• Analyzing Service Quality in a Restaurant Using Guest Surveys

Running Head: DOMENICO WINERY’S COMPETITIVE SET 1

Domenico Winery’s Catering and Events Competitive Market Analysis

HTM 515-01 Hospitality Management Internship

Fall 2018

Paris Mijatovich

Student ID: 916571856

Dr. Andrew Walls

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Table of Contents Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………….3

Section I - Introduction/Background……………………………………………………………...5

Section II - Statement of the Research Project……………………………………………………9

Section III - Methodology………………………………………………………………………..11

Section IV - Findings…………………………………………………………………………….14

Section V - Conclusions………………………………………………………………………….18

Section VI - Recommendations………………………………………………………………….23

References………………………………………………………………………………………..25

Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………………27

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Executive Summary Parameters of the Report

Domenico Winery is an urban, family-owned establishment located on Industrial Road in

San Carlos, California. The business features both on-site wine production facilities as well as a

a 6,200 square foot venue space for rent. Due to the rapid growth in the Catering and Events

Department since it became a catering venue four years ago, Domenico Winery must examine

where its current business lay among its competitors in the Bay Area. The purpose of this study

is to create a competitive set analysis for Domenico Winery’s Catering and Events Department

and establish a list of feasible recommendations for the future of its business so that it may

remain profitable and sustain a competitive advantage.

Description of the Problem / Statement of the Research Project

This research project aims to detail Domenico Winery’s current event production services

as they pertain to weddings, and compare its operations with that of two other winery-events

businesses within 25 miles of Domenico Winery. This research will be important to Domenico

Winery’s long-term events reputation as the population steadily increases throughout the Bay

Area, and the demand for wedding and events venues increases. The businesses operating within

Domenico Winery’s competitive set include Dogpatch Wine Works in San Francisco and

Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside. The production services of each business will be analyzed

by examining the current venue metrics for weddings at each establishment, such as venue

amenities, restrictions, and guest capacity; each business’s event planning services included with

the venue rental; the advantages and disadvantages each space offers in terms of its location; and

some financial basics that a future wedding couple might consider before deciding on a venue.

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This study will benefit the owners of Domenico Winery as well as the Director of Events

by taking a closer look and performing an in-depth analysis that the company currently cannot

perform on their own time due to being increasingly busy. It is important for the key

stakeholders in this business to understand what their competition is offering so that they can

choose to stay ahead and differentiate their business from the others in the market.

Methodology

Key sales points for Domenico Winery will be obtained from the company’s private

Google Drive sales documents, to which only I and the Sales Department have access.

Comparative data for Dogpatch Wine Works and Thomas Fogarty will be drawn from their

respective company websites, as well as Wedding Spot, an online wedding venue database.

Visual data for interior and exterior context will be drawn from each company’s brochures and

websites.

Summary of Findings and Conclusions

Overall, Domenico Winery maintains a competitive advantage over the other venues in

its competitive set. On a scale of affordability, Domenico Winery falls in a moderate price range

for total wedding expenditure. In addition, Domenico Winery’s venue size is a spacious

700-2,200 square feet larger space compared to its competitors, and situated in the central Bay

Area which makes for an easy drive from any direction. The quality of service is highly

competitive at Domenico Winery because they provide rental order services and in-house

catering, which neither other venues offer, an immensely convenient “one-stop shop” experience

as the sales associates guide the client through the booking deadlines. Domenico Winery would

appear to be at a tie with Dogpatch Wine Works, offering an indoor venue advantage over

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Thomas Fogarty Winery which must operate on a seasonal basis due to the unpredictability of

occasionally inclement fall, winter, and spring weather. Therefore, the venue sustains an

advantage in year-round operations and continual business. Also, Domenico Winery’s optional

full-bar, catering menus, and requirement of a Day-Of Coordinator solidify an even further

advantage over the other two venues, making an easier operational experience for all in-house

floor staff day-of, and a smoother, less stressful environment for the happy couple. However, this

does not imply that there is no room for improvement at Domenico Winery.

Recommendations

To further differentiate itself as a wedding venue over the next five years, Domenico

Winery might consider adopting the following recommendations based on the research from

their competitive set analysis. First, Domenico might want to consider offering their venue for

ceremonies, since their two competitive venues currently already offer this. If they choose not to

do this, an alternative recommendation would be to contract with a shuttle company that would

transport guests from the ceremony location to Domenico as a convenience to the guests, and an

upselling technique, offering another inclusive-service in booking with Domenico. Finally,

offered as a stretch goal for long-term consideration, Domenico could look into expanding their

property ownership into an outdoor ceremony reception space within 15 miles, and include

shuttle transportation to and from their outdoor ceremony space and indoor San Carlos reception

venue.

