Atlanta area wine and dine emporium Vino Venue had enjoyed a decade of success before owner Lelia Bryan contacted the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (UGA SBDC). Customers were hesitant to return following the COVID-19 pandemic, and she needed help drawing them back in.
Mark Collier, area director of the UGA SBDC in DeKalb, introduced Bryan to a team of consultants who assessed the business and suggested improvements to its restaurant operations and digital marketing strategy. After a year of working with the UGA SBDC, Vino Venue’s sales had grown 20% and its workforce had doubled, allowing Bryan to launch a new venture focused on culinary travel.
Vino Venue originally began as a wine school founded by Bryan’s late husband, Michael. Now the Dunwoody business includes cooking classes, a wine store, a wine club, a full-service restaurant, and guided wine country tours.
Like many other restaurants, Vino Venue faced challenges due to the pandemic, and Bryan was concerned about her business’ future, said Collier. The goal was to figure out the new normal in the wake of the pandemic.
“After COVID, we had difficulty bouncing back. I wanted to engage the SBDC to help us transition and figure out what we needed to change to meet the times,” Bryan said.
During their first meeting in late 2022, Collier helped Bryan gauge her business’ goals, challenges, and pain points.
“Lelia learned that she, like many owners, spent a lot of time working in the business as opposed to on the business,” Collier said. “She hadn’t had time to take a 30,000-foot view and formulate a marketing strategy or general overall business strategy.”
The next steps showcased the vast resources and network of the UGA SBDC. To assist Vino Venue, Collier brought in UGA SBDC consultants from across Georgia, including Drew Tonsmeire from the Kennesaw State University office, Peter Williams from the Macon office, Candice Abolarin from the DeKalb office, and Jason Bitar from the Gwinnett office. The team conducted a comprehensive assessment of the business and provided support in areas such as marketing, website development, analytics, and LinkedIn strategy. The consultants also guided Bryan on branding and how to effectively present her business while exploring ways to promote all aspects of Vino Venue to diversify its revenue streams.
“They were fantastic in helping me launch a new website, work with meta tags and in understanding the importance of new content we put on the site,” Bryan said. “Candice and Drew helped me understand Google Analytics and how the website was doing.”
Vino Venue had a large customer email database. The consultants helped her scrub the list and increase its viability.
“We went down in our number of email users and our quality went up,” Bryan said. “We also ran website analytics to find and fix problems, and we could see the progress in our ad campaigns. This work helped broaden awareness of the business and helped add some strength to our brand.”
A year after this work began, Vino Venue’s sales in some business lines had grown 20% and its employee numbers had doubled. When Bryan sought out the UGA SBDC for additional help with employee retention, Collier introduced her to SBDC consultant Daniel McCoy, a human resources expert in the Kennesaw State University office.
“I think the SBDC’s breadth of knowledge is amazing,” Bryan said. “They had a specialist for every single concern I came up with. Working with them was very eye-opening. I feel they had my business’ best interest at heart.”
“Lelia’s very intuitive and perceptive on things surrounding the food and wine business, and she’s willing to learn. That’s very important,” Collier said. “She also knows now that she can reach out to the UGA SBDC whenever she needs a third-party opinion. We have no vested interest other than to see Georgia businesses grow and scale. That’s what we’re all about.”
Earlier this year, Bryan sold Vino Venue to focus on her new venture, Hungry for Travel Culinary Tours, which offers food and wine experiences in France, Italy, Portugal, Oregon and California.
Vino Venue’s new owner, wine enthusiast and entrepreneur Emily Mendyka, has been a patron since moving to Atlanta in 2013. She discovered her passion for wine through Vino Venue’s classes and certification courses and even returned years later to teach some classes for fun.
“I always appreciated it for the unique business model and saw a lot of potential in its future. When the opportunity to make it my own came about, I jumped at the chance to combine my experience in restaurants and wine and spirits distribution while fulfilling my goal of business ownership,” said Mendyka.
Mendyka plans to continue working with the UGA SBDC to drive the business’ growth.
“Lelia told me about UGA SBDC early on and how much the program had helped her the last few years. The experience so far has been incredible,” Mendyka said. “Mark has already introduced me to several industry professionals who have graciously shared their knowledge. At this busy transition time, it’s a comfort to know that there is so much support available.”
Excited for Vino Venue’s future, Mendyka looks forward to launching fresh ideas that appeal to new, and repeat, clientele.
“We are uniquely positioned in Atlanta as a hub for wine and culinary education, but also with a flexible space to host private events, a fantastic wine bar and a new cocktail list,” said Mendyka. “The opportunities are endless.”
“I think the SBDC’s breadth of knowledge is amazing. They had a specialist for every single concern I came up with. Working with them was very eye-opening. I feel they had my business’ best interest at heart.”
All programs of the UGA SBDC are open to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.
Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The University of Georgia
Small Business Development Center
382 East Broad Street
Athens, GA 30602-5412
P: (706) 542-2762
