‘Cozy, eccentric’ wine bar planned for Pioneer Square

By Egan Ward, Puget Sound Business Journal

A new technicolor wine bar called Wine Darling is planned for Pioneer Square’s 126-year-old Crown Hotel Building.

Owner Will Perry will combine two ground-level spaces at 313 First Ave. S. — one currently housing Pioneer Smoke Shop and the other the former Counter Culture Coffee Training Center space. Wine Darling will span 4,000 square feet, including a small mezzanine.

Perry said the concept will be wine-focused but include beer, non-alcoholic drinks and eventually a food menu serving Asian and Latin-inspired dishes. But unlike traditional wine bars, Perry aims to create a nightclub-like atmosphere with music as a central focus. He also plans to regularly host events like comedy, drag shows, dance and live music.

Wine Darling’s interior will be bathed in an “extreme saturation in color,” Perry said, and have a disco ball and several private areas.

“It’s going to feel like the cozy, eccentric Palm Springs home of your eccentric gay grandfather,” Perry told the Business Journal.

The work to retrofit the historic space will be four-pronged, Perry said, with safety and code upgrades, and accessibility, aesthetics and “quality of life” improvements such as air conditioning and noise partitions.

Seattle-based Atelier Drome and Best Practice Architecture are the architects. Perry said the firms have a few general contractors in mind for the project. He did not provide a project cost.

Perry said he wants to be open for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches this June, but the work will take much longer.

In the meantime, minor upgrades will be made to activate the space as a temporary event venue. The pop-up, which he calls Footie on First, will primarily serve beer, snacks and pre-packaged food.

“Wine Darling’s concept probably won’t involve quite as many TVs on the wall, not quite as much beer, not quite as many compostable cups,” Perry said. “They will definitely be different concepts but I hope with a through line of being a joyful space that is full of people having an awesome time.”

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