Canton – The Gervaisy Gift Shop has been transformed into a larger boutique featuring more wines and spirits, new flavors of liqueur, and a greater stock of elegant clothes, high-end wallets and other products.
About 150 guests dined, shopped, and mingled earlier this week at the grand reopening of Gervasi Market. The updated space is more spacious and more aesthetically accurate with too many items to count.
Andrea Hartmann, Gervasi’s director of marketing, said the Gervasi Marketplace more than doubled its space with an additional 2,000 square feet.
The original gift shop opened in 2010 upon the establishment of the Gervasi Winery, 1700 55th Street Northeast. Gervasi Market is open to the public.
Construction began late last summer, and the project finished about a week ago.
“It’s really a destination here in Canton, Ohio, and The Marketplace is the first thing when they drive into the property and the last thing when they leave the property,” Hartmann said during Monday’s event.
“So it was only appropriate to expand as it is now the place for our guests to stop and get a souvenir from Jervasi,” she added.
more:Gervasi and Blossom Creek Farm partner for a new blueberry alcoholic beverage
more:Gervasi Piazza A stunning outdoor destination
“Luxurious coffee liqueur with seductive sweetness”
Also on Monday night, Gervasi introduced two new alcoholic beverages – citrus and coffee flavors.
Citron is characterized by the notes of lemon, lime and orange. Gervasi suggests drinking it straight, serving it with ice cream or mixing it with tonic water for a splash. It’s $41 a bottle.
Described as a “coffee drink with a seductive sweetness,” Giava retails for $38.
The duo joins the blueberry-themed liqueur “Blu,” which was the first to be produced last year at the Jervasi Distillery.
Gervasi began serving its own spirits in 2019. They now include four bourbons, spiced rum, rose vodka, blood orange gin, mini batch vodka, and mini gin.
The expanded gift shop comes on the heels of the recent announcement of plans to build a tasting room and spa, which will provide massage services, facials, body treatments, and manicures and pedicures.
The new projects will also include The Rickhouse and an 8,300-square-foot warehouse to store products while serving as a distribution center.
The cave will feature a 1,000-square-foot tasting room adjacent to a 4,500-square-foot wine barrel cave for barrel aging.
The tasting room will be open for set hours, while also being used for events and wine club entry.
“We started more of a brewery on a farm, kind of a Tuscan shop feel.”
The updated market now matches the scale and atmosphere of the Gervasi Winery, said Scott Swaldo, CEO and General Manager, GV Destinations.
Gervasi provides accommodation and event space for weddings, social gatherings and corporate events.
“They want a shopping experience,” Swaldo said during Monday’s event, whether guests are staying at the Gervasi Boutique Hotel or by car from a few hours away. “They really want to be able to take something special home.”
“I think we started more of a brewery on a farm, kind of a Tuscan shop feel,” Swaldo said. “And we’ve really evolved into a high-end store.”
Swaldo said nearly 60% of Gervasi’s hotel and villa business comes from people who live outside the Akron-Canton region; The figure is 40% to 50% for restaurants.
Our ambition was not to get bigger and bigger and bigger,” said Swaldo, son of Ted Swaldo, founder of GV Destinations. “It was always about creating something unique and special.”
Swaldo said more space is needed to serve the growing customer base. “We can really make the products stand out,” he said of the expanded gift shop. “You can see what we all have to offer.”
Products at “extremely high price points”
Adjacent to The Bistro, Marketplace is one of four restaurants on the property. Others are The Crush House Wine Bar & Eatery, Still House, and the seasonal outdoor patio Piazza.
Products include such things as purses, jewelry, coffee beans, chocolate, household items, artisan olive oil, sunglasses, hats, bathrobes, candles, soaps, face cream, and Gervasi-branded clothing. More than 20 kinds of wine are stored.
The merchandise ranges from affordable items to “extremely high price points,” Hartmann said. “So there really is something for everyone.”
The national lines are carried over for home decor items, including UNOde50, Hammitt, Michael Aram, MacKenzie Childs, and Pampa Bay.
The high-end and luxury lines also include Barefoot Dreams, Beekman, Voluspa and Zia Pia Imports. GV-branded clothing from Goodlife, Johnny O, and Beyond Yoga are also sold.
Hartmann said Kristi Blackerby of Stark County is the retail buyer for The Marketplace. Sandy Friedrich runs the store.
The new products will be rotated and added, Hartmann said.
“The new expansion really relates to the spa,” she said. “Some of the products we’ll be using in the spa that we’re currently selling on the market.”
I love how everyone makes you feel special.
Laurie Jeffries of Canton was among those who attended the reopening.
Jeffries said she’s had dinner at Gervasi’s since it opened, calling the winery “the perfect setting.”
She praised employees like Logan Blaylock, assistant market manager: “Everything is great,” Jeffries said.
“I love the atmosphere,” she added. “I love how everyone makes you feel special.”
“World-class products…here in Canton.”
Swaldo admitted he was overwhelmed by Gervasi’s growth.
“It is never lost on me,” he said. “I appreciate every single day. I never imagined it would become this.
“I think our whole philosophy is, ‘Why not?'” Swaldo said. “There is no reason why we cannot have world-class products, facilities, and experiences here in Canton, Ohio.”
Store opening hours are from 10:30 AM to 8 PM from Tuesday to Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The market is closed on Mondays.
More information about Marketplace and Gervasi Winery is available at https://www.gervasivineyard.com/.
Ed can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ebalintREP.
