Pirouette Cafe and Wine Shop

ARLINGTON, VA

Husband and wife team Philippe and Jackie Loustaunau hired Pedal to make their dream of owning a neighborhood wine bar and store a reality. They didn't have prior restaurant experience, but they brought their passion, entrepreneurial experience and deep knowledge of wine to the First Location Program. Sheila helped the team take their business plan from good to great, and Abby used it to WOW a sophisticated institutional landlord, who in turn offered them a great deal on a corner space with a large outdoor patio just two blocks from their own home.

Today, Pirouette is an upscale, approachable wine shop and cafe in Ballston, VA featuring a unique selection of high quality wines and modern French bites ranging from small plates to entrees and has been recognized for their food, wine program and hospitality.

[Pedal has] broken down a lot that we would never know. There's no way we could have known how to enter the commercial real estate world as tenants. We would have gotten a bad deal, or, maybe more likely, had doors politely shut in our faces.

JACKIE LOUSTAUNAU, OWNER