Over the past decade, the building at 1149 N. State St. has hosted everything from vegan restaurants to smoothie shops. Now the space is home to a new venture: Starla’s, a laid-back natural wine bar. Its doors aren’t yet open, but co-owners Jordan Koplowitz and Christy Wyble expect to welcome guests in the next month.
Koplowitz and Wyble are no strangers to the hospitality industry: Koplowitz co-owned Blotto, a critically acclaimed Seattle pizzeria where Wyble was also a key collaborator. But when the restaurant’s lease ended in 2023, the duo decided to pursue their next venture in Koplowitz’s hometown of Bellingham.
“We wanted to create a place that we wanted to go, that we thought was maybe missing in Bellingham, where we could drink natural wine,” Wyble said. “There’s not really anywhere to do that.”
Starla’s will feature a menu of low-intervention, small-batch wines, plus beer on tap, non-alcoholic options and a well-stocked bottle shop. As far as food goes, Koplowitz said, “We’re still in the process of figuring out exactly what works in this space, but we’re gonna have hearty snacks — as hearty as we can.”
Kopolowitz said wines at Starla’s skew toward “the adventurous side,” though his and Wyble’s vision is the opposite of pretentious. The owners prioritize making low-intervention wines feel accessible; on the spectrum of dive bar to wine bar, they position Starla’s somewhere in the middle.
“We wanted to feel less fancy, more casual, more approachable,” Koplowitz continued. “We wanted to feel a little bit more dive-y — like a fun place to hang out that isn’t a special occasion spot.”
The atmosphere at Starla’s is best described as nostalgic, with ‘80s-esque wood details and a visual identity inspired by vintage matchbooks. Wyble and Koplowitz’s close friend, Chris De La Fuente, handled branding, and Starla’s whimsical “wine guy” logo is his creation.
As for the bar’s namesake? Koplowitz said Starla is an idea, not a person. “I think that it evoked this … sexy, cozy, vintage, lounge-y kind of space,” he continued. “I wish we knew a Starla — but we’ll have to meet one.”
Starla’s is located at 1149 N. State St. and is projected to open in late August. Info: instagram.com/starlas.tavern.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
