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+--- Thread: Who is from Sacto? (/thread-13077.html)
- wineguruchgo - 04-05-2006
Sorry! I have to get some sleep. Can we continue this tomorrow night or Friday?
I'm exhausted.
- californiagirl - 04-05-2006
night=)
- brappy - 04-05-2006
What a trippy exchange.......
- Kcwhippet - 04-06-2006
Hey cg. Do I see a part time job in your future?
- winoweenie - 04-06-2006
This sets a new Wine Board record for the number of posts without anything of consequence arising from it. WW(giggle-snort) [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]
- wineguruchgo - 04-06-2006
Hey KC,
You are not too far off the mark. If the first one in the City is successful trust me I will be opening a few in the burbs as well. Don't think I didn't think of the part-time job after speaking with her. I can see (if all goes well) a job from 10-2 in a few years!
Just gotta get the first one up and running!
- wondersofwine - 04-06-2006
Wineguru, I had friends at one of the air bases near Sacramento. They lived in Carmichael, CA. We visited Sacramento Old Town which had some nice pottery and jewelry shops and restaurants. I don't know if that area already has a wine shop or not or what the crime rate is but it seemed at the time to be a nice area for walking and a wine shop might attract foot traffic there. (Of course, you would want nearby parking also so customers aren't trying to cart case purchases down the block!) On second thought, look for a location with parking.
Good luck on closing on your house and on the forthcoming move and new business.
- wineguruchgo - 04-06-2006
To be honest I really don't want to rely on tourism. If people are visiting and staying in hotels they are more inclined to buy wine by the bottle, not the case.
I'm looking to open the shop in the more affluent areas of the city and parking is a must! Can't have someone wanting to come and passing me by because they can't park. Eventually I'm going to offer delivery options as well.
Thanks for the tip!
- thewoodman - 04-06-2006
I live in Sacramento (not Roseville). I don't know if there is more money in Roseville, but judging by the retail development, they must like to spend it.
Downtown is a problem. It's deserted at night. The people who live there mostly drink out of a brown paper bag, but at least you would only need shopping cart parking.
Seriously, we need a shop closer in. David Berkeley is on the fringe of the city, but most of the other wine shops are in the burbs 20+ miles from downtown.
Land Park, Curtis Park, and East Sac are the more affluent residential areas near downtown. If you can set yourself apart from Trader Joe's, Cost Plus, and grocers, the market is yours.
John
- californiagirl - 04-06-2006
Thanks woodman! I told wgc that I'm not very familiar with the downtown area, since I do live in the "burbs", so to speak. Sounds like you have some good ideas for the Sacto city area.
- wineguruchgo - 04-06-2006
Hello Woodman,
My brother lives in East Sac (36th & J) and my nephew lives in Curtis Park. I would love to find something around my brother and the 40's.
I've been to David Berkley and a few of the others (can't remember their names off hand) and all are in food stores. Now, granted they are nice food stores, but the selections are limited at best.
I'm going for the novice who just noticed the cookie plate with Rudolph on it and stopped in to the serious buyer that is looking to spend some cash in the Reserve Room. The novice will feel comfortable asking "stupid questions" and the serious buyer will love my selection.
I will tell you all more when I am closer to opening. Have to keep some of this a secret! Now if you have any pet peeves about other stores I would love to know them so I don't make the same mistake.
- Innkeeper - 04-06-2006
Are you just going to have wine or are you considering some craft beers too?
- californiagirl - 04-06-2006
Micro brews are very popular!!
- wineguruchgo - 04-07-2006
I'm going to have a wine/beer license. No spirits.
If I'm correct Armagnac, Cognac, Calvados all fall under the wine catagory. Even if they don't, I'll probably have them anyway. I just don't want vodka, gin, etc...
The store is going to be very small, approx. 1,500 s/f so I want to keep it limited to wine/beer.
Keep the suggestions coming!
- wondersofwine - 04-07-2006
Will you have off-site storage that is temperature-controlled? Or will you keep the store cool to protect the wine that doesn't sell as quickly? That's one thing I value about my regular retail source--they have a large warehouse kept at 55 degrees. I've been in Sacramento in the summer and it gets hot!!! Also, I trust you wouldn't do this anyway, but don't post critics' ratings and comments about a wine when they relate to a different vintage than the one on the shelves (i.e., a Parker rating and review of a 2002 wine when you are currently stocking the 2003 vintage).
- Innkeeper - 04-07-2006
Am sure you know the basics, but I'll give you a quick review from my experience of running 25 of them. Put the beer coolers in the back, so customers have to walk by everything else to get to them. Put all brew in the coolers. Caft brews in particular are more delicate than wine and should not be piled up on the floor.
Have gondolas to hold wine almost horizontal in the open space of the store. Along the walls (where we would have put booze), have shelves that also hold wine close to the horizontal.
If you have the room, wine barrels sawed in half, make nice end bins for out of date or slow moving wines you want to move.
- robr - 04-07-2006
IK, you are describing a well known wine boutique here where I live! Amazing! They do everything you describe (except for the beer, only wine) down to the half barrels with the stuff they need to move.
Is there a standardized merchandizing textbook out there for this?
- Innkeeper - 04-07-2006
Would the boutique be on the remains of either Orlando or McCoy Air Force Bases? If, so it could have been their package store. I know that Orlando became a Naval Special Devices Center. It moved from my hometown (Sands Point, NY) to Bev's hometown (Orlando). Incidentally we had our rehersal dinner in the old Orlando AFB Officers Club.
- wineguruchgo - 04-07-2006
wow - my investor has a temperature/humidity controlled warehouse that is currently filled with wine.
As for the store - the reserve room will be enclosed with a door and have a seperate temperature/humidity controlled system. This is for wines over $75.00 per bottle. The main store will be as cool as I can keep it with the front door (hopefully) constantly opening and closing.
Let's just say that the uniform is a long sleeved shirt and I plan on wearing a sweater!
As for critics ratings? Not a chance. If a customer is concerned about them they will already know about them.
Innkeeper,
All wines will be racked horizontal except for the top display ones that will be on an angle.
The reason I'm leary about the beers is because of the coolers. They are terrible looking. For white wines I'm going to have the rapid chillers that will chill the wine in 5 minutes. This way a customer doesn't have to pick from what I have in the cooler - I can chill down any bottle they choose.
As for the wines I need to move - that's where the cruvenet systems come into place. People will buy when they can try!
- thewoodman - 04-07-2006
Guru,
You're probably thinking of Selland's as the other wine shop in a gourmet market. It's around 52nd and H in east sac. Corti Brothers at Folsom and 59th also has a good wine selection, but again in a larger grocery store.
Beyond Napa is a wine-only shop at Fulton and Fair Oaks, a few blocks from Berkeley's. This would be your main competition, but he carries no craft beers.
John