GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — GRNoir, a new wine and jazz bar in Grand Rapids, opened for curbside pickup December 4. The owners envision the bar, located at 35 Division Avenue South, to be a destination for jazz music in Michigan.
For now, they offer curbside wine and food pickup.
Opening during a pandemic may not be the easiest route, but for owners Nadia and Shatawn Brigham, they said it was the right timing for their business.
"We feel like we fit such a niche in Grand Rapids, as a black owned business," said Nadia, "And opening up in a time where 40% of black owned businesses are closing in our country for good. It's quite a risk, but we felt confident in our product and the services that we're delivering in terms of wine and food, and when the time comes, certainly jazz."
GRNoir has two sommeliers on staff, Shatawn being one of them. Nadia said they are some of just a few black sommeliers in the city. Also, they have worked with musician Kevin Jones and his band, Tenth World, to help bring local jazz artists to the stage. Although, it is unclear when it will be safe to allow live music once again, and the timeline is not known.
"There are a lot of talented artists here in Grand Rapids that have been waiting for an opportunity to showcase talent around jazz," said Shatawn.
In January, GRNoir plans to host virtual wine tastings. It also has a few wine club memberships available.
"GRNoir is meant to be a place where folks can come and explore, admire and discover new wines and jazz," said Nadia, "A place where we can leverage the communal essences of both wine and jazz. I think the way that we've been describing that is really GRNoir is meant to showcase black excellence. We want to be excellent in everything we do."
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