If you don’t have a reason to visit Arvada yet, come for the wine, food, patio, and company at Flights Wine Cafe. Siblings and owners Dave Granquist and Lavonne Wise moved the cafe from its Morrison location and reopened it in Olde Town Arvada in February of this year. The old location was purchased by new owners and leased out to a new business in 2018 which led Granquist and Wise to search for a new location. They came across the Arvada spot and new it would be a perfect fit. “We are still working hard to build out the space,” stated Wise, “but there’s only so much you can do with just one day of the week.”

Flights Wine Cafe

The new Flights location can currently seat about 45 guests inside but may be able to seat over 100 outside. “We have already had private events, birthday parties, and more,” said Wise. The siblings plan to build an outdoor bar and stage for live music that will be perfect for summer events. Flights already hosts live music inside every Saturday night starting at 6:30 p.m. but if the music is performed outside it will certainly bring more guests in. In addition to live music on Saturdays the cafe hosts Ladies Night on Tuesdays where ladies get all-night happy hour, Nurses and Teachers Night Out on Wednesdays where nurses and teachers get 15% off, Thirsty Thursdays where patrons can get select bottles for $25 and “Big Wines, Great Prices” on Fridays where select bottles are half price.

Flights Wine Cafe

Another change that came with the new location is an entirely new food menu. Wise grew up cooking with her family and loves to give her own flair to classic dishes so recreating the menu to include high-quality dishes that they cook in house was essential. “People used to just come for the wine, now they’re also coming for the food,” she said. Wise and Granquist import all of the cafe’s cheeses directly from Italy and change up traditional dishes like Caprese Salad by adding fresh greens, onions, and pesto. “Everything we do, we do with a twist,” she said. You will find that the menu doesn’t follow one type of cuisine but includes many different varieties from regions around the world. “I based the menu on dishes I grew up cooking and continue to cook for my family,” stated Wise. The menu includes everything from a Hummus Flight to an Americanized Cuban to a Pub Burger and is updated seasonally. “I switch it up based on what I have available at the time so it’s not always the same,” she said.

Flights Wine Cafe

Similar to the way the food menu is set up, the wine list expands across many regions and varieties as well. “We have over 100 wines on our list and I have personally tasted each one,” said Wise, “it’s a rough job,” she joked. Wise chooses the wines based off of what she thinks her customers would like and recognizes that everyone has different taste preferences. You’ll see wines spanning from the Willamette Valley in Oregon to the Loire Valley in France to the Marlborough region of New Zealand. Wise is also in the midst of planning some wine pairing dinners where winemakers will come in to create pairings and teach guests how to pair food with wine. Keep an eye out for these pairing dinners along with other events from Flights as it grows into its new space in Arvada.

 

Flights Wine Cafe is located at 7714 Grandview Avenue, Arvada. Open Tuesday – Thursday 3- 9 p.m., Friday – Saturday 3- 10 p.m., and Sunday 5- 10 p.m.

All photography by Jason Stilgebouer.