Building Home, One Glass at a Time

Have you ever worked at a place that just feels like home? This week, I will be reminiscing on the past five years at one of my favorite places: Hickory Wine Shoppe. You can read about it in my blog for Gary Kayye’s ‘MEJO 577: The Branding of Me’ class!

It was a freezing December day in 2018. My dad had just picked me up from a friend’s house, and as we sped down the highway, I casually asked him what he had been up to. He paused before saying, “I want to tell you something, but keep it under wraps for now.” My heart skipped. What could this possibly be about?

“We might be buying the wine shop.”

There it was—a sentence that would change the trajectory of my life. As a 15-year-old, I was bewildered. What wine shop? Who is “we”? And, most importantly, why?

In that car ride, I learned my parents were about to buy a long-standing wine shop right in the heart of Downtown Hickory. They weren’t doing this alone either—my uncle and a close family friend would also join the venture, forming a team of four. Suddenly, the entire family mobilized, from me to my grandpa. Cleaning the three-story building from top to bottom became a collective effort. They were redesigning it, brainstorming at the dinner table, crumpling paper, and sketching plans. This wasn’t just a business—it was becoming something personal.

Then came the opening day. I was nervous, and rightly so. None of them had experience running a serving-style establishment. My parents, juggling full-time jobs, had poured every spare minute into making it work, but would it? And, as if that wasn’t enough, a few months later, COVID-19 hit. The shop had to pivot to bottle sales and to-go orders. All the hours they had spent renovating and building something warm and welcoming suddenly felt fragile like it could slip away.

Through it all, the family kept going. My sisters, cousins and I cycled in and out, working as our schedules allowed. The minute I turned 16, I was in the kitchen, earning my keep and soaking in the experience. My middle sister was serving, and there was rarely a day when my parents weren’t there. Even in the toughest times, the late nights when we locked the doors and turned the “open” sign around, there was a sense of calm—a sense of family.

At 18, I started serving, and that’s when I truly understood what the wine shop was about. It wasn’t just about business; it was about people. I met customers from all across the state, and sometimes from across the country. Everyone knew all the owners—they were the heart of it all—and I got to work with some of the best people I’d ever met. Even when my immediate family wasn’t around, I felt surrounded by another kind of family.

When I think back to the frustration of a wrong order or an unhappy customer, I smile now. Those nights spent working alongside my family made everything worth it. The wine shop wasn’t just a shop—it was where we celebrated birthdays, engagement parties, baby showers, and milestones. My 21st birthday? Spent right there. It became our home.

Of course, it came at a cost. Over the past five years, my parents missed a lot—football games, award ceremonies—but I’ve grown to understand why. While I was in high school, committing to friends and sports, they were building a space where everyone could feel welcome.

Now, every time I go home, I can’t wait to step through the doors of Hickory Wine Shoppe. Sometimes I even work a shift—not just for the extra cash, though that’s always helpful—but because I love the place. It’s more than a job or a business; it’s where I reconnect with my family, where our history is written across every wine glass and every late-night laugh. It’s where I feel the heartbeat of our community—customers who’ve become familiar faces, people who stop in just to chat, and the incredible staff who are truly at the heart of it all. They’re not just employees; they’re family too. They’re the ones who kept things going when the rest of us were juggling everything else, always with a smile, always welcoming every person as they belong.

And in a way, everyone does belong at Hickory Wine Shoppe. It’s a place where no one is a stranger for long. Whether it’s a local who’s been coming for years or someone passing through, they’re met with the same warmth and connection. There’s something special about a space like that, where people gather, celebrate, and, sometimes, just escape the chaos of life for a little while.

When I think about all the moments—the birthday parties, the engagement celebrations, the late nights when the shop felt like the only place that mattered—I realize it’s not just a wine shop. It’s our home. It’s where we’ve laughed, cried, and worked together through thick and thin. It’s a piece of who we are.

So if you ever find yourself in Hickory, stop by Hickory Wine Shoppe. Not just for the wine (though trust me, it’s great), but for the people. For the moments that feel like home. And who knows—you might just see me there, pouring a glass and smiling because, deep down, I know this place will always be a part of me.