It’s been one helluva year for Matt Moersch and his family, colleagues, employees and friends, and he was in his element tonight hosting the re-branding launch party for Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant. Gliding across the floor like he was floating on a cloud, accepting claps on the back, hearty handshakes, and sustained applause as well, the figurehead of the Moersch Hospitality Group was beaming over the accomplishments of the past year.
Eleven months ago the Moersch family acquired one of Michigan’s most renowned wineries and vineyards a literal stone’s throw away from their own highly successful Round Barn Winery, Brewery & Distillery near Buchanan.
A lot has happened in the ensuing time-space continuum including a full scale makeover for the Tabor Hill property. I managed to pull Matt aside briefly to talk about the transformation this evening and he was nearly as bubbly as his winemaker’s new sparkling versions of the brand’s iconic Demi-Sec and Demi-Red wines just introduced in the past week.
I asked him to set the stage for tonight’s event with friends, family, neighbors, colleagues and more. He said, “It’s been 11 months since we acquired Tabor Hill — it’s hard to believe — and in that time we’ve done a lot of new touches on Tabor on the inside, on the outside, with a whole new logo, an entirely new look and feel, new labels and such.” But the hoped-for sea change he says, is “We’re no longer just about special occasions any more. This is now a nice place to come out during the week or weekend, and it seems like you’re out in Napa Valley already…or it feels like it.”
For long time fans of Tabor Hill wines, Matt promises, “It’s the same vines, that have been here, just a new vibe. That’s what we’re really trying to get across to customers that have appreciated Tabor Hill for so long, that my father helped establish, too, and we want to carry on that legacy as well.” He calls the makeover, “A nice kind of showcase of all this hard work we’ve put in over the last 11 months to put our little twist on what Tabor Hill is.”
If you haven’t been to Tabor Hill in a while, you’ll find all new décor, largely the handiwork of Molly Hannon of Paladin Design House who we showcased here on Moody on the Market last October. The floors have all been refinished, there are handsome new tables and chairs that are too nice to put linens on, and Matt even asks, “What haven’t we done!”
While the white tablecloth look may be gone, the striking natural setting gets to take all of the glory. Matt admits “It didn’t need a lot, it just needed some touches, some tender loving care, and the new logo, the new signage — things that needed some attention.”
Décor in general has been upgrade, lighting in general is new. As Moersch says, “We wanted to give it a fresh look. Tabor Hill did a nice job in it’s initial renovation and we’re just taking care of the upgrades now after 20 years.” You will find a little more contemporary look, thanks to Hannon’s keen eye for attention to detail. Matt says, “She’s been absolutely amazing for us, just picking out the things that match what our look and feel is, attracting a broader audience.” Regarding the audience, Matt says, “The thing that’s cool about Tabor Hill is that in their demographic there are as many young people as there are older people. It’s a nice mix of young and old and contemporary, where anyone can come out here and have a wonderful dinner with a view that is just breathtaking.”
Even as invited guests tonight watched machinery in the deep background developing Tabor Hill’s new tented wedding venue, Matt admits, “We just never stop changing.”
Like any good parent who can’t possible answer which child is the favorite, Matt had a tough time owning up to which nook or cranny at the newly remodeled restaurant is his “go to” spot, but he did admit, “I still like it in the winter when I can enjoy the fireplace inside, but I guess I’m most proud of the huge array of changes like the new sign that just went up this week, I just like that new fresh look of Tabor Hill.” He adds, “When you walk in and you see some of the new décor, it’s just so inviting now, it’s our’s.”
That’s the absolute capper for Matt Moersch. Just a few weeks after being named to the Moody on the Market 40 Under 40 inaugural class for his business acumen…in the final throes of the renovation work…and headed into a fresh new growing season…it’s all coming beautifully together. He said it twice. “It finally feels like it’s ours which is nice, it’s taken 11 months to do it that way, but it’s ours.”
As he prepared to grab the mic and say a few words to his guests and introduce his Winemaker Brian and his Chef Ryan, the glow of the setting sun shone on his face as he pointed out the window and said, “Every day you come out and look at this view in any part of these dining rooms, and it’s just like ‘wow,’ it’s just hard to believe that it’s here and that it’s our’s. It’s really special to be able to enjoy that with colleagues, friends, family, and our guests who will enjoy this in their own special way.”
Elsewhere in the crowd tonight, and flitting back and forth to join him at his side, Matt’s newly minted fiancee, Mariko Martin could barely contain her own special excitement after Matt popped the question earlier this week, “Will you marry me?” She laughed out loud when I said well, I may be Moody on the Market, but you’re officially “Mariko Off the Market!’ Congratulations to a fine couple with a bright future in the universe of the Southwest Michigan Makers Trail.
To learn more of the specifics behind the Tabor Hill re-brand…click the link below to my story from earlier this month:
https://www.moodyonthemarket.com/moersch-hospitality-rolls-out-new-look-tabor-hill-brand-id/
