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Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers in the afternoon. High 79F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..
Periods of rain. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
Updated: May 17, 2024 @ 3:00 am
Downtown Burlington
Longtime Burlington women's clothing and gift shop Mary Katherine's will soon be the site of Tanner's Wine Bar. [TIMES-NEWS FILE PHOTO]
Tracy Schmidt of Burlington Beer Works and Holly Treadwell of The Blend and Co. aren’t letting the COVID-19 crisis slow downtown development as they work to open Tanner’s Wine Bar in the former Mary Katherine’s building.
The wine bar at 102B E. Front St., Burlington, will move into one of two first-floor retail spaces, occupying about 1,600 square feet. No plans have been announced for the rest of the first floor, but apartments are being constructed on the second.
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Schmidt’s and Treadwell’s existing businesses are both strongholds downtown, and the wine bar’s opening will help offset recent closures such as STEAM Junction.
Schmidt said she started dreaming up a new business and contemplated taking over the Front Street Bottle Shop before she and Treadwell landed on the concept for Tanner’s Wine Bar.
“Anything Tracy asks me to be a part of I’m on board for,” Treadwell joked.
“I loved her concept of really kind of bringing a tier of quality beverages downtown. We veered off from the bottle shop concept to a wine bar. We felt like it was so much more needed to continue the experience downtown,” she added. “We’re jumping into it head first, and we’re really excited.”
"These are the times when people who are truly inspired to do really wonderful things show up and do them in the face of adversity."
— Holly Treadwell of The Blend and Co., and co-owner of the new Tanner’s Wine Bar
The name of the wine bar pays homage to other downtown supporters Kathy Hykes and her late husband Bob. Bob Hykes was a champion of downtown development whom Schmidt and Treadwell both worked with. After his death last fall, Schmidt and Treadwell said they felt naming the wine bar after the Hykes’ Tanner 318 LLC was fitting to carry on his legacy.
“They have done so much for the downtown community,” Schmidt explained. “It was really tough to lose someone who was that instrumental in pushing downtown forward. I think when Holly and I started talking about it, we were just like ‘Let’s just do it.’”
“He was such a wonderful light and inspiration to downtown, so this is our tribute because we know he would love the fact that we’re doing this together,” Treadwell added.
Once it’s complete, Tanner’s Wine Bar is expected to be open Wednesday through Sunday. While many variables could affect the project, Treadwell said, they anticipate opening in late fall.
“I listened to a lot of Frank Sinatra when we did the design of this space, so it’s 1940s New York glam but with a little bit of spice and a contemporary layer,” Treadwell said. “We’re really looking at creating a scene that doesn’t currently exist in Burlington, and really trying to push the limits of Alamance County.”
Tanner’s Wine Bar will offer a selection of European wines sourced from the Haw River Wine Man, a Burlington-based distributor, as well as some Oregon and California wines, Schmidt said.
“We will offer some higher price pointed products and higher end wine,” she added.
Craft beers sourced from Alamance County breweries and others across the state also will be served alongside light food options like charcuterie boards, chips and dips, and desserts. Schmidt said beer offerings at Tanner’s will be different from those at Burlington Beer Works, where she is the general manager.
“We really wanted to be a place where men and women both feel comfortable to come and relax, or for a special date night, or after they’re done eating at Beer Works, … and really just make it a destination where people want to come and enjoy a special evening,” Treadwell added.
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 crisis complicating the process of opening a new business, the pair said they dove into the project.
“It’s time for something new in downtown,” Schmidt said. “There’s concern, but it also gives us the time to get in and get it done, so we’re ready to open whenever [the state] reopens and we’re able to have a higher capacity.”
“It’s now or never,” Treadwell added. "These are the times when people who are truly inspired to do really wonderful things show up and do them in the face of adversity."
This article originally appeared on Times-News: Downtown Burlington business owners plan wine bar in former Mary Katherine’s
