Latest news with #Buttermilk
Campaign ME
2 days ago
- Business
- Campaign ME
UK-based creator agency Buttermilk expands to MENA region
Buttermilk, a community-driven content creator agency founded in the UK, has expanded its operations to the Middle East with the launch of two offices in Dubai and Riyadh. Driven by the large scale of opportunity the region provides, the move aims to reflect Buttermilk's long-term vision for global growth. The expansion is also motivated by how the Middle East is one of the fastest-growing global markets for luxury, beauty, fashion, sport, and lifestyle – sectors where Buttermilk claims to have a proven track record. 'Dubai and KSA represent two of the most dynamic opportunities in the global creator economy,' said Motez Touqmatchi, Co-Founder, Buttermilk. The growth also aims to build on the agency's experience with high-profile activations and partnerships across the region. Therefore, the expansion marks a shift from project-by-project collaborations to fully operational, on-the-ground hubs. 'Dubai's market is mature, globally connected, and already understands the value of creators – making it a perfect fit for our capabilities in luxury, beauty, and fashion. KSA, meanwhile, is in the midst of an extraordinary transformation, with giga projects and a growing domestic market fuelling demand for new forms of storytelling,' he said. 'As an Arab from this region, this expansion is deeply personal – it's about contributing to the creative industries here in a meaningful way, building long-term partnerships, and supporting the talent shaping the Middle East's future,' he added. Buttermilk has appointed Haneen Bader as MENA Account Director to lead its Dubai office. Her experience includes delivering high-impact, creator-led campaigns for global brands and government entities. 'Having called this region my home for over 25 years has been a privilege,' Bader said on her appointment. 'The Middle East's creativity is rooted in its rich heritage and the hustle of its people. At Buttermilk, we help global brands connect with that energy in an authentic way. I'm proud to grow alongside the talent shaping MENA's future. Bader is supported by a wider leadership team driven by Touqmatchi, and supported by Bashayer Aljanad, who has been with the agency since November and heads the Riyadh office and lead growth in Saudi Arabia. The agency claims its UGC-driven model lets brands scale creator programmes without losing the craft or cultural relevance that makes the work resonate. Since expanding its MENA presence, Buttermilk claims it has continued activating major partnerships across the region. Finally, the agency claims to be working on several upcoming projects that will further showcase its ability to blend global creative standards with regional cultural fluency.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buttermilk seeking city OK to sell specially-branded bourbon at its Naperville restaurant
Buttermilk wants to sell specially-branded bourbon at its Naperville restaurant but needs city approval for a variance and a code amendment before it can proceed, city staff say. Owner Katie Kouvelis took the first step last week when she broached the concept at a meeting of the Naperville Liquor Commission. 'I love bourbon, I love cocktails, and I'd just like to incorporate cocktails in the restaurant,' Kouvelis said in an interview this week. Once Buttermilk can officially sell the specialty spirit, she'd like to start offering a 'featured cocktail' with the liquor. Kouvelis has been thinking about adding specially-branded liquor to the restaurant's repertoire since 2021, she said. The product is the result of a partnership between Buttermilk and Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks, Michigan, she said. The liquor itself is Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon Whiskey, which will be sold in glass bottles etched with the name 'Buttermilk.' When the opportunity to partner with Journeyman arose, Kouvelis traveled to Three Oaks, took a private tour of the distillery and sampled the spirits they produce, she said. Out of those, 'you pick out which one you like and which one you think tastes the best, and then that's your barrel,' Kouvelis said. 'They bottle it up for you, and they put your label etched on the side,' she said. 