Page 62 of A New Year In The Presidential Suite

After Lori was seated, Rosie unrolled sketches on the desk in front of Lori. “Please look this over. Like you, I would prefer to have several display tables with storage underneath them placed throughout the shop. I also want to be mindful of traffic flow, so we had to place fewer tables than I initially wanted. They’re a bit larger, though, which should help. The checkout area will hold smaller items, which can be guarded against theft.”

“T-shirts, caps, and the like can be showcased pretty much where they are,” said Lori. “What about using the corner for books about the area, winemaking, and cookbooks? Next to it can be kitchen and gourmet items. You’ll still sell wine glasses at the tasting bar?”

“Yes,” said Rosie. “That’s done well, especially after our guests use and like them. Another thing tourists like is the work of local artists. I’ve spoken to several well-known artists and craftspeople and plan to offer unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. They won’t necessarily be about grapes and vineyards, but something different. The local shops carry almost anything one could want about grapes and wine. We need to be different.”

“Maybe you could use other artists and craftspeople as well. Adeline Hills wine is available nationwide. You could do a marketing campaign to tie into that theme and use crafts and art from those areas, too,” said Lori.

Rosie clapped her hands. “Super idea.”

Griff knocked on the door and entered. “How’s everything here?”

“I’m trying to convince Lori to move here,” said Rosie. “We could work together beautifully.”

Griff glanced at Lori.

“I’ve told Rosie all my family is back home. They’ve been so supportive of me. I can’t disappoint them,” Lori said, wishing things were different. The idea of living and working here was beginning to sound enticing.

“What are you two doing for lunch?” asked Griff.

“I was going to offer Lori some charcuterie items and a glass of wine,” said Rosie. “Why don’t you join us, and we can tell you what we’ve discussed.”

“Okay,” said Griff. “With the tasting room closed, we can have the privacy we need.”

The three of them entered the employee’s break room.

“You two stay there. I’ll get our lunch,” said Rosie.

After she left, Griff turned to Lori. “So, what do you think? Are Rosie’s ideas good?”

“She’s very creative. I think you’ll be happy with what we discussed,” said Lori, looking up as Rosie entered the room carrying a large charcuterie tray.

“Griff, what wine shall we have?” Rosie asked him.

“Let’s open a bottle of pinot noir. Lori likes it,” said Griff. “I’ll get it and the glasses.”

While he took out glasses and opened one of the bottles of wine placed in the kitchen, Lori turned to Rosie. “I told Griff he’s going to like what we’ve come up with.”

“He’d better,” teased Rosie. “I’ve been working on this for a while.”

“I heard that, and I’m ready to listen,” said Griff, handing them each a glass of wine.

Lori listened as Rosie went over the checklist they’d drawn up. Rosie coupled that with financial projections she’d created earlier.

“When do you think our break-even point will be?” asked Griff.

“If everything goes as planned, I think we could recover the cost in less than two years,” said Rosie. “We’d have high inventory expenses to begin with.”

Lori watched as they talked, liking how carefully Griff listened to Rosie. It said a great deal about him as a person.

“Any comments?” Rosie asked her.

“I think we could get some of the artists to provide items on consignment. That would save some money up front,” Lori said.

“Smart idea,” said Griff, giving her a look of approval.

He turned to Rosie. “You’ve done an excellent job. Thank you. I’ll talk it over with Pete and Grandad and let you know their reactions. But I don’t think you’ll have any disagreement from either of them.”

“Then I guess we’re done here,” said Rosie. “I have a meeting to go to.”