Wine, Darling!, a new nightlife-forward wine bar concept, is preparing to open inside the historic Crown Hotel Building at 313 First Ave. S. in Pioneer Square, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.
Founder Will Perry confirmed to Whatnow Seattle that the business will roll out in phases beginning this June with “Footy On First,” a temporary World Cup-focused activation serving beer, snacks, and pre-packaged food during the FIFA World Cup festivities.
“That footy-on-first event will wrap up at the end of the World Cup, and then we’ll open the core Wine, Darling! concept as a soft launch in August,” Perry said.
“Then in early 2027, we’re aiming for February. We expect to do our grand opening, at which point we’ll have the full Wine, Darling! concept in place, including our full kitchen, full menu, full beverage service, and full event program.”
Perry described activating the space during the World Cup as a natural opportunity for both the business and the neighborhood.
“The World Cup represents an incredible opportunity for our city to host the world and also a great time to activate the Pioneer Square neighborhood,” Perry said. “It’s a great time to just offer true hospitality down there and make sure there are great places for people to eat, to drink, and, of course, to watch the games together.”
The approximately 4,000-square-foot venue inside the 126-year-old Crown Hotel Building aims to blend wine culture with nightlife and live entertainment. The space will feature music, comedy, dance performances, drag shows, and a highly colorful interior with disco balls and private seating areas.
Perry sees the project as intentionally different from a traditional wine bar.
“Wine, Darling! is the most joyful bar in the world. It’s probably unlike any wine bar you’ve been to before, with lighter, brighter styles, more white wines, rosés, sparkling wines, louder music, more people laughing, comedy, dance shows, drag performances, a place that’s just full of life and happiness the whole time.”
Rather than creating a formal wine experience, Perry wants the space to feel social and approachable.
Wine, Darling! will mark Will Perry’s first brick-and-mortar hospitality venture after spending two decades working in the tech industry.
“In the last few years, I think things have just really changed. I didn’t wanna be in a place where it felt like we were replacing human beings with AI.”
Perry told Whatnow Seattle that he had long dreamed of creating a hospitality space that would mix a bar, a restaurant, a nightclub, and a hotel, and this felt like the perfect opportunity to pursue that vision.
While the full food menu is still under development, Will said the current direction centers around Asian-Latin fusion influences. The final concept is expected to debut alongside the venue’s grand opening in early 2027.
For updates, Wine, Darling! can be found on Instagram.
