Share this Post
Moo Deng walked so The Hippo Wine Bar could run.
If the viral sassy pygmy hippo Moo Deng was any indication, the world is obsessed with those barrel-shaped semiaquatic icons. Now, Raleigh’s getting a new hippo obsession in the form of the December-slated and revamped Hippo Wine Bar, recently acquired by North South Hospitality.
The hospitality group made up of Vance Daniels and Katie and Clayton O’Kane—also behind fast local fave Gussie’s—is keeping the same name (with Sorena Dadgar also staying on as the operating manager), but giving it a refreshed vibe in collaboration with Julia Petiprin of Cincinnati-based design consulting company House of Departure, who also helped with the interior design of Gussie’s.
Katie says Petiprin drew inspiration from the name, but instead of going really on the nose with something like animal print/safari vibes, she’s “using colors, textures and lighting to give us warmer, cozier vibes.” Think natural elements such as handmade tile, West Africa-inspired patterns, and natural wood tones and fibers throughout.
“We’re definitely focusing in on things you can’t get other places. There’s a couple of really phenomenal wine bars already here, and, more than anything, we’re just really excited to be part of that community.” —Katie O’Kane, North South Hospitality
And while the OG Hippo leaned more wine shop than wine bar, the trio hopes to shift the new space more bar. “We want it to be a place you could hang out for a while—that could be the spot you are going to that night,” says Katie. “It doesn’t have to just be a place you’re stopping for a bottle of wine on your way home or waiting with a glass of wine before dinner.”
They’re also hoping the addition of food—think charcuterie, tinned fish and the like—will further encourage people to linger a while. And, leaning into North South Hospitality’s “everyone’s considered” MO, Hippo will also offer beer, beer cocktails, shandies and spritzes in response to the national low-ABV trend.
“I find that Raleigh—and I really love this—is looking for lower-ABV stuff as opposed to asking for the strongest thing,” says Daniels. “I think it’s because people are happy here. No one’s drinking to forget; they’re just drinking to have fun—they’re not miserable. … And the spritz menu will really scratch that itch.”
Ultimately, it’s just “damn good wine”—for everyone. “There can be such a misconception of pretension around wine when it’s made by farmers. It doesn’t have to be such a scary, pretentious thing,” maintains Katie, who’s also a sommelier, noting she is a fan of Triangle pros who’re working to change that narrative to have vino be more approachable. … So whether you’re a wine lover or not, rest assured Hippo’s going to make a splash. @the__hippo
Related Articles
Share this Post