Every neighborhood should have a local bar where residents can blow off steam after a stressful workday. To take a line from the Cheers theme song, a bar “where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came.”

For Historic Kenwood, that bar may very well become Creative Grape, an inclusive space for neighbors to hang out with wine, beer, food, art, music, and the occasional fun event.

Currently under construction at 3100 3rd Avenue North, Creative Grape will be located in the former Georgie’s Alibi space in the Shoppes at Kenwood. Georgie’s was an iconic St. Pete gay venue that closed its doors in 2015. Jenna Malowany of KW Commercial represented the landlord in the deal.

Creative Grape will be helmed by St. Pete residents Jeffrey Herman and Yusuke Ouchi, who describe their new business as “part wine bar, part art gallery.”

Herman is a New York City transplant looking to escape a 35-year career in the insurance industry and return to his roots in the creative world. He’s also a lapsed musician and self-professed “bad poet” with a degree in Creative Writing.

The 2,300 square foot space will look more like a light and bright café than a bar. A curated selection of art will adorn all four walls and a fireplace lounge will have a poetry library for customers to fan through.

St. Pete-based Fraze Design and Ed Seifried Construction are serving as the project’s architect and general contractor, respectively.

The wine menu will feature 16 selections available by the glass. You’ll be able to find everything from an inexpensive house wine to a smooth Pinot Noir from Sonoma County that’ll cost over $20 a glass. A handful of local craft beers will also be available.

Yusuke, who oversees the food at Creative Grape, has also moved to St. Pete from New York City, but via Tokyo. Utilizing his experience working in NYC restaurants, Yusuke has crafted a thoughtful menu of small bites that will pair perfectly with any glass of wine or beer.

The rotating selection of small bites will focus mostly on Mediterranean cuisine, but don’t be surprised to see Yusuke sneak in a Japanese-influenced item on occasion. The inaugural menu will include Picasso’s Bull made with three lean beef balls, pine nuts, pecorino Romano, and simple tomato sauce. Another option will be Scallops of Francis Bacon, which consists of scallops, sweet maple bacon, and beurre Montpellier.

Customers are also welcome to bring in food from the neighboring Gateway Subs.

When it comes to art, Herman doesn’t want to take it too seriously. “Art and wine can be so pretentious. We don’t want to be that way. In fact, some of our menu items will make fun of pretentious art.”

Creative Grape’s goal is to integrate into the St. Pete art community by collaborating with local artists. The first collaboration will be with Bula Barua, who has a gallery at 212 2nd Street North in downtown St. Pete.

“We’ve commissioned two beautiful pieces of artwork from Bula,” said Herman. “Each piece is 6.5 feet by 4 feet and they’ll be the centerpiece of our space.”

Upon opening, Creative Grape will be showcasing urban street art along the lines of Banksy and Mr. Brainwash. However, Herman plans to have the curated art selection constantly rotate and evolve. So, if you see a piece you like, be sure to purchase it before it’s too late.

Creative Grape won’t just support local visual artists either. Expect to see monthly events hosting local singers and songwriters too.

“We cannot wait to open our doors and show the community what we’ve been working on,” said Herman. “Creative Grape aspires to be a part of the energizing on-going renaissance of St. Petersburg and we wish to work with the City, community organizations, and other small businesses to build and enjoy mutual success.”

Creative Grape is hoping to debut before the end of the year at 3100 3rd Avenue North. In the meantime, visit their website for more information.