00:00You were optimistic, I think, when we talked with you ahead of the new year,
00:04but you also talked about tariffs affecting your business.
00:06Give us an update.
00:07How did January play out for you guys or, you know, the end of the new year and then into
00:11this year?
00:12I think January is always a slow season for all industries of business.
00:16For us, it was actually the uptick beginning for February and March as far as people booked in tastings
00:23because we do have a champagne tasting room, different activations they want to have on-site and off-site.
00:28That was an uptick for us.
00:29As far as, like, daily sales, yes, it was actually down, but it's January, so that's normally expected.
00:35People are kind of taking a break.
00:37Right, and they have this thing.
00:38I don't know if you ever heard it called Dry January.
00:40I know nothing about it, but it's there.
00:44It's a thing.
00:45It's actually a big thing.
00:47You know, a lot of our customers say, hey, it's Dry January, but I'm just stocking up for February.
00:51So the last week of January, I would say that we began to get orders in,
00:55and some notes would say Dry January is over, I'm back.
00:58You know, so I'm glad that, you know, consumers, you know, return.
01:03But there are so many different, like you said, you have to share the industry with a lot of different
01:06items on the market.
01:07One thing that also happened in January was you were featured in a Bloomberg News story about the president's tariffs
01:13in the Supreme Court.
01:15In a lawsuit that you joined, back in November, you filed a lawsuit to recoup $78,000 that you spent
01:21on tariffs in 2025.
01:24The effect of that was pretty big for you because you're a small business, you have bootstrapped it.
01:29You don't have outside investors, but you had fewer bottles from France that came to the U.S. as a
01:34result.
01:34And you also hired fewer people, and you raised prices.
01:37Yes, I did all of that.
01:39So we reduced the production of half bottles of $3.75 for the half bottles.
01:45We reduced production, and we did get feedback from customers that, you know, that's what they normally gift with.
01:50So that was like…
01:50375 milliliters?
01:51Yeah, the half bottles of champagne.
01:52So we did get some feedback from that.
01:55Most of our customers understood the price increase, right?
01:58We didn't dramatically increase the price, but it comes with the economy.
02:02And for myself, with the tariffs here, I'm still waiting on that decision.
02:06It's been changed so many times.
02:08So I'm waiting to see what the outcome is going to be with the Supreme Court.
02:11So not like you're factoring anything in, like the assumption that it's going to be overturned.
02:15You're just waiting.
02:16Yeah, I'm not factoring anything.
02:17I did actually slow down our next shipment because I want to see if it goes into effect.
02:24If I can avoid a tarot for 2026, I would love to.
02:27So based on our current inventory levels, we kind of moved it back a little bit because we have a
02:30little bit of time
02:31before, you know, to get the next one in, hopefully without tariffs.
02:35You know, I'm curious what you think as a business owner who has experienced these tariffs,
02:40when you hear the president say, we're bringing in so much money from tariffs,
02:43other countries are paying these tariffs.
02:46We've brought in hundreds of billions of dollars.
02:49What goes through your head when he says those things?
02:53The clean version is, like, it's the business owners that are affected.
02:58And beyond that comes the consumer.
03:01And it's hard, right?
03:02As a person who's a small business owner, and I've talked with other small business owners,
03:06it affects what you do and how your business grows.
03:09And it's not consistency because from the administration, there can be a threat.
03:14Like the past, there was a threat over a month ago about champagne.
03:18If you don't join one of his boards, the champagne tariff is going to go up.
03:22Yeah.
03:22It's not consistent.
03:23And it's always, you know, a flag.
03:24And it's not fair to consumers.
03:26It's not fair to business owners because how can we actually plan?
03:29You're planning in a season of uncertainty.
03:31And it doesn't operate well like that.
03:33Marvina, I want to be fair.
03:34Like, is this administration that is listening to small business?
03:38And in general, do administrations, whatever political side they may be, how much of an audience
03:46does small business usually get from federal government, from White Houses?
03:50I have not seen a lot of support or even thought of small businesses with this current administration.
03:57I think everything, especially with the tariffs, was blanket tariffs, not incorporating how smaller
04:02operations, smaller businesses own.
04:04You know, you have mom and pop shots that really operate in this manner, and this should put these
04:09blanket corporate taxes.
04:11We can't afford to send an airplane over to get stuff over before tariffs go into effect,
04:16which a lot of the corporations have that advantage.
04:18We couldn't afford to do that.
04:21So it hurts, right?
04:22And for myself, I look at the small business administration.
04:25I look at some of our local supporters.
04:27And I like to hear what other people are discussing.
04:29And it's the same feedback.
04:31And it really hurts because small business are important for this country.
04:34But past administrations?
04:36I did see more support from past administrations.
04:38You know, I did see it.
04:39To be fair.
04:40Yes.
04:41To give a little perspective.
04:42Did you just open champagne?
04:42Well, I did because you guys have an ethos.
04:44We sip it and let's learn about it.
04:46That's right.
