WineNow! Pour with Me
First Black woman-owned tasting room & wine lounge in the Inland Empire. Enjoy tasting wines created by talented women & other diversities.
Project Description
COMPANY MISSION
To provide a high-quality wine tasting, learning, and socializing experience to all of our guests.
THE PROBLEM
The Inland Empire has its roots in the wine industry, yet there are not many places to enjoy new wines, their favorite wines, network, and socialize on an upscale level. Often, people in the area have to drive to other counties that an hour or more away to have this type of experience. Although the wineries can be fun, they can also be very intimidating and don't allow new wine drinkers the ability to learn about what they are drinking and really expand their palate without scheduling a specialty tour. Lastly, wineries are limited in their offerings. They are going to offer their brands and that's it. WineNow! will not only offer great local wines, but guests will be able to taste wines made by diverse groups and other countries.
THE SOLUTION
I will solve the state problem by opening up an upscale wine lounge and store in the Inland Empire. This will be a place to hold many types of gatherings and spend time having unique experiences. Guests will be able to spend time socializing, networking, and connecting while tasting all types of wines. It will be a place where both the wine novice and experienced connoisseur can get what they are looking for in wines. Guests will be able to taste flights of wines, spend time with friends, enjoy a date night and ladies'/guys' nights out, host bachelorette/bachelor parties, bridal showers, specialty events, and more. There will also be learning events with wine makers and experience sommeliers. This wine lounge wine lounge will fill a big gap for entertaining and socializing in the Inland Empire.
MARKET OPPORTUNITY
The market for wine drinkers is growing year after year. Wine drinking had a reputation of primarily being done by the rich, but now the market has expanded.
Baby boomers are a high consumer of wine at all price levels. As they retire, online sales will grow from them (27.9 million Americans will cross retirement age at 66 in 2021)
There are increased sales coming from the under 40 category and millennials (30.3 million will turn 40 next year)
Male executives are consumers of premium wines
Parents of young families often use wine to relax and unwind on outings
Wine consumption is common as a social outing and would attract mothers for mom's night out
Girls' night outs will attract single women in the area
Couples wanting to do something a bit upscale and have an experience together would be attracted to this type of venue
WHY AM I SEEKING FUNDING?
I am seeking funding because having a standing/brick and mortar location is very expensive. Although I'm also using SBA funds, those will cover most of the tenant improvement/buildout which has gone up a lot in the past 6 months due to inflation.
There are still costs for operating funds, hiring, training, consultants like my interior designer, city costs for permits, the set up of utilities, grand opening marketing, and there's the possibility that I may need to get a new air conditioning system. The one I currently have works okay now, but it's 40 years old and may not make our hot summers. Wine is extremely heat sensitive, so if that happens, I need to be able to respond quickly.
There are also costs that I'm incurring until I my SBA loan kicks in, like rent. Rent is $6,300 every month and it's going into my reserves. One of the main reasons businesses fail is for lack of funding and I don't want that to be my fate.
MY TEAM!
I could not have gotten to where I am today without the help of some amazing people in my corner. One of the biggest lessons that I've learned in having my own business is that you can't do it all and you don't know it all. I am confident in my wine knowledge and management, but I made sure to gather the right team of experts to fill in the rest. Without them, I wouldn't be where I'm at today with this and I am extremely grateful. They are the following:
Joy Clarke-Holmes: Score Business Mentor who helped me with my business plan
Michael DeDonato: SBDC Consultant who assisted me with my financial projections
Craig Russom: SBDC consultant who provided me with advisement on SBA loans
Justin Khoury: Realtor who helped me find and negotiate my lease
Willie Williams: Attorney
Serge Baldonado: Design planner who created my plans and submitted them to city departments to help them get approved
Julee Buck: Restaurant and Hospitality Consultant
Tiana Otubuah with Delight Design Firm: Interior Designer
Uniko Marketing: Marketing company who did my branding and website
Nia Collins: Financial Consultant
CDC Small Business Finance: SBA lender and loan specialists
Salvador Fernandez with JJ Design: Contractor
THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for seeing my vision and understanding my dream, and supporting. I have put my heart and soul into getting my wine lounge open. I'm doing this because I genuinely feel that I can bring something special to the community and I am passionate about this industry. This has become a family endeavor and I know that I can make this great for me and to pass down to my son. You are a part of our generational success and history and our family. I am providing rewards for different levels of giving to show my appreciation and you make my heart full.
Thank you and Cheers!
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Why did you want to open this kind of business?
- I officially went into the wine business during COVID. I was an ambassador for an international brand and I was doing wine tastings and selling wine virtually. During this time, I met a lot of people who enjoyed learning and talking about wines in a smaller and less intimidating setting. As we started opening up, I started working on a way to bring what I was doing virtually to reality and thus WineNow! was created.
