Matt Green sat on the top level of his new wine bar Nov. 20, sipping a glass of red Cannonball Cabernet.
Green looked tired. As he prepared to open his new wine bar, Bar Vino at 204 E. High St., Green and his wife, Ashley, worked long days to put the finishing touches on the space. Green is fascinated by wine and believes his hard work will help him share great wine with Jefferson City residents.
“The more you learn about wine, the more you learn that there is more to learn,” he said.
Already, Green has hosted a wedding group in the space and a series of soft openings for friends and influencers in Jefferson City. The space will formally open Monday.
A job about a decade ago at the Jefferson City Country Club introduced Green to wine. Later, he spent six years working as a wine distributor where he met his mentor, Abiy Hailu, former owner of Abiy’s International Wine.
The space at 204 E. High St. well suited the use. Green tucked a small kitchen into the back of the building behind the former bank’s old vault. The vault created the perfect place for a wine cellar. Now, racks for dozens of bottles and even a table for patrons sit in the vault.
The bar’s expansive main seating area features a long bar and room for dozens of patrons. The top level features a balcony built on top of the bank’s old vault that overlooks the main seating area.
The top level can be used for group events or general seating and holds up to 40 people.
The bar features no televisions because Green hopes strangers will strike up conversations in the space.
“You have to converse when you’re here,” he said.
A small food menu will consist of hors’ d’oeuvres and other small plate grub. About 200 types of wines, 50 bourbons and 50 Scotch selections will be available, Green said. Eight Missouri beers will be on tap and about 30-40 bottled beer selections will be available.
A handful of Missouri wines will be available, but Green hopes to introduce local residents to wines from all over the world.
“We want to represent all the major wine producing regions of the world,” he said.
Each week, the bar will be open from 3-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 3-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Before becoming a wine aficionado, Green worked as an electrical contractor and at a job where he climbed water towers. Given his colorful past, he said he was thankful to opening the bar and doing something he loves.
“It was the absolute perfect place,” he said.
Schulte’s upgrades meat coolers
Schulte’s Fresh Foods at 1904 Southwest Blvd. underwent a minor renovation last week as it replaced its 20-year-old meat coolers.
Schulte’s Fresh Foods owner John Schulte said all of the open-sided meat coolers in the back of the store would be replaced with more energy-efficient meat coolers with doors. Schulte said the store began the process of removing the coolers Monday and replacing every meat cooler was expected to take most of the week.
The store’s meat service counter will not be replaced, he said. Doors on the coolers will help the units conserve energy. The new units will also allow products to stay on shelves for a few more days, he said.
“It’s going to help the product stay fresher,” Schulte said.
Brew House Coffee opening JCMG location
Brew House Coffee is taking a second crack at opening a second location.
The local coffee shop opened a second location inside the lobby of Jefferson City Medical Group’s main building at 1241 W. Stadium Blvd. last week. Brew House Coffee co-owner Brian Campbell said at first the small shop will offer just coffee and lattes, but it may expand offerings to a limited food selection.
“Starting out, it’s just going to be coffees and lattes and pastries,” Campbell said. “Moving forward, we’ll have some smaller grab-and-go items.
Brew House briefly opened a second location inside the Baymont Inn & Suites at 319 W. Miller St. in May 2017. Campbell said Brew House closed that location shortly after opening it because the hotel changed owners.
Three Story Coffee previously operated a small coffee shop out of the JCMG space. Three Story Coffee opened that location in December 2017 and closed it June 1.