Development News

Kathy Merchant and Amy Neyer, local wine enthusiasts, recently launched their wine education blog, Vino Ventures. The pair designed the blog to provide a creative environment to share their passion for wine, as well as provide educational content and information about events happening in the area.
 
“We want to tell stories in a verbal and visual manner,” says Neyer, who has written about wine for the Cincinnati Enquirer and CityBeat.
 
Merchant, the president and CEO of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, became interested in wine a business trip to California in the summer of 1994.
 
“I visited Napa Valley, and it felt like coming home,” she says. After that, she pursued her wine education informally, and then decided to become more serious about it about 10 years ago. She holds a diploma level accreditation from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, and is a Society of Wine Educators Certified Specialist.
 
Neyer’s love for wine began in 1990, when a friend, who was a great cook, exposed her to different types of wine and food pairings.
 
“Over time, I visited San Francisco and became more interested in wine, and I met people who were like-minded,” she says. “I learned as much as I could, and decided to take it to the professional level a few years ago.”
 
Neyer holds an Advanced Certified designation from WSET and like Merchant, is a SWE Certified Specialist in Wine. The pair actually took the exam for that certification together last fall.
 
“Wine can be intimidating if someone doesn’t take the time to simplify it and make it fun,” says Merchant. “We want to offer that to people through education and our blog.”
 
Along with their blog, Merchant and Neyer are also launching a new independent credentialed wine education program in the area. Starting in July, they’ll be offering a Level One certification course on behalf of the Cleveland-based American Wine School.
 
“We see this as an opportunity to provide something that no one else is doing,” says Neyer. “If people want to learn about wine, there are wine tastings of different forms, which can be fun. But some people want to learn more and immerse themselves more deeply than an hour at a wine store or smaller event. We’re hoping to provide that—an independent perspective that was born out of getting smart about wine. And we’re passionate about getting people to enjoy it and learn more about it.”
 
The classes will be held at the Metropolitan Club in Covington, and founders describe them as perfect for wine novices and enthusiasts who are looking for a formal education or a credential in wine. Register for the class here.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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Mainstrasse Village in Covington has seen a handful of new businesses open in the past few months, including Main Bite, which opened May 28. Main Bite’s menu features seasonally-inspired small plates made from the freshest ingredients owner Margie Potts can get her hands on.
 
Potts, a cooking instructor and media personality, sources her ingredients from the restaurant’s on-site garden and a plot she has in a community garden. Her vendors are all local, even her bank and payroll.
 
“When you establish yourself in a community, you do as much as you can for the community, and they’ll support you too,” says Potts.
 
Potts owned a restaurant a few years ago—MJ’s on Main—but it was more of a bar and was hard to change, she says. It wasn’t exactly what she wanted, so she sold it, and started looking for another space in Covington to open her new restaurant.
 
She chose was a white building that needed a lot of TLC. It’s now painted different colors and boasts an outdoor courtyard with window boxes and flowers everywhere. Potts plans to string lights in the courtyard for a glowing effect at night.

“My goal with Main Bite is to present healthy food options in a way that makes them beautiful and delicious, and creates a fun dining experience,” she says.
  
Main Bite is now open for lunch during the week from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m; dinner is served Tuesday-Friday from 4 to 11:30 p.m.; expanded weekend hours are Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
 
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Petra Cuisine, a Mediterranean sandwich shop, opened June 1 at Newport on the Levee. Petra is housed in the space formerly occupied by Smoothie King, near Saxbys Coffee on the Riverwalk level.
 
“Petra” is a lost city in Jordan that is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Owner Al Alsheyyab thought it would be a unique, authentic name for his restaurant that also ties into the food he serves.
 
Alsheyyab, a Cincinnati native, has a background in restaurants—he worked for Skyline Chili for six years, then at a few other eateries before deciding it was time to open one of his own.
 
Petra Cuisine’s specialty is the gyro, but his falafel has also been popular, he says.
 
“The Levee has a great atmosphere,” he says. “Lots of people come to see the river or go to the aquarium or the movies. I’m hoping Petra will be able to provide something quick to eat before people go on to the next thing.”
 
Petra is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekends.
 
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Russ and Jackie Slone’s dream of owning a coffee shop has been 30 years in the making. They approached officials in the City of Covington and decided to start to build equity before opening their own business. It wasn't a quick process; they purchased a fixer-upper and raised their two daughters.
 
Eight years ago, the Slones purchased the building at 701 Greenup Street and began making it their home and their dream. Left Bank Coffeehouse opened its doors May 28, and the Slone’s two daughters, Katie Bialczak and Maggie Soard—both former Starbucks baristas—help them run the place.
 
