Interview With A Client: Portland Bottle Shop

Client Work

Mar 2

In my Interview With A Client series, I take you behind the scenes on what it's like working with Pondering Mind Creative. Not only are these interviews incredibly helpful in painting a picture of how PMC services can help your business. But they also boost my drive to continue assisting businesses to gain control of their strategies. I love hearing these stories of success, and I hope you do too! So let's get to it!

Let's kick it off with The Portland Bottle Shop.

The Portland Bottle Shop is a restaurant in the SE Portland neighborhood, Sellwood, serving hand-crafted sandwiches, soups, salads and more.

Enjoy a glass of wine or beer while you dine or pick up a bottle on the go.

Browse their extensive wine wall with more than 400 varieties from around the world at every price point or their beer cooler with around 200 selections of specialty and craft brews.

First off, if you are in the Portland, Oregon area, you must stop by the Portland Bottle Shop! Their food is delicious, and their wine and beer offerings are fantastic. I suggest a bottle of Clara C and their Buffalo Cauliflower or Double Smashburger!

Talking with us is Emily Motter. She is the co-owner of the Portland Bottle Shop alongside her husband, Travis. The shop just celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2021 amidst the craziness of the pandemic. Which is such a huge accomplishment considering the large number of restaurants that unfortunately closed their doors during this time. They have been such an inspiration for me by their hard work and dedication to their staff and customers.

What are your biggest challenges as a small business owner?

Keeping connected with our customers and bringing in new customers is always a challenge as a small business owner. Portland is well known for its restaurant industry, and there is a lot of competition. Producing ongoing social media and communications content is time-consuming. It can often be overlooked when dealing with the day-to-day tasks of managing a business. Determining how to remain relevant and appealing to customers, existing and new, is what keeps me up at night.

What were your most significant problems before you started working with PMC?

Creating and maintaining consistent and ongoing communication with customers was a challenge, and having a solid strategy to engage new customers. We had a website, but it needed a refresh and better organization. We had social media posts but no actual strategy. We sent out a weekly newsletter, but the format was cluttered, and the look was outdated.

*Emily and Travis Motter, Owners of the Portland Bottle Shop in Sellwood, Oregon.*

What has your business been able to achieve since working with PMC?

PMC helped us create a solid, ongoing communications strategy that fits our small business. As a result, our communication plan is now consistent, strategic and has a fresh look. It is easy to maintain with the work of PMC and has helped grow our customer engagement.

What made PMC a good fit for your business?

Creativity, flexibility, collaboration and consistency in her approach. PMC created a plan that fit perfectly for our business, and continual collaboration has ensured it remains a good fit.

What would you tell someone who is considering working with PMC?

It is the best investment you can make for your business!

If there's one word you could use to describe your experience with PMC, what would it be and why?

Exceptional - everything about our experience working with PMC has been exceptional, from the process to the quality of work to the results.

It is such a pleasure to work with you! Our communications plan has gone from something that was overwhelming and unorganized to something well organized that showcases our business.