Episode 20: Uncorked Convos with 2 Souls Wine Bar

2 Souls Wine Bar co-owners Nicole Hyatt and Mel Martine sit with Izzy and David to discuss their business, their friendship, and where the two meet in the middle. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Hello and welcome back to Voices of the Album Marl. David Prizer has joined us again today. Say hi, David.

SPEAKER_04 0:20

Hi, David.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

As always, I'm your host, Izzy Kelly Goss. In just a moment, we're going to be joined by Mel Martini and Nicole Hyatt of Two Souls Wine Bar to tell the story of their business and the power of friendship. But first, the new fiscal year is upon us. The county approved their $65.5 million budget on June 15th with a five cent tax increase.

SPEAKER_05 0:45

A five cent on what?

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Everything.

SPEAKER_05 0:49

Five cents. That's not much. For the whole year? Five cents?

SPEAKER_00 0:55

For well, for property owners, the average homeowner will be paying roughly $125 extra a year, I think, is what it was.

SPEAKER_04 1:04

The average homeowner?

SPEAKER_00 1:05

The average homeowner.

SPEAKER_04 1:06

I'm not average, though. So I'm gonna be examined.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Hopefully you'll be paying more then. Um and then the city will likely approve their budget to this upcoming Monday as we're recording on June 22nd. They also recently approved a 5.5% electric rate increase.

SPEAKER_05 1:22

Everything's going up.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Everything is going up, and people are not happy about it. They have all had public hearings as required by law for the budget, for the electric rate increases. No pitchforks, but people are coming prepared. They had 10 people during the public hearing on June 15th to talk about the tax increase for the county budget.

SPEAKER_05 1:45

I'm disgruntled.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

You're disgruntled? Well, that doesn't surprise me.

SPEAKER_05 1:50

Secondly, for those who might have as opposed to gruntled.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

Ungruntled.

SPEAKER_05 1:59

If I if I was just gruntled, I guess that wouldn't be okay. That would be okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

Have you ever seen the movie Ten Things I Hate About You? Where she goes, I know you can be underwhelmed and you can be overwhelmed. Nobody has the right amount of woman. Um, anyways, for those who might have missed it, Oklahoma native Jason Christie won the Elizabeth City Bassmaster Elite Series tournament with a whopping 92 pounds of fish.

SPEAKER_04 2:26

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

Yes, like the musical.

SPEAKER_04 2:30

Oklahoma.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

He has won seven previous Elite Series tournaments and said he did most of his fishing in the Chowan River. Which is great.

SPEAKER_05 2:41

Is that okay?

SPEAKER_00 2:42

Last year's winner got most of his fish from the Pasquatank River. So that makes sense. They're migrating.

SPEAKER_05 2:48

No, because there was no more bass in the Pasquatank. So there's now there's no more bass in the Chowan River. Yeah. So we're bassless.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Finally, Miss Piggy was honored with the coveted Grand Dame of Culture Divahood and Porsign Glamour Award this weekend at the Culturista Awards.

SPEAKER_05 3:08

Can you put that all on like one business card?

SPEAKER_00 3:11

You can put it all on one trophy, which is what hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers awarded her with before she gave them a complimentary and consensual iconic karate chop. Miss Miss Piggy from the Muppets.

unknown 3:27

Miss Piggy loves karate.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Yes, she does. Do you not know this previously? Did you not know?

SPEAKER_05 3:34

I no, I didn't. I did not know that.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

That's like her bang thing. She's a black belt. And she goes, but that was not a good Miss Piggy impression. So I'm sorry, Miss Piggy. Please forgive me. I promise to do better next time.

SPEAKER_05 3:50

Is she disgruntled?

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Usually. But she looks good while doing it. Hence the reason she received the Diva Hood in Porsign Glamour Award. Now, on that note, I think we should head on over to our interview with Mel and Nicole. Welcome again to Voices of the Albumarl. We're here with Mel and Nicole. Thank you, ladies, so much for joining us. Thank you to be here. Um, first of all, big fan of two souls. Thank you. I'll go ahead and start with that. My favorite wine bar.

