Miranda Domenguez, general manager of Aperitivo on S. Ashley. “I’m definitely extroverted,” she says, and the new cocktail lounge is meant to be a very social environment where people can stop by before or after dinner. | J. Adrian Wylie
In this age of QR codes and touchscreen menus, Miranda Domenguez favors a more personal touch.
She says she cried all day when she left her bartending job at Spencer, but the reason wasn’t entirely sad. She’s the general manager at a new cocktail and wine lounge, Aperitivo, at the corner of S. Ashley and W. Washington.
“I’m definitely extroverted and always talking to people,” says the Pontiac native, who moved to Ann Arbor in 2023 to work at Green Things Farm Collective. “It’s kind of like therapy to me to hear people’s experiences and what they’ve gone through, because I feel like we can always learn from each other, no matter our ages.”
The cozy 1,000-square-foot building, once planned for an eight-story mixed-use redevelopment called Tierra on Ashley, is now refashioned as an indoor/outdoor social venue, “a little mix of local and Italian,” as she puts it.
Its new entrance replaces a former garage bay, leading to a bar and lounge encircled with olive-shaded custom banquettes. There’s more room outside for food trucks and seating for about forty. String lighting in the trees, a terracotta paint job, and a bright yellow awning have been added alongside what remains of the black-eyed Susan and coneflower mural on the side of the adjacent building.
Aperitivo, named for the Italian pre-dinner tradition, will feature low-alcohol cocktails, amaro, mostly Italian wines, and charcuterie board offerings with local, seasonal elements. “This is kind of your stop either before you go to dinner or when you’re done with dinner,” she says.
The four-person ownership group includes local property veteran Jerry Spears, who tabbed Domenguez to spearhead the concept, and entrepreneur Tim Ekpo, who’s also an orthopedic surgeon.
“I think the places that tend to do well are those that are open and have a very inviting social environment,” Ekpo says. “We’re hopeful that this becomes an Ann Arbor staple for a long time.”
Aperitivo, 200 S. Ashley. (734) 369–3810. Wed. & Thurs. 4 p.m.–9 p.m., Fri. 4 p.m.–midnight, Sat. noon–midnight, Sun. noon–9 p.m. Closed Mon. & Tues. aperitivo-annarbor.com
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