The Wine Therapist closed at its original location at Skillman and Live Oak at the end of October, and then immediately hopped across the street and opened in the space where the Lakewood Consignment Studio used to be.
Last we reported, owner Phillip Nikpour planned to join forces with Amier Taherzadeh of the former Bodega Bar, but Nikpour says that deal has fallen through. So for now, the Wine Therapist will continue to be just the Wine Therapist.
According to Nikpour, he and his team opened the store immediately after closing the old location, but they didn’t get the wine bar up and running until last week. The space underwent a major overhaul to accommodate the business. They knocked out walls and took a chunk out of the upstairs loft, as well as moved the bar from the original location and reconstructed it in the new space, Nikpour says.
There’s still some minor tweaks to be done, including finishing the upstairs loft area. Once the loft is finished, Nikpour says they’ll move some couches and tables upstairs for guests to enjoy.
Nikpour is already displaying local art along the wall by the stairs, and he plans to get the live music routine started in the next week or two.
He hasn’t heard anything about what Austin-based investing firm Stonelake Capital Partners plans to do with his old space. He just knows they hope to charge a lot for it. He’s now leasing from the Dines family, and he hopes to serve the community for 15-plus years in the new location.