- What will you use the money that you raise in crowdfunding for?
- I have been working on this for almost 2 years. I have spent way more than what I initially expected. Having a brick and mortar business is very costly! There are professionals that need to be hired to create architectural plans, consultants for marketing, brand creation and building, website, logo, submission for permits, and so much more and I haven't even started the buildout yet. Things also take longer than expected so I've been paying rent already. Also, because of inflation, the costs of construction have gone up. I have an SBA loan, but it only covers so much for start ups. Because of all of these factors, I will be using the funds for rent, upgrades to the HVAC system, pay back my family for loans, additional permits, POS system, lighting, sound system for special events, legal fees, and to have saved to cover other unexpected costs that may come up.
- Will it really take 4-6 weeks to receive my reward?
- Rewards may be shipped sooner than posted. It may take the full time due to factory timelines for putting on the logo, shipping, and product availability.
- Do you have a location?
- Yes, I will be located at 8419 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730. This business is 21 and over only due to the laws by the Alcohol and Beverage Control Division in California.
- When will you open?
- At this time, I have about everything I need to start buildout. Demolition will begin 4/27/23 and I hope to open late spring or early summer. I will update my IG @winenowlounge with how things are going with the buildout and opening.
- What kind of wines will you sale?
- I will sale wines that you won't typically find in a grocery store. I will feature diversity in my wines and have wines that represent all types of nationalities and demographics. I will also feature boutique wineries that get overlooked because of their size. My lounge will feature great wines, events with wine makers and industry professionals, networking and more!
The reward that keeps giving! With this contribution you will receive the following:
- Beautiful 5-piece etched carafe set complete with one - 42 Oz. Loto decanter and four - 9 Oz. stemless wine glasses.
-
Wine Tote Cooler combination
Just Because I Care
Those who are supporting me at this level will receive a set of wine charms for their their wine glasses (4) and a set of wine stoppers with my logo.
The wine charms will be the perfect touch to your wine glasses when hosting friends. If there's any wine leftover at the end of the night, the logo wine stoppers will help preserve your wine until you're ready for more.
Cheers!
Cheers to your contribution with this nice 4-piece picnic set. This set will contain my logo and includes two 16 oz. USA-made shatter-proof PET wine tumblers. Drink your favorite wine or coffee in this tumbler as you relax and enjoy your outing. It also includes a 2-in-1 steel corkscrew and bottle stopper to open your wine and preserve it after it's opened and use the aluminum bottle opener keyring to open your soda or beer. The bottle opener comes with a web strap and split ring for keys.
This reward comes with a nice tote/cooler with my logo on it. This 2-in-1 carrying case has padding on one side and PEVA lined on the other to keep the wine chilled.
The other side features a padded zip out compartment, which includes 2 wine glasses, a bottle opener secured by elastic loops and a pair of napkins in the mesh pocket. An open pocket in front and an adjustable shoulder strap completes this fantastic wine tote. Made of a unique mix of modern honeycomb jacquard nylon and 600D polyester.
This is a great way to carry wine with you when you visit friends and toast to how you made a contribution to help someone reach their goal.
Thank you and Cheers!
This gift provides you with a great way to preserve your wine or other drink while on the go. It includes a set of 2 10 ounce Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Wine Tumblers and 25 oz Wine Bottle combined with a set of logo wine stoppers.
Cheers to you for helping someone reach their dreams!
This stylish travel tote is perfect to use when taking multiple bottles of wine on the road or to a friend's party to enjoy. If you're enjoying a nice bottle of wine at home, you can use the carafe to decanter your wine and drink out of these stylish glasses (see picture in previous reward).
The Wine Tote: Made of 600D polyester with tech dot trim, this case is easy to transport bottles of wine and features 12 separate sections, 6 permanent and 6 detachable. The 6 detachable sections are adjustable and designed to accommodate bottles of various sizes or can be used as a regular cooler. Completely foam padded around the case and sections, other features include a front organizer to hold accessories.
The Carafe Set: Five piece set, that includes one - 42 Oz. Loto decanter and four - 9 Oz. stemless wine glasses.
Cheers to you for contributing to me and helping me reach my dream!
Feel even more like a VIP with this level of contribution. Only a limited amount available. The reward with this contribution includes:
- Gold VIP founding member card
- 1 year of free wine club membership (6 orders)
- free monthly wine tastings (for up to 4 people)
-
Private tasting event for up to 10 people
- 4 Piece Picnic Set, wine charms, and stoppers for guests (pictures shown in previous rewards)
- 4 piece carafe set for purchaser
You're a total VIP with this contribution and I thank you for helping me achieve my goals. You will always receive recognition as a founding member when you visit the lounge. Cheers!
