My friends know I love wine. I feel fortunate to live in Northeast Ohio wine country. When I was younger, I wanted to make wine, but the costs of setting up a wine production facility, even one that could only manage wine kits, was prohibitive. When I was performing, the local wineries were my favorite performance venues. When not performing, I frequented the wineries…listening to fellow musicians, and sampling what the Grand River Valley had to offer.
One day, as I was driving through Painesville, I noticed a new sign installed on a storefront on Main Street. I stopped and looked in the windows. It was obvious to me that an urban winery of sorts was preparing to open. I loved the idea. A month earlier, I had a less than satisfactory experience at an urban winery in downtown Newark, and I was hoping that this would be better. I stopped on my way home from work every week and peered inside, waiting for the doors to open.
The annual Taste of Painesville event was on a Saturday. As I drove by, I realized that this little place was finally open, but there was no parking anywhere. The following week, I stopped and introduced myself to the owner, the delightful Penny Schebal. Over a glass of blueberry pinot noir, we had the first of many interesting discussions.
Penny had worked at Progressive for years, but her position was being eliminated. They gave her fair warning, her vacation pay, a 6-month severance package, etc. With a tidy little windfall and time on her hands, the thought of making wines had a strong appeal to Penny and her husband, Alex, who shared her passion for wine. They even held their wedding at one of the local wineries. Soon they were researching what was needed to open a place where people could come and make wines. They took a leap of faith, purchased a building in Painesville, and got to work.
The original plan was for Alex to handle the day-to-day running of the winery as a “make your own wine” company. It soon became obvious that, while Alex was doing the literal “heavy lifting” of the business, this was not a solo operation. Penny took over the customer facing role. It became clear that if customers were coming in anyway, there was an opportunity to offer more and increase the bottom line. She envisioned a place for customers to sit, relax, and taste the wine. A bar, tables, chairs, and eventually food offerings were added. A community of wine lovers started to hang out in this great little place. Friendships were born, parties were held, and “Your Vine or Mine” had a great run for almost eight years.
Despite its success, inevitable issues, such as the logistics of moving heavy containers of wine between two floors of an old building, were becoming a problem. The owners were aging, as we all do with the passage of time. The lifting and carrying was beginning to take a toll on Alex’s health, and, as Penny told me, “Working and living together 24/7 begins to wear on even the happiest of couples, and we could see that our winery run was coming to an end. But I had an idea for a new business, that relied less on Alex’s physique and would be less stressful for both of us.”
Alex took a manufacturing job with benefits, and Penny continued to run “The Vine” while plotting its closing date and starting research on her new idea. Then Alex inherited a farm in Austinburg that had seen better days. They sold their house, the Painesville building, and all the equipment from the winery, and used the proceeds to move into the renovation zone!
Penny’s research continued…other wedding gown stores, prices, locations, even whether the issuing of marriage licenses was increasing or decreasing in the area. She began to purchase discontinued designer gowns from the West coast and stored them in the house. Fortunately, Alex graciously overlooked the three rooms in their house that were filled with wedding dresses. At first, she was going to rent a small boutique storefront close to home, but ended up finding a space that was twice as large in Ashtabula Harbor. Never thinking she would fill it up, she took a leap of faith.
“Do what scares you,” Penny told me. “Cashing in an investment to rent and fix-up an old office space was scary. Then you need to focus on the job at hand. It takes hard work to make it work!”
Formality Bridal flourished. Two years and hundreds of happy brides later, she ran out of room. Penny was facing yet another scary decision…stay in the Harbor at capacity or find another place and move. As luck would have it, she found an abandoned church for sale in Geneva, Ohio. Realizing the cost of continuing to rent was nearly the same monthly outlay as buying, they risked another large down payment and purchased a church. If anyone has the vision to turn an old church into a bridal boutique, it’s Penny. They began renovations, and soon had a large, empty, beautifully decorated space ready for the big move.
With the increased capacity, Penny pushed forward. But not long after opening the new place, Alex suffered a stroke. His new reality was a challenge for them both, but neither of them shirked away from challenges. Alex worked hard to regain as much of his former self as possible, though he still has some physical limitations. But Penny, in her own inimitable way, did what she always does…double down! As a result, Formality Bridal was hugely successful, so, what was next? With the closing of David’s Bridal shops, there was a growth opportunity that didn’t exist when she started the store. If she were to step up and fill that void in the market, it would not mean expansion of her existing shop, it would require new locations. Brides all over the area were stuck with fewer, more expensive options. Penny knew that she could resolve that issue for hundreds of brides by opening a second location.
The research started anew. After lengthy consideration of the available possibilities, Penny set her mind on Erie, Pennsylvania. It was a time-consuming commute, but she attacked the issue with her usual fervor. She found a suitable space, contracted any construction that needed doing, and set about making it into a beautiful venue with amenities like those in the Geneva location. She purchased additional gowns and hired just the right people to give her Erie area brides a great Formality Bridal experience. The shop opened last year and is operating successfully.
Penny predicts the combined revenue from the Geneva and Erie stores could hit the $1,000,000 mark this year. That is a fabulous success, don’t you agree? But there’s more…
With the extra work of a second store, not to mention the Erie commute, Penny and Alex decided to sell the farm. They began looking for a more practical place to live, one with better accessibility, fewer farm chores, and as equidistant from both stores as possible without leaving Ohio. A unique property in Conneaut popped up, and after considering its assets and pitfalls, it is now their new home.
I’ve known Penny since she opened Your Vine or Mine all those long years ago. I have watched her work, push, scrape, and succeed. But that isn’t the end of things. Knowing the way her mind works, I asked, “So, what’s next?” Seems there may be another store on the horizon, and she is seriously thinking about adding extra wedding-related services to her offerings!
In true entrepreneurial fashion, Penny looks at everything from a unique perspective. If she walks into a space, her first thought isn’t “Absolutely not!” it’s “Wow! What can I do with this?” as her head fills with views of what the space could be. She is always thinking of creative ways to leverage her talents and assets to make the latest project not only viable, but a raging success.
For Penny, it’s all in the journey, and if the destination comes and happens to be profitable, so be it. If not, there is always another road to travel. Resting on her laurels is the last thing on her mind. She just keeps looking forward to starting the next journey, wherever it may lead.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lao Tze
Great to hear about Penny's adventures.
Thanks,
Margie