SPEAKER_01 4:21

Is it the only wine bar?

SPEAKER_00 4:23

It is the only wine bar here, which But that's okay. Yeah, that's okay. That's amazing because it's it makes it an unusual but unique commodity in a small town. Yes. Um and just to jump right in, I want to know how you guys came up with the idea. But starting with how you guys met, I want to know how you guys met. I was lonely.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

She was and I stalked her a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

I had just moved to the area and um had no way of making friends. So I I'm not surprised. So naturally you became friends with your stalker. That's right. Well, so I went to the Y every day and I figured someone would have taken me in at the YMCA, and she did.

SPEAKER_03 5:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

And I had just lost all my Coast Guard friends because they had just right relocated. And I also didn't have any friends. This is a sweet.

SPEAKER_05 5:15

If I knew this is a sad, I would have brought the click next.

SPEAKER_01 5:19

I was leading a running group at the Y, and I was running half marathons at the time. And so I was looking for people to run with me. And so I went to boot camp and she ended up next to me in class. And in boot camp, you have to run around the track. If you're familiar with the Kuratuuk Y, there's a track of she took off running. And I could tell by the way she was her stride that she's a wrong distance runner. So I stalked her after class. I was like, hey, I lead a running group if you want to join. And she was like, Yes, I'll do it. There's a funny part of this story though.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Yeah. I uh gave her my name and number and I walked out the door and then immediately turned back around and said, I think I gave you the wrong last name. She did. I'm gonna need some clarity on that. It was fortuitous, you know. This ended up. I gave her my maiden name, which I had been married at that time for almost 16 years.

SPEAKER_00 6:12

But that speaks to a little bit of an inner child need cute, right?

SPEAKER_02 6:16

Laura, help me.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

I'm about to leave my husband.

SPEAKER_02 6:21

Either way. But you haven't because he's right next to me. Well, that was the other one.

SPEAKER_00 6:25

That's new and new and improved. I didn't know that Solid cut up on that.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

No, you can keep it. I'm gonna keep him.

unknown 6:33

There we go.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

Yeah. Yeah. But from there we started running together and um spending more time together and just sharing our hopes and dreams. And it kind of we kind of were on the same path, but had different gifts. Yes, definitely. So I hadn't really started Nicole Janko at that time. And she was Were you working at Montero? I think I was at that time.

SPEAKER_02 6:55

Yeah. And then I um I went and moved to the Sheraton up at Norfolk. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 7:00

And I lost how long ago was this?

SPEAKER_02 7:02

Uh six years. So I I started working at the Sheraton. Um, and then I lost my job during the pandemic because I was in their um their catering and events, which all of those went away immediately. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

And then I was working Nicole J and Co. down here out of my car at the time. But it was such an interesting time when COVID hit because all the businesses that I worked for started panicking because COVID hit. And I went out and tried to help them bring their businesses online. But also a lot of revitalization was happening downtown at the same time. And then it was like getting shut down, right? When everything was ramping up. Um but I had just seen an opportunity. I I wanted actually a good glass of wine at the end of the day, is what I was looking for. And we just didn't have that here. So when she got furloughed and we loved wine and we loved sharing food together and doing all those things, um, she got furloughed and came over. We had a wine night and she was very upset thinking about her future. And I looked at her and I was like, Well, let's just open a wine bar in downtown Elizabeth City. And she goes, Yes, let's do that. And then we just started. We just started meeting with people and knocking on doors and seeing if it was even a viable thing. So um, and each door we knocked on opened. Yes. And we just kept stepping through.

SPEAKER_02 8:20

There's a lot of incredible resources in Elizabeth City for anyone who's interested in opening a business, you know, just going through and actually holding our hands through the process. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

It was, it was, it was a very remarkable time just building those relationships and learning what was available to us to actually move forward.

SPEAKER_05 8:39

Do you want to know how many people would say something like, well, let's just open a wine bar or let's just do this, but then wouldn't do it.

SPEAKER_02 8:47

It was terrifying.

SPEAKER_05 8:48

How many, you know, how many people would say that, but just wouldn't do it? So have you has that always been you?

