Community Highlights: Meet Amy Burkhardt of Unwined on White

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Burkhardt

Hi Amy , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Amy and Brian Burkhardt, along with their oldest daughter, Jana are the heart and soul behind Unwined on White where wellness and community are blended in the most enjoyable way. Unwined is a unique space, including the town’s only rooftop bar, where you can find your zen in yoga or Pilates classes, relish fine wines and craft beer, and connect with like-minded folks.

Amy is an attorney turned small business owner and her husband Brian has had a career in Finance and Supply Chain Management roles. Amy selects the wine they offer while her husband enjoys getting to know the local beer in this area. In order to keep her wine selection fresh, Amy buys from small, organic family-owned vineyards from all over the world. Visiting the lounge, you will find an excellent selection of moderately priced wines and a variety of local craft beer, ciders & seltzers. Crossing into the studio space, Jana along with several other instructors have a diverse and welcoming array of yoga and Pilates classes seven days a week with various membership and class package options.

The Burkhardt family relocated from Ohio in 2012 and in large part selected Wake Forest due to it’s historic downtown. The journey from dreaming of owning a small business in that historic downtown, to finally being able to take ownership of our coveted spot on S. White Street took several years. Tack on some highly ambitious construction requirements necessary to turn a historic building into a rooftop destination and we ultimately opened for business in 2018!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We would love to meet the small business owner that had a smooth road! Time and money probably sum things up in a broad way starting from having to wait until the prior property owner was ready to sell the building, all the way through the lengthy and costly endeavor to transform what was a barber shop to an amazing yoga studio, wine lounge and rooftop bar. Our building is a designated historic structure in a regulated section of Historic Downtown Wake Forest so this while adding to the charm, provided many hurdles.

Within 18 months of operation, Covid created the obvious struggles so many small business owners had to navigate and the need to be able to pivot. Fortunately we were able to implement curbside pick ups and even did some wine delivery but our business focus on community led us to a wonderfully successful virtual wine and food pairing class series and we were absolutely thrilled when we became able to offer in person yoga classes on our rooftop!

We’ve been impressed with Unwined on White, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Unwinded on White is an award winning destination for yoga and fine wines found in the oldest historic rooftop destination in the Southeast. Yoga and Pilates classes are regularly held seven days a week along with periodic, specialized workshops and Friday Fun Flows on the 4th Friday which vary in theme and typically include a beverage and/or snack option allowing the yoga participants a chance to enjoy time together afterwards.

Unwined is also well known for an array of events that can be found on our website: unwinednc.com, either Instagram or Facebook or by subscribing to our twice-monthly newsletter. We have a Wine Club and Book Club that meet monthly as well as regular wine tastings on the first Friday of the month and beer tastings on the 3rd Friday. There are unique two-tiered wine class offerings, food and wine pairing events and even dance classes such as: Tango & Tempranillo and Salsa & Sauvignon! Finally we love to collaborate with our fellow small business owners and host Sip & Shop events regularly as well as many other events such as Author spotlights and floral design events to name a couple.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Having a niche business such as ours, there was not a specific mentor to advise on our unique offerings but we absolutely leaned into the resources of our Downtown Development staff, Business Alliance as well as working with the Wake Tech Entrepreneur and Small Business Center. Amy also completed Launch Wake Forest prior to the opening of Unwined.

Pricing:

• Introductory Yoga package: 30 days of unlimited class for $30
• Wine discounts for 1/2 and full case purchases

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Unwinednc.com
• Instagram: @Unwinedonwhite
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unwinedonwhite/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/Unwinedonwhite