Parker's Table is opening a wine bar in Richmond Heights in spring 2024

Richmond Heights will have a new wine bar next year when The Yale Bar, set to launch in spring 2024, opens at 7120 Oakland Ave. The bar is being brought to the neighborhood by Jon Parker, of Parker's Table and The Oakland Room event space, located on the corner of Oakland and Yale, at 7118 Oakland Ave., as reported by St. Louis Magazine.

Although it will be a separate business, The Yale Bar will be next door to the longtime neighborhood staple and will seat up to 30 guests. Parker said the wine bar is a business that has been a long-held vision he’s had since he bought the building. The space has served as an office for a lawyer for over 10 years, but since that tenant has vacated, Parker decided to seize the opportunity and finally begin to bring his dream to life.

While there will be beer and wine offerings, guests won’t find any hard liquor at The Yale Bar, but they can expect to enjoy small bites that will complement their drink choices. Parker said he sees The Yale Bar as featuring favorite wine and beer selections offered at Parker’s Table, but since they will be served by the glass, it allows guests to explore something new on the spot, and for Parker, that’s a major part of the appeal of the new space.

“I love the whole business of retail and hospitality and offering people things they know, but with a twist,” Parker said. “That stuff excites me.”

The food menu, which is still under development, will include what Parker calls light fare and will be similar to some of the items served at Parker’s Table. The shop sells sandwiches and salads during lunch hours, as well as a selection of meats like salami and prosciutto and a number of cheeses.

Even though it will serve food and drinks, Parker is quick to point out that, although guests are welcome to stay a while, The Yale Bar is not intended to be the place to spend your entire evening out. Instead, he envisions it as the spot where guests will get their evening underway by enjoying a glass of wine or beer, and maybe a small bite, before heading off to their dinner or entertainment plans.

“My goal is to make it like those European places that pop up for a few hours at night,” he said. The days of operation are still being finalized, but the hours that the bar will operate will be in the evenings, most likely from 5 to 10 p.m.

When it comes to the ambiance of The Yale Bar, Parker said that is also under development and hasn’t been nailed down just yet. As of right now, he envisions a clean, fresh space that features local artwork, that is easy for guests to drop in and out of.