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By Charlotte Reames

A few months before its first anniversary in West Point, Sip Cafe and Wine Room will be expanding with a private venue called Reunion. The venue will have its inaugural event on Feb. 11 for a Valentine’s Dinner Dance.

According to Sip Cafe Owner Tiffany Welch, Reunion will be a budget-friendly venue for private events such as wedding receptions, baby showers and reunions. The venue can hold up to 75 people.

“We’re very, very excited,” Welch said. “The response has been overwhelming with reservations. People are already starting to book wedding receptions and private parties and company events.”

The venue is available by reservation. Welch said the venue will be more budget-friendly because it has all-inclusive in-house catering. Reunion is equipped with a full kitchen and bar and is catered by the same chef and menu as Sip Cafe. It can also accommodate live music.

“We’ll be able to keep the prices down because we have our own in-house chef … Our in-house chef is available to make your dinner special,” Welch said.

For loyal Sip Cafe customers, Welch said that nothing will change for the original restaurant. Sip Cafe has been installed in West Point since April of last year. Though it is relatively new to the area, Welch said business has been going very well.

One of the reasons Welch decided to expand was because of the demand for the restaurant. Because of its size, Sip Cafe must close when it is reserved for private parties.

“We decided to expand Sip because we could only accommodate so many guests, and if we have a private party, we have to close down the entire restaurant, and people would be upset,” Welch said. “So we feel that by expanding to Reunion, we can accommodate large parties, private events, etcetera, without interrupting the main restaurant.”

During the pandemic, large group gatherings like family or college reunions were not allowed. Welch said that when the restrictions began lifting, she decided to develop an extension.

“This is a great time to expand the business and call it ‘Reunion,’” Welch said.

The opening of Reunion will create more job opportunities for West Point, according to Welch. It will also provide more options to the community. Rather than having to book reservations in larger neighboring cities, West Point citizens will have a private venue option close to home.

“It’ll bring good options to the city for the community, so they don’t have to travel and commute to Auburn and Opelika or to LaGrange … I like to say I am helping to build a community for the community,” Welch said.

Sip Cafe serves a quick lunch from 11 to 2 p.m. every day. The restaurant also offers Brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Now, Sip Cafe is introducing Thursday night will be educators night with specials and discounts to show appreciation for the teachers in the community.