“We wanted to open a coffeehouse because we saw that at the time, there weren’t that many around Cincinnati, but we knew they were popular,” Russ says.
 
“Left Bank” refers to the proximity of the coffee shop to the Ohio and Licking rivers, but that's not all. The Slones are self-described Francophiles, so the name also refers to La Rive Gauce, the southern bank of the Seine River in Paris. Left Bank is decorated with French-inspired décor reminiscent of a Parisian street café.
 
Left Bank brews up traditional espresso drinks and blended beverages. There’s also a small food menu, featuring oatmeal, yogurt, two croissants and scones, plus pastries from Savor and soups from Myra’s in Clifton.
 
The Slone’s are excited to make people happy, and hope that Left Bank will be a destination stop for people who live and work in Covington.
 
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Today, it seems that every retailer has a loyalty card leading to wallets stuffed with disparate loyalty cards and the potential for confusion. Local startup LOC Enterprises hopes to replace the need for store loyalty cards with the launch of its Loyalty One Card.
 
The LOC Card is the first truly universal loyalty card that will not only allow consumers to stop carrying around handfuls of loyalty cards, but it will also allow them to manage all of their loyalty programs on one website.
 
While shopping for his now 12-year-old son around Christmas 2011, LOC’s CEO and founder Jack Kennamer realized the hangups of loyalty cards.
 
“I was standing in line at a sporting goods store, and I heard the cashier ask customer after customer if they had the store’s loyalty card,” Kennamer says. “Most people didn’t want one, but one lady decided to sign up for it, and I could see the guy behind her huffing and puffing while she filled out the registration form. And when the guy in front of me was asked if he had the store’s card, he held up his keychain and said ‘No room for you.’ I figured there had to be a better way.”
 
After that experience, Kennamer spent hours researching loyalty cards and programs, and found that there wasn’t a “universal” loyalty card.
 
“Consumers love to feel special and get free stuff and discounts, but it’s getting to the point where they have to work so hard to participate in loyalty programs,” he says.
 
Kennamer’s company developed a 100-percent consumer-centric card that allows consumers to tailor how they want to engage with each retailer. For example, a consumer may want to interact with Kroger one way and Best Buy another, so they can pick and choose which retailers to provide with their email address.
 
When a consumer signs up for the LOC Card, they’ll set up an account online, and anytime they go to a retailer that accepts the card, they swipe it once and they’re enrolled in that loyalty program. LOC’s website manages all of the loyalty programs for the consumer, so there’s only one email address and password instead of 100.
 
LOC is working with the companies that handle the analytic side of loyalty programs to better service consumers. The company is also building relationships with individual merchants and getting great feedback about the LOC Card.
 
The LOC Card isn’t just tailored to large businesses, though. “The problem small businesses have is they don’t stand a chance because they’re so far down the totem pole when it comes to loyalty,” says Kennamer. “With the LOC Card, you swipe your card at the retailer once and you’re signed up for their loyalty program. After that, it’s up to the consumer to come back, and the retailer can reach out and give the consumer personalized offers to start repeat behaviors.”
 
The LOC Card isn’t available to consumers yet, but you can pre-register on LOC’s website.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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Cincinnati isn’t the only city in the Tri-State area experiencing rejuvenation. Just across the Ohio River, Covington has seen a plethora of new businesses open in the last year, and the trend shows no sign of stopping.
 
Naashom Marx, business development manager for the City of Covington, works to attract new businesses and retain Covington’s current businesses.
 
“Covington is a great place to live, work and play,” she says. “It’s a unique dynamic of people and places, and it attracts people.”
 
Right in the heart of Covington’s urban center—at Roebling and Fifth Street, eight buildings in a four-block area will soon become Gateway Tech’s new location. The college is also opening a bookstore at Sixth and Madison, which will be open to the public. The addition of Gateway Tech’s student body to the urban center will help that area grow, and keep businesses busy, Marx says.
 
The city’s current focus area is the Renaissance district, the spaces around Madison, Short Pike and Scott streets. The goal is to continue to grow new businesses while encouraging the momentum to continue in other areas, too.
 
Since its founding 35 years ago, Mainstrasse Village has seen exponential growth. It’s a walkable and bike-friendly area close to both the riverfront and the City's hotel district.
 
“Mainstrasse Village wouldn’t have lasted long without the community,” says Kim Blank, executive director of Mainstrasse. 
 
