Grapes to Wine + officially reopened its doors on Tuesday, Nov. 25, but it was the first time owners Dan and Hazel Adams did so in the business’s new Justin location.
When the original Grapes to Wine Bartonville location closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the couple decided to retire after 10 years of service.
After traveling in an RV for four years, retirement turned out to be just a hiatus.
“We retired, went out on the road and traveled the country and when we came back, we were looking for something else to do,” said Dan. “An opportunity arose to take over amazing building in Justin and we decided to take it.”
Grapes to Wine in Bartonville was just a winery, although it was more than just a winery to the community.
The revamped Justin concept offers another option for customers to enjoy: bourbon.
“We always knew there was a market in the community we couldn’t service when we just had wine,” said Dan. “Couples would come out and one would drink wine and the other didn’t drink anything since we couldn’t provide beer or another alcohol.”
The addition was the reason Dan and Hazel added the “+” to the end of the business’s name.
For the entrepreneurial couple, the opening of another business wasn’t anything difficult. Dan said the process was smooth since the 120-year-old building was owned by the City of Justin.
“We working with the city and restored it back to its original beauty, which allowed us to bring to life the lounge concept we imagined,” he said. “It’s a very comfortable and casual environment.”
Even though Dan and Hazel’s business moved down the road, the community’s support followed them.
“This is home for us and we love the people here and the community, they’re very generous to us and supportive,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of our old customers come into the new location and share they’re excitement that we’re back.”
Dan said Grapes to Wine + won’t have a kitchen to serve food, but guests are welcomed to bring or order food from surrounding restaurants so they can enjoy both.
