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Micah Pope is targeting a summer opening for his venture dubbed The Wine Dive.SBJ photo by WES HAMILTON
Micah Pope is targeting a summer opening for his venture dubbed The Wine Dive.

SBJ photo by WES HAMILTON

Wine bar to open downtown

Posted online
A longtime restaurant worker is striking out on his own to open a wine bar downtown.

Micah Pope, an eight-year wine director at Flame Steakhouse who’s worked the last three years as a bartender at Scotch & Soda, is targeting a summer opening for his ventured dubbed The Wine Dive.

The 105 Park Central Square establishment will operate in the former site of Blue Bull Bar & Grill, which closed in October. Pope signed a five-year lease at $4,000 per month with building owner Allen Casey.

“Allen was looking for a restaurant concept to go in there,” Pope said. “Through acquaintances, I got to meet with him. We went from there.”

Pope is investing roughly $200,000 in the venture financed by a U.S. Small Business Administration loan through BancorpSouth, as well as business loans via Springfield Finance and Development Corp. and the city of Springfield.  

His lease of 4,000 square feet includes space next door previously occupied by Scott Cotton Photography LLC that Pope plans to use as a private events area. The Wine Bar also has a 900-square-foot patio.

Serving tapas as well as entrees, Pope plans to offer wine from kegs that push out via a nitrogen and carbon dioxide system. He said wine served on tap — similar to beer at bars — has 30 percent better profit margins than wine served by the bottle because it reduces waste.

“That’s one of the reasons wine is marked up so much as it is, due to the loss,” Pope said, noting he’ll buy The Wine Bar’s beverages in kegs.

Pope said The Wine Dive, which will employ 16, is unrelated to others by the same name in Florida and Kansas.

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