SPEAKER_01 8:55

Have you always I think that that's both of us? Yes. And I think that's why we get along so well because we sit down and we're we literally are like, yeah, we need to do that. And we just do it.

SPEAKER_02 9:05

And I always look at what's the worst thing that can happen. And that the worst thing that could happen was it didn't work out, and I go get another job. And that really wasn't that scary.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Yeah. Yeah. You gotta do that anyways, right? So why not make it something that you love? Exactly. Kind of jumping back to what you said, you said you both have different gifts. I'm curious to know what you mean by that and and how you guys were able to bring that into two souls.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

We are yin and yang. I tell everyone that um best friends and a lot of partnerships are really hard. Uh, what makes us work is that we have completely different gifts. I am much more operation side. Okay. I would rather stick my hand down the drain in the kitchen, do the scheduling of the employees, you know, figuring all of that stuff out in the kitchen. And Nicole's gifts and talents are marketing, obviously. Um, and all of the administrative, yes, paperwork, payroll, counting, you know, those things you legally have to do to stay open.

SPEAKER_01 10:01

She's really great at the forms filled out so that we can keep our licenses.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

Yes. Yes. I cannot do that. I cannot keep the bills, keep the lights on. But I installed an ice machine this week. She did. Okay. Handyman. So that's right. And it worked, it just works really well. I think, you know, she's got her side and her jobs that work really well for her, and and I have mine, and it just works really well.

unknown 10:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

So she does all the things that I don't enjoy, and I do all the things that she doesn't enjoy. And then we can come together on Friday night and drink wine in this beautiful bar that we created and enjoyed. Like our favorite day of the week. I love it so much.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

And the name, the name Two Souls. It's a little bit, I mean, like self-explanatory, but I want to know how you guys came up with that. Is that another thing you guys just sat down? You were like, Well, there's two of us, but I know I was in my bed when we were like throwing names back and forth.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

It actually came from a quote. I wish I had it in front of me. It was started with two souls, something, something. It was a two birds. And then when I looked at it and I just cut the rest of the quote off, I texted her and I was like, What do you think about two souls? And she loved it. Yep. Once again, and then the two is half of a heart. I don't know if you've ever noticed that. Oh my gosh. You're right. Yes. So it's, you know, two souls is obviously Mel and I, but we also want it to be two friends, two partners, you know, a husband and wife. It's about people coming together over. You guys are husband and wife. Yeah, yeah. I am. Well, she's who? I'm definitely the husband. Oh my.

SPEAKER_05 11:33

I guess she is. I guess everybody doesn't marry.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

No, it doesn't matter these days. You can be whoever you want.

unknown 11:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

She's a them sometimes. And that's right. I'm an all souls. All souls. All souls. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Yeah. That's the name of the second location. That's right. Um, so in our last episode, we actually had the girls from Arts of the Admiral come on. And they are also all like really close friends. Um, Pearl and Lauren have known each other since they were children. And then Kristen they kind of knew of, and they were explaining once they started working together, they all kind of became close. And they talked a little bit about that dynamic. So I want to know for you guys. Obviously, you said your husband and wife, your yin and yang.

SPEAKER_02 12:13

We do, we literally do everything together. Our we go and get our hair done together. We work out every, you know, every day together. Like we do all the things together to the point that I think people are like, really? Are they really friends? Yes, we do. And they run a business. And and we love the Arts of the Elmeral ladies, like being their neighbors and That's one of the reasons we picked that location. Yes. Art and wine. I mean, are you kidding me? Absolutely. And we and they're so gracious to us. I mean, they're just we work really closely together, helping each other and big fans of theirs. Girl power. Yes, yes. And I we love being their neighbors. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 12:49

You you mentioned before that there are so many resources in Elizabeth City for people to run businesses, and then or to start businesses. And then you guys just talked about how collaborative you are intuitively, naturally together. And then you talked about two other people at Arts of the Albemarle. It it does Elizabeth City breed that that camaraderie, or are we just lucky?

