Unwind! grand opening set for Tuesday

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

 

Unwind! Texas Style tasting room and café is the newest addition to the Frontier Hills Shopping Center and is holding its grand opening on Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 5-8 p.m.

 

At 6 p.m., the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce will have a ribbon cutting to celebrate the café joining the Copperas Cove business community.

 

The shopping center is located at 175 W. Business 190, with Unwind! in Suite 4, across the parking lot from Candy Outfitters.

 

Café owners Alicia and Conrad Menard have been busy since they first opened doors in late November 2016. Alicia is the former president of Lampasas County Chamber of Commerce and went forward with plans to open her own business after Conrad’s retirement from the military and both of their children started high school.

 

Unwind! serves Texas wines along with Texas craft beers, Stubborn Soda, and offers a bistro menu with paninis, sliders, along with homemade soups and salads.

 

The Menards have also introduced their own house wines, called Sassy, HardKore, and Soulmate, bottled at the Georgetown Winery. Sassy is a sweet white wine, HardKore is a cabernet sauvignon, and Soulmate is a sweet red.

 

Alicia Menard said they’ll offer some dinner specials along with wine tastings during the grand opening celebration.

 

“We have felt so welcomed by the community since we’ve opened,” she said. “The support has been incredible.”

 

Since opening in late November, their bistro has begun offering live entertainment, with Dean Kelley Peters from Round Rock appearing tomorrow night from 7-9.

 

On New Year’s Eve, Unwind! held a special ticketed bash which also included live music by Daniel Goode Jr., a buffet, wine tasting, bubbly at midnight and breakfast treats. Plans are to continue having special holiday events.

 

“We also have planned an event for Valentine’s Day, which includes a steak dinner,” Alicia said.

 

Coming up tonight, they are having their first “Meet The Winemaker” night at 7 p.m., featuring Gil Bledsoe, owner of Pillar Bluff Winery in Lampasas. Every Friday and Saturday for the next couple of months, Unwind! will host a different winemaker to be on hand to offer special tastings and samples throughout the evening.

 

On Monday, Jan. 9, comes the first “Ladies’ Night” which starts at 6:30 p.m., featuring the show “The Bachelor” on the big screen, along with specially priced drinks and select half-price appetizers.

 

“We’ll be following the whole season every Monday night,” Alicia said.

 

Coming up next week also, the bistro is hosting the first “Young Professionals Mixer” for the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce.