When a burst pipe sent water pouring inside Venado Wine Bar early this year, owners Lesli Iverson and Toño Casarrubias didn’t just mop up the mess — they used the unexpected three-and-a-half-month closure to completely re-engineer and revitalize their business. Now, as they prepare to reopen their doors on Friday, May 8, the couple is ready to show off a newly renovated space, an expanded menu and a broadened wine list designed to be accessible to everyone.
Venado, located in downtown Wausau, had been open two-and-a-half years when Iverson and Casarrubias came in to work on the morning of Jan. 24 (a bitterly cold day).
“We got a call from the landlord that there was some water problems, so we came to open and there was not a problem, there was a huge problem,” Casarrubias said. “There was water raining from upstairs, a water line burst.”
“They say it happened around 1 or 2 in the morning and we came in at 8 a.m., so the whole place was completely wet,” Iverson said. “The water was going down the steps outside.”
What followed was a “three-month retirement” from the bar business for Casarrubias and Iverson, as contractors dried the space and replaced flooring, repainted walls and removed damaged furniture and artwork.
“It gave us time to rethink the strategy on how to give a better offer to our community and also to investigate more directly with the [wine] importers,” Casarrubias said. “It gave us time to think about the menu, it gave us time to refresh the whole place.”
Starting this week, Venado will re-emerge with a cozier vibe that better fits the bar’s motto of “Come in, calm down.”
“There’s no neon signs, there’s no television. The music is just soft, jazzy, lounge music,” Iverson said. “The majority of our clientele are women, so it’s not uncommon for a woman to come in by herself with a book, have a glass of wine. She knows she’s going to have some peace and quiet.”
“Many friendships have been made here,” Casarrubias said.
“Some people, they start talking, and then the next timethey’re having dinner together and they become friends. Many, many cases,” Iverson added.
In addition to sipping wine, craft beer and signature cocktails at the bar, a table or on a cozy chair or sofa, visitors can also now enjoy an expanded dining menu. The owners are looking into serving special plates like braised short ribs in addition to their beloved charcoutarie boards and Casarrubias’ hand-made guacamole.
“We don’t even cut the avocado until you order it, that’s how fresh it is,” Iverson said.
At its core, Venado is still about providing guests with an adventurously curated wine selection. Iverson stocks the cellar with a wide variety of popular favorites and hard-to-get labels from across the globe, ensuring that there is something exciting to try for every type of wine lover.
“We feature really, really great wines,” Iverson said. “We’ve had time to really investigate new wines and — oh my gosh — we have some for everybody, so don’t be intimidated by trying new wines. And don’t be intimidated by thinking that you’re going to pay a lot of money for a bottle of wine. We have something for everybody.”
Iverson and Casarrubias encourage their customers to get the best bang for their buck by offering wine by the bottle, too. Sounds like too much for one person? If the customer doesn’t finish the bottle at the bar, they’re free to take it home and enjoy the rest on another night.
“We’re taking the pretentiousness out of it,” Iverson said. “Enjoy it. It can be a $10 bottle of wine, but when you enjoy that bottle of wine with great friends, and you have a great meal, that bottle of wine is amazing.”
Following the grand re-opening on May 8, Iverson and Casarrubias are planning to host a three-year anniversary event in June. For business hours and updates, follow Venado Wine Bar on social media or visit venado.us.
Venado Wine Bar is located at 209 Grant St., Wausau.
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