We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tracy Wallace a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Tracy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
It should have been obvious and easy but it was not. My husband was helping me to decide on a name and we went through every funny, kitschy, interesting name for wine that there was out there.
After many ideas and not liking any of them my husband says “Wait, what are your favorite things?” Without hesitation, I said “Peacocks and Wine “and so became the Peacock Wine Bar.
My love of wine has grown over the past 14 years and I have loved Peacocks for as long as I can remember. I love their colors and can somewhat relate to their personalities.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I spent many years trying to figure out what I was going to do when I grow up. I knew that I had to find something that was interesting, a continuous learning experience, and challenging. I also knew that I no longer wanted to work for anyone else. With that being said I dove into opening a wine bar. I did not have any experience, so there was my challenge, you can always learn about wine, and how interesting is it to meet new guests and get to know them!
I traveled to many states visiting wine bars everywhere I went. Every time I came back home I found that there were not any real wine bars but there were plenty of places to go drink wine. Wine bars are meant for more than just wine. A nice calm environment with comfortable seating, a place you just want to stay and hang out at, that is what I was looking for. So, I decided I would make it myself and that is how The Peacock Wine Bar became.
I wanted to do more than just own a wine bar with wine. I wanted it to be a learning environment and hold classes and events where I could support other small businesses. A place where friends come together and have the perfect date night spot.
We opened on August 24th, 2019, and were shut down 6 months later because of the Pandemic. We were closed down for 6 months and it was nearly the demise of the Peacock Wine Bar. With a very small guest base, I was not sure how we would make it. I am not going to lie it has been HARD. There were and still are days when I question what I am doing and wonder if I made the right decision. But, I have no idea what I would do if I did not have the bar so I keep pushing on and going knowing each day gets a little easier. The Peacock Wine Bar is not going anywhere and we can’t wait for everyone to hear about us!
Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?
The Pandemic was the biggest near-death moment for us, we only had 6 months under our belt when we got shut down. It is a continuous struggle to get bills and payroll paid. We will be recovering from 2019 for at least another year. We have had to take money out of just about everywhere and take out loans just to keep afloat, but the alternative is closing down and that is just not an option.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I have been through many things in my lifetime, very hard things. But this has bar has made me more resilient than ever. You will gain very thick skin from owning any business. I could have allowed the Pandemic to swallow us whole but we made it. If I can be a new bar owner, with no experience, make it through a six-month closure, and handle all of the financial issues that have come with it then I don’t think there is anything out there that can bring me down.
Contact Info:
- Website: peacockwinebar.com
- Instagram: @peacockwinebar
- Facebook: peacockwinebar