Now situated in its third location, Kona Wine Market has doubled its space and tripled its revenues since relocating to Old Industrial from its previous spot in Kona Commons 10 years ago.
The move came when new owners Sterling and Schel Leatherman took over operations in 2014 and took advantage of an opportunity to expand the bottle shop’s size, along with its offerings, while reducing monthly lease payments.
High School sweethearts and natives of Palo Alto, California, the couple relocated to Hawai’i Island in 2013, following several years on Oahu where Sterling completed studies at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
“Arriving here, we looked at many possibilities for starting our own business. It was Schel who spotted the post advertising Kona Wine Market for sale,” Sterling says.
And while he had experience working in retail from the age of 14, he says, it never involved food and beverage.
“The purchase was a leap of faith, but having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area with its amazing food and wine culture, it was always an interest. We enjoyed meals at great restaurants and weekend trips to the nearby Sonoma and Napa Valley wine regions,” Sterling says.
It also was a huge help that the shop’s veteran staff stayed on with the transfer of ownership, including Howard Bubord, known in-store as the “wine wiz,” and General Manager Rick Ayers (now retired). At that time, Jackie Chrisman took over Rick’s role.
“Together with our most recent hire, Ali Cork – yes, that really is her last name! – they are responsible not only for the market’s growth and success, but mine as well. For the first four or five years, I took a back seat, letting the veteran team take the lead. During that time, I learned a lot, listening to them and the many distributor representatives who call on us daily, describing the wines, spirits and beers to customers. Sampling the products also enhanced the learning curve,” he says.
Now with an average inventory of 3,000 products, including food items such as gourmet cheeses, cured meats, caviar, Kona coffee, nuts and spreads, as well as cigars, Sterling says, “We are by no means just a wine shop. And 10 years in with many thanks to my staff, I’m confident in the knowledge I’ve gained and now share with customers,” Sterling says.
Knowing his client base well, he adds, is one key factor in determining the specific products he will offer among the many available.
“We can’t carry everything, but we do our best with more than 300 different beers on offer in our refrigerated, lava tube beer cave, and we’ve also introduced a growler station with six draft beers available. Of course, we continue to offer a broad variety of wines from the world’s best-growing regions, with old and new world wines represented equally. We are especially strong with selections from Pacific Coast vineyards – California, Oregon and Washington – while our French wine offerings are growing,” he says. “And, late last year, we opened a new section featuring only natural, organic wines.”
Also, popular are the Friday tastings at the shop from 3-6 p.m. and the implementation of an increased Kama’aina discount. In addition, Sterling and the team also are committed to giving back to the community by hosting charity events. Most recently, they teamed with local restaurants and chefs to host a food and wine experience/silent auction last September, raising $12,500 for Maui Strong in the wake of the disastrous August fires.
“We’re looking to sponsor more charity events in 2024, and we’re also planning an event to celebrate our 10th anniversary this August,” Sterling says.
For more information, log in at KonaWineMarket.com.
“We're looking to sponsor more charity events in 2024.” – Sterling Leatherman
"The purchase was a leap of faith."
