Neighbor Market & Bottle Shop Opening

Hello Beautiful Family and Friends! 

I am really excited to share what I've been working on with you guys. It's pretty fitting that we're in the month of November because it was exactly two years ago that I began working on this project. We were at Blake's mom's house for Thanksgiving and we gathered around to play a game that his sister, Brittany, brought called Vertellis. The description is perfect, "Vertellis – we want to bring people closer together, stimulate time offline and help people realize their dreams and goals in life."

One of the questions I received when playing the game asked something like, "What are three things you want to do in your life?". This question was powerful. LIFE. 3 THINGS. It came at the right time because I had been working in Marketing for a few years, was in my late twenties, and it was a pivotal time for me to decide my career path and trajectory. I thought back to the happiest times of my life and tried to go from there. The thing that stood out amongst the chatter in my mind were the years that I worked at Salumeria in San Francisco.

For those that may not know, I lived in San Francisco from 2012-2016 to get my Bachelor's Degree. While in school, I got a job at this European-style market called Salumeria. I took on every single role there from cashier to barista to eventually retail manager. I knew customers by name, what they liked, and what they had recently tried. I felt like they were coming over to my house. It felt like my store. I literally didn't feel like I was at work because of this. I was able to curate the retail selection, purchasing cheese and charcuterie, wine, bread, chocolate, coffee, spreads, jams, olive oils, etc. and meet the amazing small business owners behind these products. I was in charge of ordering, inventory, visual merchandising, and training. I felt like I was a part of this booming little neighborhood. This restaurant group taught me so much about hospitality and how to do it the right way. 

*Fast forward* to this game at Thanksgiving: this is the moment I realized that I wanted to have a neighborhood market of my own one day. A place that celebrates local and artisan food producers, a place where someone knows your name and can help you find something you like, and a place where you can take time out of your busy day to have a real, human connection. My hope is that with one of the products you find in the store, you can create that same type of connection with someone in your life that you love. 

The vision for the store:I’m excited to announce that Neighbor Market & Bottle Shop will be a part of a new mixed-use retail concept in North Central Phoenix coming Fall 2020. There will be a total of 10 local businesses, all women-owned, and a mix of shopping and dining options. The space is designed to create a flow of customers between each business. This is the best opportunity for me, as a new business owner, to succeed. There are 400K residents within 5 miles, the average household income in the area is above 90K, there is no other direct competition in the area, the other owners have a large network of established customers, and the neighborhood’s top request upon rezoning was to have a wine shop. I have the support of these successful women and can't wait to be a part of something that doesn't exist yet in Phoenix. 

Since the day I had this idea I have saved every dollar that I can with the goal of opening this shop.  I have been working very closely with my stepdad, Kim, who has a lifetime of banking experience,  to put together an estimate of opening and first year costs for the business. We’ve realized through my own savings and the help of my family and friends I could forgo taking out a business loan. This would be ideal and goes along with the shop’s mission, to support and connect with our community. 

What Is Needed: I need to raise $12K to meet my goal and to purchase the equipment needed to open the store. Large items such a beverage cooler, a refrigerated cheese cooler, a cured meat refrigerated cooler, a meat slicer, a register system, etc. I would be eternally grateful and thankful for your support and donation. ANY amount helps. Once the store is open, I will return the favor by bringing cheese, wine, pickles, anything you like to our next get together. I've created this donation page where you can directly donate. Seriously, your support means the world to me. This is something I am putting my whole heart into and want to make SO great. If you prefer another method of donation, please don’t feel obligated to use the donation site. But know this is a widely used and safe way to donate money. 

I really appreciate you reading my story. Please feel free to share this with anyone you know that might be interested. Here is the link to share out: gf.me/u/wqdzj8 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Asta
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About Neighbor Market: Neighbor Market is the kind of provisions shop every neighborhood covets. Stocked, European-style, with cheese, charcuterie, sweets, and—most importantly—wine and beer. The shop will operate as an essential corner store for last-minute dinner supplies, cocktail hour spreads, and weekend gatherings. Retail products will include oils, vinegars, various spreads, pickles, olives, pasta, sauces, coffee beans, fresh bread, chocolates, crackers, non-alcoholic beverages, jams, spice mixes, small-production wines and beers, fine cheeses and salumi, and a small gift section. Catering cheese and meat boards will be available to order for any size group or event! The shop can transform to host beverage tastings, workshops, or special events and will continually evolve depending on the needs of the community. 

 
About Me: Owner, Asta Fletcher began working full-time in the hospitality industry in 2009 while studying for her Bachelor’s degree, holding various restaurant positions from barista to server throughout this time. She received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Marketing from San Francisco State University. She became Retail Manager of Salumeria, the deli and larder concept by the Ne Timeas Restaurant Group, most well known for their restaurant, Flour+Water. Over the course of three years, she learned the in’s and out’s of retail buying and merchandising. Next, she consulted on the opening of The Market on Market, the industrial food-hall in the ground floor of the Twitter building, leading the visual merchandising strategy for the 50,000 square-feet marketplace. Over the past four years, Asta has gained extensive knowledge in digital campaign management and influencer marketing execution with CLEVER The Influencer Marketing. Inspired by the community that is created from small businesses and the incredible food scene in San Francisco, she hopes to bring that feeling and quality of products to her home in Phoenix.