By Lori J. Connors

ChurchStreet Family Debuts New Wines While Continuing to Build on its Brand

By Lori J Connors Photos by Lori J. Connors

As the husband-and-wife driving force behind the ChurchStreet Family Hospitality Group, Matthew and Stephanie Mell truly have the gift. Every dining concept that the dynamic duo presents to the area has been golden, thus providing a solid boost to Huntsville’s assortment of quality dining options.

With a buffet platter filled with a host of uniquely distinct dining and beverage ventures, it is no surprise that there is intention behind every ChurchStreet Family concept. From the select menu items to the structural design and interiors of the buildings, it’s well-thought out, well-designed, and it carries with it personal meaning and historical significance. Even the promotional pieces and the eye-grabbing logos created by graphic designer extraordinaire Adriane Van Kirk; all of it succinctly captures each venue’s distinct vibe, saying it all without saying a word. That alone, is pure genius.

It all began in 2014, with the Mell’s first venture, ChurchStreet Wine Bar & Bottle Shoppe in downtown Huntsville. ChurchStreet Wine Bar boasts a comprehensive inventory of over 1,000 wines from all over the world, including brands that are not available anywhere else. The walls are filled with bottles of wine and amazing art, and for the past eight years, it has been the go-to for its selection of wines, beers, and tapas bar.

Because of ChurchStreet Wine Bar’s reputation for its seemingly infinite and exclusive selections of wines, along with its proven trackrecord for successfully introducing “It is an honor to be the US Ambassadors for this exciting Australian wine, knowing they could’ve chosen anyone in the US to represent their brand and they chose us is humbling, we do not take this trust lightly.”

and launching new wines, they were recently selected by Australian wine producer’ A Grower’s Touch to debut their wines for the very first time ever in the United States. The rollout dovetailed with the grand opening of ChurchStreet Wine Bar & Bottle Shoppe’s second location in Providence Main.

“We were so excited to be chosen to introduce A Grower’s Touch wine,” said the Mells. “It is an honor

Stephanie Mell, owner of ChurchStreet Wine Bar & Bottle Shoppe

to be the US Ambassadors for this exciting Australian wine, knowing they could’ve chosen anyone in the US to represent their brand and they chose us is humbling, we do not take this trust lightly.”

Established in 1997, A Growers Touch focuses on the production of more traditional varietals. To epitomize their slogan, “Birthed from the Earth & Raised by Hand,” the label art on the bottles are photos of the hands of the growers that were involved in producing the wines.

And then there were eight. Like facets on a diamond, each concept is unique. Along with the two ChurchStreet Wine Bar & Bottle Shoppes, there’s Purveyor, offering the ultimate in bourbon, steak, and fine dining experiences and PourHouse at the Stovehouse, a corner-free, comfortably swanky bar in the round. Mazzara’s Vinoteca offers authentically traditional Italian fare - all in an enchantingly renovated historical building on Gates Avenue.

Catacomb435 is their underground speakeasy concept that harkens to the Prohibition era. Generating an aura of danger and mystery, Catacomb435 requires a reservation and is accessible by password only. Sea Salt urban Oyster bar on Clinton Avenue brings the beach to the downtown area by serving up fresh oysters and an assortment of other seafood. Along with a wide variety of cocktails, Sea Salt also has 24 beers on tap.

The ChurchStreet Family’s newest gem is Famous Eleanors. As a concept housed within Rocket Republic in downtown Huntsville, the restaurant’s name is a loving nod to all the famous women associated with rocket science, space, and aviation who just happened to be named Eleanor. It’s also the name of Matthew Mell’s grandmother. w

Location, Location, Location: Starting Your Small Business

This is part of a multi-part series that will help prospective entrepreneurs to develop the tools they need for a successful business venture. Additional stories in the series can be read on the Huntsville Business Journal website.

Now that you have your roadmap established for starting your new business, it’s time for the next step: pinning your future business’s location on the map. As any commercial real estate broker can tell you, location is critical, and this is especially true for a small business. Although this is an exciting component of starting a business, there are a number of factors to consider during this stage of the process.

