A New Spot to Sip and Shop

Five years ago — just a few months before the Covid-19 pandemic upended the world as we knew it — local industrial design firm Fruitsuper opened its namesake brick-and-mortar boutique in Pioneer Square. A vibrant hub offering goods from independent designers (everything from homewares and paper goods to books, toys, cosmetics, and pantry staples), the First Avenue shop planned to host events, hold creative workshops, and get involved in the neighborhood’s popular monthly art walk.

By fall 2018, Sallyann Corn and Joe Kent, the husband-and-wife duo behind Fruitsuper, had opened their doors, quickly becoming a mainstay in Seattle’s oldest locale. And then — the narrative we’re all too familiar with now — the pandemic hit.

Sallyann Corn and Joe Kent, founders of the Fruitsuper brand sit in the cozy new tasting room at their Pioneer Square boutique.

Photo by Brooke Fitts

Like many small business owners, Corn and Kent had their share of struggles during quarantine, not the least of which was how to keep their brand alive at a time when shutdown measures prohibited retailers from operating as usual. But, with a positive outlook, a never-wavering belief in community, and the ability to pivot, Fruitsuper pulled through, and, as if raising a glass to that success, the shop recently announced that it has opened a wine shop within its walls.

“We want to be all things at all times to everyone,” says Corn, who is part of the Pioneer Square Business Improvement Association. “You can come in, have a glass, share a bottle with a friend, experience an art exhibition, do a workshop — it’s all in one space. It’s supposed to feel like an extension of someone’s home, where you can laugh a little too loud, hang out a little too long, and walk around anywhere with your glass of wine.”

Located on First Avenue in Pioneer Square, Fruitsuper recently opened a tasting room, which will feature select wines and small snacks.

Photo by Brooke Fitts

Fruitsuper is a mecca for those looking for a highly curated selection of goods from independent designers. Many of the brands carried in the shop are regional.

Photo by Brooke Fitts

Tucked into the front corner of the shop, the newly minted wine bar is minimal, but it offers various seating arrangements — built-in plywood banquettes, circular stone-topped tables perfect for an afternoon tête-à-tête, and a set of long, black picnic tables with benches — to cater to customer’s needs. As for the wine selection, Corn says they will approach it “in the same way we approach curating our designers. We test and test, and test, and the ones in the shop are the ones we love the best.”

That’s not to say that pours will be the same all year round. Corn says they plan to have around two dozen choices on offer at any given time and will rotate them frequently. “We want to be able to recommend the best wine with spicy food or the one that’s great after a breakup,” she says, “or just something to kick off the weekend on a Friday night.” As for the varietals, those will rotate as well depending on season (i.e. there might be an extra rosé or bubbly during the warmer summer months, or a suite of reds as fall and winter approach).

Fruitsuper will offer around two dozen wines at any given time, with an emphasis on small, independent winemakers from around the world.

Photo by Brooke Fitts

“Our biggest, overarching focus is the fact that the wines will be everyday, super-approachable bottles,” Corn says, “and we’ll be sourcing from small, independent producers with a heavy emphasis on natural wine.” In addition to the new tasting room, Fruitsuper will continue to offer happenings to engage the community, including new, food-focused events . According to Corn, after Pioneer Square’s extra-tough go during the pandemic, the area feels busy again.

“We’ve noticed at the art walk over the past three months that there’s a renewed energy,” she says. “Pioneer Square is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Seattle and it’s gone through a million ups and downs. Right now, it feels like we’re going through a big up with small businesses and restaurants opening and flourishing once again.”

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