Off the Beaten Path: Brooke Boomer and Sarah Nelson of The Ruby Tap

The Ruby Tap

One of the proudest moments for Brooke Boomer and Sarah Nelson was when their parents, Karen and Bob Smith, walked in to their wine bar, on its one year anniversary.   The Ruby Tap was no longer a dream that they had to explain but a reality that they could share.

It all happened rather quickly.  The idea sprung from Brooke’s encounter with the Enomatic machine, a wine serving and preservation system. The machine was a tool that they could use to make wine accessible, allowing them to offer many wines by the glass and in varied serving sizes.  “Anybody can pour wine, anybody can put wine in machines but what we wanted to differentiate us was customer service and have it be a place that we would want to hang out in.” says Boomer.  And so it began.  Reminiscent of Brooke and Sarah’s hometown, Birmingham Michigan, the village of Wauwatosa was a natural fit for The Ruby Tap.  Bordering the City of Milwaukee, the area boasts boutique shopping, a farmers market and well known restaurants but more importantly, a tight knit community that would help establish a regular customer base for their new business.

During the planning stages, Sarah was still living in Chicago, immersed in a long distance relationship, which required travel to and from Colorado to visit her boyfriend, Dan Nelson, while he finished grad school.  Boomer and her husband, Jordan, had a new baby at home and had just relocated to Wauwatosa from Chicago.  Originally, Nelson was only there to help her sister get the business up and running with plans to exit the following December, but as the business took off, she decided to make a permanent move North.

“In the beginning, I don’t think anyone we talked to thought this was a good idea… Literally everybody tried to discourage us.” says Sarah.  The doubt from others did not deter them and at the same time, they were not setting out to prove anyone wrong. They had a plan, they knew what they wanted and firmly believed that it would work.

Brooke and Sarah (Left to right)

Sarah and Brooke have always made a great team.  Growing up in a family of six children, they gravitated toward one another in spite of their five-year age difference.   “When you have six, everybody just kind of pairs off. I wasn’t going to pair off with the boys.” Says Boomer. “So, I guess I was just next… “ Sarah sarcastically replies. Anyone with a sibling can relate to this type of banter. Theirs is the epitome of the big sister, little sister relationship.  Brooke is the self-proclaimed “bossy” one and Sarah is in awe of her older sister.  “I was always the younger sister who would just watch her constantly, says Nelson.  I used to call Brooke when I was younger and I wanted to get money taken off of my phone bill because they charged me extra. Brooke would call them pretending to be me and get money taken off of my bill because I couldn’t be mean enough.”  It is the realization and appreciation of their individual strengths that has resulted in their success.

Brooke took their ideas and began consolidating them in to a business plan.  She called on her husband, Jordan, to help with the final draft.  Using her business background, she created the balance sheets and financial plan.  Taking on the role of the Wine Buyer, she didn’t realize how much time the selection process would take.  Prior to opening, she spent countless hours with her wine reps, even inviting them to her home to taste with her while her young son, Liam, was asleep in his crib.

Responsible for the design and décor, Sarah had never bought a couch in her life but upon entering The Ruby Tap, you wouldn’t know it.  A perfect assemblage of warm paint colors, contemporary wallpaper, reclaimed wood, chalkboard menus, purposefully mismatched chairs and a cozy lounge with a fireplace, invites people in and begs them to stay.  “It was a lot of fun and a bit scary buying pieces and hoping that it all came together in the end,” says Nelson.

The Lounge

Photos of Grandma Ruby

The most meaningful accents are pictures of their beloved Grandmother, Ruby, for whom the wine bar is named.  Although white zinfandel on ice is her drink of choice, she has been an influential person in their lives.  “We wanted a family tie… Grandma’s name is Ruby Joyce and Joyce doesn’t really have the same ring,” they say jokingly.

Grandma Ruby is not the only family member who has her stamp on the bar.  Jordan Boomer is in charge of choosing the beer selection, which includes over thirty local and domestic breweries, and Dan Nelson designed and built the website.  Liam enjoys the truffle popcorn and is proud of his current title as “The Ruby Tap Baby.”  Wine Club Members can choose from packages named after their three dogs:  Dachshunds, Anna and Oliver, and Great Dane, Brutas.  Plans to welcome Brooke and Jordan’s second baby boy, due at the end of December, are under way.  “We are making room in the office for the crib already,” says Boomer.

Underneath it all, the influence of their parents and growing up in a large family is undeniable.  They have fostered a kinship with their patrons, wine distributor partners, competitors and local business owners.  During the build out of the bar, they quickly befriended their architect, Ryan Hundt, as well as the team from Crestone Construction. Boomer comments, “Sarah, I thought she was going to cry when the build out was over because she was so used to seeing them every day.” It is that kind of investment in relationships, along with their self sufficient, go-at-your-own-pace, business model that attracts their customers.  Visiting The Ruby Tap is like entering their living room.  An attentive staff is on hand to answer questions, have a chat and guide customers through the experience.  While finding the right team members has been their biggest challenge, they are happy with their employees and they, too, are a part of the family.

Enomatic Machines

To date, over 1000 wines have been introduced to their customers through the Enomatic Machines.  Stocked with thirty six wines that are offered in full glasses and tasting portions, there is a selection for both veteran and virgin wine drinkers.  Customers simply purchase a card at the counter and help themselves, resulting in immediate satisfaction with the push of a button.  Guests are invited to build their own small plates by selecting local cheeses, charcuterie and desserts to complement their beverage.  Weekly specials include Monday night fried chicken paired with a sparkling wine and three-dollar mimosas every Saturday from 1-3pm.

Cheese and Charcuterie at The Ruby Tap

As they introduced their parents to their faithful clientele on the evening of Ruby Tap’s first anniversary, plans for a second location were under way.  Initially Sarah and Brook considered the Bayview neighborhood, but plans changed when the Mequon Planning Commission presented them with an opportunity to be a part of a new development to include one of their current neighbors in Wauwatosa, Cafe Hollander, along with a new outpost of  Colectivo Coffee.

The sisters agree that their favorite thing to do when they get free time is relax at home:  Sarah with a perfect cup of coffee and a marathon of her favorite crime dramas, and Brooke in the kitchen, cooking for her family.  Recently married, you will find Sarah and Dan at Goodkind, in Bayview, enjoying a glass of wine, most Friday nights.  Brooke and Jordan often visit the bar at Bacchus, to converse with the staff and grab a drink in the early evening. The sisters frequent Thief Wine Bar to lend support, raise a glass, and catch up with Proprietor, Phil Bilodeau.

Although they miss their friends in Chicago, the two have fallen in love with Milwaukee.  “It’s everything you need but you can experience it all,” says Sarah.

The perfect food and wine pairing will heighten the experience, but after talking with Brooke Boomer and Sarah Nelson, one might argue that it’s the company you keep that matters most of all.

Sarah and Brooke (left to right)

 

The Ruby Tap

1341 N Wauwatosa Ave, Wauwatosa, WI 53213
(414) 456-1300

http://www.therubytap.com