SAN DIEGO – The family of Mo’s Universe restaurants, including Urban Mo’s, Baja Betty’s Gossip Grill, and the soon to open Hillcrest Brewing Company is pleased to announce the newest addition to its marketing and public relations team, Rick Cervantes.
Bringing much social media and traditional media experience to the plate, Cervantes has already began taking the company’s community outreach efforts to new heights by doing things such as creating and managing the new MosUniverse Instagram and Tumblr accounts.
While the company already had a robust Twitter and Facebook presence, Cervantes hopes to increase interaction with customers, and the greater community who look to the restaurant group to celebrate, eat, drink, and create memories.
Cervantes joins Mo’s Universe Marketing & Public Relations Director Eddie Reynoso, who was pleased to bring Cervantes on board.
“Ricky has already proven himself to be a great addition to our team, and we are so happy to have him on board,” Reynoso said. “In his first month of work here, he has already made an impact on our brand.”
Not only does Cervantes have marketing and media experience, formerly working for a LGBT news organization, political consulting firm, and event planning agency, he has been a community activist since moving to San Diego in 2006 to finish his bachelor’s degree at San Diego State University – the first in his family to earn a college degree.
Cervantes co-founded a nonprofit organization called San Diego Remembers, which organizes an annual march and ceremony to commemorate the death of Matthew Shepard, who has murdered as a result of anti-LGBT hate crime in 1998.
Besides his anti-hate work, Cervantes also volunteers with San Diego LGBT Pride’s Diversity Task Force; Stonewall Citizens Patrol; and has participated in the San Diego American Flag Football League.

The world’s most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and third most popular drink only after water and tea is preparing to “Come Out of the Closet” and into the hands of consumers in time to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, the recognized birth of the LGBT civil rights movement. The Hillcrest Brewing Company (HBC), is being celebrated as the first “Out and Proud LGBT brewery worldwide."

The “hoperatives” behind the company are the Mo’s Universe Family of Restaurants owned by Chris Shaw a well known San Diego restaurateur who was recently recognized by The City Of San Diego and Councilman Todd Gloria for his commitment to the LGBT Community and America’s Finest City. The company includes other famously known restaurants: Urban Mo's Bar & Grill, Baja Betty's and Gossip Grill, all popular LGBT restaurants and bars located in the colorful and vibrant gayborhood of Hillcrest in San Diego. All three restaurants are currently pouring HBC's first micro brew- a pale ale named Perle Necklace after the perle hops used in the recipe.

The Hillcrest Brewing Company will be specializing in handcrafted beer and stone oven pizzas with bottles, growlers & kegs to-go. Chris Shaw says “Our businesses have always been a place to come as you are and be who you are… the Hillcrest Brewing Company will follow in the line of our other restaurants in providing our guests with the best product and an extraordinary experience every time they visit us.” Joe Kraft, HR Manager and partner in the restaurant adds “The pizza will be perfectly orchestrated with a focus from the water and flour to create its crust, to the fresh Italian Roma tomatoes with fresh toppings and cheeses before it is fired in stone ovens.”