Page 14 - BusinessWest February 6, 2023

From left, Bruce McAmis, Benson Hyde, and Hyde’s wife, Toni DeLuca, also the company’s wine and spirits buyer.
Vintage Undertaking
They call it the ‘Provisions Dungeon.’
That’s the name affixed to the basement of the Northampton location, on Crafts Avenue.
And the name fits. It’s a large, cavernous space with several rooms of various sizes, all of them now crammed with wine and other products sold upstairs. The main area off the stairs was once a classroom where experts on wine passed on their knowledge to diverse audiences eager to learn more about this far-reaching, truly global subject. Now, that space has been given over to racks holding
a wide array of spirits, with the classes held at the Amherst location.
Because the main floor is somewhat cramped, with little if any room for inventory, employees are constantly going back and forth to the basement, McAmis noted.
“We almost need to have extra staff on hand because everything that needs to be restocked is
in the basement, and that means a lot of carrying cases of wine up the stairs,” he said, adding that the dungeon, where we talked with the two partners, is just one of the more colorful aspects of this evolving business.
Our story starts roughly 12 years ago, said Hyde, at one of the many dinners he enjoyed with his cous- in, Alex Feinstein, founder of GoBerry, the recently closed frozen-yogurt store in downtown Northamp- ton, and his wife.
“He and I had become very close in the Boston area ... he and his wife would cook me dinner, and
I would bring the wine,” Hyde recalled. “When they got to Northampton, he called me up and said, ‘they could use a good wine shop downtown.’
“I was working in financial services for a company that I wasn’t thrilled to keep working for, so it was pretty easy to
twist my arm and talk me into moving out here,” he went on. “I was inspired by his foray into small business.”
In collaboration with the Feinsteins and two other partners, Gor- don Alexander and Nancy Baker, he opened Provisions on Crafts Avenue in November 2011. One of the first wine vendors he worked with was McAmis, who, as noted earlier, had a law degree but decided he didn’t want to make that his career. Instead, he ventured into the liquor-wholesaling business with a venture called Yankee Distribution.
After three years in business, Feinstein and Hyde were the remaining partners in the venture, and in late 2019, McAmis bought out Feinstein and became Hyde’s partner in Provisions.
“I thought that we could really grow the business and take some
“One of the important traits we’ve shown over the years is being responsive to what we’re facing. Whether it’s having to reshape everything because of the pandemic or
with growth,
it’s a matter of staying aware and staying flexible, and leaning into opportunities.”
Celebrate Holyoke’s 150th Anniversary!
Holyoke has commenced a year-long celebration of its 150th anniversary, and
has a number of events planned. BusinessWest will mark the occasion with a commemorative section in the March 6 issue.
This keepsake section will include:
• Stories on the history of the city and its business community
• Interviews with current leaders about the city, its past, present, and future • Profiles of key businesses and institutions in the Paper City
• A timeline of important events and developments over the past 150 years • Pictures that help tell the story of Holyoke and its history
• Messages from the mayor and other key leaders
Contact us to reserve space or for more info on this special section!
Kathleen Plante 413.896.9485 [email protected]
Kate Campiti 413.781-8600 ext 108 [email protected]
Space Deadline: February 10, 2023
14 FEBRUARY 6, 2023 << TOP ENTREPRENEURS 2022 >>
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