Co-owners of Beviamo Vino, Mark and Jill Passanisi, center left and right, Houghton Community and Business Development Manager Danielle Perkowitz, and Mayor Robert Megowen, right, kick off Beviamo’s grand opening with a ribbon cutting Thursday. (Photo from Keweenaw Chamber Facebook)

HOUGHTON — In between the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce and Keweenaw Brewing Company is Beviamo Vino, a social lounge and self-serve wine bar. Opened last August, Beviamo has been quietly yet body building up its business with events, specials and now a ribbon cutting last Thursday. 

The ribbon cutting kicked off the grand opening celebrations at 4 p.m. Co-owners Jill and Mark Passanisi were joined by city officials, staff, friends and family. Co-owner Jill Passanisi said word-of-mouth is the most important aspect of keeping customers coming back. 

“We love it when people come in and they have a really good drink, a really good glass of wine, a mocktail that is nothing like they’ve ever tasted,” she said. “Then, they want to come back with a friend.”

While Beviamo has a fully stocked bar and a plethora of wine dispensers, Passanisi said she wants people to enjoy the food at Beviamo as well. 

When people are in here and they don’t realize we have food, and then one of the flatbreads goes by,” she said. “They’re like, ‘oh my gosh, they have food.'”

Beviamo is open from 4-9 p.m. Monday thru Thursday and 4-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. One key ingredient to Beviamo’s success is the lack of pressure on the customer. Passanisi said socializing at the bar — striking up a conversation with staff or friends — is one of her and her husband’s goals. 

“There’s no time limit on when you come in,” she said. “You’re not going to have a waitress hounding you, ‘are you ready for your bill?'”

According to Passanisi, Beviamo has been hosting and plan to host a myriad of different events. These include: book club, singles mixers, community-partnered gatherings — to her, the possibilities are infinite. 

“People walk by here all the time… they come in and they’re like ‘what’s going on here?'” she said. “They can socialize with us — the staff, the owners as well as their friends that they bring in.”

Beviamo Vino is located at 414 Shelden Ave.