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Stellar Cellar

Downtown Bar Reopens After ‘Face-Lift’

Pictured is Joel Peterson, manager of the Jamestown Wine Cellar. The bar reopened Tuesday after closing for more than a year in order to remodel. P-J photos by Nikk Holland

The Jamestown Wine Cellar has undergone remodeling throughout the past year and just recently reopened its doors.

Joel Peterson, Wine Cellar manager and son of the owner, said the 309 N. Main St. business started remodeling efforts before the pandemic started last March. Coincidentally, the decision wasn’t influenced by the onset of lockdowns brought about by the pandemic.

“Remodeling started a week before the pandemic,” Peterson said. “We didn’t intend to have it with the pandemic, it was all planned before. I think we even had to stall remodeling because of the pandemic.”

The bar was closed throughout the thick of the pandemic, and reopening has been a much-anticipated event for Wine Cellar staff. Throughout the pandemic, Peterson and the staff was focused on remodeling the place as opposed to opening with restrictions.

“We shut down when the big shutdown happened, and we never tried to come back,” he said. “When we got it all done, we wanted to wait for as much of it to get back to normal as it could.”

Pictured are the new exposed-brick walls that are in the newly remodeled Wine Cellar. Some other features include a new hardwood floor and a new-and-improved draft system.

Peterson said the decision to remodel the bar was mainly because it needed some sprucing-up.

“It was just time,” he said. “We’ve been around for a long time. It was time to give it a little face-lift.”

The reception of the remodeling from Wine Cellar customers since reopening Tuesday has been good, Peterson said.

“Everybody says it looks great,” he said. “It’s been great to hear everybody’s response to it. It’s been nice and exciting.

There are many aspects of the newly remodeled bar that Peterson enjoys, including the exposed brick, new hardwood floor, the draft system with more taps and handles and the overall look of the place.

“It’s new and rustic at the same time,” Peterson said. “We have historical photos around the bar, too, from old-time Jamestown.”

Last week, the Wine Cellar was featured by Chautauqua Opportunities for Development as its business of the week. Peterson shared his thoughts about that recognition.

“It feels serene,” Peterson said. “I grew up here. It’s nice to see the bar get recognition like that. It’s nice to see everybody react so positively to the bar I’ve been hanging out in my whole life.”

Peterson is looking forward to a great summer with a newly renovated bar and the easing of COVID restrictions.

“It’ll be nice to have everyone coming back — seeing friendly faces,” Peterson said. “(The regulars we get) are like family. It’s just nice to have everyone back.”

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