Upon leaving college and the study of Greek and Latin, Proal re-located to Key West, where he was quickly smitten by the restaurant "bug". In 1978, at the age of 22, he capitalized on an opportunity to purchase the famous landmark, Sloppy Joe's Bar. Over the next seven years, as managing partner, Proal re-established it as one of the classic post-prohibition bars in the United States, enhancing its image through the inauguration of nationally recognized events, such as "The Hemingway Days Festival". He also sourced huge new revenue in the form of the, now ubiquitous, Sloppy Joe's T-shirt. In 1985, Proal left Sloppy Joe's to concentrate solely on a new restaurant project, Louie's Backyard.

The concept for Louie's Backyard began to develop in 1976, when the original owners closed the restaurant at this site; culminating in its re-opening in 1983. In June of 1985, Norman Van Aken joined the staff of Louie's as Executive Chef and Partner. Through the efforts initiated by Norman and Proal, Louie's Backyard earned major critical acclaim. This recognition continued with The Cafe at Louie's, offering an innovative menu, which was the first in South Florida to draw on the Spanish/Caribbean influences of the region, and an eclectic, multi-ethnic wine list; followed by MIRA, a small, service oriented dining salon. Proal left Key West in 1989 and worked with several establishments in South Florida, including Hoexter's Market in Boca Raton. At Hoexter's, Proal inaugurated a popular program of winemakers' dinners and wine oriented functions for several local wine societies. In January of 1991, Proal re-joined "partner" Norman Van Aken at "a Mano", where he looked after the front of the house, and of course, the wine program. From its inception, the restaurant was wildly popular, receiving accolades in Time, The New York Times, Bon Appetit, GQ, and Food Arts. During this period, Proal contributed wine and food commentary for many regional and national publications.

Proal’s love for food and wine grew immensely over the years, but his passion to learn and excel in the wine arena overshadowed the allure of the restaurant business. Burned out from the long and merciless hours, and with aspirations of obtaining a career focused solely on wine, Proal began to search for alternatives. Through the years of wine buying, Proal had become friends with Bruce Neyers, formally of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Bruce had left Joseph Phelps Vineyards to become the National Sales Director for Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant and greatly influenced Proal’s decision to start Augustan Wine Imports. Frustrated by the options for representation in Florida, with only a handful of large distributors to choose from, Bruce prodded Proal to become the Kermit Lynch Distributor for Florida. This encouragement led to Augustan Wine Imports becoming a reality in 1993.

Connie graduated from the University of Denver in 1983 and moved to Key West, where she had interned during her studies in Hotel and Restaurant Management. She began working for Louie’s Backyard in 1983, where she met Proal. For a number of years she also worked for the Pier House Inn and Beach Club, in many capacities, eventually promoted to Assistant Food and Beverage Manager. Later, Connie went back to Louie’s Backyard as the General Manager. In 1989 Proal and Connie were married and moved to Miami. She continued to work in the same establishments as Proal, such as, Hoexter’s Market and a Mano.

When presented with the proposition of creating a distribution company as an alternative to the restaurant business, Connie welcomed the idea wholeheartedly. Once Proal’s business plan was completed, Augustan Wine Imports, a company of two, officially opened in 1993. Early on, Connie handled almost all aspects of running the company, while Proal handled all of the sales. As Augustan Wine Imports has grown, Connie has played an integral part in the growth and development of the company.