NEW OWNERSHIP – SAME MANAGEMENT
At the end of 2017, Carpe Vino changed ownership when co-founder Gary Moffat retired after 16 years. Carpe Vino was the vision of Mr. Moffat and due to his hard-work, along with the hard-working team members (past & present), Carpe Vino has truly become an amazing business that has stood the test-of-time. Though his departure will be a change, the future is bright for Carpe Vino in 2018 and beyond.
The new ownership will consist of Drew Moffat, Chef Eric Alexander, Spencer Smith and introducing Debra A. Smith. As you know, three of the four owners are long-time employees of Carpe Vino. Debra A. Smith has been a resident of Placer County since 1999 and actually was one of CV’s first customers back in 2002. Ms. Smith has an extensive professional background in business development/infrastructure which will help Carpe Vino grow and expand for years to come. Though Ms. Smith will have limited involvement with our daily service/retail sales, her focus will center on Carpe Vino’s future growth/expansion plans along with marketing tactics for the future. Ms. Smith will also be frequenting Carpe Vino’s wine bar/restaurant welcoming and attending to our wonderful patrons.
WHAT CHANGES CAN YOU EXPECT?
For now, management will remain the same for day-to-day operations. Chef Alexander, Patti Gonzalves, Jay Johnstone, Vicki Revak, Spencer Smith, Drew Moffat, along with the rest of our dedicated staff will continue to do what they do best! That said, we did say we had “EXCITING CHANGES COMING” so here we go:
1.) Carpe Vino is currently in escrow for a TYPE 47 spirits license. With the addition of a TYPE 47 license Carpe Vino will be introducing a craft cocktail/spirit list, along with allowing UNDER 21 into the premises. This process does take some time, so stay tuned for future announcements.
2.) “Pied-A-Terre Auburn” @ 165 Court Street. This is a very cool project/concept that we are super excited about seeing come to fruition. As many of you know, we own a restored Victorian house that seconds as our offices/warehouse. Within that building, there is a large 400 sq ft room that will be converted into an overnight hospitality suite. One room, one building, one awesome experience.
3.) Carpe Vino remodel – yes, it’s happening. When Carpe Vino was first conceptualized, the idea of being a restaurant was never in the cards. After four years of being open, the demand for dinner service increased to the point we had to take the plunge. Obviously, it’s been a major component of our business and we (actually, Chef Alexander and his team) have been extremely successful producing food with minimal space/equipment available. After 12 years, we know what we need to do to be more efficient and successful in providing our clients with a great dinner or bar experience. To do so, this will require us shuttering the restaurant/wine bar for a few weeks during the summer. Though the restaurant will be closed, we will have numerous wine events planned along with opportunities for Chef Alexander (and team) to cook offsite.
4.) We have several other items on our checklist, but this is a good start!
The important message being delivered today is that Carpe Vino is NOT closing. It’s under new ownership, with the same players and managers, just some awesome upgrades in the works. As changes and dates become definitive, we will be sure to update you immediately. Carpe Vino has always been a great business, our goal is to make it even better all while improving the overall customer experience. We look forward to the future and hope you will too! Cheers!