Case Study: Domaine South from simple website promoting the bistro to online sales as a response to the pandemic

Domaine South, one of our favorite clients, is an enticing little bistro and wine shop in the bustling downtown of a growing city. Popular with visitors and locals, they are committed to their value of gemütlichkeit (welcoming coziness and friendliness.) The wine shop and bistro have grown and done a brisk business over the years. Lodestar, under the direction of Amy Price, worked with the owners to develop the original website and have adapted messaging over the years to reflect their growth from a wine store into a bistro and wine and cheese store.

In 2020 with dining restrictions in place and the owner’s commitment to serving the community in the best possible way at the fore, we quickly shifted Domaine South’s site to online sales for curbside pick up. The task was somewhat daunting due to the number of wines in stock and a robust menu, but we worked quickly to create an online option and had them up and running within days of the decision to transition. Their robust and appealing social media voice—their core value of gemütlichkeit is present in all customer interactions—made the transition fairly easy for their customers. While the changes faced by their industry in 2020 and into 2021 have not made things easy, they continue to wow their customers with delicious food and carefully selected wines.

As the restrictions and the community numbers of COVID cases have fluctuated, we have worked closely with Domaine South to continue to update the site and keep the public informed of changes to dining availability and occasional, necessary closures.

The commitment of the brand to its core value and their desire to clearly message to their customer has made them a wonderful teammate as we continue to tell the brand’s story. And we have recently completed training and turned management of the site completely over to their staff. Another “Graduation” in the books for a Lodestar Branding Customer.