Jim Coley
Sobriety Date: 4/1/19
Jim Coley discovered many of the joys and pitfalls of the wine trade working for a specialty retailer in Princeton, NJ, before striking out for the West. He landed in Kansas City in 2001 and has been there ever since, working in retail, and overseeing one of the largest wine restaurants in the country. In 2014 he opened a small Champagne bar, Ça Va. Despite his love for both wine and the business, he found himself struggling with alcoholism and the issues that are associated with addiction. On April 1st, 2019 (no fooling), he woke up and decided that his last drink was really going to be his last drink. In February of 2020, he assumed a role as one of the leaders of Ben's Friends in Kansas City. Despite no longer imbibing, he still loves the restaurant and the wine business, and hopes once COVID passes to open new ventures in his adopted hometown.