9 Ounce & Somm to bring wine, whiskey, cigar lounge to Fort Worth

Stull said Building A, where the bar will be, currently has four walls and a roof, so bathrooms, a kitchen, the bar and lighting will need to be installed. She said she is a one-woman crew now, but she has been leaning on her sister, who has more than 35 years in the restaurant industry.

9 Ounce & Somm will have beer, cocktails, mocktails and a small bite menu, an ode to her month’s heritage from the Basque Country in Spain. She said she plans to offer more upscale bar food.

Stull said that she's gotten help on the menu, kitchen, bar layout and architectural plans from friends Katherine and Eric Faulkner. That duo owns Dunn Rite Cafe in Decatur and previously owned Wing It Cafe at Hicks Airfield in Fort Worth.

The business name is based on a 9-ounce wine pour, is a play on the word sommelier—a wine steward—and shows that the business offers more than just wine.

“I want it to be a nice, relaxing place that you can go hang out with your friends at the end of the day and or a place that is just right around the corner,” Stull said.

There are family ties throughout. Stull said she loves wine, while her dad smokes cigars and her son enjoys whiskey. The official business name is Mi Perla LLC, or my pearl, what her mother called her as a child.

How we got here

Stull said the thought of 9 Ounce & Somm originated during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. She said in hindsight, it has been a blessing that the wine bar took a little bit longer to take off than she wanted.

The first location she wanted was on Bonds Ranch Road, and she had a letter of intent for a space there. However, being located next to a church, it would have needed to be a restaurant, since a bar would not be allowed due to zoning regulations.

“I just really prayed to God about it,” she said. “You know, if this is not the right place, let me know. The next morning, I got up early because I was anxious. I just drove around and looked at a few more places. Then, my realtor called me and told me we lost the place [on Bonds Ranch Road.] It’s all in God’s timing.”

The early-morning drive resulted in five locations that caught her eye, including the LanCarte development at the intersection of Heritage Trace Parkway and Harmon Road. She said LanCarte got in touch with her realtor that same day, which set the wheels in motion for the launch of the business.

According to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the wine bar remodel has an estimated cost of $450,000. Stull said the project is about a month behind the original estimate start date of Jan. 30.

• Opening in July
• 9577 Harmon Road, Ste. 105, Fort Worth
• www.9ounceandsomm.com