Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Matt Stamp, Co-Founder of Compline Restaurant and Wine Shop, located in Napa, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I opened Compline Restaurant and Wine Shop in downtown Napa in 2017 with Ryan Stetins. We wanted to create a casual, geeky wine and food venue where locals could get great food made from products sourced from local farms and ranches and drink responsibly-made wines from all over the world. Since opening, we have survived three massive fire seasons and one (ongoing) pandemic while watching a once-quiet downtown spring to life around us. We've won accolades from the Michelin Guide and major wine publications. We look forward to opening a second, larger Wine Shop downtown in the fall of 2022.
Our customers can be tourists—on any given day; we'll take care of day-trippers from the Bay Area all the way to wine journalists from China and everyone in-between. But the core of our customers are local: Napa is a small town, essentially. The faces we see day in and day out make our business successful and our days brighter.
Tell us about yourself
I got my start in restaurants as a college dropout—not an uncommon origin story in this business. My folks operated a great fine dining restaurant in Omaha, NE, called V. Mertz. (It's still there, and it's worth the trip!) I learned the restaurant trade there and became interested in wine. I moved to Northern California, worked as a sommelier for the French Laundry, spent years as a wine writer and educator, and finally got back into the restaurant business with Compline.
Wine provides an interesting career path. To most people, it's just wine—a vehicle for alcohol. But when you start to learn about wine, you realize how much history, culture, politics, law, chemistry, language, art, philosophy, and farming intertwine in the evolution of this seemingly simple beverage made from grapes. When I see the light bulb go off for a staff member or a guest, and they realize that one of their favorite subjects is now a pathway into the enjoyment and study of wine, well, that is incredibly rewarding. I feel like I've done my job!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Surviving the pandemic in the restaurant business. No question. We hustled. I could write a book.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
For me, managing people is really difficult. Numbers come easy, work ethic comes easy, but managing a bunch of different humans is always a challenge. You have to be fair, set expectations, and provide an environment in which people want to do well and grow, all while understanding we are all very much our own individuals.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Write a serious business plan. Figure out where the money is coming from, and don't count on it until it's in your bank account. Be confident in your idea when it's good and open to feedback when it needs work.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Shameless self-promotion! If you'd like to check out our taste in wines, join our wine club: https://complinewine.com/collections/wine-clubs
We ship monthly, and the wines are delicious!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://complinewine.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/complinewine/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3aNtLml
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.