The Colony EDC Presents Business Improvement Grant (BIG) to Simply Unwine

From left, Diane Lemmons, Business Retention and Expansion Manager, and Keri Samford, Executive Director of Development for The Colony Economic Development Corporation with Whitney Adams, co-owner of Simply Unwine.

From left, Diane Lemmons, Business Retention and Expansion Manager, and Keri Samford, Executive Director of Development for The Colony Economic Development Corporation with Whitney Adams, co-owner of Simply Unwine.

The Colony Economic Development Corporation concluded its 25th Anniversary year by awarding its Business Improvement Grant (BIG) to four local businesses including Simply Unwine in December 2023.

Founded in 2022 by Whitney Adams and Aairika Kelly, Simply Unwine is not just a wine bar and restaurant—it’s a concept born from the shared desire to decompress and unwind,” explains Diane Lemmons, Business Retention and Expansion Manager of The Colony EDC.

“Whitney and Aairika, who regularly met to relax at various restaurants and bars, envisioned creating a space where people could hang out and unwind after a long day. Turning this vision into reality, they decided to carve a niche by spotlighting minority-owned beverage brands and businesses.”

“Since becoming part of The Colony community, Simply Unwine has experienced overwhelming support, said Whitney.  “Thanks to this grant, we’ve been able to acquire the exterior sign crucial for our establishment.”

“We are deeply grateful for this assistance and thrilled to offer the community a new haven for relaxation, featuring an array of exciting minority-owned wines,” said Aairika.

Simply Unwine is located at 5701 SH 121, Suite 110. Watch for the Grand Opening announcement and other updates at simplyunwinetx.com.

BIG was established in 2018 to help local businesses improve the exterior of their facilities by offering annual matching grants of up to $2,500 for signage, facade, landscaping and other visual upgrade projects. Businesses can receive one grant per year.

“The program has been so successful with many businesses applying for assistance on an annual basis that The Colony EDC Board of Directors raised the original grant ceiling from $1,000 to $2,500,” said Keri Samford, Executive Director of Development. “These consistent investments not only benefit the businesses, but the quality of our entire community.”