'We're all struggling': Hip Chicks do Wine asks for community support after 'very tough' year

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Hip Chicks do Wine has been a staple of Southeast Portland since 1999. Now its owners, married couple Laurie Lewis and Renee Neely, say they've been "struggling" to keep the doors open since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It has been a very tough 2024 and we are way under in walk-in sales and traffic. And we could use a little bit of community support," Lewis said.

The owners said they've now launched a GoFundMe with the goal of raising $10,000 just to help support the "day-to-day operations" of Portland's oldest urban winery located at 4510 SE 23rd Ave.

"I mean, the bottom line is, we’d much rather have people come into our tasting room, buy some bottles of wine, do a wine-tasting flight, get a glass of wine," Lewis said. "But not everybody can do that. And so if folks want to be able to support us, in small ways, that all adds up."

The walk-in traffic and sales for the business was down by 26% in June and 76% in July, "a huge jump."

"And it’s not just us. It’s small businesses throughout the Portland metro area. It is wineries across Oregon," Lewis said. "COVID hit us hard. All the closures hit hard. As much local support as we had during all those pandemic closures, it kinda felt like once all the businesses opened up, a lot of that local support kind of dried up."

Lewis is encouraging anyone who wants to come enjoy some wine or go to a tasting to "get something for your dollars." However, for those who once lived in Portland but are now out of state but still want to support the business or simply want to donate a smaller amount, the GoFundMe will remain open, she said.

Hip Chicks do Wine is considered a pioneer in the Portland LBGTQ and urban winery scene. Their message to the public is to "not only please support our small local business but really think about the businesses in Portland that you want to see tomorrow, next year, in five years."

"I don’t know a single small business owner in Portland right now who is not struggling — be it a restaurant, be it a drag show, be it a winery, a bar, food trucks, we’re all struggling," Lewis said. "And it sure is a shame to wake up and say, ‘Gosh I miss that business’ because they’re not here anymore."