Where did the idea for Cork&Olive® originate? The idea for Cork&Olive came from company founder European born Michael Probst. In most European countries wine is an everyday pleasure to be shared with family and friends on all occasions as a complement to meals. In Europe it is uncommon to buy wines without trying them first and virtually unheard of to actually pay for wine tastings. With wine consumption on a meteoric rise in the U.S., Probst brought the "try before you buy" philosophy to the American market. How long has the chain been in existence? Probst began formulating a plan for the company in 2001. Probst wanted to bring more "fun" into the wine industry and remove some of the pretense usually associated with buying wine. Initially, the focus was on Iin-Home private wine tastings. The idea was to open a few retail locations to support the home wine sales business. But the neighborhood wine shops quickly became an independent success. The first store opened in Clearwater, Florida in 2004. Since then, the preferred customer list has grown to more than 50, 000 in 2008. Where else are you located? There are currently sixteen locations open in Florida. A total of nine corporate shops were in operation at the end of 2007. Seven franchise stores have opened as well. For a complete listing of locations, log on to www.corkandolive.com. A total of 100 - 150 franchised are projected to be awarded in Florida by the end of 2009. How do the in-home private wine tastings work? Cork&Olive Wine Guides take care of all our hosts' needs.. They bring the glasses, spill buckets, tasting menu and of course the wine.Cork&Olive even provides the invitations! You just pick a date and invite your friends. There is no minimum order for you and your guests. But if your guests spend $500 or more, the entire party is treated to a 15% in-store discount for six months and everyone automatically becomes eligible for preferred customer benefits. For sales of $1,000 or more, the host and her guests are all entered into a monthly drawing for a "Dream Dinner for Six", including a four course meal prepared and served by one of our chefs with wines provided by Cork&Olive to compliment the meal. Our winner only has to pay for the food. We also offer host incentives which include a series of our hand-blown stemware and decanters chosen specifically for our home event hosts to collect and treasure. Can I host an event with Cork&Olive? Yes. In addition to our In-Home wine events, Cork&Olive also has a growing corporate events division. Sales-oriented companies that want to set themselves apart from the traditional "dinner and speech" routine have discovered the new way to entertain clients and close deals by hosting wine tastings at Cork&Olive. In-store events for 25 people are all inclusive. Cork&Olive can also come to you for special events. Off site events can be managed from 25 people up to 500. Where do you find your wines? Most of our wines come from smaler family-owned vineyards all over the world. Cork&Olive has business acquaintances constantly visiting new vineyards all over the world. We personally taste each wine before deciding on whether or not it would be a wine our customers would enjoy. Many of the wines we carry have never been available in the U.S. before and can't be found elsewhere. How can you afford to offer free wine tastings at every store all-day everyday? The fundamental principal of Cork&Olive is our "try before you buy" philosophy. We believe that customers should trust their own tastes and when given the opportunity to try wines, they will buy the wines they like. We believe that wine tasting is so important we view our tasting costs as part of our normal business expense. Why are quality wines in other stores so much more expensive? The wine industry and consumers are often driven by opinions and ratings of self-appointed wine experts. Ratings always lead to a higher price tag but do not guarantee you will like the wine. We seek out smaller family owned vineyards committed to the time honored tradition of wine making. They do not spend money on slick marketing and the ratings game. Consequently, their prices are more reasonable. When you shop at Cork&Olive, you are not buying brand recognition. You are buying wines that you know you enjoy because you have tasted them! Why do you display your bottles upright instead of stacked like other stores? Many customers purchase solely on the look of a label. We believe our customers enjoy being able to see, touch, and feel each bottle of wine - it makes the whole experience more approachable. On a practical level, we don't have the need to over-stock our shelves like most wine retailers. Our stores have wine delivered directly from our warehouse on a regular basis. What makes Cork&Olive different from other wine retailers? The service. The atmosphere. The philosophy. Aside from the fundamental "try before you buy" philosophy and belief that wine does not have to be expensive to be good quality, we also offer a number of unique services to our customers. Everyone can enjoy curbside pick-up and free delivery within 15 miles for orders of a case or more. We keep records of our preferred customer's favorite wines and invite them to our monthly Sip & Dip parties to enjoy their favorite wines with friends and neighbors. Cork&Olive offers the new way to explore and buy wines in a fun, unpretentious setting. How can I get involved with Cork&Olive? Cork&Olive is growing fast and has career opportunities for every lifestyle. Wine Guides enjoy the flexibility of setting their own hours while spreading their enthusiasm for wine. Uncork your career in our Tampa corporate headquarters or at one of our many retail locations. For employment inquiries visit your local store or email r.dodd@corkandolive.com for corporate opportunities. Can I invest in Cork&Olive? Yes, through a store franchise only. Our franchise circulare as filed in March 2006 and franchises are currently being awarded in the state of Florida. To review our offering or receive more information, contact Frank Henselmann at 813.995.4790.