Get to KNOW Danielle Evans: TAMPA SPOTLIGHT
In 2012, Danielle Evans founded Don Me Now, a women’s contemporary boutique in historic Hyde Park Village where the focus was personally styling clients. Six years later, the boutique relocated to the ever-evolving Channel District & added a sparkling feature to give clients the ultimate shopping experience…a champagne bar. Launched in February 2018, Bubbly Barchique is the country’s first retail/sparkling wine hybrid concept & Tampa’s first champagne bar. Danielle’s husband & co-founder, Graham manages the bar side while her focus remains the retail buying, styling, consulting & event planning. From ladies nights to birthdays, bachelorettes to charities and everything in between, the boutique hosts 3-4 events a week and throws a smashing “Bubbly Hour” daily 4-7:00 pm. The couples’ clientele is invited to slow down, grab a glass and sift the racks with friends. They couldn’t be more thrilled to offer guests a place where they can POP. SIP. SHOP anytime!
We asked Danielle to share FIVE FUN FACTS in order to get to KNOW her better:
1. I started to make my clothes in my early 20s when I couldn’t find what I was looking for & wanted to emulate the looks I saw in magazines & music videos.
2. I have an obsession with mid century vintage fur & sequin garments…unique colors, patterns, anything that screams Studio54 is coming home with me. BACK STORY: Back in college my vintage store & thrifting days were a plenty.
3. American pride brings me to tears. BACK STORY: I discovered patriotism in 2001 as many Americans did. I campaigned for President 43, George W. Bush & began to find a love for America I never knew before.
4. The notes in my phone hold over 50 ideas for business ventures I’d like to pursue one day.
Backstory: Entrepreneur? Not me?! In 2012 when Don Me Now was launched, I would have never called myself an entrepreneur…I was simply a boutique owner. That lasted a hot minute because I was hooked & got the bug for more. Hence, Bubbly Barchique our hybrid concept of the champagne bar within the boutique & the first in the country! I’m so intrigued by what’s going on with the landscape of retail at this time & have an itch to be a contributing force to the next steps. Stay tuned.
5. When we aren’t working, my husband & I are soaking up sun. BACK STORY: Some people find zen in self therapy, massages, shopping, yoga…for me, its a glass of rose in hand, good tunes, lounging by the pool or on a beach someplace.
What does female empowerment mean to you?
Female empowerment doesn’t feel like something that has affected me simply because I’m a female business owner, I experienced it first hand growing up. I watched my mother lose her job and become a single mother all in one year. She raised my sister and I while going back to school to earn a degree, start a new career and send both of us to college. Before I could even fathom what direction my life would go in and that I would own a business one day, I was inspired by what my mom had done for us. Not only was I raised to work hard but I absorbed her strength, courage, dignity, faith, kind heartedness and so much more which has been fueling me ever since. I watched her rise from the ashes so failure doesn’t exist in my mind…shifting gears, taking a different path & changing lanes is more my speed. I don’t believe women can fail now or ever, they’ve got grace on their side and no one is holding them back but themselves.
Amazing accomplishments to KNOW:
We were honored to sit on the panel for the Downtown Development Forum & speak on behalf of retail in the Downtown Tampa footprint. As a part of the committee for the Special Services District for Tampa’s Downtown, we are so grateful to weigh in on the development to our amazing city. We were recently featured in Tampa Downtown Magazines – Tampa Confidential where we got to share a bit of our background & what its like to be the first retailer in Channel District. It was an honor to be nominated this year for Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay for the 5th year & TBBJ’s 40 Under 40 for the 2nd year.
They also recently launched their new ONLINE Store:
In a world of the ever changing retail environment, we’re simply keeping up (thus our hybrid concept, retail boutique & champagne bar). We believe in experiential shopping, giving our clients an experience especially with the so called “retail apocalypse” and this means we are constantly exploring new opportunities. We typically host 3-4 events per week to meet the demands of our clientele and that can be anything from private parties, DIY classes, tastings and more. Recently, we’ve even added an online store where clients can shop online at their convenience and have items shipped or pick up locally in store. With the integration of what instagram offers for businesses now, this has been a game changer for us!
For more about Danielle + Bubbly Barchique, connect with her on:
Instagram: @donmenow
Website: www.donmenow.com
You can find Danielle on page 41 of KNOW Tampa Volume 1.