If the crisscrossed sparkly streamers strung across the bright back patio of The Boxcar seem to signal a great hangout spot, well, you're on the nose. That's where you'll find a new wine bar venture called Grape Vibes, and fun is absolutely on the menu.
Longtime colleagues Gavin Busby and Alexandra Hulley were fresh off learning Bar Susu was closing its doors permanently when a chance conversation with the folks at The Boxcar sparked what is settling in as a sweet summer patio pop-up project.
Working on a tight turnaround, the former Bar Susu team members found themselves turning all those prior theoretical imaginings of "what if we had our own place" into reality.
'Where would we like to go to hang out?'
Defining the ethos and the vibes of Grape Vibes began with an acknowledgement followed by a couple of key questions.
With deep gratitude and respect for the creative freedom, skill-building, and growth they experienced at Bar Susu, the hospitality pros realized they had something a little different in mind.
"The kind of places that we go aren't always the kind of places that we work in," Busby tells V.I.A.
As Hulley adds, they asked themselves: "What kind of place do we think the city needs? Where would we like to go to hang out?"
Fuelled by an earlier and comprehensive R&D trip to Mexico, Busby says they were drawn to the almost organic integration of bar into the urban landscape, like a Mexico City rooftop bar with a natural ease that was vastly appealing.
They're serious about wine, but you don't have to be
But casual, Busby is quick to point out, doesn't mean slapdash. "Everything can be dialled in and done very precise, but there can also still be a levity behind it and nothing's taken too seriously."
So those streamers - tied and hung piece by piece by Busby and Hulley themselves - are a terrific case in point.
They happen to catch the light and almost beckon to people who spot them while coming from downtown to the edge of Chinatown on the viaduct, or anyone who passes through the alley behind The Boxcar's lively back yard.
Grape Vibes' base is a shipping container bar ("the glowing blue box," Hulley calls it) from which the pair serve a menu of carefully curated natural wines by the bottle or glass.
Sure, you can nerd out and talk to them about varietals and regions, but Grape Vibes is more about making ordering, drinking, liking wine more approachable.
"You don't need to know anything about wine to enjoy wine," affirms Busby.
They credit Vancouver's many wine bars and pop-ups that have put down roots in the past couple of years for helping pave the way for what they do at Grape Vibes, which is to ensure a phenomenal guest-driven experience and to set aside any and all pretentiousness or snootiness about wine.
As Busby describes, what they're doing is taking wine out of a more traditional space and "bringing it into a more casual setting, so that people can still engage with these amazing wines that we feel so passionately about."
Guest chefs bring eclectic food line-up to the yard
Oh, and, of course, there's what the location brings to the (picnic) table.
"You're also on a patio! And it's a hot day and there's someone's barbecuing skewers, there's streamers in the air, and you're with your friends, and it's just a very casual setting," Busby continues.
While the mood might be casual, Hulley points out that they can deliver on the guest experience in part because they do have a lot of wine knowledge.
At Grape Vibes, they're pouring wines in a laid-back space, but those products are ones they take very seriously and come from producers they really value and appreciate. Their job is to take down the barriers consumers often feel are up when it comes to getting to know those products.
What Hulley jokingly refers to as that "high falutin'" expectation about wine talk can also exist when it comes to price points for wines in a traditional restaurant setting. To that end, they are conscious about having a good range of price points for their wines, so that when a table of friends is taking a gamble on a bottle, they aren't out a hundred or more bucks, but rather something even more affordable at times than ordering four or five individual glasses.
And it's not an evening of drinking wine if there isn't food.
Hulley says they've enjoyed "getting so creative and collaborative," with the varied food vendors and chefs they've brought in so far, often tailoring their bottle selection to the flavour notes of what each guest food biz brings to the table. They've welcomed Nina Chwelos with BBQ eats and Minuit Munchies with French-African sandwiches, with plenty more in the works.
New neighbour pizza and sandwich shop Mortadella in the works
Even more enticing is the pending launch of a new next-door neighbour in the former Pizzeria Farina space. Called Mortadella, while Busby and Hulley aren't affiliated with the new venture, they say they will collaborate with the veteran Vancouver restaurant folks behind the project so that Grape Vibes guests can order up pizza and sandwiches to go with their wine.
Pairing is really a big part of the fun for Grape Vibes. When Fanny Bay comes by for an night of fresh-shucked B.C. oysters, it's Vancouver Island's own Averill Creek's Charme de L'Ile bubbly that Busby can't wait to pour, showcasing the unique flavours of grapes grown in the gorgeous Cowichan Valley.
"This just tastes like the Pacific Northwest to me," he says, pointing to the bottle.
In addition to B.C. picks, Grape Vibes showcases a lot of international wines, particularly ones that you aren't likely to find on the shelves of Vancouver wine stores.
No worries, though, if you happen to fall in love with what you taste on the patio; Grape Vibes has an off-sales licence, so you can nab a bottle to bring home. That's something Hulley says is already a big draw for locals.
Though Grape Vibes' inaugural summer is just getting started, with plans to get their space on The Boxcar patio fully set-up with more table options and finishing touches soon, the team is looking ahead to the future.
A little 'razzle dazzle' for the summer
Hulley and Busby hint at what could be next for Grape Vibes, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
In the meantime, Grape Vibes is on its way to offering Vancouver a summer of easygoing sips, tantalizing bites, and impeccable patio vibes.
"We're not afraid of a little colour, that's for sure...a little razzle dazzle," adds Busby.
Grape Vibes is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 to 11 p.m. on the back patio of The Boxcar at 917 Main St in Vancouver. The venue is dog-friendly but 19+ only. Reservations are available via OpenTable. Follow @grapevibesyvr on Instagram.
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