Tucked into Flower Mound’s charming River Walk, Vinifera Wine Lounge & Bistro is more than a new place to grab a glass of wine — it’s part of a broader vision to turn the area into a true dining and entertainment destination.
For owners Jamie Creevy and Chris Kummer, the potential and the vision are there, they just need some more draw.
Vinifera is a concept the duo came up with that focuses on a space for women to have a girls night out, but it only tells half the story of their vision for the River Walk.
Nearby is Underdogs, which will cater to men for a boys night out.
Heck, when the weather is nice, he hopes they can all grab their wine and brews and meet in the middle – outside on the riverside patio.
“We’re not trying to do too much here. We like to be clean, simple and classic,” said Creevy. “It’s an elevated experience, but it’s approachable to every walk of life.”
Part of that plan is to keep the menu simple, yet intriguing.
A Vinifera meal could start with a charcuterie board and a wine flight.
The charcuterie board consisted of specialty meats, cheeses, crackers, jams, candied pecans and pickles that are freshly pickled in-house.
Even though Creevy isn’t a big fan of horseradish, it was infused into a cheddar cheese, which provided a unique taste that went well with the crackers and meats.
“That’s the fun part,” said Creevy. “I don’t like horseradish, but in the cheddar, it kind of works. Then you’ve got your jams and pickles and it works altogether.”
The wine flight featured a trio of flavors that worked perfectly well at the advice of Vinifera’s wine connoisseur, Morgan, who worked with us to build a solid flight.
“We aren’t trying to be know-it-alls, we’re trying to learn with the guests, too,” said Creevy.
A brick-oven toast impressed with its thin crust topped with pesto sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese and tomato.
The bistro item that stole the show was the Steak Frites, which included a flat-iron steak topped with chimichurri and a side of frites, a fancy name for incredible french fries.
“It’s an experience and that’s what it’s all about,” said Creevy. “And it’s shareable.”
That experience is what Creevy hopes will turn the River Walk into a destination spot, especially with a cultural arts center on the horizon.
“It will bring everyone together – the schools, the community – and it will all connect through the River Walk,” he said. “It’s pre-show and post-show dinner and drinks… it’s gonna boom.”
Ahead of Vinifera’s Feb. 7 grand opening, the restaurant slowly increased its hours. At the end of January, Vinifera started serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and brunch.
“We’re going for more of an upscale brunch, something to get the girls out to enjoy some $3 mimosas,” said Creevy.
When the sun comes out and the weather warms up, Creevy, Kummer and Vinifera will be ready.
They plan to offer spring cocktails, a traditional frozen margarita and a sangria.
Many ideas and concepts come from Creevy’s background in the restaurant business.
Creevy, originally from Great Britain, has been in the restaurant industry in America for about 12 years with stops in New York, Addison and Dallas. He went off on his own around 2019 when he opened Peppersmash in Plano.
It grew into three concepts, which is when he took a year off because of the toll it took on him.
“I took a step back and tried to go a different avenue, but the restaurant business always brings you back in,” said Creevy.
He was then hand-picked by the River Walk’s developer to create unique, successful concepts at what he believes will soon be one of Flower Mound’s gems.
Thus far, Creevy has worked on Pie Hole Pizza, Pennywise Pub, Whiskey & Smoke, Underdogs and now Vinifera.
He said success requires constantly adapting and finding ways to evolve.
“We’ve done a lot of the hard work and we’re going into year four,” said Creevy. “This is a situation where patience is a virtue, but Flower Mound is one of the next places to really get big.”
Kummer entered the scene so Creevy could address something that he heard around town: “you can tell the same people own all the bars.”
“They were right. I’ve always tried to tweak them to fit a certain concept that I’m creating, but I have a lot of similarities in them all,” said Creevy. “So, with [Vinifera], I put a ton of work into making it completely different.”
Kummer has a background in music, TV and business operations, which has been invaluable to the concepts.
“He’s got a big following and he really understands what people want, what they’re looking for,” said Creevy. “He brings a lot of energy, he brings a new perspective that I need.”
Another partner, general contractor Randy Creed, designed the bar top and the woodwork in the restaurant.
“We’ve got three people that have different experiences from different walks of life that have come together to create what you see,” said Creevy. “We’ve just got to feminine it up a bit.”
Reluctantly, there will be one TV at the bar for when people want to keep people entertained.
An obvious use for the TV could be to stream the big game, but Creevy said they may consider “”Love Island” or “Bachelor” watch parties.
“There has been an evolution over the years,” he said. “But I’m still trying to find out what works and what people love.”
Something that has always been the same throughout the evolution is offering good deals and being involved in the community.
On Thursdays, Vinifera offers 50% off wine bottles and Wednesday thru Friday from 3-6 p.m. Vinifera offers a happy hour with $5 cocktails and glasses of wine.
Vinifera Wine Lounge & Bistro is located at 4120 River Walk Dr., Flower Mound. Find them online at viniferariverwalk.com.
