By John Gifford
Publisher & Editor
Imagine a place where there are 300-400 cheeses (most in Indiana), upscale chocolate drops, epicurean deli delights that you can take out at lunchtime (yes, they will put poupon dijon in a container in the bag for you). Add the multiplicity of wines and spirits on the other side of the store and you have Vine & Table Gourmet Market in Carmel.
Steve Buehre, Food Manager at Vine & Table tells me there are 15 employees at the store, each of whom has specialty knowledge to share with their customers. According to Steve, vine & Table acts a destination location because the items in their store cannot be found elsewhere.
Relationships between employees and customers are key. Employees know not only the customers but his/her preferences and predilections. Steve and his staff are game for unusual requests, such as kraut juice (just the juice, not the kraut). Or, they are happy to accommodate a mother occupied with her four children, and who is not able to come into the store, but phones from their parking. They are willing to take her party supply order and bring it to her parked car. At Vine & Table, employees are given the mandate to please the customers.
One new emphasis is teaming up with Indiana to make available local foods and wines. However, if you want the exotic from around the world, pick up some pate from the Three Little Pigs Delicatessen in Paris (France).
Vine & Table serves a niche, they build relationships, they come up with new items, and they have events that allow customers to sample their offerings and discuss specialty foods and spirits. For example, you might hear the great, great grandson of Jim Beam expound on the nuances of whiskey at the Whiskey Round Table; or sign up for the Perfect Pairings class to find which wine goes with what entree.
To find more information on Vine & Table’s multiplicity of items and events being held, go to http://www.vineandtable.com
