Mermaid Winery, the first urban winery in Virginia, will open a second location in Virginia Beach later this year on Shore Drive near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
The Virginia Beach location will have 8,084 square-feet of space for manufacturing, a wine bar, restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining and a tasting/event room. Mermaid Winery offers wines with grapes sourced from vineyards in Virginia and California, as well as 750 wines from around the world available to taste.
As a small, woman-owned business, Mermaid Winery’s Virginia Beach location will also create approximately 25 jobs in the city of Virginia Beach. The Virginia Beach Development Authority has also approved a $38,000 Economic Development Investment Program grant based on the winery’s capital investment of more than $1 million to support Mermaid Winery’s workforce development and employee training initiatives, planned site work and utility upgrades.
“Mermaid Winery has achieved great success with their unique approach to crafting wines in this region, and we are proud they have chosen to expand their operations into Virginia Beach,” said Virginia Beach Economic Development Director Warren D. Harris. “This investment in our city further strengthens the thriving small business community we have here.”
“We appreciate the City of Virginia Beach’s investment in our business,” shared Mermaid Winery owner Jennifer Eichert. “And, we’re excited about the opportunity to share our unique wine experience with the Virginia Beach community.”
Author: Chris Murphy
