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GOURMET NEWS MARCH 2014 www.gourmetnews.com Retailer News RETAILER NEWS 1 2 BRIEFS Wine and Food Lovers Slowing Down to Savor the Selections at National Retailer WineStyles Tasting Station BY LUCAS WITMAN Looking to pick up a Mother's Day gift bas- ket in Omaha, Nebraska? Want to warm up with a Chilean tempranillo in Anchorage, Ala.? Hosting a wine and cheese reception in Des Moines, Iowa? WineStyles Tasting Station wants to be a destination retail store for wine enthusiasts across the country. In 2002, WineStyles' founder Brigitte Baker was enjoying a casual backyard bar- becue with friends, when the conversation turned to wine. Baker was surprised to find her friends unaware of the wealth of high quality, low cost wines available today. It was in this moment that Baker first got the idea to open a shop that featured reason- ably priced wines and educated consumers on how to get the most for their money when it comes to the sought after libation. A little over a decade later, WineStyles has evolved to include 26 stores in 12 states across the country. In 2012, Iowa-based WineStyles fran- chisees Bryan and Andrea McGinness took over for Baker, when they purchased the entire franchise system. The pair immedi- ately set about reinventing the store con- cept and diversifying the product offerings. "We've grown and expanded over the past year and a half, going into gourmet foods, craft beers, cheeses and chocolates, all of the things that pair nicely with wine," said Bryan. "The whole rebranding of the com- pany has been very important to us." Today, WineStyles customers will still find an expansive wine selection, but they can also shop for cheese, specialty food, chocolate, coffee, tea, beer, accessories and more. The company's gourmet food offer- ings have been instrumental in bringing a whole new customer base into its stores. Shoppers are now loading up their carts with products from some of the most pop- ular specialty food companies in the busi- ness, including Sweetshop USA, Bissinger's, The French Farm, Robert Rothshild Farm, Gourmet du Village, Rishi Tea, American Vintage Biscuits and Jennifer's Homemade. WineStyles also treats shop- pers to a variety of specialty prepared foods, as well, some made with gourmet ingredients that are available in store. Pre- pared food offerings include pizzettes, olives, cheese boards and charcuterie, and the menu is expanding. In many of the stores, customers can also enjoy wine served by the glass. Wine may still be the star at- traction at WineStyles, but it is not the only beverage getting customers' attentions. The newly reinvented WineStyles stores are also focusing on offering exten- sive selections of craft beers as well. "The addition of craft beers has brought in a to- tally new customer base," said Bryan. "We keep about 200 different craft beers in the store at any given time, and they rotate sea- sonally, as do our craft beers on tap." WineStyles Tasting Station sets itself apart from other wine shops in a number of ways, but the most striking may be the way that the wine itself is merchandised in store. Whereas most wine shops divide up their selection based on varietal or region- ality, WineStyles opts to organize its bottles by style. When it comes to whites, cus- tomers can choose from crisp, silky or rich offerings. The store's reds are broken up into fruity, mellow and bold bottles. WineStyles is also unique in its focus on offering its customers locally sourced re- gional selections. Each store brings in craft beers from local breweries, and stores located in wine growing regions also have selections of local wines. "Different stores around the country are offering different beers. Craft beer is still so regional that there is a different flair in different parts of the country," said Andrea. The McGin- nesses' Des Moines store, for example, treats its customers to Toppling Goliath's Tsunami Pale Ale, Madhouse Brewery's Im- perial Red and Confluence Brewing Com- pany's Des Moines IPA. Reaching out to wine aficionados and newcomers alike, WineStyles' popular wine club is a popular way to broaden one's knowledge and try some great new bottles on a regular basis. "We're the only wine club with a clubhouse," said Andrea. By signing up for the monthly wine club, cus- tomers will take home two or three new bottles of wine each month. WineStyles also of- fers a variety of sim- ilar clubs, where members have the opportunity to try new beers, chocolates, cheeses, teas and coffees. Catering to a diverse clientele with vary- ing degrees of wine knowledge, WineStyles strives to staff its stores with knowledge- able experts in the field, trained to guide customers through their purchase. How- ever, for Bryan and Andrea, personality is just as important as expertise when it comes to bringing new staff into the busi- ness. "When we hire, obviously we want them to have some knowledge," said An- drea. "Customer service is huge for us. The training is geared toward customer service … but personality is also key." When reinventing the WineStyles con- cept, the most important thing for Bryan and Andrea was to create stores where cus- tomers felt free to browse the shelves for an extended period of time, perusing bottles, learning about wine and picking up a few things along the way. To get the full expe- rience of the store, the pair hopes that cus- tomers will hang around for at least 45 minutes or more. This is what ultimately sets WineStyles apart from other wine and specialty food shops around the country: a welcoming at- mosphere where customers feel free to shop, drink, snack and peruse the products at their leisure. "What sets us apart is the look feel and fit of our stores. We are set up like an old world wine cellar where customers can come and try wines from all over the world," said Bryan. "The fit and finish of the store is very cozy." To learn more about WineStyles Tasting Station or to view a complete list of stores, visit www.winestyles.com. GN Yumz Express Offers Any Retail Location a Frozen Yogurt Solution The successfully innovative self-serve franchise, Yumz Gourmet Frozen Yogurt, recently announced the launch of Yumz Express®, a kiosk-sized version of a full-size Yumz Gourmet Frozen Yogurt store. Yumz Express is designed to fit inside existing stores, including movie theaters, restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacies or other existing retail locations. Yumz Express offers the same irresistible frozen yogurt product that the full- size Yumz Gourmet Frozen Yogurt stores are known for. Yumz Express kiosks offer up to five frozen yogurt machines with design flexibility to fit any size store. This concept was created to help retail store owners take advantage of the growing frozen yogurt industry within their existing store with anticipated sales of $500 or more per day. For more information on Yumz Express, visit www.yumzfrozenyogurt.com/express. For more information on becoming a franchisee of a full- size Yumz Gourmet Frozen Yogurt store, visit www.yumzfrozenyogurt.com/franchise. Mrs. Green's Natural Market Opens Its Doors in Fairfax, Va. Mrs. Green's Natural Market recently opened its first-ever store in the Washington metropolitan area at 12995 Fair Lakes Shopping Center in Fairfax, Va. The new Mrs. Green's location will offer 100 percent organic produce, all-natural meats and dairy, artisanal baked goods, supplements and household, pet and baby products. Founded in 1991 with a mission to provide exceptional organic and natural products, Mrs. Green's also seeks to educate and inspire communities to eat and live well. An all-organic salad bar priced at $6.99/pound, healthy to-go meals and a beverage bar serving Fair Trade organic coffee and organic juices make Mrs. Green's Natural Market a unique one-stop-shop for health- and green-conscious customers in Fairfax County and the Washington metropolitan area Mrs. Green's Fairfax store hours are Monday- Sunday 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. For more information on Mrs. Green's mission, current promotions and upcoming events, visit www.mrsgreens.com/locations/Fairfax/. Brookshire Brothers Agrees to Purchase David's Supermarkets Brookshire Brothers, the Lufkin, Texas-based chain of 123 grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies and gas stations in Texas and Louisiana, recently announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase David's Supermarkets from the Waldrip family. David's Supermarkets operates 25 stores in north central Texas. "We feel like these family-owned stores align with our core value that we are a celebration of family and community," said Jerry Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Brookshire Brothers. "As a 100 percent employee-owned company, this transaction also presents opportunities for the employees of David's." Almost a century old, Brookshire Brothers was first founded in Lufkin in 1921.

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