Minerva Rd wine bar bid

MANIFOLD Heights residents could soon sip local wine from a boutique bar if a planning application for the expansion of a popular city bar and wine store is approved.

The owners of the CBD Union Street Wine bar have approached operators of Minerva Grocer to explore the option of using a section of the Minerva Rd store for a small retail wine store and bar setup.

In a planning application to the City of Greater Geelong, Union Street Wine directors Andy Leigh and Lewis Phiddian say nearly five years of trading as a wine store and wine bar in Union St have helped them develop a reputation for selling interesting boutique wine, beer and spirits.

“Both Lewis and I, directors of Union Street Wine, have grown up in Geelong and are very passionate about local business,” Mr Leigh said.

“With demand for what we offer coming from further and further away, we are now looking at expanding our set-up into smaller commercial pockets located in suburban areas around Geelong.”

Mr Leigh said the duo’s focus on good service and quality had allowed the store’s retail arm to expand, despite heavy competition from and discounting by supermarkets.

He said the pair approached the Minerva Grocer operators to gauge interest in sharing a location with the proposed bar.

“We feel they have a similar ethos around quality of produce and local community,” he said.

If approved, the bar would be similar but smaller than the existing Union St bar.

The proposed store would operate six days a week, but the wine bar, where drinks could be consumed on site, would only open on Friday and Saturday for limited hours.

The proposed trading hours for the wine store are TuesdayThursday 10am-8pm, FridaySaturday 10am-10pm, and Sunday noon to 8pm.

The proposed wine bar operating hours are noon-10pm Saturday and Sunday only.

The application will be on public display until October 11.