Section I - Introduction & Background

For this Hospitality and Tourism Management Internship-based course, I chose to

complete my 200-hour internship in the catering and events field. I have had moderate exposure

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and previous work experience as a catering server for a staffing company, where I worked

large-scale events everywhere from holiday parties for tech companies throughout San

Francisco, including Google, Twitter, and Facebook; 400-person weddings at City Hall and the

Julia Morgan Ballroom; and annual festivals like the Bay Area Brew Fest of more than 500

people at Pier 35. I chose to alternatively gain exposure at a smaller-scale events company called

Domenico Winery (also referred to as “Domenico”), an immensely complex, yet fully functional,

thriving, and successful family-owned and operated urban winery in San Carlos, California. The

owners, Gloria and Dominick Chirichillo, have a history of family winemaking, and 16 years ago

bought their current property for onsite wine production and as a special-occasion venue rental

space. It is here that I have gained extensive knowledge about a more personalized event

production service and all of the details needed to pull together large holiday parties, corporate

events, and weddings in combination with smaller-scale events and more intimate functions.

The company specializes first and foremost in winemaking from Cal-Italia varietals

(Italian grapes grown in California), producing award-winning wine for over 20 years, and

winning over 350 medals as of 2016 (“Our Story”, 2018). With a full-time winemaking crew of

just 5 employees, they harvest their grapes from the Sierra Foothills in Amador County, CA,

along with additional grape purchases from other vineyards, and then crush, press, ferment, age,

and bottle all of their grapes onsite, making over 20 varietals in-house. Wine production for the

company has been rising - in 2017, Domenico crushed 80 tons of grapes during their August to

November harvest season, and as of the 2018 harvest season that just recently came to a close,

the winery team crushed double that amount at over 160 tons, the most produced by the company

in a single harvest to date. To help distribute their growing production of wine, their Bacchus

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Winemaking Club has over 225 members who pick up a case, or receive a monthly shipment, of

select wines that are exclusively distributed to Bacchus members.

On the event production side, the Domenico Winery property has an exceptionally-sized,

6,200 square foot “Cask Room” for large-scale events, specializing in private, holiday, and

corporate events including weddings, business functions, trade shows, fundraisers, and mitzvahs

(see Figure 1, “Cask Room Layout”, Appendix pg. 27). The venue can hold up to 700 people for

a standing-room-only event, 300 people for a seated event with room for a dance floor, 375

people for a theater-style setup, and 180 people for a classroom-style setup (“Domenico Winery

Events”, 2018). Smaller events that may be held in the Cask Room include Meritage Blending

sessions, business meetings, wine bottling activities, wine tasting and pairings, and public events

with live music.

The venue offers an industrial-chic base decor with cement floors, market string-lighting,

stacked barrels lining the walls, marble bar-top, iron cocktail tables, a 16-foot solid Pine

Gathering table, and white-washed brick walls, allowing the venue to shift seamlessly from

daytime to evening events with a casual, informal interior that can also be dressed up for

extravagant parties (see Figure 2, “Domenico Winery - Interior Details”, Appendix pg. 28).

The Catering and Events Department offers full-service planning and event execution for

their clients, allowing semester-based interns like myself to see daily how many steps there are to

the event production process. I assisted the Director of Events, Marina Patton, for a portion of

my internship hours working in the Sales Department, and learned how she follows new client

inquiries from the beginning, and distributes the workload to the other Sales Department

Associates. Marina’s job as Director is to review and finalize all contracts and proposals coming

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from the Sales Associates, who are the main client contacts. Marina has extensive knowledge in

accurately portraying each client’s vision for the event from the beginning, and gives the final

word on all decisions as event details fluctuate constantly. I watched each inquiry turn into fully

produced events as I progressed from working in the office as a client contact to working on the

floor in varying positions as a server, winetender and event captain in-training.

Key Sales Department Associates include Teresita Santiago, Azeema Jhinnu, and Jenni

Pelas who divide and conquer the high volume of inquiries that Domenico receives on a daily

basis from multiple connection sites like Peerspace and WeddingWire. From these inquiries,

each Sales Associate sells the venue with several client walkthrough appointments and secures a

deposit and a contract for the event date. Leading up to the event day, the rest of the proposal is

decided upon and charged, finalized through Marina: final guest count, menu, serving quantities,

dessert vendors, service style, beer and wine, full bar, special beverages, staffing, linen-, table-,

and chair-rental orders, photographer, DJ, sound system setup, decor, and any last minute

changes.

