Ownership changes ahead for Corner Wine Bar

Changes are coming to the Corner Wine Bar, a long-standing establishment in the heart of Broad Ripple, as well as the adjacent Wellington Pub.

The venues, located on the southeast corner of Guilford Avenue and Westfield Boulevard, are currently owned by Elizabeth Morse and Liza Zapata.

Morse confirmed to IBJ on Tuesday that she and Zapata are selling the joint establishment. She said the sale is expected to close this month but declined to give a specific date.

The Corner Wine Bar offers a bar and full menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads, pastas, steaks, desserts and other items. The Wellington Pub, built to resemble a traditional European pub, offers beer, bourbon, scotch and darts. The complex also includes a third space: a basement wine cellar that hosts live music and special events.

“We’re very glad to have had 17 great years,” Morse said. She and Zapata have owned the Corner Wine Bar complex since 2001, when they purchased it from founders John and Nancy Hill. The Hills opened the Corner Wine Bar in 1982. 

The owners broke the news to customers in a Feb. 26 posting on the wine bar's Facebook page.

“It’s been a hell of a run, but all good things must come to an end. Liza and I are officially retiring! We have sold Corner Wine Bar and our last day at the helm will be Wednesday, March 7,” the post said.

A story in the Indianapolis Star identified Chris Kirksey and two unnamed “silent business partners” as the purchasers of the Corner Wine Bar. In that story, Kirksey said he plans to close the establishment for a few weeks to reconfigure the space and then reopen it as a single operation called The Corner.

IBJ was unable to reach Kirksey on Tuesday morning. Morse said she and Zapata are using a business broker to handle the sale, have had little contact with the new owner and couldn’t offer details about how the business might change under new ownership.