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The Tasting Room of Travelers Rest

SCBiz Staff // October 14, 2024//

The Tasting Room of Travelers Rest

SCBiz Staff // October 14, 2024//

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The Tasting Room of Travelers Rest

About: The Tasting Room of Travelers Rest is a locally owned wine and beer shop offering a wide selection of craft beer and wine, with a focus on small production wineries from around the world.

Top female executive: Michelle Sutton

What does it mean to you to be a woman-owned business?

Owning this business is a lifelong dream inspired by other female entrepreneurs. In my 20s, I used to watch Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network. I was inspired by the fact that she had her own gourmet food shop and always thought, “I want to do that.” Now that I am living my dream, I am inspired by being part of a community of other local, women-owned businesses. We are constantly showing that we have the same skills and abilities as men do when it comes to running a successful business!

What challenges have you faced as a women-owned business?

The Tasting Room opened in 2015; I bought it in 2023 after working there for three years. I am the third owner and the second female owner. My primary challenge has been proving my business acumen. This was particularly true during the financing process. I have years of prior experience in food and bev, was a career school psychologist, and had worked in the business for three years prior to purchasing it, yet I felt like I constantly had to prove that my ideas and acumen were good enough.

How do you support women in your business and community?

The Tasting Room hosts pop-ups for female micro-entrepreneurs, including Paris Mountain Sweets, Mary Jo’s Sourdough, Birdie Boutique, and the Time Warp fashion show. One female entrepreneur would do her pop up with her newborn baby in tow. I participate in the Mayor’s meetings of female business owners in Travelers Rest, and we support each other by sharing each other’s social media posts and cross-promoting events. The shop also features several female winemakers and female-owned wineries.

What recent accomplishments are you most proud of?

First and foremost, I am proud to be the owner of Travelers Rest’s only female-owned beer and wine shop. Since I acquired the shop, we have grown our staff, added staff perks, and expanded our wine tastings. I am pleased to say that this fall, The Tasting Room will be a vendor at the Trailblazer Park Concert Series, a first for the business. Finally, I have been working hard to improve my understanding and knowledge of wine and wine making, so that I can share that knowledge with our customers.

The Tasting Room of Travelers Rest

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