from hayastan to tallinn

Estonian-based entrepreneur Mike Perdue recounts a “corkscrew” view of how he wove together rugs and booze, and why it (might) matter

Every now and then, you may find yourself in another part of the world. And you may ask yourself, “well, how did I get here?”…

For my fellow globe-trotting entrepreneurs, you might have experienced this yourselves.  Or, if you have good musical taste, you probably recognize these lyrics from the tune ‘Once in a Lifetime’ by The Talking Heads. Regardless, the question posed is as appropriate as it gets for me and no doubt countless others.

I’ve set up businesses all over the world, but have struggled to make sense of my multi-faceted, adventurous journey and how I got here.  So, in this piece I’ve tried to scope this out. I start from the “now” then meander backwards by examining how my foreign-living business ventures have played out. If you're similarly confused about your own path to now, I hope my corkscrew tale will inspire you to find your own common threads.

One part of the “we” who run AFTRWRK Bar in Ulemiste City, my role is visibility. Yes, it is a bar. I AM a bartender, but predominantly a social support worker, on a near-daily basis.

I’m responsible as well for décor in the bar, a charge I take as seriously as breathing. But more of that below.

The business of booze

Right off the bat, let’s get to the ‘business of booze’ angle.

Starting in late 2014 in Riga, a craft beer mecca was birthed. Catching a wave of popularity in the locale and with young urban types, a wide selection of foreign and local beers was the highlight.

In mid 2016 I was approached by an Estonian company who proposed a venture in wholesales of craft beer and sake together in Riga. Signatures gathered, stamps stamped, bank account obtained and Boom!, we had a company in Latvia.

Oh, did I mention we also found a location next to my shop…and started a bar? Yes, that happened as well. You could call them, “heady days.”

Shop and bar clients were surrounded by a colorful ambience of Persian and Caucasian carpets on the floor as well as walls. The hand-stitched Jordanian pillows served as cushions for weddings, parties and various gatherings. These were the “good old days…”

BUT,

A severe local response to the pandemic weighed heavily on us. So, we - like many others in retail - found ourselves exiting the business in Riga.

As luck would have it however, a bar facing similar woes in Tallinn popped onto our radar. And, nearly a year and a half later we are firmly in control of our own destiny in the Tallinn business suburb of Ülemiste City.

A quick overview of our activities involved the buying of the existing OÜ (Limited Liability Co.) and distributing shares amongst our VERY international ownership team: 2 Estonians, 1 Aussie and me, the Yank.

I have my own OÜ company for ownership purposes. But also – and here is where the thread of décor is woven - to handle my physical goods... my carpet friends. 

From my standpoint, the execution of company formation was relatively simple, and I did have the advantage of hands-on help from a local partner.

The Estonian model of creating less hassle in bureaucratic dealings is, in my experience a model of near excellence. It is easier for sure than my previous encounter in the neighboring Baltic country.

Now, what is the state of affairs at AFTRWRK Bar? What makes us “tick??”

Winding back to Riga, our mission there was simple, craft beer imports, retail, and wholesale.

With a few nuanced differences, AFTRWRK pursues a somewhat similar path.

The “booze” in the title, the modus operandi of our bar, comes with other variations on the theme.  Natural qvevri-fermented/aged wines from Georgia, micro-produced beers from Ukraine, even a glimmer of hope our sake import business of yore takes on new life.

An optimal showroom for my undemanding passion

And then, the décor.                 

As stated previously, antique/vintage carpets and kilims (flatweaves) from the Caucasus, Persia, Turkey, Afghanistan and more create the mood. Described by many as creating “a cozy atmosphere”, I liken the articles to pets, just silent and undemanding!

My love affair with carpets has no set date, simply they became part of my consciousness from an early age. What truly began as a hobby first turned the corner in Riga when people DID walk in asking if pieces were for sale.

As it happened, sourcing interesting pieces was something I was literally stumbling upon in some unlikely places. Via a few international auctions a small stock has built up, though most rugs are sourced from a 20+ year friendship with a carpet seller in Tbilisi.

AFTRWRK Bar is an optimal show room, regardless of the fact rarely does someone enter the bar with “rug-buying aforethought!” Our locale is a minor detriment to actual selling, but slowly the word gets out.

At the time of this post, most rug interest and sales have occurred in Latvia. Several rugs have found homes in the USA and locally, just recently we provided 10 carpets on lease to a mindfulness festival on the island of Saaremaa.

From Omaha to Hayastan

Gazing even further back, back to the days spent as a dairy farmer in Iowa, USA, I struck up a friendship with…who else but a merchant of carpets!

Located in Omaha, the shop was a mesmerizing resemblance to photos of a Middle eastern bazaar.  And its name?

The Souq!

It was around this time I was a bit obsessed with the Caucasus region, Armenia in particular. Call it reading history, but I “twisted the arm” of my friend Kirk and off we went to Hayastan, or, Armenia. From there, my interest in the region turned into more of a raging wildfire…but that’s a story or 3 for another time!

Editor's Note: Mike is not only the publican of AFTRWRK; he's also become a great friend to the e-⁠Residency team. Mike has helped AFTRWRK fast become the go-to place for a post-work beverage for public and private sector workers in the vibrant business district of Ülemiste City. Make a visit to AFTRWRK next time you're in Tallinn, and you'll most likely meet at least one member of the e-⁠Residency team, as we consider it a place to meet new friends, relax and unwind after long days of work.