Some customers call it “Fairhope’s living room.” Provision in Fairhope, the coffee, food, wine and home goods destination opened by William and Elisabeth Hanes in May 2020, grew out of a single weekend of luxury hospitality, years of training at one of the country’s most celebrated resorts and a willingness to open a new business in the middle of a pandemic. In an interview in October 2022, William Hanes described how the couple built a place designed around what he called “peak excellence and peak comfort.”
The Haneses’ story runs from a Christian ranch in Northern California to the Tennessee foothills and back to William’s hometown of Mobile before landing on the Eastern Shore. Along the way, the couple picked up lessons in service, leadership and business that shaped the way Provision operates.
A Weekend at the Ritz Changed the Plan
William and Elisabeth met while both were working as counselors at J.H. Ranch, a remote Christian retreat on about 1,000 acres near Etna, California. At the time, William was a student at Auburn University and Elisabeth attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas. The long-distance relationship led to marriage soon after college.
In their first year of marriage, the couple decided to go on an adventure. After weighing their options, they enrolled in Bethel School of Ministry in Redding, California, which William described as a life skills program taught from a biblical perspective for people who were not planning to become professional ministers. The year was austere. They lived with eight housemates on meager wages.
Then came a weekend at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco with Elisabeth’s parents. The contrast with their crowded house in Redding was stark, and it left a lasting impression. “It showed us how impactful hospitality can be,” William says. That weekend inspired the couple to pursue opening a hotel of their own someday.
Learning From Blackberry Farm
To learn the business, the Haneses moved to Tennessee and worked out an arrangement with Blackberry Farm, the renowned luxury resort in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, to work a stint in every department. Blackberry Farm is known nationally for its food, wine program and highly personalized service, making it an unusually rigorous classroom for aspiring hoteliers.
“It was an invaluable experience,” William says. “We learned a lot of truisms while there.” One of them stuck with him: “Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest until the good is better and the better is best!”
The couple worked at Blackberry Farm together for two years.
A Detour Into Politics and Telecom
Their plans shifted when William’s uncle, Sandy Stimpson, told the family he had decided to run for mayor of Mobile. William persuaded Elisabeth to move to Mobile, his hometown, and committed himself to helping with the campaign. Stimpson won the mayor’s race in 2013. “I felt honored to work with an amazing leader like Sandy,” William says.
After the election, William approached Andy Newton, founder of Southern Light, the Mobile-based fiber optic network company, and told him he wanted to work in government affairs for the rapidly expanding firm. The two quickly worked out the details, and William ran the company’s newly created government affairs office for six years, through the eventual acquisition of Southern Light by Uniti Group.
“These were two tremendous experiences,” William says. “Working with these great leaders shaped and molded me. I often think of them when working through various management conundrums.”
Opening in the Middle of Covid
Eventually the Haneses decided the time had come to pursue the service and hospitality business they had dreamed about. Doors started opening, space in Fairhope became available, and they began raising capital. Provision opened in May 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic was in full swing and restaurants across Alabama were only beginning to reopen dining rooms under health restrictions. “There was no turning back at that point,” William says.
The concept was well received, but the timing made it hard to manage. “People were so receptive to the Provision concept, yet it was difficult to manage during Covid,” William says. Customers reacted to the daily news about whether to go out or stay home.
“Provision is a mesh of everything we love,” he says. “Elisabeth loves elements of design and home goods. We both wanted nice wines, good food, and coffee. We wanted to provide peak excellence and peak comfort.”
By 2022, William said the business model had stayed true to itself, with an inviting lounge area and a wine selection that had grown deeper. Provision also hosts many private events, including bridal showers, rehearsal dinners and corporate parties.
A “Funky” Wine Program
Wine has been central to Provision from the start. The Haneses brought on Christina Quick at the beginning to run the wine department. As wine director, she curates all the wine the business sells and has created several wine clubs that specialize in unique, rare and well-crafted wines from around the world.
“Our wine selection is funky,” William says. “We want to treat people to unusual offerings from all over the world that you probably have never heard of or tasted. Wine dinners and tasting are an amazing way to learn about wine.”
Provision offers fully paired wine dinners, and in 2022 the Haneses were excited to welcome Executive Chef Will Hughes to the team.
The couple also took the wine program on the road. At the time of the 2022 interview, they had led a trip every year to The Swag, an upscale boutique hotel in the mountains near Waynesville, North Carolina, close to the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “We buy out the 20-room hotel for three nights, bring in a Master Sommelier or wine expert, and host three wine tastings a day,” William says. The trips sold out quickly, and the couple said they were planning to add a trip to Oregon vineyards the following year.
For readers unfamiliar with the title, a Master Sommelier is someone who has passed the notoriously difficult final examination of the Court of Master Sommeliers, which covers wine theory, blind tasting and service. Only a few hundred people worldwide have earned it, which gives some sense of the level of expertise the Haneses aimed to bring to their guests.
“Wine can be intimidating,” William says. “We want an approachable program where people can enjoy and learn.”
Breakfast, Lunch and Family Meals
Food and coffee anchor the daily rhythm at Provision. Breakfast and lunch are both busy, and coffee is a huge part of the business. Among the most popular breakfast items are the West Indies Avocado Toast and the Breakfast Biscuit.
In 2022, Provision had recently started offering family takeaway meals prepared by Will Hughes, who is known for his catering fare. At the time, the meals fed four to six people for $45, with the menu published every Wednesday. Prices and offerings may have changed since, so readers should check with Provision for current details.
William said the business was evolving as the market demanded. “We want to be a destination. We wanted to create a nice lounge area for our guests.” There always seems to be a good crowd throughout the day. Several groups schedule meetings there, and the wine bar can be busy at 2 in the afternoon.
Part of Fairhope’s Downtown Character
Provision is part of a downtown that has long prized locally owned businesses. Fairhope was founded in 1894 as a single-tax colony, an experiment based on the economic ideas of Henry George, and the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation still holds land in the city today. Over the decades, the bluff-top town on Mobile Bay’s Eastern Shore has become known for its flower-lined streets, its municipal pier, its arts festival and a walkable downtown filled with independent shops, galleries and restaurants.
That setting suits a business built around lingering. Coffee in the morning, meetings over lunch, a glass of wine in the afternoon and a private dinner in the evening all fit the pattern of a town where residents and visitors alike tend to stroll, stop and stay awhile.
What Surprised the Owners
Asked what had surprised him most, William pointed to the people. “It’s rewarding to see people experience the business differently based on their passions,” he says. “I love working with Elisabeth. We’re fortunate in that we work well together, and Provision has become a part of our family culture. We’ve been super fortunate to have such an amazing team. We also have the most interesting customers, many of whom have become close friends.”
What Visitors Should Know
- What it is: A combination coffee shop, cafe, wine bar, wine retailer and home goods shop in Fairhope.
- Private events: Provision hosts bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, corporate parties and other gatherings; William Hanes handles private event scheduling.
- Wine programs: Wine clubs, paired wine dinners, tastings and wine trips have all been part of the offerings. Check Provision’s website for upcoming programs.
- Current details: Menus, meal programs and pricing change over time, so confirm current offerings directly with the business.
From a crowded house in Redding to a lounge that regulars treat as a second living room, the Haneses have built Provision around the lesson they took from that weekend in San Francisco: hospitality, done well, leaves an impression that lasts.