Main Bite, Sugar Cube Records, Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar and Goodfellas recently opened in Mainstrasse, and Covington Yoga moved from Scott to the village to make room for Gateway Tech. Thai Sushi is slated to open later this summer, and Commonwealth Bistro is currently renovating two buildings in Mainstrasse.
 
“Covington continues to grow, and it’s a really nice area with lots of new businesses,” Blank says. “It’s an exciting time for us.”
 
Pike Street has also seen lots of new businesses open recently. Buonavita Pizzeria opened last Monday; 3TC Designs, Shrewdness of Apes, Latonia Treasures, Old Home Style and Green Line Salon are all new to the area as well. Grateful Grahams and Sushi Cincinnati both moved to larger facilities on Pike Street, and Tickets Sports Café is reinventing itself into an all-Covington, all-green, family-friendly restaurant.
 
In about nine months, City Hall will become Hotel Covington, a boutique hotel near the Madison Event Center. (City Hall moved to a smaller office to accommodate the project.)
 
Covington has also seen lots of larger businesses, like Westpack and Blair Technology Group, move in because of the perks the city has to offer—parks, restaurants, shops, quality of life and a sense of community.
 
“Developers are seeing great growth and rehabilitation efforts here, which attracts more developers to Covington,” Marx says. “And property owners see higher property values, which encourages them to stay and raise their families here.”

Stay tuned to Soapbox for stories about Covington's new businesses and its continued growth. 
 
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Jack Wood Gallery, a vintage poster gallery, recently moved to Over-the-Rhine from O’Bryonville. The gallery features vintage posters and graphic art from the late 19^th century and early to mid-20^th century.
 
Jack Wood opened his gallery at 2039 Madison Road in O’Bryonville in Oct. 1998; in Feb. 2003, the gallery moved to the space next door. And exactly 10 years later, Wood found himself looking for a new location because his landlord decided to move her business into the gallery’s space.
 
“When I first opened the gallery, I thought O’Bryonville was a good place for it,” Wood says. “But when I came to OTR, I knew it was the perfect place for it now.”
 
From the middle of the late 1800s, Cincinnati was home to some of the most highly regarded printing companies in the world. The Strobridge plant used to be on Central Parkway, four blocks from Jack Wood Gallery’s new OTR home.
 
“The latter half of the 19^th century was a significant time for the Cincinnati poster industry,” Wood says. “The neighborhood was alive, and 50,000 people lived in a 15-block area in OTR. Now, we’re getting the same kind of energy and activity here. It’s a real renaissance.”
 
The new space, at 1413 Vine Street, has a similar layout to the old space, with two large windows that face the street and plenty of wall space inside to display posters. Jack Wood Gallery also offers archiving, photography, framing and matting and appraisal services.
 
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If one relatively new Cincinnatian has his way, a new taste could be rolling in to Cincinnati by next summer—on a fleet of bicycles.

Plans for The Port OTR, a sandwich restaurant, are currently in the works, with Venture for America fellow Dan Bloom, and his friend, Seth Maney, at the helm.

The idea came to Bloom and Maney while walking around and realizing that, aside from sit-down restaurants, quick lunch options downtown are limited. That was enough to get their entrepreneurial ideas percolating.

Their next thought? “Can we make this happen?” 

Bloom knew that Venture for America was hosting a crowdfunding competition that would culminate with funding for a project, so he decided to enter his idea for his newly adopted home, OTR, a reality. 

The duo plans to host a competition this summer at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State to find a third partner for their team—a chef and manager.

“We want to find someone that has big aspirations but wants to start small-scale,” Bloom says. “We want to prove that this is something that can be successful, and then from there see how big we can make it.”

Bloom, who grew up in Boston, also plans to infuse a bit of New England culture into The Port.

“The sandwich that I’m starting with—Thanksgiving Day Sandwich— turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, on a baked sandwich,” Bloom says. “That’s not something you can get down here.”

While The Port’s location is yet to be determined, Bloom estimates the restaurant will be about 500-600 square feet and include a counter with a few stools and a few tables for those who prefer non-delivery, sit-down experiences.

If you want a first taste—or perhaps even have a sandwich named in your honor—The Port OTR’s crowdfunding site is already online. 

Western & Southern recently bought the Anna Louise Inn for a reported $4 million. It plans to turn the current site of the Anna Louise into a hotel.
 
Western & Southern first approached Cincinnati Union Bethel, the nonprofit that runs the Anna Louise, with an offer of $1.8 million to buy the building. The offer was declined, and later CUB was awarded $12.6 million in tax credits to renovate the Anna Louise. Days before renovation, Western & Southern sued the non-profit over a zoning issue halting construction. (Read an indepth Soapbox feature about that part of the story here.)
 
