The Cellar Wine Bar and Kitchen in downtown South Bend opens Tuesday. Take a look inside.

When Shawn and Lisa Todd would travel, they often visited area wine bars and found themselves wondering, "Why don't we have one of these in South Bend?"

The idea was planted and the couple put it in the back of their minds. Shawn, a broker with NAI Cressy, knew the building at 702 E. Jefferson Blvd. next to Howard Park in South Bend was for sale and knew his friend Brad Emberton was looking at buying in the East Bank area. Shawn said he mentioned the property to Emberton, while also pitching the wine bar idea.

"Then he came back and said he got (the building) under contract," Shawn said. "And I said, 'Are you serious?'"

From then on, plans for the new restaurant moved forward and now, The Cellar Wine Bar and Kitchen will open Tuesday, Jan. 25.

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"It's really cool to see the whole place and what we've put on paper for design and see it now in person and how far we've come with it," Lisa said.

The 3,000-square foot building was most recently home to local retailer The Mole Hole until it closed in 2018. The building has since been transformed into a fully functional wine bar and restaurant.

On the east portion of the building is a wrap-around bar that can sit about 25 people, with additional table seating and chairs by the front windows. On the western side is a family-friendly seating area with padded booths, tables and a lounge area with couches and arm chairs. And in the back is a private area that can seat about 14 and features a mural by local artist Christopher Stackowicz. Seating in the bar and main dining area will be on a first come, first serve basis with reservations accepted only for special holidays.

It was important to the owners that the restaurant be trendy, casual and unpretentious in order to provide a relaxing atmosphere where novice wine drinkers and more seasoned connoisseurs can feel at home. The Todds plan to offer about 30 different wines on the rotating menu with blends ranging from dry reds to sweet whites and sparkling options. Prices will range between $8 and $18 a glass, with bottles and flights also available. Most wines on the menu will be sourced from the West Coast or from international regions like Spain and France. Owners said there are other nearby local winemakers like Ironhand that feature and sell their own bottles so, at The Cellar, the Todds simply wanted to offer a wider sourcing net of options.

"It's nothing against local," Shawn said. "But I don't want people to always have to go to LaSalle to get a nice glass of wine."

Servers at The Cellar will be able to recommend wine options to customers and suggest pairings from the shareable food menu options like flatbreads, paninis, salads and charcuterie boards. Like the wine menu, the owners anticipate the food menu to rotate occasionally to highlight seasonal options.

"As far as the food, we think that a lot of people are wanting more fresh foods, and that's what our menu is all about," Lisa said.

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In addition to wine, The Cellar will also offer cocktails and bottled beer. The owners also plan to open a pet-friendly, outdoor patio along St. Louis Boulevard across from Howard Park once the weather stays above freezing.

But after months of rolling with the punches with permitting, construction and equipment delays, owners say they're excited and anxious to get the new restaurant open.

"It's exciting and nervous and actually kind of cool," Lisa said.

"It's 90% scared and 10% excited," Shawn said. "But that's what makes it so great."

The Cellar Wine Bar and Kitchen will be open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Contact Mary Shown at 574-235-6244 and mshown@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @maryshownSBT and @marketbasketSBT.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend dining: The Cellar Wine Bar and Kitchen to open