04:46That's it.
04:47Yes.
04:47I love it.
04:48Let's go there.
04:49There is a bottle that's open.
04:51They were so afraid that I was going to hit a camera.
04:52So they opened it on me.
04:54Well, Carol, the show's not over.
04:55Yeah.
04:56So there's still time.
04:57Tell us about this one.
04:59And I'm going to share it around.
05:01Okay.
05:01This is our Blanc des Blanc.
05:02It's 100% Chardonnay grape.
05:04It pairs well with seafood.
05:05It's actually one of my favorites.
05:07I love to have it with mussels, oysters, caviar, big fish.
05:11So it's actually one of my favorites.
05:12It's actually one of our top sellers.
05:13Thank you very much.
05:14It sounds like it goes with a lot of food.
05:15And I do think about that.
05:17I'm not always good.
05:17I'm a real red wine and I'll drink red wine with everything.
05:20But there is something about really matching something, including a champagne.
05:24Yeah, food pairings are very important with wines, right?
05:27It totally enhances the food.
05:29It actually also enhances the wine.
05:31Can I just say, look at that, right at the top.
05:33Go ahead.
05:34Good.
05:34And it actually, you know, it tempts your palate, right?
05:37So I always tell people, try a wine on its own.
05:40Try it with a piece of food and then try it together.
05:43And you'll see how it totally enhances one another.
05:46When we think about the business, I mentioned you're bootstrapped.
05:48And that's kind of rare these days.
05:50It's from Consumer Package Good Startups.
05:51I thought you were going to say, happy Valentine's.
05:52Oh, yes.
05:53Happy Valentine's.
05:54Cheers.
05:55Thank you for joining us.
05:57Yes.
05:58When you think about businesses today, so many take on outside funding, even consumer packaged
06:03goods companies.
06:04This is not just for tech companies.
06:06How do you bootstrap a company like this in this environment?
06:08So when I first launched B. Stuyvesant in 2020, I did not know exactly what I was doing
06:13as far as where the business was going.
06:15That's a tough time to do it.
06:16Tough time, right?
06:16Originally, B. Stuyvesant was supposed to be a house brand for a champagne bar I was going
06:21to open.
06:22And what happens is with COVID, we had our inventory, but it wasn't the best environment
06:27to really open up anything.
06:28So I'd actually decided a couple of retailers had asked me about the champagne.
06:33And I was like, oh, you just have to wait.
06:34But it ended up going on the shelves of some stores.
06:37We actually launched at Happy Cork in Brooklyn, who still carries our product six years later.
06:41We just turned six actually yesterday.
06:43Happy birthday.
06:45And the brand just really took off on its own.
06:48So I really just decided that this is the business.
06:50And for myself, I wanted to prove proof of concept, right?
06:54I just don't want to take on investors or people's money and not know what it's going
06:57to do.
06:58So I did five full years.
06:59And we've done it's been let me tell you, I've had a lot of like, I can only imagine
07:03roller coasters.
07:04But I'm really happy to see where we've landed celebrating six years, growing from operating
07:09out of my apartment to going to our first retail stop.
07:13And now we're actually in a full service tasting spot in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
07:18I've got to just tell you, people are saying, what?
07:20We got no pop.
07:21So I'm like, how about that?
07:23I'm going to do it.
07:24A little sound effect.
07:24Real quickly before we end up.
07:26So there's a rosé.
07:27There's a reserve.
07:27What's the difference from the Blancs?
07:30Blanc de Blanc, 100% Chardonnay grape.
07:34Reserve is actually 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Meunier grape.
07:38No Chardonnay grape, full body.
07:39Naturally, you have rosé.
07:41Rosé all day is actually 58% Pinot Noir, 22% Meunier, and a 20% Chardonnay grape.
07:48So first of all, check, check, and check.
07:51They all sound good.
07:52When you think about 2026, we're in this moment where we came into it with some, you
07:57know, I think it's, I have to say, some crazy headlines in terms of policy and things coming
08:02out geopolitically.
08:04What's the biggest thing that you worry about in terms of running your business here?
08:09And we talk about the Fed a lot.
08:10So I'm just curious from your vantage point.
08:12I worry about consumers.
08:13I worry about retailers thinking outside the box and not just always heading over to the
08:19traditional big houses, you know, because there's some amazing grower champagne out there.
08:23And I always see that they always tend to highlight the big brands.
08:27But, you know, us growers do have a space at the table, and I would love for them to
08:31expand more out of the typical big house box.
08:35Consumer shopping?
08:36Consumers and actually retailers not going towards more small growers' brands.
08:42I'm getting messages from bureaus all over about people who want champagne right now and
08:46other shows that are happening that don't have champagne on their show.
08:49Are you for sale in D.C. at this point?
08:51Yes, we are actually for sale in D.C.
08:53Okay, so take note, Amy Morris.
08:54And the Thompson Hotel is actually our exclusive hotel that actually carries B. Stuyvesant champagne.
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