Sip expands to Ft. Madison

By Karyn Spory, Mt. Pleasant News

Holly Frary always knew she wanted to own a business. And with the success of Sip: (n.) a Wine and Coffee Bistro, opening a second location quickly became her new goal. She just didn?t know it would happen so soon.

?I always knew opening a second location, probably in Ft. Madison, was the end goal,? Frary said as she folded her hands around a robins egg blue coffee cup. ?Nothing ever really felt right. The timing wasn?t right. The spaces that I looked at, it just wasn?t right.?

But sometimes, things just seem to align perfectly.

?I have a friend in Ft. Madison who is a banker and he and his wife come to Sip on a semi-regular basis,? she said. ?He has been asking me for maybe the last year to open a location in Ft. Madison.?

The friend, Frary said, has kept her in mind and when a space became available, Frary was the first to know.

?Probably about a month or so ago, I got a phone call out of the blue from Jimmy Wendorf, who he and his wife, Hitomi, own Simple Table by Hotel Main in Ft. Madison,? said Frary.

The Wendorfs purchased the Hesse building, known as the former residence of the Ivy Bakery, and have announced plans to fill the building with a variety of different businesses.

?The proposed Hesse 7th Street Marketplace will have five separate businesses housed in the first floor of the building,? explained Frary.

The Wendorfs will open a seasonal taco stand on the three-season porch, which will be open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Harvestville Farms will open a storefront and next to them will be Sugar Lumps, a bakery currently located on the west end of Ft. Madison. Laura Haas, a holistic healer, will also be part of the marketplace.

?I will be housed in the main dining space,? said Frary. ?We?ll all be open to one another, kind of like a co-op mall.?

Frary said once she heard the concept she was sold.

?I instantly became excited and knew this is why I had waited,? said Frary. ?Opening a second location is a huge risk. I feel this concept minimizes that risk a little bit. But also, I?m excited because Ft. Madison needs a shot in the arm. The downtown needs some revitalization and some new energy.?

Frary hopes to bring that energy one shot of espresso at a time.

Frary plans to have the Ft. Madison location open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

With opening the second location, those who frequent the Mt. Pleasant bistro will see some minimal changes. Frary says neither location will offer beer or wine as she plans to let her liquor license expire at the end of April. ?We will focus on the coffee, espresso drinks, breakfast and lunch,? she said.

Frary said having the wine and beer bar was an experiment. ?When I started the beer and the wine here it was an added bonus to the business and it was an experiment,? she said. ?It hasn?t taken off like I wish it would so we?ve decided that at the end of the two years we would let our liquor license expire.?

The Ft. Madison location will serve alcohol.

The Mt. Pleasant location will also see a slight change in the hours of operation. Frary says she plans to close in the afternoon probably around 3 or 4 p.m.

The Ft. Madison location?s grand opening is set to coincide with Sip?s two-year anniversary in Mt. Pleasant on June 1.

?I?m really looking forward to learning more about Ft. Madison and its history and becoming a part of its business community,? Frary said of the new venture.