Saltwater Wine has now also received industry recognition by taking out the Visa Australian Independent Retailer of the Year as well as the Store Fit Out of the Year Award at the 2014 Australian Retail Awards last week hosted by the Australian Retailers Association.

Saltwater Wine and Stormriders owner Anthony Wilson said the awards were a testament to the 110 staff across his 10 stores, warehouse and head office. He added the Horton Street shop fit-out, which spans a massive 720m2, includes an espresso cafe and more than 300 boards, is a tribute to the vision of his team, architect and shopfitter.

"Winning the independent retailer of the year is just really good recognition for our team here in Port Macquarie and across all of our other stores," Mr Wilson, who has owned and expanded the successful business franchice since 1989, said.

"We worked really hard to create a destination. We wanted to capture the feel of a surf shack while using the existing elements of the building."

He attributes much of the business' success to getting the internal operations of the franchise right and that comes down to a large degree to employing the right staff.

During peak trade, Saltwater Wine and its sister business Stormriders, employs up to 110 local people across 10 stores, six of which have been opened in the last four years. The next store will open for business in Armidale in September.