What is the secret to success and keeping your business alive in times like these? According to Urban Flats General Manager Jason Albertelli, the answer is simple. Provide customers with a top quality product, deliver excellent customer service and be sure to share your success with others and you will succeed. In fact, giving back to the community, he proudly points out, is one of the core principles of the company’s business model.
From the moment they opened their doors for business in Ponte Vedra Beach, Urban Flats has lived up to the promise of delivering a great customer experience while at the same time generously donated thousands of dollars to deserving local non-profits, school athletic programs, the arts and more. According to Albertelli, this generosity and desire to make a difference in the communities where its employees live and work, stems from its founder and owner, Matt Fairbairn. His employees agree, and say they like working for a company that cares about others and the community.
Perhaps one of the most successful Urban Flats community outreach initiatives is its’ ever popular "Tuesday Tastings", where non-profits, local schools and civic organizations are given tickets to sell, inviting guests to a wine tasting and sampling of the famed Urban Flats fare at a cost of just $25 per person. The wine and the food are a big hit, but the best part of the tasting is that nearly 100 percent of the ticket sales benefit the participating organization directly. In difficult times like these, where donations to non-profits and other groups are rapidly shrinking, it is a blessing.
Albertelli says that the events are very popular and that it is often standing room only at the restaurant. He also adds that while the majority of the proceeds from the event benefit the non-profit, the restaurant often benefits as well by attracting new faces, and most times, new customers.
"It’s a win-win for both the non-profit organization and our company," said Albertelli. "Plus, it makes us all feel like we are doing something to help others in our community," he concluded.
On April 28, the Beaches Women’s Partnership, a non-profit that’s mission is to improve the quality of life for women and families at the Beaches, will be the beneficiary of a Tuesday Tasting at the Ponte Vedra Beach restaurant.
"We are so grateful to Urban Flats. Their support couldn’t have come at a better time for us," said Tasha White, president of the Beaches Women’s Partnership. While the pool of donors continues to shrink and grant monies continue to be more difficult to obtain, we are actually seeing an increase in demand for our services," she continued. "In fact, the number of calls we receive for help daily has increased dramatically … The money we are able to raise from the event at Urban Flats will go directly to supporting some of the critical outreach programs we provide such as pattern changing for abused women, divorce, grief, and sexual abuse support groups and more," said White.
The event will take place on Tuesday, April 28 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets should call Kim at the Beaches Women’s Partnership at 249-1450 or e-mail kbillingsley@womenspartnership.org.
The mission of Beaches Women’s Partnership is to empower women and strengthen families at the Beaches through personalized information and referrals, partnerships with other service providers and development of programs to serve unmet needs.
