SixtyFour Wine Bar & Kitchen and its adjoining Reserve Room are pouring their final glasses in downtown Naperville on Nov. 25, closing the books on a decade-long run in the Water Street district. The business, known for letting guests sample dozens of wines at the swipe of a smart card, says it's simply time to move on.
The closure was announced in a Facebook post, according to NCTV17, with the business writing that “after 10 years it is time to move on with other opportunities” while thanking guests, business partners, suppliers and employees. Owner Loren Beadle told the Daily Herald that the lease on the space was expiring, prompting the decision to shut down rather than renew.
SixtyFour opened on Water Street in downtown Naperville in June 2017 and built its identity around its name: a rotating selection of 64 wines available by the glass each day, per the same report. The restaurant also served craft beers, cocktails, charcuterie, small plates and desserts, along with retail wine for sale, and NCTV17 notes the 64 wine options were served by the glass daily — a detail central to the concept.
Self-Pour Wine Stations Were the Big Draw
Part of what set SixtyFour apart was its bank of automated, self-service wine dispensers, known as wine stations, which let patrons pour their own glasses using a smart card loaded with credit. Those stations gave access to 64 bottles at a time, according to the Daily Herald's reporting, turning a simple glass of wine into something closer to a tasting-room experience.
Beadle, who owns SixtyFour along with Amy Beadle, told the outlet that opening new businesses down the road remains a possibility, but that any future ventures are unlikely to land in the Naperville area. The couple previously opened Fortyeight Wine Bar & Kitchen on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, a sister concept that features wine stations stocked with 48 wines rather than 64.
Refunds and a Farewell Clearance Sale
SixtyFour says it will refund any unused gift-card balances and deposits tied to private-event bookings, a commitment first reported by NCTV17. Patch adds that customers can arrange those refunds, including for gift cards and platinum cards, by calling 630-780-6464 after the closure, and that anyone who booked the space for an event can request their deposit back through the same number.
Before the doors close for good, SixtyFour plans a send-off for bargain hunters. The Daily Herald reports that retail wines were 25% off through Nov. 25, then the business would open for retail shopping Nov. 30–Dec. 11, with retail wines 30% off and other merchandise in a clearance sale.
Beadle and his wife still own and operate five other businesses in South Carolina, including Kiawah Spirits, Kiawah Wines and Seacoast Sports and Outfitters, alongside Fortyeight Wine Bar & Kitchen. With those ventures already established elsewhere, Beadle says future ventures are unlikely to be in the Naperville area, as the Beadles' South Carolina footprint continues to anchor their work after SixtyFour's run on Water Street comes to an end.
