Flowers and Wine: A Natural Pairing

If wine is bottled poetry, then you will have no problem uncorking a few verses at Oak Lawn’s latest hot-spot, Avenue Flower Shop and Wine Bar. After a successful stint in the flower business, owner Denise Roll decided to venture into sweeter and more flavorsome pastures, opening a wine bar next door to her flower shop.  Located on 106^th and Cicero, the wine bar is the perfect place to go for a first date or a casual girls’ night out. New to wine?  No problem. The Wine Bar’s regularly-held tastings are sure to satisfy any palate, aficionado and novice wine lover alike.

Oak Lawn Patch:  You started with the Avenue Flower Shop and then you decided to open a wine bar.  What made you want to open a second business?

Roll: It was first and foremost for financial reasons because, though the flower shop was doing okay, you have to offer more than one thing to attract customers.  Plus, I wanted to do something that I enjoyed—and I like drinking wine. 

Oak Lawn Patch: The Wine Bar opened in October.  What was it like starting a business in this economy?

Roll:  Well, it was actually kind of fun.  I was excited about getting into something I enjoyed and that was new.

Oak Lawn Patch:  What type of start-up costs does it take to open a wine bar?

Roll:  The biggest expense for a small business is leasing. It costs $5,300 a month to lease my place. Licensing is also something you have to plan for, though that is a one-time thing.

Oak Lawn Patch: What are you doing differently with the Wine Bar that you did not do when you first opened the Avenue Flower Shop?

Roll:  I learned the cost of overstock. I always had too much product here because I wanted to make sure that I had everything I needed so that customers would not walk away unsatisfied. But it was too much because if we didn’t sell the flowers we had to throw them away.

Oak Lawn Patch:  How difficult was the liquor licensing process?

Roll:  Not difficult at all. The mayor of Oak Lawn made it very easy. He thought the idea was great and felt that Oak Lawn needed a business like this.

Oak Lawn Patch:  Do you sell more white wine or red wine?

Roll:  It really depends on the season. The winter is for red wine drinkers while in the summer white wine wins. 

Oak Lawn Patch:  The “perceived value” of wine is that the more expensive a bottle of wine is the better it tastes.  Do you feel this is true?

Roll:  It is not necessarily true that more expensive is better. You just have to pick what you like. Some of the South African and Argentinian wine is cheaper than the Napa Valley wine but it is just as good. There is also lots of competition amongst distributors so it is pretty easy to get a reasonably priced bottle.

Oak Lawn Patch:  What is your most popular bottle of wine and your most expensive?

Roll:  The most popular bottle is Moscato and our most expensive is a French wine called Saint Hilaire.  At $25 it is also pretty inexpensive compared to other wines.

Oak Lawn Patch:  Do you offer any food at The Wine Bar?

Roll:  We offer cheese and crackers, bread and oil, and hummus and pita bread.  We also have chocolate from Cunis Candies in South Holland. 

For information about flowers, wine or hours, call Avenue Flower Shop and Wine Bar at 708-636-7090.