Kent & Co.
Kent & Co. first teased it Monday on social media — the image of a magnolia flower behind the text, "Wait until you see what's BLOOMING!!"
Turns out, what's blooming is a major rebrand for the popular Magnolia Avenue wine bar.
Owners Marilyn and Marty Englander are changing Kent & Co.'s name to The Magnolia Wine Bar (a name that, as you may notice, has already been updated on the bar's Instagram page). The image posted to the bar's social media? That's a peek at The Magnolia's new logo.
But one of the bigger aspects of the rebrand is an expansion of the bar's food offerings. The Englanders have tapped fellow Near Southsider Carpenter's Cafe & Catering to create a Magnolia-specific menu, and while owner Katrina Carpenter is keeping mum on specifics, "I can tell you that it's all going to be good," she says.
The Englanders bought Kent & Co. from previous owners Will Churchill and Corrie Watson in 2019. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 — and subsequently forced bars to close in accordance with state mandates — Kent & Co. followed what many other bars did to remain open and applied for a restaurant license. The food menu currently lists items like pizzas and charcuterie boards (which already include Carpenter's signature chicken salad), but Marty Englander says he'd like to offer more, keeping the establishment's identity as a wine bar while also serving "upscale bar food."
"One thing we learned during the whole COVID time is what a wonderful and close-knit neighborhood the Near Southside was and all the support different businesses gave to each other," Marty Englander says. "We've certainly loved being a part of that, and one of the people we met along the way during this time was Katrina. She and [husband] Travis put their heart and soul into a business right in the middle of this pandemic. We got to know her, got to know her wonderful food, her big heart, so as we were looking at rebranding our business, one of the things that we wanted to do is, we wanted to be a bigger part of the neighborhood."
Katrina Carpenter says the collaboration was a no-brainer. She says Carpenter's original location at 1116 Pennsylvania Ave. will begin shifting its focus more toward the lunch crowd, while its presence at The Magnolia will be geared toward happy hour, featuring a menu of shareables.
As far as changes to The Magnolia's atmosphere, Marty Englander says "we're doing a few things outside. Our main focus is outside on our patio, so that's where people will find the most noticeable changes. We'll be doing some things graphically, aesthetically, as well as try to add to our seating. There will be some small touches inside ... changes with glassware and logos, a few little touches here and there."
Passersby on Magnolia Avenue will also begin to see changes to signage within the next few weeks, Carpenter says. Additionally, a mural is being added to the building's exterior.
But the things that locals love most about Kent & Co. will remain the same, Marilyn Englander says. "Just expanded and made a little bit better," she says. "Everything that [customers are] going to get is just going to be bigger and better but with the same hospitality, warmth, and feel."
Or, as Marty Englander puts it — "It's going to be Kent & Co. on steroids."
Carpenter says they "hope to be in full bloom" with the new branding by spring.