If you already have a place in mind, it’s important to determine whether that particular location is suited to your business. Questions to ask include: • Do the demographics of this location match my target market? • Does this location match my business brand? In other words, will my business feel like it belongs or will it seem out of place in the surrounding environment? • How do the costs of operating a business in this location compare to other locations in the area? • What are the local zoning ordinances of this location? • What is the tax environment like for this particular location? • Are there any special local or federal government incentives available for locating my business in a certain place? For example, you may qualify for preferential access to federal procurement opportunities under the Historically Underutilized Business

Zones (HUBZone) program. • Will there be sufficient parking for my needs? • Will this location be easy for my vendors, suppliers, and customers to access? • Does this location offer specific features I need, such as a drivethrough window, great signage, a discreet location, etc.? • Is this a safe location to do business?

According to developer and Commercial Real Estate Broker D. Scott McLain, CCIM of Coldwell Banker Commercial McLain Real Estate, a competent commercial broker will help a person or company with all of these questions.

McLain stated that while the City of Huntsville can provide information on zoning, flood conditions, traffic access, and a few other governmental matters, “the other issues are market based, and someone that works in the market and understands the business and market is best able to help ensure a good decision.”

According to McLain, this information is diverse and specific to the particular user. Because of the unique nature of each case, therefore, it is important to provide as much information as possible in order to take full advantage of professional expertise.

“Conveying to an expert all the criteria of the business is needed to empower that expert to make recommendations. The expert needs to ask these questions, understand the business and needs, and then find solutions in the marketplace,” McLain explained.

Once you’ve found the right location for your business, it’s time to start thinking about another critical question: what legal structure will be best for your new company? We’ll cover this in the next installment of our guide to starting a successful small business. w

By Dawn Suiter

Local Wealth Manager Named to 2022 Forbes Best-in-State, Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Lists

Forbes recently announced that Shari Burnum, CEO of Investor’s Resource located in Madison, has been recognized on both the Forbes Best-inState Wealth Advisors and the Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors in the state of Alabama.

The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors awards help to level the playing field between states with large, affluent populations and others, such as Alabama, that do not.

When comparing the online lists of these two award categories, the Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State award is an even smaller list of women than the Best-in-State.

“It is an honor to be validated for business and personal excellence. Forbes states that their methodology includes both the number of assets managed by an advisor and qualitative factors such as quality client relationships and business practices,” says Shari Burnum, CEO of Investor’s Resource.

For Burnum, these awards also help her stand out in a field often dominated by male advisors.

“To be a female advisor in a male-dominated field and be recognized by Forbes is quite an honor. None of this would be possible without our Investor’s Resource local team and our relentless commitment to meeting the lifetime changing needs of our clients,” says Burnum.

For more information, please contact Shari Burnum at shari@invresource.com

ServisFirst Bank Huntsville Announces Newest Senior Vice President, Private Banking Officer

ServisFirst Bank, a subsidiary of ServisFirst Bancshares, has announced the promotion of DeLynn Gower to Senior Vice President, Private Banking Officer for ServisFirst Bank Huntsville.

Prior to the announcement, Gower has worked with ServisFirst Bank for around sixteen years, where she served as the Client Service Representative, Assistant Branch Manager, and a few key positions within the Private Banking Department.

“DeLynn has worked for ServisFirst Bank since we started our Huntsville bank in 2006 as part of our original retail group,” states Andy Kattos, ServisFirst Bank Huntsville Executive Vice President and Regional CEO. “She has consistently demonstrated a superior work ethic combined with an abundance of talent and experience. DeLynn has always had a positive attitude and works well with her teammates including working jointly on prospective and existing clients with our commercial banking officers.”

Overall, Gower brings twenty-five years of banking experience to her new role as Senior Vice President, Private Banking Officer. Gower is also very adjective within the Huntsville community, such as with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild and the Madison County Medical Society’s Practice Managers Roundtable. She is also a member of Women in Defense and a graduate of Leadership Huntsville Class 29.

For more information regarding DeLynn Gower as Senior Vice President, Private Banking Officer for ServisFirst Bank Huntsville, please contact Krista Conlin, Krista@KCProjects.net. For more about ServisFirst Bank, please visit www.servisfirstbank.com