New era uncorked in North Van
Tracey Cochrane poured The Corner Store’s very first bottle of wine on Friday evening to celebrate the approval of a food-primary liquor licence for her cafe.
As her proud guests gathered, she quickly filled champagne flutes with Veuve du Vernay sparkling wine, which will be sold for $6.95 a glass along with dishes from her expanded menu.
Other wines on her small but growing menu include: Villa Teresa pinot grigio, Finca Los Primos malbec and New Harbor sauvignon blanc, all for $6.95 a glass. Domestic and import beer, cider and coolers are also available for $5.50 each.
The announcement from the provincial government came by email just hours before, marking the first time a corner store in North Vancouver has been granted a liquor licence.
“I had a lot of input from the neighbourhood about what to carry, but we haven’t finalized our selection yet,” says Cochrane while welcoming friends to the celebration. “It will depend on what people want, we’ll take it from there.”
And, she says, with three wine representatives living nearby menu advice will be easy to get.
“We want to offer wine that’s high end but also affordable,” adding a range in prices will likely be offered in the future.
After buying The Corner Store in Pemberton Heights five years ago, Cochrane did extensive renovations, painting the building barn red, adding a bay window and planting a garden near the front door.
This summer, North Van district council voted unanimously to amend zoning for the 100-year-old store so Cochrane could serve wine, beer and cider until 9 p.m., but she had to wait for provincial government approval before the first drop could be poured.
Half a dozen tables covered in yellow tablecloths and fresh flowers now sit at one end of the store, with a coffee shop that doubles as a convenience store at the other.
Now that Cochrane can serve wine and expand her menu, she plans to hold community get-togethers, such as artist openings and poetry nights.
The Corner store in located at 2230 Lloyd Avenue in Pemberton Heights.
mgarstin@northshoreoutlook.com
twitter.com/michaelagarstin
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