Pour-your-own wine and beer bar The Study to open in Kenwood
/The Study, a pour-your-own wine and beer br, debuts on September 15th at the Shoppes of Kenwood | St. Pete Rising
The Study, an intimate pour-your-own wine and beer lounge, is opening Friday September 15th at 3100 3rd Avenue North at the Shoppes of Kenwood in Historic Kenwood.
Jenna Malowany of KW Commercial represented the seller and Melinda Kulpa and Joe Esposito of KW Commercial represented The Study in the business sale transaction.
Owner Jeff Velazquez originally hails from San Diego, California, and is a former Marine Corps firefighter who saw action in Afghanistan and Iraq. After retiring, he moved to St. Pete — a decision that would pave the way for The Study.
“I came across Symposium in Indian Shores, another pour-your-own wine bar,” he said. “I spent eight months working there and learned how to run a wine bar.”
At The Study, most of the taps will be dedicated to wine but there will also be six beers on tap. Beer will be available in cans and bottles as well.
The wine taps will feature a well-rounded selection of wine from around the world. Some of the taps will be dedicated to high-end wines.
Owner of the Study Jeff Velazquez (middle), Events Coordinator Steven Harbajan (left), and Manager Katie McClure (right) | The Study
“Stuff that people have never heard of,” Velazquez said. “For example, a lot of people don’t know what port wine tastes like.”
He added, “So, the way it works is customers come to the register and we’ll welcome them, have them open an open account, and give them a card. They'll just wave it over the machine and select their pour size and stuff like that one. There are three different sizes: a taste size, half a glass, and full glass. One ounce, three ounces, and six ounces. When they’re ready for another glass, they won’t have to wait on a server or bartender.”
And, if you fall in love with a certain wine, The Study will also sell it by the bottle.
Velazquez says one of his main goals for the business is to offer lower prices than the competition. With inflation up and downtown St. Pete becoming increasingly expensive, “the average person is tired of overpaying for wine,” he said. “I'm trying to make the adjustment to where, for example, I'll have 36 wines on tap and the average cost is going to be $11.”
Velazquez said part of his inspiration for The Study comes from experiences in his 20s when bars and nightclubs would have promotions in which they’d charge $1, sometimes as little as 25 cents, for Bud Light, Coors Light, and other cheap beers. He also wants to cut through what he sees as “snootiness” that’s permeated the wine and craft beer market.
Owner Jeff Velazquez assisting customers during a friends and family event at The Study | The Study
“I want to get people the best bang for their buck,” he said, “and I want to have a comfortable environment. I guess our goal is just to provide a friendly experience as if we've been friends for 20 years and just hanging out.”
The Study will be managed by Katie McClure and it will be able to seat 30-40 people comfortably.
“Seating is at the bar, booths, and lounges,” Velazquez said. “The background music will be like Frank Sinatra or Miles Davis during the day, but different music at nighttime. It’ll be a soft, intimate environment.”
The Study will be open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Happy hour specials, such as $2 off charcuterie plates and each full glass of wine, will be available between 2 and 6 p.m. The Study will offer wine tastings on Saturdays and bottomless mimosas on Sundays.
“We’ll have a mimosa bar where customers can make their own mimosas,” Velazquez said, adding that the bottomless mimosas will cost $25. “We’ll have a bunch of different mixers — for example, orange juice, pineapple juice, grape juice, grapefruit juice, and cranberry juice.”
Velazquez and McClure are planning to hold other special events, such as wine and food pairings and “paint and sip” sessions. “And there will be a loyalty program — spend a certain amount of money and get a nice cheese plate or a free dessert,” Velazquez said.
When the weather cools down, Velazquez plans to sell picnic baskets that customers can take to nearby Seminole Park or another local scenic spot.
“They’ll let me know whether they want red wine, white wine, or champagne, and it will come with two plastic glasses, a cheese plate, dessert, and a blanket,” he said. “It won’t be cheap, but it’s designed to be an experience.”
The Study’s food menu will include meat-based and vegan charcuterie boards, in addition to chips and hummus and other basic bar snacks, as well as sweets made by Largo-based William Dean Chocolates. “I won’t be doing full meals or anything like that,” Velazquez said.
The Study will open on Friday September 15th at 3100 3rd Avenue North. For more information and updates, follow The Study on Facebook and Instagram.
