Motley Crue, Wine, and a Wine Bar in Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

“You are capable of more than you think.” Joe the Runner

And now for something completely different! This profile highlights normal people doing extraordinary things and discusses one of my favorite post race indulgences, WINE! It also highlights how you must be willing to work hard and leave your comfort zone to find your happiness and be fulfilled. Enjoy!

Full disclosure, I have known Steve and Casey for probably over 20 years, and that is part of what makes this story so mind blowing! Because honestly; I didn’t see this coming. The last time that I talked to them on a visit home to New York, Casey was still working her job in Human Resources at a small family owned company that she had for over 25 years and Steve was the Manager of Facility Operations at a hospital making a very good living. So when I heard that they were leaving their careers to open a wine bar in Wappingers Falls, New York, I was a little shocked to say the least.

The prospect of opening a wine bar first came up on a road trip to Atlantic City to see Motley Crue in concert. Just an example of how inspiration can hit anyone at anytime! Casey said “We are driving down the road with our friends Chrissy and Scott, and Chrissy gets a phone call from a friend and I can see that she is getting excited. When Chrissy gets off the phone she says “I just found out that there is this great space available in Wappingers Falls that would make a great wine bar!””

“We’re sitting in the back seat and her eyes are all wide and she says “We should do it!” I looked at her with an expression that said “Hell no!” The four of us proceed to discuss it on the way down anyway, and even came up with the name di’Vine right then. Throughout the day, it is all that we talked about. I was very quiet as it was becoming more serious. I had never been in the restaurant business and I’m not a risk taker. It was getting more serious than I wanted. I didn’t feel comfortable, and I was concerned about my career, I was sure that they would not like that I had a business on the side and that I would probably lose my job over it. I was very, very reluctant.”

“I finally told her that if Steve was on board, I would agree to it. Wouldn’t you know it; Steve said he was on board. At the concert later that night, Motley Crue talked about how “Shit happens because of the decisions that you make.” And Chrissy and I looked at each other and knew that we were going to do it; we were going to open a wine bar.”

“After a couple of days we went and looked at the space and it was perfect! We measured and planned and saw it all coming together, and then two days later we got a call from the owner and he decided not to sell, which completely burst our bubble. Honestly though, I was also sort of relieved.” Casey told me that she was scared and that this was the perfect excuse to walk away. But, as is so often in life, when you start something, it has a way of finishing itself.

“Two weeks later we get a call about another location in the village and this one was right in the town center. It was being completely renovated and the owner liked our business plan, so he renovated it to suit our needs.” This all happened in December of 2014, so just 2 months after the decision was made in a car going to a Motley Crue concert! Things started to move fast, until they didn’t…

It took 18 months from that day until the bar opened as Casey and her partners came across a lot of hurdles. “There was a lot of bureaucracy to get the wine bar opened, permits, liquor license, checking account, etc. and I was my biggest road block, I always wanted to give up because I was completely out of my comfort zone and I was working 85 hours a week. My three partners are what kept me going.” Despite the challenges, the owners used the 18 months to educate themselves as well. Using their combined knowledge and experiences they conducted thorough research ranging from menus, lighting, bathrooms, cutlery, glasses, etc. “We looked at everything; we wanted to get it right.”

After all of the hard work, sweat, and tears, it was time to finally open the bar. “We opened on Mother’s Day 2016. We hadn’t intended to but we had a soft opening on Saturday with family and friends and
the next day we went in to clean and decided to just unlock the door and see what happens. We had 6 tables come in on that first day.”

From that small and unscheduled start, di’Vine has flourished as it approaches it’s one year anniversary, having won “Best Outdoor Wine Bar 2016” in Hudson Valley magazine’s annual ”Best Of” voting. I asked Casey what makes di’Vine different and she said “People think of a wine bar and they may think of a snooty, upper-class, foo foo environment. We are not that. We have all types of wine for all tastes and we have local craft beer which is huge. We talk to the guests about the wine and allow them to taste it to help them make a selection that they are happy with. We welcome each guest personally and tell them to look around and pick the table where they prefer to sit. We even invite them to move furniture around in the lounge. We have board games and books which all become part of the fun, and all owners are on premise at all times. I think that is our niche.”

In January of 2017, Casey left her job to focus on the bar. Her husband Steve left his job and started his own HVAC company so that he has the flexibility to choose his hours and make sure that he is available each night as well. Their partners Christine Cauda, “Chrissy”, and Scott Pietras, “Scott”, have remained in their original careers and work at the bar each evening which presents challenges of their own. “The immediate and continued success of the bar and the positive response from community drives me through the challenges of juggling all the aspects of career, family, and running business.” said Chrissy.

Throughout the entire process of writing this post, it was clear that all of the partners had fears about making the change and that they were all moving way outside their comfort zone. Basically a Human Resources Professional, a Facility Operations Manager, an Environmental Services Manager, and a Teacher opened a wine bar in a small village in the Hudson Valley of New York. Each chose different ways to manage the change, ranging from completely leaving their career, to starting ANOTHER business, to working in their original jobs while they run the bar. However, although it has been a ton of work, the joy that they have because they are pursuing their dreams was evident in every sentence.

Whether you are trying to change your life through exercise, starting a business, changing your approach to finances, etc. it doesn’t matter, you will have to leave your comfort zone. But that’s where you will learn the most about yourself, gain the most rewards, and find your happiness. I won’t lie, it won’t be easy. And oh yeah, Chrissy provided me with one more coping mechanism when you are feeling the heat. “Wine. Wine helps.” And truer words may never have been spoken.

Congratulations to di’Vine on their upcoming one year anniversary!

Both the di’Vine and S.A.M. Logos were designed by Karen Tarabokija over at BOLD Creations She does amazing work, if you need some graphic design work, I highly recommend that you give her a try!

I hope that this post and this blog helps to inspire you to follow your dreams! To receive new post notifications, newsletters, and post previews, please SUBSCRIBE!

For behind the scenes photos and comments on my training and personal life, follow me on Instagram: joe_the_runner  Strava: Joe Randene

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