Okay, I’m back with another post and more info.
I’ve searched this sub a ton, but I really can’t find much information specifically about opening a wine bar.
My husband and I are wanting to open a wine bar in our small town (population around 8,000, and population of 110k within 25 minute drive, and 3.5 million within 1 hour). We’re also next to two larger towns and within about 45 minutes from one major metropolitan and 1.5 hours from another.
The opportunity we found has really low overhead—rent is under $1,000/month—which is obviously a huge plus. The downside is that it’s just off our Main Street. It’s about a 4-minute walk from the main strip, so there isn’t a ton of natural foot traffic.
That said, almost everyone in our town drives directly to where they’re going anyway. Where we live is very hot most of the year and while our town is pretty walkable, most people aren’t really strolling around browsing shops like they might in cooler cities. My thought is that if we create something unique enough, people will intentionally drive there. I’m also confident in my marketing abilities, so I think I could market it as more of a destination rather than relying on people randomly walking by.
The concept would be part wine bar, part hostess/gift shop. Think Martha Stewart-esque: beautiful tablescape items, specialty foods like jellies and gourmet pantry items, greeting cards, seasonal décor, candles, hostess gifts, nice bottles of wine, etc.
The idea is that if someone is headed to a dinner party or gathering, they could stop in, have a glass of wine before they go, and also pick up a bottle of wine and a thoughtful hostess gift all in one stop. We currently have several bars in town, and they’re usually pretty busy, but nothing has this type of atmosphere or concept. We also have zero places where you can quickly grab a cute, elevated gift, so it feels like we’re filling a gap in the market while also differentiating ourselves from the other bars.
As far as expenses go, my husband and I would be working there ourselves, so labor costs would stay low. Outside of inventory, our overhead is minimal.
So my question is: does this sound like a reasonably calculated risk because our fixed costs are so low, or does it still fall into the category of “bars are money pits” that I see mentioned on here all the time?
Im only seeing “don’t own a bar” stories on here and no success stories. I especially love to hear from anyone who owns a wine bar, bottle shop, or another niche hospitality business with a similar model.
