The Wine Thief Offers Wine Club, Virtual Wine Tastings

FRANKFORT, IL — All small businesses are facing struggles due to the coronavirus, but opening a business during this time is especially difficult. One newly-opened business in Frankfort is staying positive as it adapts and creates new ways for customers to engage.

The Wine Thief, 6 Elwood St., in Frankfort received final approval to open in early April, but had to adjust operations when businesses closed due to the coronavirus.

"Frankfort has been awesome," Owner Ed Thelen, who owns the business with his wife, Valerie, told Patch. "Everyone has been extremely supportive."

The business offers a wine club as well as a weekly wine tasting via Zoom. A 3-month subscription for the Wine Club is $114 while a 6-month subscription is $228.

"We've seen a great response to the wine club membership, Thelen said, adding that the weekly Zoom session also yields a good-sized crowd.

The business has also come up with a date night package, which offers trivia online, a bottle of wine and a food option for $33.

"In a way, it's a blessing," Thelen said. "When you open in this season, on the [Old Plank Road Trail], you'll get busy fast. We've been able to work through everything."

The Wine Thief offers food as well, but the menu changes often as they run out of or order different food items. Some recent dishes included Asian chicken salad, homemade Challah French toast and lemon chicken with garbanzo bean soup.

"Adaptation is a core component of what I've been doing," Thelen said. "We've found revenue streams that we wouldn't have had without this situation. It's one really good thing about all this."

Thelen said the business has approval for a 38 foot by 22 foot patio, but it is just starting construction. With the new allowance for outdoor dining options, the business is working on a temporary outdoor sitting arrangement.

One big hurdle, Thelen said, is that the business is new, so people simply don't know about it.

"We're doing everything we possibly can," he said.

The Wine Thief is currently open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for local delivery for wine only, carry-out/take-out sales.

Over 50 of Frankfort's small local businesses have filled out Patch's simple online survey to let everyone know they are open and their current hours of operations during the coronavirus outbreak.

If you still want to add your business to Patch's list of open and closed businesses, you can do so here.