Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Kamin.
Adam, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After partnering up with Eldridge and opening up the Delta, I began to notice that our wine sales only constituted a small portion of our business. From a business standpoint, this was great given the percentage of liquor and beer sales, however, I really missed wine. I got my start in wine after I finally stopped cooking after 13 years. An opportunity presented itself to purchase an existing wine shop, so I jumped on it.
I knew the place wouldn’t really draw too much attention if I just offered the typical liquor store experience so I moved to a very narrow focus within the wine space, this is to say, “real wine.” I decided to really hone in on small production, hand harvested grapes, spontaneous fermentation – basically, I find wine that is made how wine used to be made before commercial farming and various sorts of chemical intervention.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not. I’m a bit off the beaten path in Lincoln Park. It seems that everything West of Sheffield on Armitage is a retail dead zone. It also started off as a challenge explaining to people why the Chardonnay they bought taste different than what they were used to – it’s been a test in patience trying to get some people out of their comfort zone and educating them on what “real wine” is.
Off Premise – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a hyper curated wine shop that specializes in unmanipulated wine. We also have a strong focus on acquiring single barrel whiskeys and craft beer.
I personally spend the majority of my day stocking shelves and sampling products. I have a pretty rigorous selection process and therefore am constantly tasting the product.
I’m most proud of the reasons we are doing this. It isn’t simply a business, it’s an ethos. We believe that the only way to enjoy wine in the future is to support those who make it in a responsible manner. It’s nice to see that translate to the customer.
Our focus and curated selection.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career so far is seeing repeat business. I really enjoy seeing familiar faces that share the same interests as myself. It means that my plan is working and that people like what I like.
Pricing:
- everything is $15-$25
Contact Info:
- Address: 1128 w Armitage
Chicago, IL 60614 - Website: www.offpremisechicago.com
- Phone: 7737703540
- Email: adam@offpremisechicago.com
- Instagram: @offpremisechicago
- Facebook: @offpremisechicago
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/off-premise-chicago-2
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