As Head of the Production Department, Vanessa Huynh coordinates the bulk of the venue

organization and staffing. She maintains staffing ratios that fluctuate based on guest count for

each event, hiring, staffing in-house cleaning and organization to maintain a high standard for a

polished venue appearance, drafting event layouts on SocialTables (a floorplan software)

according to client requests, organizing the worksheets for the Event Captains and Event Hosts

for each event, and schedules timely bi-weekly Production Meetings for the Sales, Catering, and

Events Departments to run through the details of the week’s events for accurate coordination.

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As of just four years ago, the Events Department added a fully in-house Catering

Department with a full-time kitchen staff. The team is led by Chef Gino Gramegna, an

Italian-born citizen specializing in his home country’s cooking that compliments the essence of

the Italian-heritage of the business. However, he is talented in offering a wide range of menus

from California, Asian, American, Italian, Mexican, and more. The Catering Department’s

menus and services extend across appetizers, entrees, plated-service dinners, buffet-style, or

family-style food service depending on the type of event.

By examining Domenico’s current offerings in the Catering and Events Department, it is

easier to see where their business lies among other competitors along the Peninsula. Here, “the

Peninsula” will refer to the area of land extending from San Francisco to San Jose, an

approximately 50 mile distance. As their business continues to grow each year, it is essential to

see where the company may consider improvements for the future to sustain a competitive

advantage. Without examining their current operations relative to nearby competitors, Domenico

has potential for stagnation and may lose key clientele to other businesses in the area. With this

in mind, an in-depth analysis of Domenico Winery’s competitive set will include nearby

competitors Thomas Fogarty Winery and Dogpatch Wine Works.

Section II - Statement of the Research Project

There are several main objectives for this research paper. The first objective is to

examine Domenico Winery’s event production services for its Catering and Events portion of the

company, specifically pertaining to wedding production throughout the year. Research will

present the details of Domenico Winery’s venue, venue amenities, and venue restrictions; what is

encompassed in their “all-inclusive services” provided to their clientele; their location as an

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urban, indoor winery; and the financial basics that a wedding client can expect when booking the

venue for their wedding.

The second main objective of this research paper is to examine the assets of the two other

notable venues on the Peninsula that make them a comparable alternative in consideration for

wedding clients in relation to Domenico Winery. The venues, services, locations, and financial

aspects at both Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside and Dogpatch Wine Works in San

Francisco will be examined and compared. Because each business in this competitive set analysis

is vastly complex in its services, operations, and clientele, the research for each venue will

specifically pertain to wedding services and the main wedding venue for bookings.

Taking these two main objectives along with their analyses, the overall purpose of this

project will be to identify a list of feasible recommendations that Domenico Winery could

implement over the next five years to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage among its

rival wedding venues. As San Francisco has a rapidly growing population, up almost 79,000

people since its 2010 census,​ ​clearly becoming one of the most up and coming places to live,

(Brinklow, 2018), the competition for large-scale events venues will be expanding as well.

Private events including large-budget weddings have historically been one of Domenico’s largest

sources of revenue. WeddingWire, a preferred website for obtaining client inquiries, awarded

Domenico Winery with their 5-star Couples’ Choice Award for 2018 (see Figure 3,

“WeddingWire Award”, Appendix pg. 29), so Domenico has notoriety within the wedding

booking realm in the Bay Area already. With the population increase, however, it is necessary to

examine the company’s current position in the market to determine where it can uplevel for the

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future and what they can leverage against their competition as more clientele possibly enter the

market.

Section III - Methodology

In order to identify Domenico Winery’s assets, I was constantly on the lookout for

operational data via hands-on work during events, and throughout my time working in the

Catering and Events office. I obtained the knowledge of the inner workings of the events

business working under Marina and the Sales Department team. Inherently, over the course of

the entire semester, I gained an in-depth understanding of the most important aspects of the

Catering and Events operations, and can list specifically what happens at each stage of the event

production process both pre-event and day-of as I explained in the Introduction.

Also included in the Introduction and Company Background, I used my own knowledge

to describe the lead-team employees, as I worked with them nearly every day in the office or on

the floor during events. I was kept in the loop throughout the Winery’s harvest season as well,

because it extended the length of my internship, so I became familiar with the wine production

process for the fall 2018 harvest season. I was able to learn about the Bacchus wine club

membership during my hands-on experience working in the Tasting Room in their newly-opened

Osteria, and in the Cask Room bar as a winetender during events. I gathered more factual

information about the overall event space offerings, such as the square footage and floor layout,

and guest count and capacity from their online Catering and Events brochure. In addition, I

gained my wine knowledge pertaining to their grape varietals, vineyard, and grape purchasing

from their online web pages as well as from Michael Annunziata, their main Tasting Room

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employee and varietal specialist who has worked with the company from the beginning to help

sell their award-winning wine.

