A single word describes Brian Sumption, owner of Troubadour Wine Bar just north of Metro Transit’s Uptown station: positive.

“I’m super optimistic,” said Sumption, who grew up on a South Dakota farm and bought the bar in 2019 right out of college from its original owner who opened it in 2015.

Farmers often deal with unpredictable variables like weather and tariffs. “It’s going to hail some years. You’ll get through,” Sumption said.

He put that positive attitude to the test in keeping his business open during a five-year span that included a pandemic, social unrest affecting Uptown and two phases of major street work.

“I had faith that it was going to get through,” he said, even though he watched neighboring businesses close and the loss of YWCA patrons who regularly stopped by after a workout (the YWCA closed in November 2023).

Sumption had to be creative, offering the venue to private events and other types of entertainment that he calls “curated live performances and creative collaborations.”

“We started doing some cool magic shows, some cool musicals.” A fortune teller might even become a regular attraction at the Troubadour, he said.

The bar also became the site for something completely unrelated to wine, music or food.

“I’ve gotten to help plan out secret [marriage] proposals, which has been a ton of fun,” he said.

With Hennepin Avenue fully open, the bar’s future looks much brighter to Sumption.

“I see the trajectory going up,” Sumption said. He sees more customers, especially younger ones, coming to hear the nightly music offerings of mostly acoustic and indie folk.

“Super good to see those kinds of things happening,” he said. “Even a year or two ago, you would not have seen that.”

Sumption, who co-owns Minnesota’s Bartending Service with his sister, said that the Uptown location made the difference between staying open or closing.

“The people that live in the neighborhood have been extremely supportive,” Sumption said. “They come in all the time.”

Despite the new acts, the bar remains true to its roots. “Live music is what we’re known for. We’re doing that almost every night of the week for the most part throughout the year,” Sumption said.

It is a wine bar, too, with a broad selection of vintages, including a new red blend called Blind Love Blend that Sumption created last July in partnership with St. Croix Vineyards near Stillwater.

“It’s the first-ever Minnesota wine at the Troubadour,” he said, calling it a “toast to serendipity” on its label.

Sumption would also like to toast new businesses if they open in Uptown, so he said he would like the city to try to do more to make that happen by offering more “incentives or grants to help small, locally owned businesses thrive,” he said.

“I think new businesses always bring a new buzz, new crowd, new traffic, really shows off how nice, cool the neighborhoods are,” Sumption added.

Troubadour Wine Bar is located at 2827 Hennepin Ave. and is open Monday-Saturday at 5 p.m.