Before opening Wine and Design Oakland, Tina Farman retired from her sales job to take care of her children. Tina decided to open a business so she could work and care for her children at the same time.

 

Though Tina did not come from an artistic background, she had an interest in the wine industry. She envisioned her business to be a place that people could come and relax, and there’s nothing more stress-relieving than painting and sipping wine. Most of her store’s wines come from local wineries around the Bay Area. She often features women winemakers as well.

 

Tina opened Wine and Design Oakland in February 2018. Currently, she has 5 sketching artists that teach classes. She offers classes for different age groups and events, such as kids classes and corporate bonding activities. Tina says, “I want to provide a creative outlet for children because public schools often do not provide art classes.”

 

To open her business, Tina received a loan from Main Street Launch. She used that as starting capital to buy art supplies as well as for marketing efforts. She states, “The process of getting a loan is time-consuming, but my experience working with Main Street Launch has been really great and trusting.”

 

“For anyone who wants to open a business,” Tina explains, “You have to be patient, be out there, and do a lot of outreach. Wherever I go, I always talk about my business or wear its merch to promote the store.”

 

Wine and Design Oakland has classes 7 days a week in the evenings as well as a mid-day “pop in and paint” option. Next time you need a stress reliever, drop by Wine and Design and paint your heart out!

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