Former industrial sales rep opens Twig’s Cellar

Twig Munro

When Twig Munro decided she wanted to own a restaurant, she did her homework. In fact, she studied every tome she could get her hands on that would instruct her in opening a noshery.

“I read every book the Boise Public Library had on operating a restaurant,” Munro said. Now, she’s the proprietor of Twig’s Cellar, a wine-and-dine establishment in the lower level of 816 W. Bannock St. in downtown Boise.

Of course, it takes a little more than book smarts to start a restaurant. Munro took out an equity line of credit on her home; she also has plenty of self-confidence.

“I’ve never been scared about opening this restaurant, not even in this economic climate. I believe in the concept, myself and my team,” she said. “It’s really different when you believe in yourself. You have no fear.”

The concept revolves around cozy, intimate dining with beautiful music in the background. The team includes her son, Rob Fiero, 23, who serves as bartender and wine buyer; John Feezor, 23, chef; and kitchen and serving staff that occasionally includes Munro’s daughter.

Twig’s Cellar held a soft opening the day after Thanksgiving 2009 - soft opening meaning “all my friends showed up,” Munro said. An official opening was held Jan. 12. Since then, according to Munro, business has been brisk.

“I did a business plan and said, ‘This is the way it should go.’ And that’s the way it’s going,” she said.

Though she stated she has customers from 21 to 91, her original target group were the baby boomers - “people who appreciate intimate conversation, fine wine, good food, good friends, and music,” Munro said.

A sampling of the menu items at Twig’s Cellar includes: a “Small Bites” category that features foods such as Fromage et Fruits (cheese and fruit), Potato Twigs (shaved potatoes served with blueberry catsup), and a Braised Satay Trio (meat morsels flavored with herbs and spices); salads, pizzas, and desserts meant for the fine-dining palate; and, of course, libations.

“Rob knows a good wine,” Munro said. Like his mother, he is an autodidact, having taught himself about wine in part by reading Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide, the definitive work on what’s good in grape-based spirits.

Munro, Fiero and Feezor spent all of last summer tasting wine and cooking food, trying to come up with the best menu selections possible. “It was a great summer,” Munro said.

The lowest-priced item is a Chocolat Bar Bite for $1.50, while some of the “Small Bites” plates sell for $7 up to $12. But it’s the wine list that offers the greatest choice, both in price and selection. Glasses of wine sell for $5.50 a glass up to $18 a glass; wine by the bottle goes for $15 up to $500. The varieties are extensive.

Munro spent 35 years as an industrial sales representative in Tennessee, California, and eventually Idaho. She worked for 25 years for Motion Industries and 11 years for Rexnord Corporation. She sold bearings, conveyors, chains, motors and more, she said.

She spent a lot of time on airplanes, away from home and family, and ultimately decided she needed a more grounded life. That’s when she entered what she calls her “George Plimpton phase” after the author who tried and wrote about a number of diverse careers.

She sold signs for Idaho Electric Signs and furniture for Dick Ennis. But the weak economy took its toll on both those jobs and she was laid off. The economic climate also affected her son, who was let go from Edward Jones, and Feezor, who lost his job at a Sandpoint wine bar when it shut down.

Admitting she was tired of giving employers all her time, she decided to try starting her own business; failure and frustration were never options. “The whole idea is to have fun, and we’re having a ball,” she said.

Twig’s Cellar is open Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. until closing. The kitchen is open late on Friday and Saturday nights. Munro is advertising largely through word of mouth and the strength of her own personality.

She has, she said, gone up to couples on the street who look like they’d enjoy what she’s got to offer at Twig’s Cellar, extended an invitation to give it a try, and handed them a certificate for a free drink.

When people enter the establishment, they’re warmly welcomed. Munro stops by each table in turn and briefly talks to each patron. “I greet every single person who comes in,” she said.

For more information, call (208) 344-8944 or visit www.twigscellar.com.

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