Episode 167
Concept to Cork: Story Behind Bottle Bank in Atlanta Pt. 4
Damon Raque, co-founder of Bottle Bank, shares his vision for a unique wine experience in midtown Atlanta, emphasizing the establishment's blend of culture, community, and fine wines. Located in a vibrant area known for its artistic flair and walkability, Bottle Bank aims to create a space where wine enthusiasts can enjoy a curated selection of wines by the glass and bottle, alongside gourmet cheeses and charcuterie. Rich, Damon’s long-time friend and business partner, brings his entrepreneurial spirit and creative energy to the venture, enhancing its potential for success. The episode delves into the membership structure, featuring a $2,500 annual fee that includes access to exclusive lounges and private tasting experiences. With a focus on community engagement and enhancing the wine-drinking experience, Bottle Bank promises to be a destination for both casual sippers and serious connoisseurs alike.
Your Host: Forrest Kelly is an experienced Radio/TV broadcaster who has interviewed some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities, from Garth Brooks to Kevin Costner. A lover of wine who is fascinated by the science behind it.
Voted One of The Best Travel, Top 5 Minute, and Top Wine Podcasts.
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Transcript
Welcome. Welcome to The Best 5 Minute Wine Podcast with Forrest Kelly. We continue to get a audio visual mental image of bottle bank in downtown Atlanta, Georgia with co founder Damon Raque.
Damon Raque:He said to me, hey, man, I think this is a great business.
Forrest Kelly:The Best 5 Minute Wine Podcast
Damon Raque:Have you worked with the city in Atlanta, in midtown as a part of a redevelopment project? Seems it's just a short walk to just about anything.
High culture it is. We're fortunate. We've, we've got a lease on a beautiful space in midtown Atlanta.
So if you're familiar with Atlanta, you know, Atlanta's pretty spread out and, you know, pretty segmented. There's downtown, there's midtown, there's Buckhead, there's wonderful suburbs that kind of are peppered around central Atlanta.
And midtown is really considered the heart of the arts. So a lot of the museums and performing arts centers are within walking distance. Some wonderful restaurants, a high density area, very walkable.
Walkable. High rise residential and a tremendous amount of high rise class a office buildings as well.
So we are going to be in the ground floor of a class a office building right on Peachtree street. Dense and walkable and artistic and vibrant and just a beautiful area. We're super excited.
Forrest Kelly:Membership, have you worked out the pricing?
Damon Raque:We have.
Forrest Kelly:So to try out the services of bottlebank.com for the experience, the whole thing. So have you got membership tiers or is there a walk in price?
Damon Raque:So again, we are open to the public. So a very extensive wine by the glass program, a deep by the bottle program as well.
And then on the, on the food side, we wanted to really focus on those types of things that enhance the wine drinking experience. So a very robust list of cheeses and charcuterie and chocolates and desserts.
So again, not a restaurant, but rather a separate and distinctive experience.
So, you know, this be a place where people would want to come before dinner to start their evening or would want to come after dinner for a nightcap or a gallery opening or a performance. Again, a separate but distinctive experience from a traditional restaurant and standard dining experience.
And that portion of the lounge, again, will be open to the public. And obviously our members will also have access to the main lounge.
In addition to that, members will have a members only lounge that'll be part of Bottle bank, in addition to several tasting rooms and a tasting counter and chef's table in the back, again for private dining experiences for entertaining friends, clients and their business, and a list of other amenities.
But we're looking at a annual membership of $2,500 and that would include one of the wine vaults, and then there will be an upcharge for the larger capacity locker as well. And we're still kind of tinkering with the pricing on that.
Forrest Kelly:You founded this with a, with a co founder, Rich. Tell me about Rich, because he told me a little bit about you. So I just want to see if the two stories line up and rich.
Damon Raque:And I've been best friends for coming up on 25 years.
Rich is a serial entrepreneur by nature and has been involved in several different businesses, has a wonderful mind for business, is incredibly intelligent, is very tech savvy, very creative, high energy.
And as I was conceptualizing Bottlebank, he started off as like any best friend would, just kind of as a sounding board and a source of encouragement and idea sharing, those sorts of things. And as bottle bank kind of evolved, he said to me, hey, man, I think this is a great business.
With you involved, it's going to be a tremendous business. And I if you're interested, I'd love to do this with you. So we decided to become business partners.
Two heads are better than one and our skill sets are very complimentary to one another. And he's been a tremendous partner. We're looking forward to creating something pretty special together.
Forrest Kelly:Who's bringing wine to the next big scene? It's Damon Raque, and he's living a dream.
Bottlebank.com he's co founder, too, Damon Raque the name Bottle bank's the game from fine wines to sellers. He's changing the frame. Chandelier bar, tasty nights, so divine. Private events with the perfect wine.
Curated dinners and tasting so fine by the glass where you sip and shine. I private cellaring events that impress with Damon Rocky, you're sipping the best, the best five minute wine podcast. Don't forget my favorite part. Please, please like and follow.
