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| Elegant Entertaining Made Easy Cocktail Hour Peachtree Battle Shopping Center 2385 Peachtree Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30305 (404) 846-4414 www.cocktail-hour.com by Christine Woodhouse If everyone loved their jobs as much as Carl Rushing and Peter DiLemme, the world would be a very different place. Until the rest of us find that kind of enlightenment, Carl and Peter are willing to share the wealth of contented bliss they have found at Cocktail Hour. Cocktail Hour, a relative newcomer to the Peachtree Battle shopping center, is a mecca of creative home entertainment accessories. Products range from high-end art glass and fine crystal to trendy glassware, stainless steel coasters and decorative napkins. Amidst the cheese platters, bistro tables and Soprano wine glasses (with 12” stems), you’ll also find specialty foods like sake laced tipsy olives and Miss Scarlett’s cocktail tomatoes. The barware selection is extensive, luring many a bachelor to browse for hours. It includes the ever-elusive mudder, designed to grind mint for authentic mojitos, and the Cadillac of corkscrews, the rabbit. This broad retail selection, however, is only the beginning of Cocktail Hour’s offerings. Everyone who enters Cocktail Hour is warmly greeted by Carl and Peter who envision themselves as hosts of an ongoing soiree in this eclectic yet comfortable space. Visitors are immediately transported to a world where nothing matters but celebrating life. Carl and Peter’s light-hearted approach and genuine passion for entertaining can soften the most jaded shoppers and regularly turn casual window-shoppers into repeat customers. They go out of their way to accommodate just about any customer need. Whether that means walking your puppy while you browse inside the store, providing video games for 10-year-olds while parents shop or personally delivering a purchase to a client who can’t drive, they do it with verve. Beyond the museum of merchandise, Carl and Peter offer seminars on topics such as Bartenders’ Secrets, Summer Cocktails, and Trendy Cocktails & Appetizers. In addition to scheduled classes they also offer one-on-one tutorials, and demonstrations for up to 20 people. They even open their store for private parties on site. From creating the perfect menu to providing host tips to complete event planning, Carl and Peter are at your beck and call. Though not exactly a logical career move for Carl who is a former chemist, opening Cocktail Hour has certainly been a labor of love. Even while immersed in the oil and steel industry, he constantly daydreamed about becoming an entrepreneur. When company layoffs gave him an out, Carl took his severance check and a leap of faith into small business ownership. Now working longer hours for less money, he has never been happier. The Cocktail Hour concept was born from Carl’s New Orleans childhood memories. He grew up in a home where relaxed cocktail parties were the norm. He watched his parents entertain friends and enjoy themselves without the stress of a full-course dinner party. Carl’s aunt, known as a grand dame among New Orleans natives, also regularly entertained with a confidence and poise that eventually inspired him to do the same. Peter was drawn into the business by Carl’s enthusiasm, and a short stint at a friend’s jewelry store. The monotony of corporate life, coupled with a sagging economy, forced Peter to reinvent himself after 23 years in the travel industry. In the midst of deciding what to do next, he accepted a part-time job wrapping gifts at a friend’s jewelry store during the busy holiday season. When he saw the level of satisfaction and pride to be gained from simply helping a customer find the right gift, he was won over to the retail side of life. While both have a penchant for party planning, Carl thrives in the spotlight role while Peter provides more behind-the-scenes artistry. Carl is in his element teaching others the ease of no pressure entertaining in the comfort of their own homes. Meanwhile, Peter spends hours toiling over the correct combination of merchandise (ordered from over 70 vendors) and arranging displays of colorful glassware, candles, serving platters, books and more in a convincing effort to lure casual onlookers into the store. Together, Carl and Peter’s passion has translated into a wildly successful enterprise, growing rapidly by word of mouth since they first opened in November 2003. With their contagious enthusiasm driving such a universally appealing theme -- the “art of the cocktail” -- it is impossible to see them going anywhere but up. Cheers to their fabulous reinvention of the cocktail party! |
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| from top: Carl Rushing and Peter DiLemme; Carl Rushing mixing drinks; Glassware; Menorah; Assorted merchandise. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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