To determine a locational comparison between the three venues, I used Apple Maps to

devise a visual that might better display the three venues in relation to one another, from where

Domenico Winery is situated on the Peninsula (see Figure 6, “Contextual Map of Domenico

Winery’s Competition”, Appendix pg. 31-32).

I drew data for Domenico Winery Events Department from their private Google Drive;

this was one of the most useful databases during my research and during my office hours. Their

Google Drive holds key documents that are required for legal purposes, sales details (depending

on the type of event), and catering menus, to name a few. For venue and sales research, I had

access to the company’s 9-page Private Events packet, which covers weddings, and all of the

more-specific details that are not listed on their public brochure. This is the packet that each

Sales Associate hands to their client, and it is here that I was able to find the listed in-house

amenities, menus, timeline, fees, and Frequently Asked Questions (see Figure 4, “Domenico

Winery Private Events Brochure - Snapshots”, Appendix pg. 29). I also had access to

TotalPartyPlanner, the company’s event planning software that aids in constructing each event so

that they may bill their clients properly with all order quantities broken down, including staffing

hours, rental equipment, food and beverage, event timeline, and any other event notes for the

day-of production schedule (see Figure 5, “TotalPartyPlanner Software”, Appendix pg. 30).

For comparative data and information about Thomas Fogarty and Dogpatch Wine Works,

I used their company websites, Frequently Asked Questions pages, and online brochures for the

bulk of my compilation for detailed information on each company’s events services. For Figures

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12-15 (see Appendix pgs. 37-38), I organized the most important data that a potential wedding

client would look for in a venue to have a side-by-side comparison. Figure 12, “Venue Details -

Comparison” (Appendix pg. 37) lists out the location, guest capacity, type of venue, catering

options, bar options, square footage of event space, event end times, venue usage hours,

possibility of a company rental agreement, and ceremony and/or reception options per venue.

Figure 13, “Financial Details - Comparison” (Appendix pg. 37) lists the Total Wedding Price

Range per venue that a couple can expect to pay according to each company’s brochures. The

average cost per guest that a couple can expect to spend is also listed here, and includes the

venue fee, food, and beverage costs divided at a head count average of 100 people. The couple

may also multiply this average at a higher guest count rate depending on attendance, but this

provides an average ratio for predicted expenditures that might assist a couple in deciding on a

venue pertaining to their budget. In this case, the higher the guest count over 100 people, the

lower the average cost per guest due to the set venue fee being divided over a higher number of

people. Figure 14, “Amenity Details - Comparison” (Appendix pg. 38) charts out the Day-Of

amenities included in the cost of renting out the venue. Some amenities are offered consistently

across the venues, however, with this chart, it is easier to see where one venue lacks a key

amenity, which could ultimately fluctuate a couple’s decision. Figure 15, “Venue Restrictions -

Comparison” (Appendix pg. 38) notes a few of the most important restrictions that each venue

enforces as hard-and-fast rules, such as the requirement of a wedding coordinator, decoration

approval, amplified music, and if alcohol must be provided by the venue. These details may or

may not sway a final venue decision, but are offered as details for final consideration.

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For visual data as depicted in Figure 2 and Figures 7-10, Appendix pg. 28 and 33-35,

respectively, I offered several snapshots of each venue’s interior, and some exterior, images to

show what a potential client sees in each of the venue’s brochures, as well as on a venue

walkthrough. These images can provide contextual information and visual appeal for clients,

where decor, ambiance, and atmosphere are some of the most important features for a venue

decision, as they will set the tone for the entire day (“The Wedding Venue Checklist”, 2017).

Finally, a source that assisted me in compiling quick-reference charts for all three venues

is Wedding Spot, an online database of popular California wedding venues designed for

at-a-glance information about local venues, and helps narrow down the most pertinent

information for potential wedding clients (see Figure 11, “Wedding Spot - At a Glance”,

Appendix pg. 36). This was a useful source that readily identifies a ballpark numerical average

for wedding expenditures per venue and what amenities a couple would look for in each. The

information I found in this database search is included in Figures 12-15.

Section IV - Findings

After charting out the factual information as provided by each venues’ brochures, public

information, comparative data found on Wedding Spot, and my own knowledge of Domenico’s

venue offerings, it is clear that among the three venue options, Domenico Winery already offers

a noticeable competitive advantage based off of certain amenities. The following results from my

research have been organized into factual, informational sections based on location, venue

basics, venue amenities and restrictions, services, and financial basics.

