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Faren Reyes: Discovering a New Livelihood

By James Florence, guest contributor

SAN FRANCISCO — Faren Reyes never planned on becoming a plumber, but after taking an opportunity to work in the field, he discovered a whole new livelihood. “About a year after moving from L.A. to San Francisco, my cousin got his plumbing license and invited me to come work for him. After a year of working as a laborer, I became a plumber. I worked for my cousin for seven years, after which I partnered with another plumber for about five years. Finally, in 2018, I went out on my own and founded Discover Plumbing & Rooter.”

Despite being the company owner, Faren says he’s happiest when he’s working in the field. “I like to be on the jobsites working with my guys. I don’t care much for being in the office—after too much time in there, I get sleepy. I would rather be onsite and doing the hard work.”

A resident of San Bruno, Faren spends most of his time outside of work with his wife, Maria, and their six children. “I’m busy all week long, so when the weekend comes, I just want to be with my family,” he says. “We like getting out and going to the beach in Pacifica or to dinner in San Francisco. Every three or four months, we’ll take a trip to somewhere like Lake Tahoe.”

In regard to a professional philosophy, Faren says he aims for long-term customer relationships. “I don’t want to just do one job for someone—my goal is to make them a customer for life. To do this, I have to provide quality work, honest communication and a fair price, with no surprises. I’ve found that if I can provide these things to the customer, I’m more likely to get another call from them in the future.”

When asked the first thing he’d do if he were to retire tomorrow, Faren says he’d take an extended vacation. “I’d take my family on a trip to another country for a month or two. I work a lot, so an entire month together with the family would be a great thing.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What was your first job?

A: I worked in a bakery. The hours were rough—sometimes I’d have to be there at 2am!

Q: What’s your favorite local restaurant?

A: Límon Rotisserie in Burlingame. I love Peruvian food.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

A: Paris, France.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to eat for dessert?

A: Chocolate cake à la mode.

Q: What’s your favorite holiday?

A: Christmas.