A year-old Nicollet Island-East Bank coffee shop is becoming a part-time wine bar.

‍Cafe Harmony will continue operating as is during the day, then it will switch over to Bar Harmony three nights a week, with glasses of organic natural wine instead of exotic pour-over coffee.

Cafe/Bar Harmony is located at 501 First Ave. NE in Northeast Minneapolis. Photo by Brianna Kelly

St. Paul-based distributor Libation Project will supply Bar Harmony with fun, interesting wine from smaller producers, which will frequently rotate. A handful of options will be on the menu at a time, all for $7 to $14 per glass.

The bar will offer a few spritz-like cocktails and canned beers, including a $4 locally-made Udofot lager, as well.

“We’re leaning a little more classic and trying to be really mindful of piecemealing an evening together, with pricing at the forefront of what we're offering,” owner Erik Hamline told Downtown Voices.

Bar Harmony will serve European bistro-style small plates, including meat and cheese boards, pickle plates, and tartines. Just like its coffee and wine, there’s an emphasis on unique items that aren’t commonly found in Minneapolis, especially when it comes to cheese.

Cafe and Bar Harmony spans about 1,000 square feet, with fewer than 25 seats inside, plus about 10 to come outside. Photo by Brianna Kelly

Hamline wants Bar Harmony to be an approachable, service-minded spot that the average neighborhood resident can afford to visit often, like once a week or twice a month. He intends to be receptive to what people want and ask for, and he expects offerings to reflect that mindset.

“I’m trying to kind of flip what we see around town as the norm on its head,” Hamline said. “Costs are going up and quality service has either plateaued or are weirdly going down, and a lot of considerations aren't there when they used to be, historically. Let's just invert that and see what happens.”

Equipment sells mostly men's clothing and accessories but many items lean unisex. Photo by Brianna Kelly

Somewhat of a serial entrepreneur, Hamline started about two years ago with clothing store Equipment, initially known as Together, and added Cafe Harmony a year later in an adjacent space. He did both build-outs on his own since he already had a general contractor license. 

Music is also a key component of Cafe (and Bar) Harmony, with more than vinyl records from Hamline’s collection at staff’s disposal. But there are surprisingly no plants, considering that Hamline also owns Mother Co., a cactus and tropical house plant shop across the river in North Minneapolis.

Cafe Harmony is open at 501 First Ave. NE every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Starting this Friday, Bar Harmony will be open Thursday through Saturday from 5-11 p.m.