Location

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In a locational comparison between the venues, Figure 6 shows that, using Domenico

Winery as an anchor point, its first competitor, Dogpatch Wine Works, is 23 miles away on the

edge of San Francisco in the urban “Dogpatch” neighborhood. Thomas Fogarty is approximately

16 miles away, tucked away in the Santa Cruz Mountains in Woodside. According to Apple

Maps, (also included in Figure 6) on a day without traffic, it takes 30 minutes driving time from

Domenico Winery to Dogpatch Wine Works on Highway 101. On a day without traffic, it takes

37 minutes driving time from Domenico Winery to Thomas Fogarty Winery through Woodside’s

winding roads, or rather Highway 84 connecting to Highway 35, taking about 7-10 minutes

longer even though the distance is 5 miles shorter than Dogpatch Wine Works driving to

Domenico Winery.

Venue Basics

For a reference, Figure 12 details the three venues side by side. Domenico Winery is a

6,200 square foot, indoor, urban winery and reception-only space. This venue can hold up to 300

people seated with a dance floor. Thomas Fogarty Winery is a 4,000 square foot, indoor and

outdoor rural winery situated on a mountainside, and offers the options of both ceremony and

reception spaces. It can hold up to 216 guests seated with a dance floor. Dogpatch Wine Works

is a 5,600 square foot, indoor, urban winery like Domenico, but offers both ceremony and

reception space, like Thomas Fogarty Winery. Of the three venues, Domenico Winery offers the

largest usable space for a wedding, and also the additional space for a larger guest count.

Dogpatch Wine Works offers a slightly smaller venue than Domenico, and can hold the least

amount of people, while still being an urban winery venue option.

Venue Amenities and Restrictions

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Each of the three venues have differing amenities that are included with the venue rental

fees, and also offer other fee-based amenities. At an extra charge, all the three wineries offer bar

options including beer, wine, and Prosecco provided explicitly by the venue. Domenico Winery,

however, is the only venue to offer a full-bar, having just obtained their Cask Room Full Bar

license this October 2018.

The event end times are the same between Domenico Winery and Dogpatch Wine Works,

where music must end by 12:00 A.M.; Thomas Fogarty’s venue, being more secluded and

surrounded by other mountainside homes requires that music end by 10:00 P.M.

Figure 14’s “Amenity Details - Comparison” and Figure 15’s “Venue Restrictions -

Comparison” (Appendix pg. 38) lists the relative similarities and differences between the venue

offerings for the day of the wedding. Most notably, Dogpatch Wine Works is the only venue that

does not offer a bride or groom’s dressing area pre-reception, nor offers kitchen facilities.

Domenico Winery is the only venue with a coat check room. Thomas Fogarty Winery is the only

venue that does not require a day-of wedding coordinator.

Another set of comparable amenities between the venues is the decor and ambiance.

Figure 2 depicts Domenico Winery’s Cask Room interior. Their main base decor accents the

venue with white-washed brick walls, antique iron cocktail tables, interchangeable mosaic candle

centerpieces, dimmable market string lighting, cement floors, and barrel-lined walls. Thomas

Fogarty Winery’s decor in their main wedding venue, the Pavillion, as shown in Figures 7 and 8,

appears farmhouse style, with exposed wooden beams, vaulted ceilings, soft outdoor lighting, all

suspended over one of their vineyards with a Bay Area view. Dogpatch Wine Works’ interior, in

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Figure 10, similar to Domenico Winery’s interior, also features cement floors, barrel-lined walls,

and dimmable market string lighting.

Services

Of the three venues, Domenico Winery is the only business to offer the inclusive service

of renting tables, chairs, linens, flatware, ceramic plateware, and any other decor from their

exclusive partnership with Unica Party Rentals. In-house catering is also only offered at

Domenico Winery; Thomas Fogarty Winery offers full kitchen facilities for outside catering

businesses; and Dogpatch Wine Works offers no catering services nor kitchen facilities

whatsoever.

Financial

Depending on a couples’ financial limitations for a wedding, there are varying price

ranges between the three venues. The following numbers, as shown in Figure 13, Appendix pg.

37, offer a financial range that sums up the average expenditures for a wedding depending on the

venue. The low end of the range is based on off-peak season Sunday rates, a 100-guest

attendance, and standard amenities. The high end of the range is based on peak-Saturday rates, a

100-guest attendance, and premium food and beverage options. Dogpatch Wine Works is the

least expensive venue of the three, at a range of $10,000 to $15,000. Domenico Winery falls in a

moderate price range at $12,000 to $25,000. Thomas Fogarty falls under the highest price range

average, with expenditures of $23,000 to $35,000.

