Salud! A new wine bar, bistro to open in downtown Belleville at a familiar site
A new wine bar and bistro café is coming to Belleville.
And it will reside in The Wine Tap’s former location at 223 E. Main St.
Kierra Hennings and Daniel Gonzalez, who are the manager and owner, respectively, of Casa Maria Mexican Grill, applied for a liquor license and outdoor seating at the downtown Belleville location.
Their new establishment, Grüv, will be similar to The Wine Tap, but Hennings and Gonzalez are putting their own spin on it.
The permit application filed with the city of Belleville states that they want to provide a “relaxing restaurant in a laid back environment.”
Grüv will not have a full kitchen, so menu items will not include larger full meals.
Customers will be able to order healthy breakfasts and lighter meals that include paninis and salads, said Gonzalez. Waffles will likely be on the menu too.
Gonzalez said that they will not be serving coffee drinks because he feels there are already plenty of coffee shops in downtown Belleville.
Instead, Grüv will focus on fresh fruit juices, smoothies and, once their liquor license is granted, adult beverages. (Anyone fancy a mimosa?)
Hennings said they have a brick oven and will be able to make flatbread pizzas.
Gonzalez said they have five different flatbread pizzas planned. Healthier options, such as a gluten-free cauliflower crust, will be available.
He said that gluten-free options are becoming more popular and they want to accommodate that.
In addition to the bar and other indoor seating, outdoor seating will be available.
Part of the outdoor seating will include a shared space with Shoehorn Brewing next door (bringing wine people and craft beer people together – I like it!).
Gonzalez said they met the owners at Shoehorn and are working together to accommodate seating for both businesses.
Hennings added that they also have the back courtyard patio for seating, in case sharing the space doesn’t work out for any reason.
Getting ready
Hennings and Gonzalez are working on the space, which includes refinishing the floors, painting, organizing and arranging where things are going to be, according to Hennings.
She said they have new barstools to set out and some other finishing up to do, but they are close to being ready.
Gonzalez said that the bulk of the work is more cleaning than anything.
They are also hiring and would like to have around 10 employees. Anyone interested in applying can call Hennings at 618-960-0811.
As far as decor, Gonzalez said they are buying some “real art” to hang throughout the space and want people’s first impression to be “This place is so beautiful!”
The goal is to give folks a place to visit with each other and enjoy good wine, according to Gonzalez. There will be no large TVs to distract from that.
Gonzalez joked that people will be forced to talk to each other.
Provided there are no issues (fingers crossed), they plan to open Grüv at the end of September.
Belleville’s Zoning Board of Appeals discussed the permit applications during Thursday’s session.
The board unanimously voted to recommend approval of the requests, which will go before the City Council at a later date.
Gonzalez’s wildly popular Casa Maria Mexican Grill will continue to operate at 100 N. High St. in Belleville. The family-friendly restaurant won the BND’s online poll for best Mexican restaurant in March.
The Wine Tap first opened in downtown Belleville in 2008. The popular wine bar was purchased and reopened in September 2018 by Dan and Robyn Fogarty-Hayden.
The Wine Tap closed in December 2020 due to the pandemic and never reopened.
Grüv is located at 223 E. Main St. in Belleville.
Hours of operation are still a work in progress, but Hennings said during the Zoning Board meeting that they will likely be open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then close until reopening for the evening at 5 p.m.
BEHIND THE STORY
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Help the BND report on new restaurants and other businesses in southwestern Illinois. Share your tips and questions about openings, closings and other business topics by contacting reporter Jennifer Green at jgreen@bnd.com or 618-239-2643.
This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
