Taking Vino Volo to the Next Level

Doug Tomlinson's talk was one of my favorites that we've had the pleasure of learning from. Like any good story-driven consumer, hearing about the Vino Volo concept and intention from Doug had me looking forward to my next layover. What made me even more committed to becoming a loyal consumer (yes, I did download the Vino Volo app during Doug's talk) was the candor and openness through which he shared his personal experience and learning. He was lovely.

However, if I am honest, I have not been the biggest Vino Volo fan in the past. I've visited Vino Volo twice (both times out of JFK) and each time I found the service to be too slow and the bill to be a little too expensive given my experience with the food. The wine was always great though :)

I'd like to briefly share my experiences before getting into a few ideas for Vino Volo, that came to mind during Doug's talk.

My first visit was out of a desire to find something healthy at the airport- a highly underserviced market if you ask me (no, I don't think packaged "healthy" snacks like fruit leather from Cibo Express count). I took a quick look at the menu posted outside the JFK Vino Volo and grabbed a seat at the bar. The ambiance was lacking (the furniture felt like anything else at the airport), and the service was a little slow. I wasn't upset (I don't have high expectations of airport dining experiences), but I also didn't leave impressed or excited to choose Vino Volo again.

The second time I visited Vino Volo was with my boyfriend prior to boarding a weekend getaway flight. We were both excited to get out of the NYC cold for a few days and wanted to start unwinding with a glass of wine before the flight. The wine flights were great (and a fun touch) and the snack was fine, however, the service was painfully slow, and we ended up leaving Vino Volo slightly frazzled and worried that we weren't going to make boarding on time.

Now for the ideas (in no particular order):

1. Branding/furniture/decor: Consider updating the furniture/decor (I realize that there is a significant cost associated with this, but the current look does not entice younger consumers)
2. Healthy food options: Capitalize on the healthy food drought in airports (expand offerings and marketing). The menu is already in a good place but there is room to e.g. expand the salad options. This could be the reason a new customer chooses Vino Volo.
3. To-go (or order in advance, perhaps via the app) healthy lunch/dinner/snack boxes for the plane: Meal and snack options, particularly on domestic flights, are limited and expensive (value for money is low). The only somewhat decent options sell out quickly, and nothing is healthy. If Vino Volo can offer a few healthy (and/or premium and/or delicious) to-go or order in advance boxes (with or without wine pairing), and advertise this offering effectively, they could convert the many unsatisfied, hangry travelers. 
4. Serve-yourself wine dispenser fridge: For travelers who need to be in and out quickly, and feel more comfortable controlling the time that they spend at an airport eatery, self-service is often preferred. The serve yourself wine fridge gives those travelers the option to taste, pay, and pour themselves a glass, on their own time, stress-free. The wine fridge can be programmed to price different pours according to the establishment's pricing. A guest can choose to taste, pour a flight or a glass, and Vino Volo can price each choice accordingly. The payment system can be set up so that the guest swipes their card, apple pay, or in-app barcode to pay for their selection. It's a great way for guests to explore different wines, remove the friction of service time, and creates an insider's club/home feeling of serving yourself. For Vino Volo this is an opportunity to showcase wines, introduce new wines, and/or move SKUs off the shelf.
   
5. High-quality coffee play: Airport coffee is mediocre at best, perhaps Vino Volo can offer and advertise high-quality coffee. 

I would love to know what you all think!