Travel on tap: How a KC couple built a self-serve port for international wine lovers north of the river

Grab your wine passport, Russ Johnson said, because this self-serve wine bar allows customers to taste the world one sip at a time. And the technology that makes the business possible? Johnson — a software developer-turned-entrepreneur — built it himself.

Heather Brown, Sail Away Wine

“Our brand is really focused on going on a vacation and having this world experience — without having to travel far. Whether you’d like to experience Spain or France or South Africa, we have wines from those countries that you can enjoy,” said Johnson, who co-founded Sail Away Wine with his wife, Heather Brown. 

Click here to check out Sail Away Wine.

Sail Away Wine is Missouri’s first self-serve wine bar and restaurant, and it features 72 local and international wines on tap. Customers connect their credit cards to their “wine passport,” insert their passport card into the machine, and then are able to pour one, three or five ounces of their selected wine.

Sail Away Wine has become a staple in North Kansas City’s neighborhood since opening in June 2021, Johnson said.

“We’re busy,” Johnson said. “After over a year and a half, our business is still going really strong. In the Kansas City region, for restaurants that sell wine, we’re in the top 10.”

Russ Johnson and Heather Brown, Sail Away Wine

The couple initially formed the business idea after traveling in New Orleans — where they came across Wine Institute of New Orleans (W.I.N.O.). Captivated by the concept, Brown and Johnson kept it in the back of their minds, they said.

“Fast forward to COVID, talking about it became reality because I was under contract [as a software developer], and they weren’t going to renew my contract because of worries about the pandemic,” Johnson recalled. “I said, ‘I have all this free time on my hands, we should just do it.’ So we did.”

As avid travelers and sailors, the duo wanted to incorporate their passion for experiencing new countries into the business, Brown shared. 

“This was early on — I was laying on a pool float with a glass of wine, and he asked me to come up with a name,” Brown said. “I said, ‘I’m just going to sail away’, and we knew we got it.”

Backend below deck

Sail Away Wine’s entire point-of-sale system was developed in-house by Johnson, he noted. 

“We were told that there was no point-of-sale system that could accomplish what our business needed; everyone told us the same thing: ‘You can’t do it.’” Johnson said. “So, I built my own. … As of the first of the year, our entire payroll system has also been built in house. Our goal is to move to day-to-day payroll by the end of this year.”

With a majority of Sail Away Wine’s sales being fulfilled with credit cards, the serving staff do not have immediate access to their tips, Brown noted. 

Russ Johnson and Heather Brown with a bartender at Sail Away Wine

“In the past, people usually tipped in cash, but now you can just quickly press a button,” Brown said. “Although that convenience is great, it can sometimes be a burden to have to wait a long time for your tips.”

The COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted the importance of creating a healthy culture for one’s staff, Johnson said, referencing the hiring issues many businesses have faced.

“It can be difficult to attract and retain good staff; but by figuring out more ways to be innovative and do things they appreciate, you can build a really great team,” Johnson said. “This idea that we’re moving to daily payroll in the long run gives us that competitive edge.”

By developing all of the software for inventory, management and payroll, the owners have plans to duplicate that software with their second location and beyond. 

Heather Brown and Russ Johnson, Sail Away Wine

Heather Brown and Russ Johnson, Sail Away Wine

Where to next? 

Johnson and Brown are currently scoping out buildings for Sail Away Wine’s second location, they teased. 

“It will be in the [Kansas City] metro area,” Johnson noted. “We are looking at three specific areas, and whichever has the right space pop up first is where we will go.” 

Until then, customers can sail away to a new country or region each month at Sail Away Wine in North Kansas City. 

“We highlight a different part of the world each month by featuring wine, cocktails or flatbreads inspired by or from that region,” Johnson said, noting that January was Italy, February was the Caribbean and March is Ireland. 

 

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Visitors of Sail Away Wine can look forward to live music every Tuesday and trivia on Sundays. 

“We noticed that we were doing great Fridays and Saturdays, but it was slower Sunday through Tuesday,” Johnson said. “So, we started doing trivia one year ago, and it’s hugely popular. It’s usually full in here on a Sunday afternoon. Then on Mondays, we added Buy One Get One flatbreads. Tuesdays we brought in live music. Now it’s busy on Tuesdays.”

Sail Away Wine’s approach to wine is intended to be welcoming to all, Brown shared, noting that she believes they have something for everyone.

“If you want to come in and drink Chardonnay and nothing else — have at it,” Brown said, smiling. “If you want to try everything, you’re welcome to do that too. We have all kinds of wine tasters and drinkers. It’s just a very fun experience, and if you really like a wine, you can bring a bottle home with you!”