Amanda Atler is living her dream. Maricopa residents, and those who travel from out of town to visit Mandy’s Wine Bar, are the beneficiaries.

If the words “wine bar” conjure up perceptions of snobby staff and a pretentious atmosphere, you wouldn’t be alone. The New York Times recently reported more Gen Z and Millennials — that’s Atler’s generation — visit wine bars for the “vibes” than for the vino.
But the reality of Mandy’s couldn’t be further from that common viewpoint. The phrase “Where Community Gathers,” after all, is affixed to the door front as you enter and at the centerpiece of Atler’s business plan.

“This has definitely been a dream come true for me,” said Atler, 41, who named the business Mandy’s as a way of welcoming all into her inner circle of friends. “We want to make it easy for people to be here. I would say not a day goes by when I don’t observe a person who walks in here and recognizes someone they know. People have met others here and become friends with them.”

The hosts of the popular VinePair podcast bemoaned some of the industry traditions in a January episode — sommeliers tasting the wine you order, and bottles being kept stowed away behind closed doors.

“There’s nothing pretentious about the wine or the atmosphere here,” Atler confirmed. “It’s just the opposite. One of my favorite sommeliers has a term I like to steal: Wine should be fun and approachable.”

Fun and approachable do not mean a reduction in quality. Atler travels the U.S. and internationally to personally source wines. The wine options at Mandy’s are expansive and constantly evolving — and the feedback she receives from customers plays a key role in future additions.

Customers like Patrick McCobb, 73, a Province resident who was taking his wife to dinner on Valentine’s Day when he told reporters he liked the “laid-back atmosphere,” in contrast with other wine bars.

“They have good food and great, very personable service,” McCobb said.

Not your daddy’s watering hole
Today’s wine bar, unlike some in the past, involves more flavors and vintages — variety is a must to attract today’s younger consumers, Atler said.

A 2023 Gallup poll found over half of Americans ages 18 to 34 viewed having one or two drinks a day as bad for their health. That, compared with 39% ages 35 to 55 expressing similar sentiments and just one-fourth of Americans over 55 worried about having a drink or two.

While the younger generations may be concerned about drinking, they’re no less interested in in drinking culture, per se. CGA, a leading research and consultancy for the food and beverage industry, reported that higher percentages of so-called “Zillennials” expect to increase their visits to wine bars and similar venues. In other words, they’re looking for that “next cool place to go,” whether it involves having a drink or not — like the Times concluded.

Mandy’s meets their needs, and those of others, in various ways. Craft cocktails and coffees, as well as a cold beer on tap, are available at Maricopa’s newest gathering spot.

Then there is the nourishment to accompany the drinks.

“It just doesn’t have to be all about the wine,” Atler said. “Here in Arizona, there tend to be more food options at wine bars. But my concept changed. At first, I thought this would be more of a wine tasting room with small bites to eat, but because Maricopa was lacking more of the sit-down restaurants, it was more important for Mandy’s to offer a full menu.”

It’s a Mediterranean-inspired concept with “our own take” on dishes from Spain, Italy, Greece, France and Lebanon. Atler added that as much work as possible is done in-house with dressings, sauces and more made from scratch.

Mandy’s Family Lasagna is among the best sellers. The recipe was passed down by Atler’s mother, who works occasionally as a taste tester for the novel restaurant to “make sure the customer favorite it still hitting the mark.” Vegetable lasagna with roasted poblano peppers and wild mushroom cauliflower orzo are also popular, along with homemade pizzas. The dough and sauce are produced in-house on a daily basis.

The variety is paying off, Atler reported.

“Being such a unique, new restaurant to Maricopa, we’re appealing to a wide range of ages. There’s an earlier crowd, then it shifts a little a bit later,” Atler shared. “We have hosted 21st birthday parties to 80th birthday parties, as well as anniversaries. We have books clubs and golfers who come in regularly.”

Groups from Casa Grande, Ahwatukee, Chandler and Peoria are among the regular visitors. Few Maricopa restaurants can say they attract out-of-towners.

Mandy’s outdoor patio has only become more popular with the recent addition of live music every other Sunday (and a few other pop-up performances) increasing the sense of community.

Atler described it as a “really cool environment” with more offerings on the way.

Just the beginning
The road to Mandy’s Wine Bar was a long and thoughtful one. The initial period of business, from August until now, has been both a sprint and a marathon.

“I oftentimes feel it’s already been four to five months,” Atler admits, “but then later in the day I think it’s only been four to five months. I took a leap in betting on myself, and it’s been such a wonderful experience.”

But the best is yet to come.

Atler said she intends to host more private events and incorporate more educational aspects through culinary classes, wine dinners with industry experts and more. An additional license to sell bottles on a retail basis is in the works, which will supplement other gift items and lead to the establishment of a Wine Club.

“We will slowly introduce more and more fun things. Not everything can happen all at once. We have to do things in a quality way,” Atler said.

Mandy’s was recently named the 2024 New Member of the Year by the Maricopa Chamber of Commerce. Atler credited her staff, currently numbering 20, for their professionalism and passion. Patti Coutré, a longtime member of the Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board, is one of the employees who greeted reporters for dinner Jan. 31.

She said working as a hostess at the wine room is a great way to keep busy and engage with the community. That evening, the Governing Board President Robert Downey was dining there, giving similar praise from the other side of the menu.

“We have an amazing team here. It makes my heart so happy,” Atler concluded. “They believe in what we are trying to do. They come in on their day off, they stay after their shift and have a meal or a drink with their friends. They love it here and are proud of the wine bar.”

Pouring a glass of business in Maricopa

Atler was born to be an entrepreneur, it seems. But it took a few experiences along the way to lead her entrepreneurial spirit to the wine bar concept.

A native of the Seattle area — “wine tasting rooms are on almost every corner,” she says — Atler enjoyed the wine culture while she worked 17 years in sales and marketing for the aerospace giant Boeing.

“My work at Boeing was all customer relations based. It was identifying issues or inefficiencies and helping make things better; finding solutions,” she said. “In business, wine and food bring people together. As people, we have so much more in common than our differences.”

Some of Atler’s work involved international travel. Often, she would remain in new cities for a few extra days, doing some exploring on her own. Her already strong interest in wine was only enhanced.

“I just fell in love with the geography of vineyards. Are they located next to mountains that hold the clouds back and affect the taste of the wine?” she offered as an example.
Atler’s parents moved to Maricopa in 2017, resulting in her occasional visits here from the Pacific Northwest.

“We always wanted a place to go for a glass of wine or small bites but there wasn’t one,” Atler reiterated.

The thought process that became Mandy’s started in 2019 when she began wondering what she would do if she left the corporate world. When the coronavirus pandemic hit a year later, she completed a full market study on Maricopa and how a wine bar could help solve a shortcoming for the city.

She said she was struck by the projected growth rates and the demographics that revealed a median age of 33 — a Millennial age that’s younger than 153 Arizona cities and towns. And, if the New York Times is to be believed, the perfect age for wine-bar customers.
Atler bought her house in Rancho El Dorado in late 2021. She worked with local architects and designers for several years, finding the right location at the Maricopa Grand Professional Village on the north side of town.

And the rest is history.

“The city of Maricopa had a need,” Atler said. “To fulfill that, and to maintain and continue what we are doing, we had to be very thoughtful from the beginning.”