Mar 8 is International Women’s Day. In honor of all the Queens who are crushing it and living their best lives, Jingkids will be profiling some of Beijing’s fiercest female entrepreneurs. Like Queen Beyonce says, “Who run the world? Girls!”
If you know a Girl Boss you think we should profile, don’t hesitate to shoot us a message at editor@beijing-kids.com.
They say that good wine has a way of bringing people together, and the ladies who started TRiO Wine Bar have exactly that story. Layla Wang grew up in Chengdu and has always been interested in hospitality – especially wines. She was running the award-winning Jing Bar at The Temple House when she first met Ashley Gao, who would later become one of her closest friends and business partner.
Gao’s life is all about wine. After college, she worked at a new boutique Chinese winery in the Huailai region of Hebei province, a part of China that is well known for its wines. There she learned how to make wine, manage a vineyard, and eventually became a sommelier. “I realized [a]sommelier is the bridge [that connects]the winery and the customer. I like to find different wines and share them with people who love wine,” Gao tells us.
The two ladies worked side by side at The Opposite House in Beijing, where their passion for good wines continued to grow. “Ashley and I shared a passion for wine but we found that there were not that many places in Beijing where we could go and relax and drink good wines for a reasonable price,” explains Wang. “We saw that there was a growing interest in wine so we thought it might be a good time to start our own place.”
We caught up with Gao and Wang to chat about TRiO and life as small business owners.
Tell us a bit about TRiO. What is it and what does it offer?
We like to think of TRiO as a relaxed “neighborhood” bar, where we welcome a wine loving community. TRiO’s wine list has over 150 labels and showcases wines from 15 countries and around 50 regions.
Guests can enjoy a journey, not only through the well-known regions such as Burgundy and Bordeaux, but also off the beaten path, through the “Ancient Wine World,” to places like Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.
We have a wide selection of wines by the glass and offer bottles to suit everyone’s budget, and if guests are not sure what to choose we will be happy to make some suggestions. We also offer a nice selection of both Chinese and Western food dishes designed to be enjoyed with the wines.
So whether guests are on a night out with friends, celebrating a special occasion, or just fancy a relaxing evening trying something new we have the right wine for them.
Is starting a business on your own what you expected it to be?
Yes and no – there is always a lot more to be done than you imagined when you start your own business and whilst there is more freedom, there also comes a lot more responsibility and much longer working hours. What is great is to be able to set your own direction, make decisions and implement them immediately. What we love are those nights when the bar is full and you see people enjoying the wines we have selected and having a great time, it makes the hard work seem worthwhile.
What are some challenges you’ve faced and how have you overcome them?
When you go from working in a large organization to running your own business there are obviously a lot of new things you have to learn where previously you had a team to deal with it, for example accounting or legal topics. We had to be quite disciplined in dividing the tasks between us and making sure we learnt what we could, sought advice where required, and supported each other to get things done. Our constant dialogue has been key to overcoming these challenges.
When it came to the wine we also had the challenge of trying to decide what wine to put in the cellar – we are still adjusting our selection on a regular basis and learning all the time what appeals to our customers and what new wines we want to introduce. We have been lucky though as we have a lot of great wine suppliers who really work closely with us and have offered lots of great advice.
While starting their own business, Gao also became a new mom. But baking a bun in the oven didn’t stop her from giving TRiO her all. Gao worked day and night at TRiO and, as far as I know, was the only very pregnant sommelier in the city.
You’re a new mom and you worked all the way up until you delivered your baby. Tell us about that experience. Were guests supportive of having a pregnant sommelier?
Opening a bar during pregnancy is a unique experience and unforgettable one. I always tell a joke about it: I’m having two babies, one is going to spend my money and the other one is going to make money. I do think TRiO is my baby too. Of course, having a baby in my body, and meanwhile, taking care of the other one was not easy, but because I love it and enjoy it, it makes everything so meaningful and makes me feel stronger.
I think working on the floor or tasting wine are not the biggest challenges for pregnancy. Walk was good for pregnancy and tasting wine could be done with a spittoon. The biggest challenge for me was that I could not enjoy wine and share the joy of wine with friends and guests.
During the pregnancy, I felt most of the guests treated me like a normal person, and a trusted sommelier, which I appreciated. They always kindly asked me how the baby was and how I was. For some new guests, they were more interested in TRiO stories and it was easier to make new friends when they saw a pregnant woman behind the bar. That was the advantage of being pregnant.
How has it been balancing being a new mom and work? Have your partners (your husband and Layla) been supportive?
There is no perfect way to balance being a new mom and work. What I’m trying to do is when I’m at work, just enjoy the work, concentrated, and be more efficient; when at home with baby, just forget the work and focus on the time with him. It makes me feel easier to dealing with those two.
I’m thankful for my business partner Layla, who is willing to take majority of the responsibility before I returned to work, and who is still very supportive and thoughtful of my motherhood. I’m thankful for my child, who is so cooperative, healthy, and strong since the pregnancy period till now. I’m also thankful for my husband and my mom, who were so understanding and supportive to take care of baby at home and accompany baby so that I can go to work with less worries.
I would not be able to return to work without their support. I’m so thankful for all of them!
What makes TRiO different and special? Why do guests love it?
There are a number of factors which we believe makes TRiO different, the first being the relaxed atmosphere, no need to be an expert or feel intimidated if you don’t know your Malbec from your Merlot. Our team are always happy to talk customers through the different wines and help find something they will love. The second factor is that we carry a wide range of wine and the selection is always changing so you can experience something you might never have tried before and find a new favorite! The third point is that we put a big emphasis on creating a community and increasing their knowledge about wine – we run regular tasting events where people can learn about and taste wines from different parts of the world, these are always fun and a great chance to try something new as well as meet and chat with fellow wine lovers.
What can people expect from a night at TRiO?
Guests visiting TRiO will find a comfortable and cosy wine bar featuring an open wine cellar which guests can walk into to select their own wine from the wide and varied choice available. If coming for dinner, guests can enjoy a menu of delicious food or for people arriving later in the evening, there are a range of smaller dishes designed to complement the wines. The bar stays open until late everyday so whether coming for dinner or popping in for a drink later in the evening, Ashley and Layla look forward to welcoming you.
The ladies of TRiO live by the motto of women supporting women. For International Women’s Day, TRiO will be inviting two famous women sommeliers to host a wine tasting along with Gao. Throughout the night guests will be trying 22 different wines made by 18 international female winemakers. Tickets for the events are on sale now for RMB 380 per person.
Find it:
TRiO Wine Bar
#2139, Level 1, North Tower, Shangdu SOHO, 8 Dongdaqiao Rd, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东大桥路8号院3号楼一层2139 (SOHO尚都北塔2139)
Tel: 135 2205 2400
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Images: Layla Wang, Ashley Gao