This level of giving comes with many perks! For your generous contribution, you will be considered a founding member and receive the following benefits:
- Black VIP founding member card
- 1 year of free wine club membership (6 orders)
- free monthly wine tastings (for up to 4 people)
- Private wine tasting event for up to 12 with food
- Guided tasting with pairing by a distinguished wine professional
- Private event guests will receive swag bag of goodies to include wine charms, bottle stoppers, and 4 piece picnic wine set
- 5-piece Carafe Set and Bottle Limo Wine Tote for purchaser
You're the ultimate VIP with this contribution and I thank you for helping me achieve my goals. You will always receive recognition as a founding member when you visit the lounge. With your contribution and Black WineNow VIP card, you will always get additional perks when you visit the lounge. Cheers!
Rewards
The reward that keeps giving! With this contribution you will receive the following:
- Beautiful 5-piece etched carafe set complete with one - 42 Oz. Loto decanter and four - 9 Oz. stemless wine glasses.
-
Wine Tote Cooler combination
Just Because I Care
Those who are supporting me at this level will receive a set of wine charms for their their wine glasses (4) and a set of wine stoppers with my logo.
The wine charms will be the perfect touch to your wine glasses when hosting friends. If there's any wine leftover at the end of the night, the logo wine stoppers will help preserve your wine until you're ready for more.
Cheers!
Cheers to your contribution with this nice 4-piece picnic set. This set will contain my logo and includes two 16 oz. USA-made shatter-proof PET wine tumblers. Drink your favorite wine or coffee in this tumbler as you relax and enjoy your outing. It also includes a 2-in-1 steel corkscrew and bottle stopper to open your wine and preserve it after it's opened and use the aluminum bottle opener keyring to open your soda or beer. The bottle opener comes with a web strap and split ring for keys.
This reward comes with a nice tote/cooler with my logo on it. This 2-in-1 carrying case has padding on one side and PEVA lined on the other to keep the wine chilled.
The other side features a padded zip out compartment, which includes 2 wine glasses, a bottle opener secured by elastic loops and a pair of napkins in the mesh pocket. An open pocket in front and an adjustable shoulder strap completes this fantastic wine tote. Made of a unique mix of modern honeycomb jacquard nylon and 600D polyester.
This is a great way to carry wine with you when you visit friends and toast to how you made a contribution to help someone reach their goal.
Thank you and Cheers!
This gift provides you with a great way to preserve your wine or other drink while on the go. It includes a set of 2 10 ounce Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Wine Tumblers and 25 oz Wine Bottle combined with a set of logo wine stoppers.
Cheers to you for helping someone reach their dreams!
This stylish travel tote is perfect to use when taking multiple bottles of wine on the road or to a friend's party to enjoy. If you're enjoying a nice bottle of wine at home, you can use the carafe to decanter your wine and drink out of these stylish glasses (see picture in previous reward).
The Wine Tote: Made of 600D polyester with tech dot trim, this case is easy to transport bottles of wine and features 12 separate sections, 6 permanent and 6 detachable. The 6 detachable sections are adjustable and designed to accommodate bottles of various sizes or can be used as a regular cooler. Completely foam padded around the case and sections, other features include a front organizer to hold accessories.
The Carafe Set: Five piece set, that includes one - 42 Oz. Loto decanter and four - 9 Oz. stemless wine glasses.
Cheers to you for contributing to me and helping me reach my dream!
Feel even more like a VIP with this level of contribution. Only a limited amount available. The reward with this contribution includes:
- Gold VIP founding member card
- 1 year of free wine club membership (6 orders)
- free monthly wine tastings (for up to 4 people)
-
Private tasting event for up to 10 people
- 4 Piece Picnic Set, wine charms, and stoppers for guests (pictures shown in previous rewards)
- 4 piece carafe set for purchaser
You're a total VIP with this contribution and I thank you for helping me achieve my goals. You will always receive recognition as a founding member when you visit the lounge. Cheers!
This level of giving comes with many perks! For your generous contribution, you will be considered a founding member and receive the following benefits:
- Black VIP founding member card
- 1 year of free wine club membership (6 orders)
- free monthly wine tastings (for up to 4 people)
- Private wine tasting event for up to 12 with food
- Guided tasting with pairing by a distinguished wine professional
- Private event guests will receive swag bag of goodies to include wine charms, bottle stoppers, and 4 piece picnic wine set
- 5-piece Carafe Set and Bottle Limo Wine Tote for purchaser
You're the ultimate VIP with this contribution and I thank you for helping me achieve my goals. You will always receive recognition as a founding member when you visit the lounge. With your contribution and Black WineNow VIP card, you will always get additional perks when you visit the lounge. Cheers!