SPEAKER_02 13:15

I think that there, yes, I think the downtown community has always been very welcoming. I mean, there's there are so many businesses that if we get in a jam, we can call up and say, Hey, I need, or do you have? And everyone's always willing to rush over, you know, Thomas Reese over at Ghost Harbor. I was out of Santa Santa's strips, you know, to make sure that our sanitizer was the right, oh my gosh, I don't. And he's like, Yeah, I got it. Come get it. You know, it's just everyone in town is just so quick to jump in and help. And we're all better together. It, you know, if we are all running our own business independently, it's never going to work. It works when we all work together.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

I actually think that happened one time when I was working at Hopp and John's. For those who don't know, I've worked at just about every restaurant in town. It's a pretty news holes. Um but I think that happened one night. Jessica Flowers came over and was like, We're out of Sandy strips. Do you guys have any?

SPEAKER_02 14:07

We've run out of sanitizer. Like, I know we've run out of sanitizer before and Sandy strips, but yeah, that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

And I do think that creates a really welcoming environment, not just for other businesses, but for all of the customers, the patrons that come downtown as well. Yes. Yeah, it's more like a neighborhood than it is a business community. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 14:27

Think of your business, the people next to you as your neighbors.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

Yeah. But I want to know, now that you guys are like five years into this, um, how has the culture downtown kind of changed? Obviously, you guys are are really in it now. Like you said, your next door neighbors are neighbors. Right. Um, but how has this like evolved over the last five years now that you're seeing everything you want come into fruition? It is so much fun.

SPEAKER_02 14:55

I always say it's like a little Hallmark town. So every holiday is so ridiculous that you're looking for that little Hallmark story. Like, who's the lead in this story? Um, but we've seen it grow. We've seen it grow from, you know, a couple things here and there to now. I mean, you if you come out here any day of the week, you know, the number one complaint, there's no parking. I love that. I love because it means that we are busy. Yeah. The downtown community is busy and that these businesses that have taken the risk are surviving. They're doing well. There's people coming.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

And I think one thing that's always been very important to Mel and I is that when people come to Two Souls, they can expect to be treated well. They know that they're gonna experience delicious wine, the food's gonna be good, the seating's gonna be comfortable, and they always know that that they're gonna have a great experience there. And when we were dreaming about the wine bar, we knew it had to be an experience. And so we're just trying to build on that with, you know, live music and wine tastings and, you know, different types of workshops where we bring in other community leaders. And you just gotta love on the people here. And they keep coming. They do. Yeah, because we really do.

SPEAKER_02 16:01

I mean, we do love them. Yes, we do. And now looking in in our wine bar, there was a time that we knew everyone in there. And I think our we still love the fact that we know so many, but what's really exciting is that we don't know everybody in the wine bar all the time. Right. Which means that there's new people coming and there's people coming from further distances, there's new people moving into Elizabeth City. So it's just really exciting to walk in and see, you know, we're packed and I don't know every single face in there.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

That's yeah, and it's exciting. Some younger people too. I think they like those cocktails we just watched. Oh yes.

SPEAKER_05 16:35

Yes. I would say you established yourself as a I don't want to use the word niche only because everybody keeps calling it niche these. Is it niche or niche?

SPEAKER_00 16:44

It's niche.

SPEAKER_05 16:45

No, it's it's niche.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

Are you sure?

SPEAKER_05 16:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

Niche? How about niche? Can we say subtle?

SPEAKER_05 16:51

It's you've got a very unique place, okay? And and unique. So you've got so you when somebody thinks about two souls, there's no other thing that's really close to it. I mean, you know, honestly, you can't find another wine bar. You can get a glass of wine elsewhere, you can go to a bar, but uh you can't find another wine bar. So you've established yourself as a as a strong niche. And so when people want to come downtown, uh you've done a good job of that's a unique place to go. And people probably associate going downtown with going to two souls. I mean, that's we sure hope so.

