to the store that evening, we were ready to meet everyone.
And people showed up.
Friends, business partners, longtime brand fans, and people discovering Devereux for the first time. I was met with warm greetings and a curiosity about the brand that made every conversation feel worthwhile. We talked about the product, where we came from, and where we wanted to go.
I’ve been in the trenches with Devereux since day one. I know the work that goes into keeping it moving, and I know how easy it is to get caught up in whatever needs to happen next. Standing in Osaka, watching people celebrate something we started back home, gave me a chance to take it in.
To have a team across the Pacific believe in your vision enough to invest in it, build a store around it, and welcome you into their community is a hell of a feeling.
That evening, the reward for years of work was getting to be there and enjoy it.
We drank Pabst Blue Ribbon outside the store, took pictures, looked through product, and spent time with everyone who came out. Our friend Mark West DJed the opening. Someone brought a vintage Nissan Z, which quickly had our attention, and took us for a ride through the streets of Osaka.
We’re car fans at Devereux. A vintage Z in Japan was always going to be a highlight.
The opening rolled into a 19th-hole after-party, and we stayed out enjoying new friendships longer than we probably should have. It was an unbelievable day.
The next morning, we said goodbye to our Osaka friends and traveled to Nagoya to visit the company behind our Japanese partnership.
Nagoya brought a different pace. We met with the CEO in a conference room overlooking the city, with eight leather chairs spaced around the room. It was quite a setting. He was dressed just as well: sharp, with a little of the character of American rock and roll from the seventies and eighties. I appreciated the whole thing.
Being around people with that much experience and success makes you want to raise your own bar. We talked about what Devereux means in Japan and how we could continue growing together. It felt good to sit in that room and have a shared belief in where the brand could go.
The hospitality continued over a nine-course dinner, including a piece of wagyu that was out of this world. We were enjoying the company enough to let the night run late, despite an early tee time the next morning.
Golf took us into the hills outside Nagoya, where we played with the CEO and other members of the group. A driver took us out to a beautiful course with lush fairways and incredible changes in elevation.
My score wasn’t much to talk about. The views and company were.
After eighteen holes, a shower, and a change of clothes, we headed for the bullet train to Tokyo.
“Welcome to Tokyo,” announced Gamo, our representative in Japan, who had been with us every step of the way. He was excited to share his home city with us.
He had every reason to be.
Tokyo was early for coffee, long walks, sushi, shopping, and then more shopping. We woke up early and stayed out late, trying to take in as much as we could.
I wanted to observe. To see how people lived, how they dressed, what they made, and what they chose to surround themselves with. There’s a lot you can learn by walking into a shop or sitting in a café and paying attention.
As someone who makes things for a living, that time matters. You take in details without always knowing where they’ll lead. Some stay with you and find their way into your work later.
We walked more than our feet wanted us to and still felt like we had barely scratched the surface. Tokyo left us wanting to see more, but it was time to head back to Osaka and catch our flight home.
I keep coming back to the fact that golf brought us there.
We enjoy the game, the competition, the laughs, and the beers afterward. We also appreciate the places it takes us and the people we get to know along the way. This trip gave us all of that, along with a new perspective on the brand we spend our days building.
For me, the most meaningful part was seeing how many people had put their belief into Devereux. People willing to do the work, make the investment, and bring their own ideas to the vision.
When you’ve been at it since day one, having people like that in your corner means a lot.
To our Japan team, our partners, and everyone who welcomed us: thank you. You gave us an experience we’ll carry with us and plenty of inspiration to bring home.
We’re back in Arizona, grateful and ready to keep building.
- Bert Brunner - Co-Founder
