Business & Tech
Wine Thief a Dream Come True for Owners
Wine Thief Bistro owner Chris Simpson calls the Mt. Airy Restaurant a dream come true.
Chris Simpson worked in the restaurant industry either part-time or fulltime since he was 16.
“I always had the dream that I would open my own place,” Simpson said.
In June 2009, that dream came true. Simpson opened The Wine Thief Bistro on Germantown Avenue in Mt. Airy.
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“I think it’s the true vision of what we always wanted,” said Simpson, who runs the restaurant with his wife. “We were inspired by the neighborhood bistros that were in our neighborhood when we lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Simspon added that The Wine Thief has the laid back atmosphere he enjoys in a restaurant.
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“It doesn’t have the stuffiness or pretentiousness of a fine dining experience,” Simpson said. “It’s a casual and laid back atmosphere, but you can still get a good meal.”
Simpson and his wife both grew up in Mt. Airy, and they moved back to the neighborhood to open their restaurant.
“I have two daughters,” Simpson said. “My wife and I agreed that when we had kids we would leave New York. We could have ended up anywhere, but family drew us back to Mt. Airy.”
Simpson added, “We knew Mt. Airy was the best place to make our vision come true. We had a real understanding of the area and a real comfort level.”
As for the name—a wine thief is a glass or plastic tube used in the wine making process. It is used when a wine maker wants to taste how wines are aging while they are in their casks or barrels.
“My wife and I were at our favorite winery in Charlottesville, Virginia, and as part of the tour they took us down to the aging room,” Simpson said.
“The tour guide then took out a wine thief and let us taste a Merlot that had been aging for a few months,” Simpson said.
Simpson added, “When he said the name of the instrument my wife and I looked at each other and said, ‘that’s the name of our restaurant.’”
Simpson laughs.
“That was nine years ago,” Simpson said.
Wine Thief wouldn’t open for another four and a half years.
“We just try to offer good service and a good meal that won’t break the bank,” Simpson said.
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