SPEAKER_02 17:31

Yeah, why it's I think when we when we opened, we knew that we had to put touches on it that were unique. And one of the very our very favorite things in the wine bar are wine glasses. And they are crystal, real crystal from Italy, which is unheard of in the restaurant industry. I wonder why they keep disappearing. But I mean, I remember we had that old chemical guy next summer. We had the chemical guy come and he's like, Do you know what these are? I was like, Yes, I bought I bought them. These are real crystal, yes. It had to be unique. If if we were going to be a wine bar, you couldn't drink wine out of just in the old wine. Yes, no, those thick Libby glasses that are the bang of my swimstone. Yes. Well, they are durable. But we did. We put in, you know, those thoughts into what's gonna set us apart, and and we've stuck to it and it works.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

And kind of relating to that, what went into the creative process when you guys got in and got the space? It is a really unique space. It's so gorgeous in there. You go in and it's it's dark in there, but it's not like too dark. You go in and it has a vibe. Yes. What went into that? Is that your personal taste? Was that just kind of like, oh, well, this will look good with this and this will look good with that? Oh gosh, no.

SPEAKER_02 18:51

We I think we had a vision of what we wanted, but could have never made it happen on our own. Yeah, we had to hire the experts. Yes. So we brought in Sanctuary Design. Okay. And Darlene Tuttle. Um, and she grabbed everything out of our mind and made it beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

And it was so much fun sitting down with her. And I mean, just the dark jewel tones of one wall and then the light, you know, that counteracts the other. She was like, it's like sex in the city meets cigar lounge. That's kind of the vibe that we were going for. And I mean, we had a lot of hiccups along the way. Like the that wall that's light was actually supposed to be raw, like cement. Yep. And they painted over it.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Interesting. Contractor. So we were really bad that day.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

But you know, you work with it. And like she built the columns in there to give it character and like the bar, putting the bar at the end of the build, you know, the end of the building. And I don't know, it was just fun. It was fun. It was a fun time. Yeah. And Mel, Mel didn't work, you know, in Elizabeth City at that time. You were working out at the beach. Yep. And it was really funny because I knew nothing about working at a restaurant. And here's Darlene and I working in Elizabeth City every day. And I thought behind the bar, this is one of my funniest stories. Like it was gonna be looking like a kitchen back there. You know, we needed drawers and like cabinets, and Mel's like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, stop. And we were like, What? It's she's like taking pictures, and it was really funny.

SPEAKER_05 20:13

Well, isn't that funny? Because you're the one that said, Why don't we open a wine bar? And then you're the one that has never worked in a restaurant.

SPEAKER_01 20:20

Yeah, I just wanted good wine here. Found someone who knew what she was doing.

SPEAKER_02 20:24

Yin and yin. Yes. Yes. Yep. Yes. And it it was it was funny because I mean, it was working the design aspect to but making it functional.

SPEAKER_01 20:38

Yes. You have to think about things like, you know, your furniture has to seat, you know, the flexible seating.

SPEAKER_02 20:44

You know, the the one of my favorite stories is the swinging door that goes back to the kitchen. And at first it was this solid wood door on hinges. And I ended up with a blood blister the first time going through it. And you needed like a heavy, you needed like a helmet and shoulder pads. And I'm like, this can't happen. But it was really pretty. But I think it'll work. I'm like, no, no, it should be kick, flip, kick, flip, not though. I do you still have those doors? Probably.

SPEAKER_00 21:14

You can find a place for them.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

I think they're having my attic. I think they are too.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

So kind of going back to what you said a few minutes ago about you guys are getting a younger crowd in. Um, first of all, I think that's great. I know my generation does enjoy going in there. I know a lot of my friends and I like to go in there. It's it's classy, it's fun, it's it's sex in the city. Yeah, it makes you feel pretty. Yes, absolutely. I feel like I'm going into like a New York jazz club. Yes. We love that. That's always how I feel. It is it's fun. It's fun to go and get dressed up and go and be there with your friends. Um and like you said, you guys were friends and you had this business idea, and then you just decided to jump for it. And I think another thing that my generation has going on right now is a lot of us have business ideas. A lot of us talk to our friends about well, we should open this, we should open that. And I want to know what advice you guys have for that new adult generation who kind of have the same aspiration. Do your research.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

Definitely. Do your research. Swat analysis all the way. We went through the Women's Entrepreneurial Center. Um, and at the time, um Shannon Henderson. Shannon Henderson was was who we worked with. I don't think she's there anymore, but she's moved to other things. But you know, we we we met with her and she helped us. And then we went to the small business center at COA and really looked at it, the numbers, because you could have a great idea, and there are a lot of great ideas, but not all great ideas are gonna be successful. Right. And not all great ideas match where we live. So my the first advice is research, do your SWOT analysis. Yeah. Make sure you're looking at your competition and make sure that it makes sense for the area. You know, look at the dollars. Dollars matter because they sure do. It is not easy. And then if it all makes sense, go for it.

