Opening a business in the midst of a pandemic: how a Russian woman in New York fulfilled an old dream

The girl decided to take a bold step, despite the coronavirus pandemic. The beloved Whippet dog helped her to implement her plan. Now he greets guests at their wine shop and helps the owner run the business. The details are shared by the publication Lohud.

Genji, a 5-year-old black and white Whippet dog, greets customers at the Aged Cork Wine & Spirits store in Yonkers, New York.

Shop owner Keith Tkachenko says that the presence of a dog makes the atmosphere of the place more cozy. “We want people to be comfortable when they come here,” she said. “There are a lot of animal lovers who come to us, and they seem to appreciate having a four-footed friend around.”

Genji is most often found in the doghouse at the back of the store. This is a very docile dog who loves to meet new people and sleep with his paws up, and play with fluffy toys.

The dog, whom she and her husband Andrey received as a gift for the 10th anniversary of their married life, is depicted on the store's logo. Actually, there are two whippets. Kate revealed that they plan to have another dog within the next year.

The store was opened on September 9. Its owners hope it will become a trendy spot in the area, offering a variety of affordable wines.

Aged Cork Wine & Spirits differentiates itself from other similar stores in that it focuses on small, family-owned producers and focuses on pure and biodynamic wine, with a particular focus on women's wineries. “I'm a woman entrepreneur, so I like to focus on women winemakers,” Keith said.

Her store today has wines from brands such as Milenrama (Ruth de Andrés), Filipa Pato & William Wouters (Filipa Pato), Marine Dubard (Marine Dubard), Heron Wines (Laely Heron), Dashe (Michael and Anne Dashe), Le Potazzine (Gigliola Giannetti), Dei (Caterina Dei), Ciacci Piccolomini (company founded by brother and sister Paolo and Lucia Bianchini), Fattoria di Piazzano (company founded by brother and sister Rolando and Ilaria Bettarini). And this list is constantly growing.

Here you will find more famous brands such as Woodridge, Cupcake, Barefoot and Yellowtail.

Most wines range from $ 15 to $ 25, although there are excellent options for $ 10. “We want people to have a choice,” said the store owner. “We like to show visitors that we have interesting and lesser known, but very high quality limited edition wines, while also offering better known brands.”

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Plus, there are a variety of options for vodka, tequila, whiskey, vermouth, gin and brandy.

Many of the wines were selected by Tkachenko herself, but some were helped by Kameron Schleifer, a former Blue Hill sommelier at Stone Barns and Del Posto.

Tkachenko came to the United States from Russia 16 years ago with the goal of opening her own business one day. Having worked at Sotheby's for the past seven years, she was constantly pondering the idea of ​​opening a liquor store in her head. “My husband and I have gone to numerous tastings and have always enjoyed and appreciated the wine,” says Keith. When she found a suitable spot on Central Park Avenue last year, she felt it was time to take a step.

Tkachenko had already signed a lease when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the city. The store was planned to open in late March - early April, but then postponed.

“Quitting a stable job at a prestigious company to start my own business at a time when so many businesses are closing reminds me of a movie scene,” she said. “But we must believe: everything is not just happening, we need to make plans and move on.”

Contact details: store is located at 2237 Central Park Ave., Yonkers, website: agecork.com.