Paul Fox and Paul Bussard have been researching wines and wineries for years. During their most recent trip the wineries of West Michigan, they decided that it was time to translate their dream of owning a wine bar into a reality.
“We’re Lansing residents,” says Fox. “We’ve lived here for a long time, and we wanted a wine bar we could go to in our own downtown.”
P Squared Wine Bar will not only be
Downtown Lansing’s first wine bar, but it will also be unique to the genre in a variety of ways. Most notably, Fox and Bussard intend to create an atmosphere that will make everyone feel welcome, from the most amateur wine drinkers on up.
“Our goal is to take the snobbery out of wine,” says Fox. “Wine and snobbery tend to go together. We want to create an environment where normal people can come in and enjoy wine.”
Fox and Bussard recently signed the lease on the future home of P Squared, the former location of the Pita Pit on Washington Square. The 2,000 square foot space will have a comfortable, living room-type feel, and will feature a café menu of sandwiches, light appetizers, and flatbread pizza.
“We’ll have simple food to complement wine,” says Fox. “We’ll also offer craft beer from the bottle and some signature cocktails.”
The real focus, however, will be the wine. P Squared will feature wine from all over the world, as well as highlighting Michigan wineries, such as Tabor Hill and St. Julian.
“We’ll also have smaller wineries people wouldn’t even recognize,” says Fox. “Places [and wines] that, until we open our doors, the only place you would have been able to get it is the winery.”
P Squared is expected to open the first weekend of August.
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