SPEAKER_00 23:11

And then kind of uh leaning a little bit more into what I said about friends. I feel like sometimes that's a great idea. Obviously, in your case, it's an amazing idea to work with your friends. What do you guys think that you do that makes this work? Because not everyone can work with their friends.

SPEAKER_02 23:30

We sat down once we decided to do it, we're very clear. This was our friendship would always come first. That no matter what, because strong boundaries. Yes, that our friendship would always come first. And we do get frustrated with each other, and our our bickering is probably somewhat entertaining to people around us because it's what do you think about our bickering? But it's you know, we we aren't always we don't agree on everything, but we have respect for each other that we listen to each side.

SPEAKER_05 24:04

That's the mark of most good relationship.

SPEAKER_01 24:08

Yeah, and the arguments are two minutes and then we're over.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

And and a lot of times it's like, you know, she'll say, Well, this really isn't that important to me. So if it's more important to me, then we'll go with whatever I felt passionate, and the and vice versa. So if you know, I'll be like, I really don't have a like this doesn't this is I really, really want pink velvet chairs. I was like, okay, gosh, you're gonna we did get them and they are recovered. Yeah, it's it's it's talking about its boundaries, it's and it's respect.

SPEAKER_00 24:40

So friendship is really at the heart of your business and at everything that you guys do together, and I think that's really important. 100%. Do you feel like that's what makes your business so special?

SPEAKER_01 24:51

I think it keeps it exciting and fun. And it I look forward to uh uh uh brainstorming new ideas with her and bringing things to her, and she's do does the same.

SPEAKER_02 25:02

And I and I think people like to see two friends, especially women, two women getting along and creating something in a space. And that um the story is definitely part of two souls.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

And you guys have obviously made a lot of changes. It's five years, things are going to change over five years. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

We try to do one major change a year. You can't always see it. Sometimes it's in the kitchen. Yeah, yep.

SPEAKER_00 25:29

Yeah, you guys have changed like the food menu over the years. You offer different kinds of drinks. You guys transitioned into offering cocktails. Before that, you transitioned into offering, is it whiskey? Bourbon, bourbon, bourbon.

SPEAKER_02 25:41

Yeah, bourbon.

SPEAKER_00 25:42

I'm sorry, I'm clear liquor drinking.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Well, it's interesting because your business model evolves constantly. So everyone was really excited about wine at first, but then they were everyone came in for a while, and then the husbands would leave. And we were like, okay, we need something that's gonna keep the men around. Right. I don't know. I don't know if the women wanted them to stay, honestly. Just I mean, just kidding. Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes. No, but in all honesty, honesty, we were we had to, you know, look at what would keep the men around, right? Adding bourbon made sense.

SPEAKER_02 26:10

So we got our liquor license and and adding, you know, more substantial food to keep them in their seats longer instead of just coming in and having a drink and then going somewhere else. So you know, and and then so there has been a lot that has been strategic. And then there's also we just get bored. Wait, I want to hear some examples of that. Bored. Like, I mean wine. Wines. I mean, remember drinking the wine after we're like, oh you know, and it's not that the wine went bad, we're just bored. Um, the same with food. Like it's just, you know, I have I have ADHD that might come as a surprise.

SPEAKER_01 26:44

You know, and not so I get real bored. Yeah, we're not like flipping the whole wine menu, but then we move to flipping just eight wines or ten wines, so we have seasonal wines that come in, and then we we learn what the favorites are, and then we move them onto the main menu. So it makes us more efficient, right?

SPEAKER_00 27:00

Yeah. Yeah, things like that. I also love the mock tails. I think those are great. Those have been a huge hit. Yeah, those are nice.

