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Employees of Gilbert wine bar out of work after car slams into business

Tracy Wallace, the owner of Peacock Wine and Book Bar, says people were on the patio less than an hour before a car crashed into her business.

GILBERT, Ariz. — Tracy Wallace was working with some of her employees in the back of Peacock Wine and Book Bar in Gilbert Friday afternoon when she remembers hearing squealing. 

"Then we hear crashing and then all of a sudden, the car is in the window," Wallace, the owner of the wine bar, said. 

Pictures show a grey sedan crashed into her front window. Part of the car was inside Wallace's business and the rest was on the patio where she usually has seating. 

A Gilbert police spokesperson tells 12News a 21-year-old driver crashed into Peacock Wine and Book Bar around 3 p.m. The good news: no one was hurt. 

Credit: Tracy Wallace

"I'm just really, really glad that all the people that were on our patio about 40 minutes before that were gone. And that we didn't have anybody in the bar either. It's probably the only time I'm really glad that we were not busy," Wallace said. 

Wallace opened the wine bar in 2019, and six months later, had to close for six months because of the pandemic. 

The inside is full of teals and purples, built out with a wall of wine behind the bar. 

"I just like making this place pretty," Wallace said. 

The wine bar is what Wallace describes as her "passion project", adding the books along the journey of growing her business. 

Wallace said the wine bar had a decent 2022, but 2023 was something else. 

"This year has just been really bad," Wallace said of 2023. "Every month is down, I don't have any months that we were at or above what we did in '22." 

Wallace has had the wine bar closed since Friday's crash, so her 10 employees didn't get to work the holiday weekend. 

"I think just today I've realized that we're either going to make it or not," Wallace said. 

Credit: 12News

Right now, plywood and two-by-fours stand where Peacock Wine and Book Bar's window and door to the patio were just a few days ago. 

Wallace said she's not sure yet what her insurance is going to cover, and has a GoFundMe to help her employees and other costs. 

"I'm just doing everything that I can do to remain a viable business here in Gilbert," Wallace said. 

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