The Wine Seller.jpg

The Wine Seller will be closing in the coming weeks to make way for a new retail/bar concept.

(Melanie Maxwell | The Ann Arbor News )

ANN ARBOR - For quite some time, area craft beer enthusiasts knew there were only a few places that carried a large variety of craft beers from around the state and across the U.S.

As the craze has gained popularity, larger retails like Meijer, Kroger, Costco and more have begun stocking their shelves with previously hard to find brews and often at lower prices.

The Wine Seller, located at 2721 Plymouth Rd. on Ann Arbor's north side, is one of the smaller bottle shops that is now in direct competition with these national retailers. Owned by brothers Hardik and Swetang Patel, and their partner Jeff Sanchez, the store is known for having a selection of beer and wine that was tough to match in the area.

But having that advantage is getting harder to maintain.

"All these places have very sophisticated beer and wine departments, and as more of those places get into the beer and wine game, we're finding out we couldn't possibly compete with the convenience of buying your beer and groceries in the same place," Sanchez said. "As the business evolves, so do we."

That evolution is a new concept - complete with a yet-to-be-released new name and branding - that will combine the experience of shopping for craft beer and wine with a traditional pub or bar atmosphere.

The new concept will feature 32 beers on tap, a selection of wines and smaller retail presence where customers will be able to enjoy a drink while shopping for different bottles of beer and wine to take home.

Food will also be served, Sanchez said, adding the idea for the menu is to combine a collection of global flavors with other items that are more familiar to the bar scene. Smaller plates and appetizers will be the main focus, Sanchez said.

The group is still interviewing for the chef opening and said there's still time for interested chefs to apply. Sanchez went on to say the ideal candidate is someone who sees a long-term future with the group.

"We're looking for somebody who wants to stick around. I think eventually, we'd like to work out a deal so that they're a partner with the three of us," Sanchez said.

The 3,000-square-foot space will be renovated to add 22 bar seats and seating for about 100 people at picnic tables in the restaurant. The renovations will reduce the current shelf space for wine to about 25 percent of what it is now and 50 percent for the beer.

To reduce inventory, the store will be offering 20 percent off all wine with some bottles reduced to cost. The store is still accepting orders from regular customers, but is not keeping up with regular orders. Smaller beer orders will continue to be made as the store approaches a closing date.

"Of course we'd like to get rid of 100 percent of the inventory, but I don't know how realistic that is," Sanchez said.

Plans for the space are being reviewed by the state health department and once approved, the renovation are likely to begin. While an exact timetable is not in place, Sanchez said he expects the store to close in mid-to-late April and renovations to take about three months.

"We're looking to be open in mid-to-late summer for the new concept," Sanchez said.

Sanchez and the Patels began discussing the idea late last year. Sanchez proposed a type of restaurant and bottle shop that gives residents on the north side of Ann Arbor something he thinks is sorely missing from that part of town.

Sanchez said Carson's American Bistro - just down the street from The Wine Seller - is doing an excellent job, but for the most part there isn't much of a bar presence along that stretch of the city.

"There isn't a great place where you can grab a glass of wine or a great beer," Sanchez said. "For the people who don't want to hassle with the parking downtown, they're excited for this."

Matt Durr is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at mattdurr@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.