A new experience has finally opened in High Street that aims to bring a younger crowd to Williamsburg.
“A lot of millennials are moving here,” said Sean Walker, co-owner of Tipsy Beans Cafe. “The culture is changing and we are trying to shift with that culture.”
Tipsy Beans is the new wine and coffee bar that recently opened in High Street. The business, owned by Walker and Andre McLaughlin, is designed to provide a space where locals can gather for brunch on the weekend or meet for drinks after work.
The shop was originally set to open in spring of 2019, but Walker said there were a few unexpected setbacks because the location had to be entirely renovated into a space that served food. After more than a year of planning, the owners said they couldn’t be more pleased with the final product.
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“It just took our creative minds to bring what you see today to life,” Walker said. “The world wanted to put a rush on it, but you can’t rush greatness. We wanted it to be something that people in Williamsburg had never experienced before.”
McLaughlin describes the location as something different from anything else offered in Williamsburg because it provides a modern atmosphere for a younger crowd.
Some of the specials include “Back to Work Mondays” with 99-cent coffee of any size, “Taco Tuesdays,” with $3 tacos and $4 margaritas, “Wing Wednesdays” with 75-cent wings, Thursdays will have half-off flat breads and half-off select bottles of wine and Fridays will be “Social Fridays” with half-off specialty cocktails for women.
There will also be Happy Hour everyday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Walker said the selections on the menu and the variety of specials are designed to draw in different types of crowds each day.
“We want people in Williamsburg to have a place where they can have fun,” he said. “Not to have to go to Richmond or Virginia Beach for a new and different experience.”
Both owners said their goal is to stay ahead of the rapid changes in culture and development in the area. Walker said he has seen the new additions to Midtown Row and the new housing developments and recognizes that Williamsburg is becoming a place for young professionals and needs to have entertainment to support that.
“In this community everyone grows up and moves away, why?” Walker said. “Because there’s nothing to do here. We’re trying to create a place where you can grow up and want to stay here. It’s not a retirement community anymore.”
The owners said they want to continue to see their business expand and grow and to hopefully open a second location. But with only a week under their belt, they’re just enjoying the fruits of their labor for the moment.
“Ultimately we know that God is in control of all the things we do because without him we wouldn’t be able to do it,” McLaughlin said. “It was a process and a learning curve, but we are overjoyed that it has happened.”
