The owner of Frenchies Brasserie is branching out from restaurateur to liquor retailer, with the launch of online wine store Brasserie Wines.
Frenchies Brasserie has two locations, in Sydney and Noosa, through which owner David Singer created a food and beverage delivery offering. He said the success of this service led him to take to the digital sphere with Brasserie Wines, which is aimed at offering consumers a unique online liquor retail experience.
Singer said the online store will differentiate itself from competitors by selling wines which have “balance and variety” from Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Spain, and the US. It will also offer a range of spirits and zero alcohol wines.
“Brasserie Wines offers brands that have ‘story and substance’. We love to discover and tell the stories behind a wine or spirit brand that we stock. We also have the ability to offer bespoke collections for customers who are looking to drink restaurant-quality wines at home,” he said.
“There are so many ‘vanilla’ wines which might taste fine but have no purpose and are made to a recipe. Stories from the region, producer and variety are important to us. Non-alcoholic options have become more important. I’m not sure we’ll see premium offerings of zero alcohol wines just yet, but I’m sure it’s not far off.”
Singer spent more than a decade running a consumer wine business, cultivating his knowledge about consumer wants and unique market products. He utilised this experience to expand his hospitality career, opening his first Frenchies Brasserie restaurant in 2018 and his second the following year.
He said: “I was working in the retail space for 16 years before opening Frenchies Brasserie, so this was a natural fit and next step. For example, being in the food and wine space and being able to cater to the tastes of consumers so they can also enjoy the wines at home.”
Singer believes the move to offer his carefully curated selection online is “the right fit” and “next logical step” for the business after the restaurants successfully implemented a delivery service along to combat the COVID-19 pandemic hardships.
“It was a way to diversify during these challenging COVID times, which has obviously impacted our restaurant business. We had been toying with the idea of Brasserie Wines for some time, but the pandemic was definitely the driver to make it happen. And it’s the right decision. To me, it felt like I was catching up with an old friend,” he explained.
“There were so many factors that reinforced this was a good move. With our two brasseries, we have welcomed so many wonderful people into our venues – many of whom enjoy the wine experience as much as they do the food. And our team have decades of combined experience in the premium wine sector, so growing the business in this way was a logical next step.”
While Brasserie Wines will cater for most price points, Singer aims to use his experience in retail to sell wines from producers that he wants to tell stories about, typically ranging between $20 and $35.
“There are many businesses offering own-label and discount ranges. These will always have a place, but for us, we prefer to tell the many stories of the producers,” he added.