Scott and Rachelle Vivian leaving Wine Bar to take over Amuse-Bouche space

Well, that didn’t last long. One of the couples that took over the Wine Bar from Jamie Kennedy last September—chef team Scott and Rachelle Vivian—are leaving the Church Street spot to take over Amuse-Bouche’s location at 96 Tecumseth once its lease expires at the end of May. They leave the Wine Bar in the capable hands of  Ted and Mary Koutsogiannopoulos, formerly of Joy Bistro.

“We’re going to rename it Beast,” Scott Vivian tells us, “and I’m not going to do a specific concept but just have good, local food in a good neighbourhood.” It all went down really quickly, he says. When he and Rachelle heard that Amuse-Bouche’s owners weren’t renewing their lease, they gave them a call and expressed interest in opening their own place.

The two officially take over the location on June 1 and are shooting for a June 9 opening. If that seems fast, Vivian assures us that there isn’t much to change with the space—just a new coat of paint and some refurbishing for the tables. His last day at the Wine Bar is May 23, and he’s staying mum on his replacement for now. Rachelle has already left, replaced by the pastry chef who was previously working under her.

“We’re leaving the Wine Bar on a positive note,” he says. “Rachelle and I are looking forward to doing our own thing.”