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Meet Sandra Brooks of Farmhouse 17 in Norcross

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Brooks.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My daughter and I started Farmhouse 17 in a little farmhouse in Norcross almost five years ago featuring repurposed furniture, antiques, and vintage home decor plus my jewelry that I have handcrafted for over 15 years. My daughter is a single mom of two and a teacher, so I am the one who manages the business day today. After two and a half years we were able to secure a space on the main street of Historic Downtown Norcross and moved Farmhouse 17 into this historic building built in 1925.

We continued to grow in our new location and in 2017 we made the decision to not replenish our antique furniture and home decor inventory and evolve into a boutique. Antique sales have been steadily falling over the country and we saw an opportunity to fill a need in Norcross for a unique, specialty shop. After studying the concept trending across the country of boutiques incorporating food and/or beverage venues into their spaces, we decided it would be a great fit to add beer/wine and rebrand Farmhouse 17. as a specialty wine boutique & bar.

Over our first months promoting our new concept, we have been gaining great traction with our weekly wine tastings, live music, patio with heaters and fire pit, cooking demonstrations along with my jewelry, apparel, gifts and custom gourmet baskets. We just hosted our first Farmhouse Round-up Open Mic night and attracted eight musicians who came out to jam, and I’ve had calls from three more this week asking how they can participate in the bi-monthly fun night. People really enjoy the idea of enjoying a glass of wine while doing some shopping as well.

We also offer complimentary cheese plates and nibbles for daily wine drinkers and all events. Our customers love the ambiance and European bistro vibe of our shop plus the front patio is the only one of its kind in Norcross which has great appeal. Although my jewelry was in retail stores in 14 states, the wine boutique and bar and all of our weekly special events and non-profit functions keep me so busy that I have had to curb my wholesale business, but jewelry sales at Farmhouse 17 are up.

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?
As is probably true with most retail ventures, our road at Farmhouse 17 has not been the smoothest of journeys. Our initial location was “off the beaten path” and we struggled with very minimal foot traffic. When we were able to relocate to the Historic Downtown District, business really improved, but we did discover that antique furniture sales were dropping steadily all over and we needed to steer our primary focus to other product choices.

We converted to a boutique and because I had been in the restaurant business for years in Phoenix, AZ, we added food/beer/wine to our existing boutique to join the increasingly popular shop/eat/drink/ trend which especially appeals to millennials who are online shoppers, but tend to frequent bars/restaurants more than any other age group.

Our concept was really attracting new customers when the City told me they had issued me the incorrect alcohol license and I would not be able to continue to sell food from my location because a City ordinance requires seating for 75 in order to sell food. My space does not allow seating for 75.

After several weeks I have then issued a different alcohol license which allows me to sell beer and wine by the glass or bottle, but I cannot sell food. Since we had gotten rave reviews on social media and the usual restaurant sites about our gourmet hot dogs, sandwiches, etc. We had to rebrand again to delete food from our offerings and let everyone know we would be offering complimentary cheese plates, nibbles and catered food for events. I always believe in turning lemons into lemonade so we are partnering with local restaurants so our customers can order from abbreviated menus and the food will be delivered.

Evolving from a repurposed/antique home decor store to a boutique/wine/food establishment was an easy transition, but it has been a little more challenging offering food and then eliminating it. However, the response to our specialty wine boutique & bar has been really positive and business is great!

Farmhouse 17 – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a Specialty Wine Boutique & Bar offering small production wines both Old and New World plus local craft beers as well as handcrafted jewelry, apparel, gifts and custom baskets. A major part of our business is centered around wine tastings, live entertainment and other special events including non-profit benefits. We have a cozy, warm atmosphere where people love to hang out, drink their favorite wine or beer with complimentary nibbles, and do some shopping.

I am most proud that we have weathered the bumps in the road along the way and have evolved into a spot that once people visit, they come back for the ambiance, vibe, and offerings. I am told several times a day when people walk in for the first time, that this is a great little shop and they are so glad they discovered it. Almost everyone signs up for our email list to learn about our special events which I consider to be a great sign as well. I am continuously told the concept is so unique and cool…. and that’s what I’m proudest of. We are different and are making loyal friends every day!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I have two proudest moments to share. One was when the incoming mayor stopped by to tell me how much he appreciates having our business in downtown Norcross, how we need more unique businesses like ours and that he really likes everything we are doing here at Farmhouse 17.

The second was when two people from a neighboring community saw our sign for our wine tasting and came in for the first time. They stayed throughout the evening, signed up for our upcoming wine and chocolate pairing, purchased a number of different wines and one of my one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry. When they left they said, “This is our new favorite place.”

They shared that they travel quite a bit and our spot reminds them of a great little bistro with a European vibe. They have been back for an Italian cooking demonstration, several wine tastings and live music events. I am proud because their comments and loyalty validate that we must be doing something right. by combining boutique items with wine and special events.

Pricing:

  • $10 up — New World/Old World Specialty small production wines not sold in grocery or package stores
  • $10 Wine Tastings and Pairings
  • $30 up — Handcrafted one-of-a-kind jewelry

Contact Info:

  • Address: 141 S Peachtree St Norcross, GA 30071
  • Phone: 770-409=1717
  • Email: farmhouse 17norcross@gmail.com
  • Instagram: farmhouse.17
  • Facebook: Farmhouse 17
  • Twitter: not updated
  • Yelp: Farmhouse 17

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

3 Comments

  1. Gen Barbour

    January 19, 2018 at 12:13 pm

    Wonderful article, Sandra!! I am so proud of you!!

  2. Tomi Sue Mayer

    January 19, 2018 at 3:07 pm

    What a beautiful story Sandra. A wild and crazy wonderful life to wake up to everyday. You have always turned lemons into delicious lemonade. You will always feel the warmth and love from the friends you make and neighborhood you made better from your love and talent to create something better.
    David and I will be there soon💝

  3. Mary Upchurch

    June 20, 2018 at 7:01 pm

    Would love to receive your newsletter. Just heard about you from 2 of your regulars who were attending a wine tasting at Nobel Fin. Sounds like it would be fun to come to some of YOUR wine tastings.
    By the way, my maiden name is Brooks!

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