Vin’tij Celebrates 25 Years
Grand Boulevard restaurant owner remains thankful to steadfast customer base
When thinking about how to celebrate 25 years of business, Todd Reber, owner of Vin’tij Food & Wine, didn’t envision a grand party that focused on himself. Instead, he wanted to turn the thank you toward his loyal patrons.
For 20 of those years, Vin’tij was tucked into a strip mall on Highway 98 in Miramar Beach. Still, its audience found it. In 2018, an opportunity to relocate to Grand Boulevard presented itself that Reber described as “striking the lottery of locations.” The steadfast supporters followed, and new fans were made with the increased visibility the Grand Boulevard location provided.
“Seeing the same faces walking through the door after 25 years, and knowing how they like their food or what their preferred wine is, is an irreplaceable feeling as a restaurant owner,” Reber said. “Which is why, to thank them for all these years, I like to have personal interactions and acknowledgements of thanks — like sending out wine to toast with or a sampling of a dish they haven’t tried.”
In addition, Reber’s focus on exceptional customer service for the past 25 years has prompted him to recently launch a new online ordering system with curbside pick-up from 11 a.m.–7 p.m. and a special delivery service to the Sandestin Resort. Reber utilizes trained staff members as delivery drivers to ensure his patrons receive good customer service and also prompt delivery of high-quality cuisine made by Chef Ignacio Bernal.
Reber’s wife, Sabrina, also works closely with Chef Ignacio to create thoughtfully prepared vegan and gluten-free dishes that are healthy, hearty and flavorful. Their vegan and gluten-free Lucky Bowl has become one of the most requested dishes on their menu. Abundant with a variety of roasted vegetables and seasoned quinoa rice, it is popular with vegans and meat eaters alike. They also work together to make sure they have allergy-friendly options on their seasonal holiday menus, private parties and wine dinners. Sabrina’s creative vegan and gluten-free desserts are also a must try!
While guests to the restaurant keep it thriving, it’s the staff that keep the service exceptional, ensuring people return to repeat the experience. Reber credits his staff, including many who have been with the restaurant over 10 years, for exceeding customer expectations and making it a wonderful place to walk into each day for the past 25 years. Reber specifically credits Chef Ignacio Bernal for being his right-hand man, creative counterpart and a driving reason as to why palettes are constantly pleased.
Coinciding with the opening at Grand Boulevard, Bernal joined the Vin’tij team and quickly became Reber’s partnering Chef. Since 2018, he has diversified the menu’s flavor profiles and leaned further into supporting local farmers, food purveyors and Gulf Coast seafood providers.
“I grew up cooking and from a young age sought the freshest ingredients in my work,” Bernal said. “I appreciate that at Vin’tij, I’m encouraged to have freedom and creativity to change the menu seasonally, based on the freshest offerings.”
Being a restaurant that focuses heavily on wine, Bernal and Reber can promise that the menu offerings are paired with intention to the impressive wine list. Reber has long held an interest in the mingling of food and wine, having worked in the culinary industry for over 35 years.
His restaurant roster includes notable names such as the Governors Club in Tallahassee and Bud & Alley’s in Seaside. It was at the wine and food pairing meetings at Bud & Alley’s that Reber first realized wine was not a separate component, rather an intricate complement to the meal.
This sentiment has carried him through the years as he guides patrons through the food menu, selects their perfect pours and watches their faces alight as they realize he was exactly right.