With these numbers, the average cost per guest can be calculated, which includes the

venue fee, food, and beverage costs divided at a head count average of 100 people. A couple may

then use this ratio and apply it towards a higher attendance to gain an accurate number on what

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they predict to spend per guest for their wedding. One point to keep in mind is that the higher the

number of guests in attendance, the lower the average cost becomes because the large, set venue

fee will be divided over a larger group of people. The average cost per guest at Dogpatch Wine

Works is $100-$125; Domenico Winery’s per person average is $125-$150; and Thomas Fogarty

Winery’s per person average is on the highest end, presumably around $230-$325.

Section V - Conclusions

The following conclusions are made based on the factual results as discussed in “Section

IV - Findings”. These conclusions are meant to extrapolate a bottom line for each of the

important points that may be important to a wedding couple’s final venue decision. Ultimately,

this will help Domenico Winery see where they stand amongst its competitors’.

Location

Domenico Winery is situated in the middle of the Peninsula, almost equal in distance

from San Francisco and San Jose, a convenient, central location to arrive from anywhere in the

Bay Area. Domenico’s competition are not outrageously far out of the way, making location a

likely neutral decision factor for a potential client. More specifically, a client looking for a

wedding venue might not consider Domenico’s location as one of the main selling points in

choosing their venue; the other venues appear to be within a reasonable distance, which makes

the three venues very competitive.

Venue Basics

As simply a venue, Thomas Fogarty Winery stands out as a slight outlier among the three

venues in this analysis because it offers an outdoor venue in a rural location with a much smaller

space, at 4,000 square feet. However, Thomas Fogarty Winery might be ideal for a client that

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prefers a completely outdoor wedding with a view of the entire Bay Area (see Figure 7 for

Thomas Fogarty’s exterior, and Figure 8 for their Interior that offers an outdoor, hillside view,

Appendix pg 33 and 34). Outdoor weddings in the Bay Area are mostly limited to the warmer,

non-rainy months extending from May to September. Due to the weather and its exposure as a

partially outdoor venue space, Thomas Fogarty Winery books presumably less events per year

compared to Domenico Winery and Dogpatch Wine Works, both of which are urban, indoor, and

climate-controlled, booked year-round, therefore having larger total wedding sales for the year.

From an operational, sales-driven standpoint, Thomas Fogarty Winery is capped at summer-only

business due to seasonality, only operating less than half the year for outdoor bookings, but may

offer a competitive advantage in the summer months where the weather may be too beautiful to

pass up for an indoor reception space such as Domenico Winery or Dogpatch Wine Works.

Venue Amenities and Restrictions

Depending on the couple and the essence of the wedding desired, a full bar may be one of

the most desirable features in choosing the right venue for their wedding. If alcohol is of little

consideration, then a full bar license is not enough to leave Domenico Winery with a sustainable

competitive advantage. The event end times are also of questionable importance and really

depends on each client’s preferences and type of wedding being considered. Perhaps a louder

wedding with more drinking and a younger crowd might prefer one of the urban winery options

with music end times of 12:00 A.M. over Thomas Fogarty Winery which has quiet hours

beginning at 10:00 P.M.

One of the most notable differences in amenities that a couple might consider among

those listed is the availability of kitchen facilities. Both Domenico Winery and Thomas Fogarty

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Winery offer kitchen facilities, while Dogpatch Wine Works does not. In considering the latter

option, the couple would have to contract out a catering company that uses a catering truck or

another form of off-site food service, and even then they must determine if the venue can fully

support particular caterers, such as a rear loading area for the event space, back of house set up

space, and other troubleshooting. Perhaps a couple that might consider this outside catering

option would be inclined to have more oversight in their own wedding production, as opposed to

contracting a wedding coordinator to organize the food and beverage details.

The lack of a bride and groom’s dressing area at Dogpatch Wine Works might be a

potential make or break situation if the couple is particular and insistent on having a

post-cocktail hour “Husband and Wife Announcement”, as most wedding timelines prefer.

Typically, for the weddings I have both worked and attended, the bride and groom have a

post-ceremony room to freshen up while the guests enjoy a cocktail hour. Without this amenity,

it would appear that Dogpatch WineWorks might be for the more casual wedding reception as it

is also a cheaper total wedding price range than the other two, with an average cost per guest

around $100-$125 (see Figure 13, “Financial Details - Comparison, Appendix pg. 37).

A questionable amenity for consideration is that Domenico is the only space offering a

coat check room. I might presume that this is likely of lesser importance to a couple when

deciding on a venue, a fairly neutral consideration, and is likely offered by the venue due to the

amount of other corporate events, galas, and large-scale events that take place throughout the

holiday season. It is a detail that offers a nice touch of elegance and convenience for a party and

an optional additional amenity, however, it is not the most important consideration.