After two years of litigation, CUB agreed to sell the Anna Louise. As part of the agreement, CUB will be able to use the tax credits to build a new home for Cincinnati’s struggling women. Residents will live in the current Anna Louise until the new building is completed, which will take about two years.
 
The intended site for the new Anna Louise is at the corner of Reading Road and Kinsey Avenue, on a plot of land that has yet to be purchased. The programming the Anna Louise offers will remain the same, but the residents' living quarters will be quite different.
 
“What residents have now is a dorm room with a bed, desk and dresser and a bathroom down the hall,” says Brittany Ballard, development director for CUB. “The new Anna Louise will include a kitchenette and bathroom in all apartments.”
 
Because the current Anna Louise is a historic building, Western & Southern won’t be able to make changes to the outside of the building.  
 
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Frequent flyers can now enjoy a bit of wine country at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Vino Volo, a San Francisco-based company, opened a tasting lounge, restaurant and wine shop in Concourse B near the airport’s Starbucks and Outback.
 
Vino Volo offers wines by the glass and by the bottle, plus flights of three wines for those who want to sample different options before purchasing a glass or bottle. The CVG location features a flight of Kentucky wines that aren’t offered at the other Vino Volo locations.
 
“We try to bring something to the table that guests might not have tried before,” says Sarah Evans, marketing specialist for Vino Volo. The wine lists at Vino Volo feature a selection of whites and reds from around the world.
 
Doug Tomlinson, a former consultant who traveled a lot for his work, founded Vino Volo in 2004. He saw that airports didn’t offer quiet places for people to catch their breath between flights, so he combined his personal passion for wine with his business idea. Vino Volo now has 27 locations in 18 airports across the country, with one opening soon in Cleveland and another in LAX’s new terminal this summer. There’s also one city store in Bethesda, Md., with another scheduled to open in Virginia this summer.
 
Vino Volo has been called an “airport oasis” because it offers travelers the chance to escape the craziness of the airport and enjoy a glass of wine.
 
Staff members are also available to answer any questions guests may have about the wine selections, including suggesting wines. Vino Volo has won 25 Airport Revenue News awards, including “Food Operator with the Highest Regard for Customer Service” seven years in a row.
 
“We’re excited to be bringing a little bit of wine country to the Tri-State area,” says Evans.
 
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Alia Ali’s business venture, Chill Shaved Ice Bar, began in June 2011 at Findlay Market. Her shaved ice stands out among the rest because the syrups are all natural.
 
“I’ve always been in business,” says Ali. “I flipped cars in undergrad and imported jewelry after I graduated. I’m interested in health and wellness, and decided to marry business and healthy with Chill.”
 
In order to expand her business, Ali looked at local organizations that offer business support to entrepreneurs. She was one of 10 finalists in Bad Girl Ventures last fall. And in November, she participated in business classes at Xavier, and then applied to Xavier X-Lab, which pairs businesses with MBA students. That session just wrapped up, but Ali plans to participate in the summer session as well.
 
“I hope Chill continues to show people that natural and delicious can be in the same sentence,” says Ali.
 
As of May 23, Chill added to its location options with a Smart car, more like a food car than a food truck, that currently sits outside Kenwood Towne Center's food court entrance, near Forever 21. This makes Ali's second year with a cart outside the Butterfly Show at Krohn Conservatory.
 
The expansion means that Chill is currently hiring. If you’re interested, contact Ali via Facebook or Twitter (@ChillShavedIceBar), or email her at chillshavedice@gmail.com or give her a call at 513-602-1697.
 
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ABM Parking Services, the national facility management company that manages the parking meters in Covington, recently adopted the Park-by-Phone program to make parking more convenient for customers.
 
Park-by-Phone eliminates the need for coins and cash to pay for parking. Users can extend their parking sessions by calling the Park-by-Phone telephone number or by downloading a mobile app for Android or iPhone. Parking history and receipts are available online, and users can even pay with a mobile phone at any parking meter that offers PassportParking.
 
Credit card machines are expensive to purchase and use, and every time the public charges on a credit card machine, the company that rents out the meter gets charged.
 
The City of Cincinnati has invested in credit card machines, but Covington looked for a different answer. And they found it with Park-by-Phone, which charges an annual fee of $5.95, regardless of the number of uses. The fee is less than getting a parking ticket, and the city pays 100 percent of the total parking fees with the company that rents out the meter charging an additional convenience fee of 10 percent to the customer on top of the annual fee.
 
