Here at OnMilwaukee.com, we pride ourselves in being Milwaukee experts. Since it is literally our job to eat, sleep and breathe all things Brew City, we get many questions from our readers.
This is where we answer them.
In the "Ask OMC" series, we take your questions, big or small, and track down the answers. Send your query to askomc@staff.onmilwaukee.com. Be sure to include your name and location, and we will consider it for our next installment.
Our question today comes from Amanda in Wauwatosa, who asks:
"Last week, I stopped in at Sam's Wine and Spirits in Chicago because I happened to be in the neighborhood. But there have been times I've made the trip to Clybourn and North in large part to shop at Sam's. Is there any chance Milwaukee will get a wine superstore store like this?"
Well, Amanda, we like to shop at Sam's once in a while, too, so your question intrigued us.
A few years ago, rumors swirled around town that a local restaurateur had plans to open a wine superstore in the Third Ward. That never happened and the rumored owner-to-be says it was never true, but adds, intriguingly...
"As for the wine superstore, we do have a concept that we have in development, but it's a lot different from Sam's, and we have other locations in mind. That's all I can say at this point."
At least one other person in town has worked toward opening a super-size wine store.
"About four years ago, I developed a business plan, got financial backing, wrote the $2 million starting inventory and was two shakes away from opening a ‘Sam's caliber' store right on I-94 and Highway 83 in Delafield," says wine consultant and former Dream Dance sommelier Nathaniel Bauer.
"Only myself and a business partner were going to do it better -- real time online ordering and delivery, huge database, national distribution, etc. The concept would totally have worked, I just didn't think getting $4 million in the hole was conducive to spending any time with my wife and raising a family, so before we jumped on the location and committed to anything, I backed out."
Bauer believes -- unsurprisingly, perhaps -- that such a store could do well here.
"It would succeed if it was within a 20-minute drive of most everywhere, delivered, sold nationally as a distributor and created a significant reason for shopping," he says.
But would the arrival of such a place spell doom for smaller retailers in the area? Not necessarily, says Bauer.
"As long as a location was selected that would work, but wouldn't be right on top of an existing retailer, there should be enough to go around. The local ‘one-two bottle and some beer' purchasers aren't going to stop going to their neighborhood wine shop unless the new big one is right across the street. As much as I don't wish anyone a failed business, there are a number of shops that have rotten selections and charge too much, which could use a little competition."
Bauer admits, however, that competition can kill a lesser competitor and offers a few examples.
"The market always gets affected when someone else, let alone bigger or better moves in. Look what happened at Milwaukee Public Market. Thief Wine does it WAY better and in no time Sheridans couldn't hang. Also, New World Wine Co. was never doing things right and they got pushed out as well by Metro Market and Pick 'n Save uping their game."
Sam's Wine and Spirits did not reply to numerous requests for comment. So whether or not they're considering a Milwaukee-area location remains a mystery. However, since there are no Wisconsin locations, it seems unlikely at the moment.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
