”We Never Made Drinks Before” Starting A Craft Cocktail Spot W/ Venas Fizz House Johanna & Steve

E85:

 

Sometimes a small little retail brick and mortar can have a lot more going on behind it’s walls than it seems. Downtown Portland Maine’s Vena’s Fizz House owners Johanna & Steve Corman join us today. We talk on what other things the business has grown into after starting off an idea created at a stressful time. Education in person and in class and benefits of not being from the industry to create inside it, believing in your gut, and creating something that hasn’t been done at the time.

 

In This Episode We Cover

• Are you crazy? No One’s done it
• No experience
• Knowing your concept will work
• Getting the idea
• Old to new
• Listening to your audience
• Changing through COVID in Brick/Mortar
• Diversification in small business
• Trust
• Partners in life and in business
• Education in real time

 

Quotes

 

“ Every night, are we absolutely nuts? Because no one’s ever tried this.” - Steve Corman

 

“We never made drinks before.” - Johanna Corman

 

“ The world got huge and close at the same time, it’s weird.” - Host Dave Swillum

“I’m an 11th generation Mainer so I don’t like to have all my eggs in one basket.” - Johanna Corman

 

“Most of the people we have hired to be bar tenders have not been bar tenders before.” - Johanna Corman

 

Vena’s Fizz Shop Johanna & Steve’s Links

 

www.venasfizzhouse.com

 

IG

@venasfizz

 

Resources

 

The History of Bitters

By Parsons

https://amzn.to/2J6G1jR

 

 

The Flavor Bible

https://amzn.to/35Vfvm6

 

Business Mentoring Programs w/ Local Chapters

 

SBDC

 

SCORE

 

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