Downtown Silver Spring wine café Locavino is the featured business in a new episode of the Made In Montgomery series from the County Council and County Cable Montgomery.
The episode, in which co-owner Justin Wallace is interviewed, discusses how a successful Kickstarter campaign and deep local ties have made Locavino a local success story.
“We opened in 2019, right before COVID. They say your first year in business is the hardest, and boy, they weren’t kidding…but knock on wood, we’re still here,” Wallace said in the episode.
Wallace also mentions Locavino’s involvement with Community Connections, a program created by Silver Spring Cares last year to raise funds to help both food-insecure residents and local restaurants hit by the pandemic.
A $10 donation to Community Connections buys a meal prepared by one of the participating restaurants. Community Connections, with the help of Small Things Matter, then delivers the meals to needy residents. “It was an awesome experience to be able to really be a part of the community and take part in that,” Wallace said.
Earlier this summer, Locavino was honored with an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine for the second year in a row, and employee William Ferguson, who’s training to be a wine buyer, was featured in Wine Enthusiast magazine as one of several LGBTQ+ individuals active in the wine community.
The café, which overlooks Veterans Plaza, is located at 8519 Fenton St. in the Downtown Silver Spring complex.
Source file photo of co-owner Justin Wallace (left) and Jabre by Fredde Lieberman.