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Another questionable amenity is that Thomas Fogarty Winery does not require a

Wedding Coordinator for the day of the event. This could be a detriment to Thomas Fogarty

Winery and gives the venue hosts more to worry about on-site and day-of, but also not required

by the venue as a convenience for the couple because a coordinator need not be budgeted out.

For decor and ambiance consideration, both Domenico Winery and Dogpatch Wine

Works have a similar “blank canvas” interior that can be dressed up. Their interior base decor is

very competitive to one another, the only noticeable differences would be their location on a map

and their venue size. Domenico Winery’s usable space is about 700 square feet larger than

Dogpatch Wine Works (compare Figure 1 and Figure 9, Appendix pg. 27 and pg 34) and can

hold 100 people more for a wedding. Thomas Fogarty Winery’s indoor-outdoor venue, “The

Pavilion” is very different from the other two, appearing farmhouse style, which complements

the vineyards over which it is suspended, and competes on an entirely different playing field

from the other two indoor venues.

Services

As Domenico Winery is the only venue to offer rental services through Unica Party

Rentals, there may be a sustainable competitive advantage within this service. Of course, the

client is charged for the rentals in the final bill; however, there is an easefulness that comes with

Domenico Sales Associates ordering the rentals for the client. This way, as I have experienced it

in the office, the only follow-up that the client has to do is update the Sales Associate in an email

or a phone call with the respective changed guest count, and the Sales Associate hospitably

performs the task of changing the order quantity as desired with Unica Party Rentals. In the end,

it may be more work for the Sales Associate, but it proves preferable for the client by reducing

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the client’s stress of having to additionally contact an outside vendor. Domenico Winery also

posts an 18% service charge to the client’s final bill due to these added booking services, so there

is a sustainable reason for Domenico to offer this service without being taken advantage of. An

added bonus is that the venue (Domenico Winery) looks organized and professional on the day

of the event because the Sales Associates have confidence that they were the ones to accurately

place orders, and will take full responsibility for mistakes or successes.

This situation may favorably apply to Domenico’s in-house catering services as well. The

other two venues do not offer a catering agreement with another company or full-service

oversight for working with any outside vendors, which may put added stress on the client for

details to go “according to plan” on the wedding day. This could be a larger make-or-break

consideration for a wedding client, and a service point for which Domenico exceeds

expectations.

Financial

Domenico Winery offers a competitive price in its average cost per guest over the other

venues. Falling in a moderate price range for total wedding cost, it offers an immense amount of

amenities and conveniences, as discussed above, compared to its competitors. Domenico Winery

offers in-house catering, Sales Associates that will do all of the necessary rental orders, optional

full bar, a convenient central bay Area location, the largest venue space, a late night end time,

year-round booking possibilities, all for a moderate price range. At Thomas Fogarty Winery, it

would appear that the couple would pay more to have the outdoor, rural venue, and also handle

the extra coordination of outside catering, outside rental orders, an earlier end time, and strict

seasonal booking availability. Dogpatch Wine Works, with the lowest price range, seems to

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simply be venue space and that is all that is included. Overall, for the price paid, Domenico

Winery offers services and amenities at a considerable competitive advantage.

Section VI - Recommendations

Now that Domenico Winery has been thoroughly reviewed against its competitors, a few

recommendations may be considered to leverage a competitive advantage. One recommendation

that might be easily implemented, and offered at an extra charge, is for Domenico to offer their

space for wedding ceremonies, in addition to receptions. This is one of the amenities that they

currently do not provide in relation to the other venues in their competitive set. This might come

as an added convenience for the wedding couple since they would not have to transfer venues -

currently, a couple must have their ceremony elsewhere (Domenico provides some

recommendations of local ceremony spaces), and then drive to Domenico for the reception.

There have been a few weddings that I have worked this semester where Marina allowed a

ceremony to take place at Domenico, and the floor staff swiftly “flipped” the venue from

ceremony to cocktail hour to dining. It takes some extra coordination and set up efforts, however,

the event went smoothly, and might be considered profitable for the venue after said and done.

One catch is that this would likely only work for weddings of 100 people or less due to the

limited Cask Room space.

Another idea and feasible recommendation that might expand Domenico’s event services

is to capitalize on ceremony-to-reception transportation. If Domenico does not decide to offer

their space for ceremonies, they could establish a rental agreement with a shuttle or bus

transportation company (which could be charged in the client’s final bill) and would offer an

additional convenience for the guests. Just as how Domenico currently offers an exclusive rental

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agreement with Unica Party Rentals, they could look into the financial feasibility of contracting

with a shuttle transportation company to transport the couple’s wedding guests from Domenico

to the ceremony location, and back to Domenico. This way, guests could drive their own cars to

Domenico, and leave with their own cars at the end of the night, instead of having to drive to and

from the ceremony location, and back to Domenico. The ultimate purpose for this would allow

Domenico to offer the additional service of transportation that the other venues do not, in the

case that they cannot offer their space as a ceremony site.