But Park-by-Phone isn’t for the average Covington resident or occasional visitor—it’s geared toward companies that utilize the city’s parking meters, says Natalie Bowers, marketing and communications director for the City of Covington's Department of Development. 

For example, companies that make deliveries around Covington can give each employee an account and receive itemized monthly statements to keep track of parking expenses. That way, businesses can expense parking costs rather than pay for parking tickets.
 
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Looking for a place to let loose and dance? Then The Shakti Factory is for you.
 
The Shakti Factory is a movement studio, gathering place and dynamic learning community that is focused on creativity, freedom, embodied spirituality and evolutionary human potential. Owners Meredith Hogan and Lisa Stegman wanted a place for themselves to dance and gather, but they couldn’t find anywhere that fit their needs in Cincinnati. They opened their business in December near Xavier University.
 
“We want to continue to build a tribe of dancers and help set our bodies into a healing, natural rhythm,” says Hogan.
 
“Shakti” is defined as the divine, feminine power that animates and brings life to everything that is.
 
But The Shakti Factory isn’t just a place for performance artists. The studio is currently displaying a print show by Hans Waller; he also painted a mural on one of the walls. In the future, Hogan and Stegman want to host art shows regularly.
 
“It’s about pushing boundaries, and offering things that aren’t found elsewhere in town,” says Stegman. There are plans for salons that will create conversation about subjects like sexual health.
 
The Shakti Factory currently offers three dance classes each week. In July, Hogan will be adding a yoga class to the studio’s offerings. There will also be one-time workshops, such as the Warrior 101 yoga class in August that will be taught by a friend.
 
“Our vision of the space is a flexible concept that is always evolving,” says Stegman. “It might not be the same next year because it will always be changing.”
 
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Rash, LLC, a design and fabricating studio in Bellevue in Northern Kentucky, offers a 360-degree cycle of design-related services to local artisans. Rash helps with everything from consultation to concept to construction.
 
Rash was founded in 2012 by Timothy Rives Rash II. He received a BA in architecture form the Architecture School of Design at the University of Virginia and a masters in architecture from Southern California Institute of Architecture. For the past 10 years, Rives has worked on similar projects with other companies and partners. He’s also currently teaching at the University of Kentucky’s College of Design.
 
Mostly, Rash completes the projects for clients, including drawings and any necessary extra design, says Myra Rash, Rash’s media manager. “But there have been a few times where the client is crafty and will help out to learn, or to just get dirty.”
 
The majority of Rash’s projects have been out-of-state, but they did complete the large red oak cross for Belleview Baptist Church’s façade. Rives also collaborated with students from UK’s College of Design and St. Elizabeth Hospice Center in designing and fabricating a concrete base for an I-beam from the World Trade Center to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of 9/11.
 
“We hope to bring eye candy to the area, plus some good designs of our own and, most importantly, great collaborations with local firms, contractors, artists and designers,” Myra says.
 
Rash is currently working on the Speechbuster for the Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York City. It’s a 54-foot long table that is put together like a giant jigsaw puzzle and upholstered with neoprene with a rainbow gradient for indexing the 36 parts that make up the table.
 
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Cincinnati is home to a number of breweries, but this summer, beer lovers will be able to experience these breweries in a new way. Starting in July, Tonic Tours, a new alcohol-based tour company, will start offering public tours of microbreweries every second and fourth Saturday of the month.
 
“I want to show off Cincinnati’s beer scene to both locals and tourists,” says Rachel Dean, aka Ginny Tonic, the mastermind behind Tonic Tours. She originally thought about hosting a local alcohol convention, but figured tours would be more fun.
 
Tonic Tours is about more than just the brewing process, Dean says. She plans to introduce her clients to the beer-tasting process, including what flavors to look for and how to identify flavors in different beers.
 
“I plan to infuse art and science into the tours,” she says. “I don’t want people to get bogged down on the brewing process, but I want them to see the art in it. Flavor is a very underappreciated sense, but it’s just as engaging as visuals.”
 
Each tour is $90, and includes transportation to a handful of breweries, plus drinks, water, a snack and a commemorative glass. For the first few tours, the itinerary will remain much the same, but Dean wants to mix things up a bit so people see different breweries and get to try different beers. Tonic Tours will also be available for private tours and tastings.
 
Dean will also be teaching a class at the Bird Haus on June 20 on how to make four local summer cocktails.
 
“A lot of people don’t realize how many great beers are based in Cincinnati,” Dean says. “When you go to a tap room, you might see beers but not know they’re from here—there might not be anything that says ‘Cincinnati proud.’ I want people in Cincinnati to appreciate the great beer makers who are revitalizing Cincinnati’s beer history.”
 
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