In the beginning, the glass was half empty. Today, Martin's measures success by the bottle.

by Denise Trowbridge, CityLife December 2003

David Martin had one light bulb in his Baronne Street liquor store in May of 1946, and he’d turn it off when there were no customers inside. Martin needed to save every dime to keep his new business afloat, even if it meant re-rolling the register tape so that he could use the other side. Now, taming the line that curls around the racks of neatly arranged Pinot Noir and displays of imported Gouda is no easy task. It’s lunchtime at Martin Wine Cellar, and the 10,000 square-foot store is packed as usual. Business people and neighborhood folks habitually meet here for lunch, nibbling the array daily specials, which range from roasted-shallot and Gorgonzola soup to venison osso bucco.

On six days of any given week, Cedric Martin can be spotted between the aisles checking the inventory of lemon zesters, Tuscan crackers and garlic-jalapeno olives or setting crisp, white-linen napkins on the tables in the wine-tasting room. Martin, the son of Martin Wine Cellar founder David Martin and the company’s current president, like his father, is a hands-on entrepreneur. "We pride ourselves on service, selection, and good advice," he says. His friendly demeanor is not quite as subtle as the sparse strands of gray streaking the black hair at his temples. "We want people to think of Martin Wine Cellar as the food and wine people in New Orleans."

It seems this simple formula for success has worked. Martin Wine Cellar is a staple of New Orleans gourmet food and beverage culture. And with locations in Metairie and Uptown, it has grown from a 12- by 15-foot mom-and-pop corner store into a profitable combination of deli and catering operations, custom gift basket sales and fine wine, liquor and food retailing. But in the early days, there were no long lines of hungry lunch-goers picking up Rueben sandwiches or bottles of Pierre Jouet earmarked for evening entertaining.

David Martin was fresh out of the army when he moved to New Orleans in the 1940s. His parents were milliners who had operated the largest hat-manufacturing business in the South until the Great Depression drove them to bankruptcy. Martin was a born entrepreneur, and with an uncle in the bulk wine business, heading south from Birmingham, Alabama to set up shop on Baronne Street seemed a logical step. On May 24, 1946—the day the store first opened—he sold $24.51 in merchandise, which at the time consisted mostly of cigarettes and Canada Dry soda. In lieu of a cash register, he made change from a Keep Moving-brand cigar box and his first pinched-pennies were spent on new liquor inventory. Then David read his first book about wine, and everything changed—he was on to something.

He hopped a midnight flight to New York City, and by 6 a.m., was knocking on the door of Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd., renowned importers of fine wine. David, dressed in white buck shoes and a tan suit, intended to make a deal. He left with a case of wine and no way to pay for it. According to family lore, Colonel Wildman said: "Anyone who shows up in New York City in the dead of winter wearing white buck shoes has got to be crazy. Pay me when you can."

"In the early 1950s, people didn’t know much about wine," Cedric says. "After World War II, people began to travel to Europe and when they returned home, they wanted to learn more about the foods and wine they had tasted abroad." They came to David Martin, who started a wine club at a time when most people couldn’t even pronounce the names on the bottles. "He was always one step ahead of everyone else, " Cedric says. "My father was an excellent merchandiser. He knew how to find the trends before they happened."

Staying one step ahead of the competition has been an essential element in the longevity and growth of the local food and wine empire. David, on the other hand, credited his success to other factors. "I succeeded because I had a strong back and a weak mind," he said in an interview before his death in 2002. "Anybody who’d go to work seven days a week has got to be crazy."

But David can’t take all of the credit. Cedric joined Martin Wine Cellar officially in 1975, armed with a Bachelor’s degree from LSU, as well as advanced studies in oenology—the science of wine and wine making—from Fresno State University. Before joining the family business, he worked in restaurants. His love of cooking inspired him to start the signature Martin deli department in 1977, with a staff of three. Now, 80 employees work in the deli and catering operations. "It’s given me a lot of headaches," Cedric says, "but it’s been a great success."

The real headache came in the 1980s, when large corporations moved into New Orleans and took over the Martins’ mom-and-pop suppliers. Cedric thought of leaving the family business, too. "The business changed overnight," he says. "Wine and food is a passionate business. I liked knowing the people I buy from and working directly with farmers. When you work with corporations, it’s different. Those people are gone. It’s just no fun."

The company’s darkest hour was in 1985. New Orleans lost most of its oil industry, and Martin Wine Cellar suffered along with the city’s other small businesses. Luckily, they’d hired consultants to streamline their operations a few years prior, which positioned them to weather bad times. And thanks to this new, solid foundation, Martin Wine Cellar was gearing up for two decades of growth. They expanded, opening the Metairie store in 1989. And the ranks of employees have now swelled to more than 225—a far cry from one man, a single light bulb and an empty cigar box.

As for what the future holds, Cedric is full of ideas. He’s not letting any of those secrets loose, but he will share the key that has kept the company going and growing for nearly 50 years. "Ultimately, we just want our employees and customers to be happy," he says.