Courtesy of Elizabeth Mears / Bohannon Design Team
Rendering of The Holly at 305 W. Daggett Ave.
Opening day is just around the corner for the South Main district's anticipated natural wine bar — plus a familiar Near Southside neighbor who's also joining the space.
The Holly and Kendall Davis Clay, a ceramic studio and retail shop moving from its current location at Sixth Avenue, are eyeing a November opening at 305 W. Daggett Ave. Elizabeth Mears, owner of The Holly, says the building passed its final inspection last week and will likely be ready to welcome guests some time around Thanksgiving.
The building stands at two stories. The Holly and Kendall Davis Clay will occupy 1,100 square feet each at ground level, while the approximately 2,800-square-foot second floor will serve as home to Mears and her family — a nod to living spaces common in places like San Francisco and Australia.
"It's something we've always wanted to bring here," Mears says. "I love the community aspect of that. You know who the owners and operators are. We live here in the neighborhood."
Additionally, a 600-square-foot courtyard will be available for both businesses to use for events.
The Holly initially connected with Kendall Davis Clay to create cheese platters and other ceramics for the wine bar. Davis also happened to be looking for a new space and opted to move in next door. Mears says that both businesses intend to collaborate, with The Holly, for example, offering wine at Davis' classes and events.
"Who doesn't want to drink wine and shop?" Mears says.
Meanwhile, The Holly will specialize in small-batch, organic wines sourced everywhere from France to California (though mostly from the Central Coast region as opposed to Napa and Sonoma). Among the more offbeat offerings are natural sparkling wines like "pétillant naturel" (or "pét-nat" for short, which is comparable to kombucha) and orange wine, which Mears describes as "a white grape but made like a red wine."
"It's unexpected on the palates ... you get a little bit more tannin to those orange wines," she says.
More information about The Holly is available here and Kendall Davis Clay, here.