A fully restored Citroën 2cv — bought third-hand from a French baker in Rhode Island—greets you as you enter Maison Brondeau, the striking new wine store now open in the City Square Arcade Shops development on Main Street in White Plains. It’s the first of many delightful surprises, most of them vinous, that await at this beautiful shop, owned and run by French-American Bronxville resident, Ben Brondeau.
Ben, thanks for speaking with the Westfair Business Journal. You describe your gorgeous new wine store, Maison Brondeau, as “hospitality driven”: Can you explain?
“For us at Maison Brondeau, a hospitality-driven wine store means we go beyond a classic, transactional based retail shop. Through our store’s design and staff’s approach, we aim to foster a warm, welcoming environment. We place an emphasis on educating customers about wine and spirits, whether it’s through monthly ticketed educational sessions, weekly free tastings, or daily engagement with customers —from describing a bottle on the shelf to walking through varietal and regional differences with our automated pouring machines in-store.”
You’ve also referenced your “wine-loving culture” and family: Please tell us more.
“I was born in Paris, France. My dad was raised in Bordeaux, and my mom caught the ‘wine bug’ at an early age. France is, of course, known for its wines, but my family in particular fully embraced the wine-loving aspect of the French culture. Whether I was smelling my parents’ glasses of wine as a kid trying to understand the nuances of different varietals or walking through vineyards in my grandparents’ backyard in the Roussillon region of France, wine was always a part of my life.”
And how did your career develop?
“I went to Villanova University where I studied finance and marketing, worked in management consulting at Deloitte and then corporate finance at NBCUniversal for eight years. I wanted to pursue my dream of working in wine and felt inspired to open a wine store that breaks the traditional mold of a stuffy, unapproachable shop and is instead a place where you come to learn and feel welcome.”
And why White Plains? Can you fill us in on what’s happening at the City Square Arcade Shops?
“I wanted to create a unique wine retail experience, so it was imperative I pick the right location…. The Ginsburg Development Cos. has done an incredible job transforming a part of White Plains that was previously primarily commercial space into a unique retail shopping experience (City Square Arcade Shops). Located steps from the Metro-North Railroad, and in the center of several new luxury high-rise apartment buildings, the space offers a great location within a growing part of Westchester and gave me the chance to build Maison Brondeau from the ground up.”
Can you share any intel on how retail margins on wines work, and what do you expect to be the “bread and butter” of the business?
“At the core of the business it’s a volume play, given we want to be conservative with our pricing in order to stay competitive and offer wines to our customers at an approachable price point. We love to bring the lesser known, smaller, high-quality producers to our shelves, along with some more recognizable, national brands. Our team often taste tests wines ‘price blind,’ meaning we don’t know what items cost when distributors sample products for us to purchase, to ensure prices don’t skew our perception of the wine’s quality.”
What wines / regions / countries are you personally excited about right now? What do you find yourself drinking most often?
“California is always a happy place for the team, especially since a trip to Napa served as inspiration for the store. We’ve also been very excited about the wines we’ve tasted from Portugal and have been encouraging customers to taste these wines they might not have picked up off the shelf themselves. Finally, a beautiful Rosé San Salvatore-Vetere from Southern Italy has been my go-to pick this summer.”
Lastly, 65% of businesses fail in their first 10 years. Do you have a “secret” for making yours work in White Plains?
“For us, there’s no secret, just a genuine belief in our store’s concept, a love for what we do and the people we serve.”