SPEAKER_02 27:07

Yeah, we've we really want everyone to feel welcome. Um, whether you drink, you don't drink, you know, whatever your background is, whoever you are, it was really important for us that every single person felt welcome and wanted at two souls.

SPEAKER_00 27:24

What an amazing yeah. I was just about to say something for everyone. Yeah. So, like you said, you guys try to make one big change a year. You don't have to tell us what comes next for you guys. I don't know that we know yet. You don't know? It just hits us.

SPEAKER_02 27:39

That's okay. Hey, and then when it hits us, we're like, let's do it. What was our our you know, the big thing this year was the cocktails, and then sometimes it's small. I mean, the small but big impact, you know, like we got the deli cart in the kitchen. That was huge for our kitchen. Our kitchen is teeny, teeny, teeny, tiny. It doesn't micro kitchen and anything we can do to make Haley's life you know easier to put pro, you know, but it's always something. So who knows? We have no idea what we're gonna do next year.

SPEAKER_00 28:09

Well, I for one cannot wait.

SPEAKER_05 28:12

I look, I've already said everything I I could about two souls. It's a wonderful place. That's where I met you, David. It's that's true. And it's it's one of the first places that I went to when I uh came to Elizabeth City. It's it's a focal point, so that speaks volumes for what you both of you do. And I know I know you a little better than I know Mel. And when I'm I I'm looking at you, Mel, and I'm s I' sitt sitting there going, do you take anything seriously? And I know you do because it's obviously you're very smart, but it doesn't things don't seem to faze you.

SPEAKER_01 28:50

It's like they do take everything seriously. I am um she's actually our ethical guide.

SPEAKER_02 28:59

I am I am very lighthearted and I love to like I I love people, but yes, I can be super intense. To those that to those that are really close to me, I can be extremely intense. But I um Cole's over there nodding his head.

SPEAKER_01 29:15

Um, people out of the wine bar because they didn't do right by a customer. She has, you know, don't mess with melt.

SPEAKER_02 29:25

Do not mess with it's all fun and games till you're misbehaving, and then I I go mom real fast. I could tell some stories.

SPEAKER_05 29:35

I've enjoyed going to two souls, but I that for me it was a story behind two souls that that uh was I thought was very important that we talk about. And that's that that's an interesting story. And and when I first heard about it, I didn't know that that many people knew about it. I it it it really touches me. And so thanks for sharing that. Welcome.

SPEAKER_00 29:55

We appreciate being a keeper. Yes, giving us the opportunity. Thank you. Time flies when you're having fun, but this was this flew by because you guys are great fun. Oh, thank you. This is amazing. I loved hearing the story. I didn't know this, I didn't know you guys met at the Y. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:10

So that's right.

SPEAKER_02 30:13

It gets harder as you get to be an adult because you're not in school, you're not in a populous area that you know it's easy to make friends. And so you gotta find a way.

SPEAKER_05 30:21

Well, I'm gonna have to go to the Y and just hang out.

SPEAKER_02 30:23

Yeah, I got my best friend and my husband there.

SPEAKER_05 30:28

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 30:28

That's right. You did.

SPEAKER_05 30:30

I'm going right now.

SPEAKER_00 30:32

So, like you said, something for everyone. Do you guys feel like you maybe even partially created the space because you wanted to give other people a chance to make friends? Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 30:43

Absolutely. Absolutely. I it is so much fun to sit and listen and watch the floor. Um, you know, it just you can see the connections. It's you can see the embracing, you can see the intense conversations, you can see, you know, we've had you know so many things that we've gotten to share with the community, you know, people coming homecomings from, you know, the Navy. And that was so amazing that we got to, you know, they surprised their family. They didn't know he was coming home. So, like being a part of those moments and getting to witness and people choosing to have those moments at our bar is the biggest gift.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

And I think that's all you can ask for. Yes. Yes. Thank you, ladies, so much for coming on Voices with Alvin Carl and sharing your voices. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you so much to all of our listeners. Please be sure to stay tuned for another episode coming soon.

unknown 31:36

Come back.