William and Elisabeth Hanes knew they wanted to be in the hospitality business after a weekend at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco with Elisabeth’s parents. The Ritz was a stark contrast to living with eight housemates on meager wages in Redding, California where they lived at the time. “It showed us how impactful hospitality can be,” says William.

William met Elisabeth while both were counselors at J.H. Ranch, a remote Christian retreat on 1000 acres near Mount Etna in Etna, California. At the time, William was a student at Auburn and Elisabeth was attending SMU in Dallas. The long-distance relationship led to marriage soon after college. 

In their first year of marriage, they decided to go on an adventure. After considering various options, they enrolled in Bethel School of Ministry – a life skills program from a biblical perspective for those who were not planning to become ministers as a profession. The lifestyle was austere for a year, and one weekend at the Ritz inspired them to pursue opening a hotel themselves.

They moved to Tennessee and worked out a plan with the prestigious Blackberry Farm to work a stint in every single department to learn from the best how to run a luxury hotel. “It was an invaluable experience,” says William. “We learned a lot of truisms while there.” One of them that stuck was, “Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest until the good is better and the better is best!”

They worked at Blackberry Farm together for two years when William’s uncle, Sandy Stimpson, told the family that he had decided to run for Mayor of Mobile. William convinced Elisabeth to move to Mobile, Williams's hometown, and committed to helping with the campaign. “I felt honored to work with an amazing leader like Sandy.” 

After the election, he approached Andy Newton, founder of Southern Light in Mobile. William told him that he wanted to work in Government Affairs for the rapidly expanding company. Andy and William quickly worked out the details, and William ran the newly minted government affairs office for six years,  through the eventual acquisition of Southern Light by Uniti Group.

“These were two tremendous experiences,” says William. “Working with these great leaders shaped and molded me. I often think of them when working through various management conundrums.” He and Elisabeth decided that the time was now to go ahead and do something in the service/hospitality industry. Doors started opening, space in Fairhope became available, and they started raising capital to open Provision. Provision opened in May 2020, and Covid was in full swing. “There was no turning back at that point,” says William.

“Provision is a mesh of everything we love,” he says. “Elisabeth loves elements of design and home goods. We both wanted nice wines, good food, and coffee. We wanted to provide peak excellence and peak comfort.” Since opening, the business model has stayed true to itself. The lounge area is inviting, and the wine selection is deeper. Provision hosts many private events like bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and corporate parties.

“People were so receptive to the Provision concept, yet it was difficult to manage during Covid. Customers reacted to the daily news regarding going out or staying home. We brought on Christina Quick from the beginning to run our wine department and that is a great part of our business. As Wine Director, she curates all the wine they sell and has created several wine clubs that specialize in unique, rare, and well-crafted wines from all over the world.

Provision offers fully paired wine dinners, and they are excited to have Executive Chef, Will Hughes join the team. “Our wine selection is funky,” says William. “We want to treat people to unusual offerings from all over the world that you probably have never heard of or tasted. Wine dinners and tasting are an amazing way to learn about wine.”

They are now doing wine trips too. They’ve done one every year so far to The Swag, an upscale boutique hotel near Waynesville, North Carolina. “We buy out the 20-room hotel for three nights, bring in a Master Sommelier or wine expert, and host three wine tastings a day.” It sells out quickly and they are planning to add a trip to Oregon vineyards next year. “Wine can be intimidating,” says William. “We want an approachable program where people can enjoy and learn.”

Provision has recently started offering family takeaway meals. Will Hughes, known for his excellent catering fare, prepares meals for 4 to 6 people for $45 and publishes the menu every Wednesday. Breakfast and lunch are both busy times at Provision. The West Indies Avocado Toast and Breakfast Biscuit are two of the most popular breakfast items. Coffee is a huge part of their business.

William says they are evolving as the market demands. “We want to be a destination. We wanted to create a nice lounge area for our guests.” One customer refers to Provision as, “Fairhope’s living room.” There always seems to be a good crowd throughout the day. Several groups schedule meetings there and the wine bar can be busy at 2:00 in the afternoon.

What has been William’s most surprising experience so far? “It’s rewarding to see people experience the business differently based on their passions.  I love working with Elisabeth. We’re fortunate in that we work well together, and Provision has become a part of our family culture. We’ve been super fortunate to have such an amazing team. We also have the most interesting customers, many of whom have become close friends.”

I seem to go the Provision more and more these days. Each time I find it more inviting, and people seem to appreciate the casual yet elegant atmosphere. I can attest to the excellent breakfast and lunch menu, and Linda and I attended a recent private business event that was perfect. Provision’s hospitality experience always shines brightly!

Call William to schedule a private event, and check out Provision’s website for upcoming programs, wine pairings, wine trips, takeaway meals, and more!

Posted 
Oct 26, 2022
 in 
Epicurean Delights
 category

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