'So it's your own private barrel.' Buttermilk took home 19 cases with six bottles apiece, Kouvelis said. Ultimately, the hope is to sell the bourbon at not only Buttermilk's Naperville location at 1715 Freedom Drive, but at all of its cafés. That includes Buttermilk's original location in Geneva, which opened in 2015, as well as a Vernon Hills location that opened in 2020 and a soon-to-open café in Downers Grove. Buttermilk has already started to sell the etched bottles in Vernon Hills, according to Kouvelis. A liquor license was granted by the Vernon Hills Liquor Control Commission in December, Vernon Hills Community Development Director Andrew Jennings confirmed in an email Monday. In Naperville, Buttermilk will have to go win the approval of both the Liquor Commission and the Naperville City Council for the Class S1 'Specialty Food and Liquor Shop' license it requires. That license allows for the retail sale of craft beer, wine, craft distilled whiskey or small batched whiskey in its original package for off-site consumption, code states. Buttermilk will need a text amendment to city code increasing the number of available S1 licenses, currently capped at one. The existing license is held by Tasting deVine Cellars in downtown Naperville, according to city staff. They also need a variance in the on-premise requirements stipulated in an S1 license, which state that 'not less than 40% of the premises shall be designated for the sale of specialty foods.' While Buttermilk pursues approvals, Kouvelis is already thinking about where the restaurant can go from here. 'I actually had dinner with my liquor reps (last week), and I was like, so what's next? What can we do?' said Kouvelis, who is also considering nonalcoholic products. 'We're hoping to get into a lot of retail, not just with liquor,' she said. They may branch out into selling 'swag,' she said, and could 'get into manufacturing as well.' As they head into their 10th anniversary, 'we're going to start pushing franchising and hopefully (start) expanding outside the Midwest,' Kouvelis said. tkenny@
Chicago Tribune
11-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Buttermilk seeking city OK to sell specially-branded bourbon at its Naperville restaurant
Buttermilk wants to sell specially-branded bourbon at its Naperville restaurant but needs city approval for a variance and a code amendment before it can proceed, city staff say. Owner Katie Kouvelis took the first step last week when she broached the concept at a meeting of the Naperville Liquor Commission. 'I love bourbon, I love cocktails, and I'd just like to incorporate cocktails in the restaurant,' Kouvelis said in an interview this week. Once Buttermilk can officially sell the specialty spirit, she'd like to start offering a 'featured cocktail' with the liquor. Kouvelis has been thinking about adding specially-branded liquor to the restaurant's repertoire since 2021, she said. The product is the result of a partnership between Buttermilk and Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks, Michigan, she said. The liquor itself is Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon Whiskey, which will be sold in glass bottles etched with the name 'Buttermilk.' When the opportunity to partner with Journeyman arose, Kouvelis traveled to Three Oaks, took a private tour of the distillery and sampled the spirits they produce, she said. Out of those, 'you pick out which one you like and which one you think tastes the best, and then that's your barrel,' Kouvelis said. 'They bottle it up for you, and they put your label etched on the side,' she said. 'So it's your own private barrel.' Buttermilk took home 19 cases with six bottles apiece, Kouvelis said. Ultimately, the hope is to sell the bourbon at not only Buttermilk's Naperville location at 1715 Freedom Drive, but at all of its cafés. That includes Buttermilk's original location in Geneva, which opened in 2015, as well as a Vernon Hills location that opened in 2020 and a soon-to-open café in Downers Grove. Buttermilk has already started to sell the etched bottles in Vernon Hills, according to Kouvelis. A liquor license was granted by the Vernon Hills Liquor Control Commission in December, Vernon Hills Community Development Director Andrew Jennings confirmed in an email Monday. In Naperville, Buttermilk will have to go win the approval of both the Liquor Commission and the Naperville City Council for the Class S1 'Specialty Food and Liquor Shop' license it requires. That license allows for the retail sale of craft beer, wine, craft distilled whiskey or small batched whiskey in its original package for off-site consumption, code states. Buttermilk will need a text amendment to city code increasing the number of available S1 licenses, currently capped at one. The existing license is held by Tasting deVine Cellars in downtown Naperville, according to city staff. They also need a variance in the on-premise requirements stipulated in an S1 license, which state that 'not less than 40% of the premises shall be designated for the sale of specialty foods.' While Buttermilk pursues approvals, Kouvelis is already thinking about where the restaurant can go from here. 'I actually had dinner with my liquor reps (last week), and I was like, so what's next? What can we do?' said Kouvelis, who is also considering nonalcoholic products. 'We're hoping to get into a lot of retail, not just with liquor,' she said. They may branch out into selling 'swag,' she said, and could 'get into manufacturing as well.' As they head into their 10th anniversary, 'we're going to start pushing franchising and hopefully (start) expanding outside the Midwest,' Kouvelis said.
