Oct. 14, 2021

Downtown wine bar Wine Time on Main is closing.

Bob and Cathy Novak opened the bar inside Washington Square nearly three years ago.

“Prior to opening Wine Time on Main, we knew that the restaurant and bar industry was a tough one to tackle; however, our love of wine and our desire to create a place for wine connoisseurs to connect overshadowed the potential hardships of owning a bar,” they said in an email to customers.

“Just as we were getting a strong footing in beautiful downtown Sioux Falls, COVID hit, which has been incredibly tough for all small-business owners. The reality is we have not had a profitable month since the onset of COVID.”

The goal is to sell out inventory by the end of the year, they said. All wine will be discounted 15 percent starting Oct. 19, followed by a liquidation of glassware and retail items.

“While we are torn up about having to close Wine Time on Main, we cannot discount all the amazing experiences and people we have met during this journey,” they said. “We want to thank our wine friends near and far who have supported us through the years by attending many of our events and placing online orders. We have made some wonderful friends in the process, and we truly hope we can share a bottle of wine together in the future.”