Meet Adam LaClave of Mystic Picnic

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam LaClave.

Adam, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My husband Zach and I have worked in the hospitality industry for a long while. Zach, as a server & graphic designer, and I as a server turned manager, then eventually promoted to Operating Partner of a high-end prime steakhouse group. We moved from Memphis to northern California with my job and there had the amazing chance to spend a lot of time in wine country. The experience of walking the vineyards, meeting the growers, and learning about the techniques and approach that gave American winemaking credibility in the rest of the world, was so inspiring for us and ultimately led to our dream of opening our own place. After living in CA for five years, we had the opportunity to move to Nashville; again with my job; and we took that opportunity. While living and renting in Nashville, we started looking for a little more space and wanted to buy our first home.

We looked all over the place and in our search randomly found Springfield. As we passed through the charmingly historic downtown square, we immediately fell in love. Long story made short, we bought a house in the Historic District and began formulating our plan for what would become Mystic Picnic. We wanted to create something brand new for the community here that would rival any bar or lounge in Nashville, but that felt like a neighborhood spot. We pressed pause on the dream during the pandemic but continued talking about it almost daily. We eventually found a spot right in the heart of the historic district; just steps from the iconic courthouse; and convinced the 94-year-old landlord to allow us to transform her space into our wine and whiskey bar. The process was full of renovation, re-design, and a lot of waiting on a contractor short on staff. We took that time to introduce ourselves to anyone and everyone we possibly could in the community and make sure they knew that we were local and that we wanted to open this place to give Springfield a new experience we felt like they deserved. We opened in June of 2022 and have been warmly embraced by not just our local regulars, but visitors from Nashville, Clarksville, and southern KY.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would say that the road has been smooth, but with a few speed bumps. While we have been developing more and more regulars every week, we are still in a growing community that is not necessarily known for its nightlife. That has resulted in some slow nights from time to time, which make running a small business like ours more challenging.

What we are doing would have been such an easier fit if we had put it right in Nashville or any other major city, but we do believe in the future of Springfield, and wanted to be a part of the story of the population growth that will be happening here over the next 5 to 10 years.

As you know, we’re big fans of Mystic Picnic. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We call ourselves a “neighborhood wine and whiskey bar” and focus on just that. We have an amazing selection of whiskey and bourbons all sourced from either TN or KY. We also have a unique selection of wines with a focus on low intervention, sustainable wine practices that include interesting picks from the US but mostly imports from France, Italy, Austria, and beyond.

We have a small, seasonally rotating food menu with a focus on sharable plates, snacks, and desserts. We do a super fun weekly brunch where we show a different movie on the big screen in our Cabaret Room every Sunday (reservations only). We also host wine & whiskey tastings, private events, wine dinners, workshops, etc.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
The best way to support us is just to come on out! We have a goal of making friends with anybody that walks through our doors and like to ask a lot of questions to get to know our guests. We have a few mantras, but one we really want to live by is “we promise good times.”

We don’t want to be a typical wine bar that takes itself too seriously. We have a fun yet elevated atmosphere, loud music, and dim lighting. We want everyone to feel like a part of our neighborhood even if they drive up from Nashville!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mysticpicnicwine.com
• Instagram: @mysticpicnicwinebar