Pipsqueak Wine – a new retail shop and wine bar – is slated to open in the former Queen Star hair salon at 6410 W North Ave. In fact, if all goes well, the family-owned business could be open as soon as early June.

Behind the shop are Heather Mitchell and Jonathan Blechman, hospitality veterans whose collective experience spans over 30 years in the wine industry, including retail and restaurant management and sales.

The two met while working at a wine bar in New York, weaving in and out of one anothers’ lives and eventually finding themselves drawn together as a couple. When the two decided to move to Blechman’s hometown of Chicago, they explored the possibility of opening a shop together.

“The stars just didn’t align for us in Chicago,” notes Mitchell, who says they decided to move to Milwaukee three years ago. Here, they started a family and purchased a home in Washington Heights. Mitchell took on work at Tavolino and then Black Sheep, where she took on the role of wine director. Meanwhile, Blechman has been the acting manager at Thief Wine at the Public Market.

Highlighting the pipsqueaks

“As we lived and worked here, we found Wauwatosa to be this charming, walkable, urban-suburban area,” says Mitchell. “There are a lot of young families like us, and we realized there was an untapped market here.”

When they happened upon the 800-square-foot building at 64th and North, Mitchell says they saw potential in the walkable location, just steps away from local residences.

“Our goal is to create a neighborhood wine shop,” she says, “That focuses on small, family-owned producers… the “pipsqueaks” of the wine world.”

That means delicious wines created in smaller batches with a sustainable mindset and minimal intervention during the wine-making process. Mitchell says their selection is likely to focus heavily on European selections complemented by both worldly and domestic options.

The shop will take shape with the help of neighbors Galbraith Carnahan Architects, 6404 W. North Ave., with renovations beginning within the next week or so.

They plan to divide the building into two spaces. The front portion will house a bright, airy retail shop that Mitchell says will build upon the Midcentury Modern vaulted ceilings and exposed beams to create a bright, welcoming space with a neutral color palette, plenty of plants and seating along the front windows.

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Meanwhile, a smaller room in the back of the shop will be transformed into a wine bar. Dark green walls and dim lighting will create an intimate space that distinguishes itself from the brighter retail area. 

Mitchell says they won’t have a kitchen; but they are planning for a small prep area at the bar where they can prepare accompaniments like cheese and charcuterie plates and other wine-friendly snacks.

“I love going to Europe,” says Mitchell. “The bars there are really more like community centers, and that’s the vibe that we want to have. We want it to be a place where anyone can feel comfortable stopping in and grabbing a glass of wine. But we also want it to be a place where folks can branch out and try something new and learn more about wine if they’d like.”

Ultimately, she says, they want it to be a place where the neighborhood can relax, discover and gather.

“We’re hospitality people at heart, who just happen to have an interest in wine. So our goal is to create a really welcoming space. We want it to be family-friendly, so we’ll have Pete’s Pops on hand for the kids, in case mom wants to walk over in the afternoon to grab a bottle of wine for dinner.”

Mitchell says that Pipsqueak wine is likely to open with hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 9 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.