Jamie Peha

A Powerhouse of the Washington Wine Commission Strikes Out in a New Direction

Making things happen is a Jamie Peha specialty. She's made a lot of things happen over the past ten years at the Washington Wine Commission, including growing Taste Washington into the much-anticipated event it is now. So what made her decide to move on? Seattle DINING! takes a look at another “local of interest.”

To appreciate Jamie's love of food and wine, you have to go back to her early family life. Her dad, who owned Ness Flowers in the University District, made dining out a hobby. The family dined out frequently and Jamie loved it. “I saw all these people enjoying themselves and I've always been a people person,” she explains. “When it came time for college, it seemed logical to get a degree in hotel and restaurant management.” Off she went to WSU and, as required, completed her 1000 hours of work within the industry. “I loved it. But I learned that I had a more entrepreneurial spirit and felt that I would be better off in the restaurant world versus the corporate hotel world. I thought it would provide more freedom, growth and, eventually, the knowledge to open my own restaurant.”

At 22, she was the general manager at Casa Lupita in Seattle's Eastlake area. Eventually, she moved on to Restaurants Unlimited and after a short stint at Morgan's Lakeplace and Triples on Lake Union she became the youngest female general manager taking the helm at Stanley and Seafort's in Tacoma.

At this time, Mark Cicourel, the second owner of Casa Lupita, contacted Jamie to let her know he was opening a new restaurant, Streamers, in Seal Beach, California. He asked her to open it with him—she would be in charge of all hiring, training, development, set-up, etc. Sight unseen, she moved to California.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the right concept at the right time. So they reconcepted and opened again. “I learned so much, but it is exhausting to open twice in a year,” laughs Jamie. “I decided to take a year off and be a beach bum. Having always worked, it was too hard not to work, so I started waitressing.” She ended up becoming the maitre'd at a high-end steak and seafood spot in Long Beach called 555 East. Within the year, the owners planned to open a new place in Santa Monica called Ocean Avenue Seafood that eventually became a seven million dollar a year operation. Jamie acted as a business manager, handling systems and back office duties—interviewing, hiring, training, manuals, computer systems. “I was with University Restaurant Group for six years,” says Jamie. “It's a very large company, mostly in California. I realized that I was stimulated by the business and marketing aspects of management.”

Unexpectedly, her father died and Jamie returned home, she thought temporarily, to help run Ness Flowers. She ran the company for a year and did everything, including flower arranging. The company had been in the family for 57 years, but they all agreed it would be best to sell. Jamie returned to California. Within a year, she realized it was much more important to be near family. Her return started a year-and-a-half long career search, during which time she began working at Ray's Boathouse. She handled the front desk reservations, installed a computer system and managed the lunch program. At the end of her research, she had found her true passion—promotions and marketing.

The Washington Wine Commission needed help on the World Vinifera Conference, so Jamie worked with the marketing director for a year (while still waiting tables at Ray's). “I fell in love with the wine industry and really enjoyed representing a group of people who were unified and invested in growth.” She used her operational knowledge, but was also able to do promotion and fundraising. After the conference, she stayed in touch with the Commission and did miscellaneous projects.

One of the projects that came up was the brain child of Penny Rawson, a local PR and wine person and Cynthia Daste of the Wine Commission. Called Taste Washington, it was created as an evening event for the World Vinifera conference. In 1998, Jamie was tasked with turning it into a consumer event. The rest is history—in 2004 as a three-day nationally recognized event more than 4,000 people attended the event at Bell Harbor International Conference Center and Qwest Field Event Center.

Jamie working the 2003 Taste Washington crowd.

She also helped create the Taste Washington national tour series, designed to open markets and distribution channels for wineries. The tour was geared toward trade and media. “We went to at least 40 cities to do grass roots marketing and create a buzz about Washington wines. I was able to do so many things with the Wine Commission, it was a wonderful experience,” says Jamie. “Washington wine has a brilliant future. Ten years ago, there were 80 wineries in the state. As I left the Wine Commission, there were 360.”

After ten years, she felt it was time to move on. As always, Jamie looks for a challenge. Her passions being marketing, promotion and people, she decided to start her own firm, Peha Promotions. Her focus would be on strategic alliances, bringing people and businesses together to promote products. Promotion would be customized to the business/product to drive business and add value. Washington food and wine would be primary, but she was also beginning talks with people in other states and other industries. 

Jamie in food & wine mode with Cynthia Nims, Ernie Pino and Thierry  Rautureau.

That was the plan, anyway. As she started gearing up, she received an offer she couldn't refuse. Tiger Oak Publications, parent company of Seattle Magazine (the very first sponsor for Taste Washington), asked her to be the Director of Promotions and Sales Development. She'll work with all five Tiger Oak publications, doing what she loves and learning a new industry. “I'll keep Peha Promotions alive, but on the back burner. I doubt that I'll have too much extra time on my hands,” laughs Jamie.

The food and wine industry may have lost a very effective voice, but somehow we feel sure that Jamie will be involving wineries and restaurants in promotions she does for the magazines. She can apply her talents anywhere, but she'll never lose the original love of food instilled at such an early age.

Connie Adams/Fall 2005