An even larger, more creative recommendation for long term business, perhaps as a

stretch goal in eight to ten years, might be for Domenico to consider the financial possibility of

buying or renting an outdoor venue space, or partner with a location within 15 miles, for

ceremonies. This could be both the beginning of a property where they could grow more of their

own grapes, such as in Half Moon Bay, and a venue rental space for other event companies

looking for an outdoor venue. This could be sold to their clients as a “preferred” ceremony space

that is good for outdoor wedding photos, the ceremony on the wedding day, and ultimately

retains the company’s vision for all-inclusive wedding services.

Overall, there are multiple venue options for future wedding couples to choose from, and

Domenico remains among the top for consideration. With constant reevaluation of their own

amenities, Domenico will attract an increasing amount of business because of their current

competitive offerings. They have room for growth into more ideas for “inclusive” services, and I

look forward to seeing how this business continues to expand.

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References Brinklow, A. (2018, March). San Francisco Population Swells To More Than 884,000. ​Curbed

San Francisco. ​Retrieved from

https://sf.curbed.com/2018/3/26/17165370/san-francisco-population-2017-census-increase

“Dogpatch Wine Works”. (2018). ​Dogpatch Wine Works. ​Retrieved from

https://dogpatchwineworks.com/

“Domenico Winery Events”. (2018). ​Domenico Winery. ​Retrieved from

https://pubs.hawthorncreative.com/domenicowinery/

“Events Facility” (2018). ​Thomas Fogarty​. Retrieved from

https://www.fogartywinery.com/events-facility/

“Floor Plan & FAQ”. (2018). ​Dogpatch Wine Works. ​Retrieved from

https://dogpatchwineworks.com/pages/inventory

“Our Story”. (2018). ​Domenico Winery. ​Retrieved from http://www.domenicowinery.com/About-Us/Our-Vineyards

“Thomas Fogarty Winery Weddings and Events”. (2018). ​Thomas Fogarty.​ Retrieved from

http://pubs.hawthorncreative.com/thomasfogarty/

“Venue Details - Domenico Winery”. (2018). ​Wedding Spot. ​Retrieved from

https://www.wedding-spot.com/venue/451/Domenico-Winery/

“Venue Details - Thomas Fogarty Winery”. (2018). ​Wedding Spot. ​Retrieved from

https://www.wedding-spot.com/venue/137/Thomas-Fogarty-Winery/

“Venue Details - Dogpatch Wine Works”. (2018). ​Wedding Spot. ​Retrieved from

https://www.wedding-spot.com/venue/9635/Dogpatch-Wineworks/

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“Weddings”. (2018). ​Domenico Winery.​ Retrieved from

http://www.domenicowinery.com/Events/Weddings

“The Wedding Venue Checklist & Guide Every Couple Needs”. (2017, July). ​WeddingWire.

Retrieved from ​https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-ideas/wedding-venue-guide  

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Appendix Figure 1 // The “Cask Room” Layout, Domenico Winery

Source: Domenico Winery Private Events Brochure

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Figure 2 // Domenico Winery - Interior Details

Source: “Domenico Winery Events”, 2018

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Figure 3 // Domenico Winery - WeddingWire Award

Source: “Weddings”, 2018 Figure 4 // Domenico Winery Private Events Brochure, Snapshots

Source: Domenico Winery Private Events Brochure

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Figure 5 // TotalPartyPlanner Software

Source: TotalPartyPlanner.com

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Figure 6 // Contextual Map of Domenico Winery’s Competition

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Source: Apple Maps

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Figure 7 // Thomas Fogarty Winery Exterior

Source: “Events Facility”, 2018

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Figure 8 // Thomas Fogarty Winery Brochure & Interior

Source: “Thomas Fogarty Winery Weddings and Events”, 2018 Figure 9 // Dogpatch Wine Works Layout

Source: “Floor Plan & FAQ”, 2018

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Figure 10 // Dogpatch Wine Works Interior

Source: “Dogpatch Wine Works”, 2018

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Figure 11 // Wedding Spot - At a Glance

Source: “Venue Details - Domenico Winery”, 2018

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Figure 12 // Venue Details - Comparison

Sources: ​“Venue Details - Domenico Winery”, 2018; “Venue Details - Thomas Fogarty Winery”, 2018; “Venue Details - Dogpatch Wine Works”, 2018 Figure 13 // Financial Details - Comparison

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Figure 14 // Amenity Details - Comparison

Figure 15 // Venue Restrictions - Comparison