Jersey City’s Powerhouse Arts District continues to emerge, and locals will soon be able to enjoy a wine store and accompanying café at a historic storefront set to open today.
Earlier this year, Downtown wine shop CoolVines announced they were opening a second Jersey City location at 350 Warren Street. Their new 5,000-square foot space on the ground floor of the Modera Lofts will be hosting a ribbon cutting later today at 4 p.m.
The larger footprint not only gives CoolVines ample room to display their collections of small-production wines and handcrafted beer and spirits but will allow them to host a coffee shop in the space. Dubbed Butler Café, the adjacent spot will allow customers to sit down with wine, cheese, or spirits purchased at CoolVines or order a coffee or espresso to enjoy. Those wishing to linger but having canine friends can even drop their pooch in a doggie valet area, where customers can leave their pets while they shop. Inglese Architecture + Engineering were both the architect and engineer for the project.
As part of the opening weekend festivities, CoolVines will be offering free coffee in the Butler Café. The store will also be hosting an art show called Tastings Squared featuring works from Dave Schurtman, including a silent auction and benefit fundraiser for the Jersey City Landmarks Conservatory. Live music will be featured on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and a tasting with Misunderstood Whiskey will happen at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The new CoolVines spot will have wine tastings every Friday and beer samplings every Saturday. The company will also be heading across the Passaic River sometime next year; CoolVines is hard at work getting ready to open what will be their third location in Newark inside the renovated Hahne & Co. property at 609 Broad Street.
