The Wicked Wolf, a fantasy-themed cocktail bar in Long Beach’s Wrigley neighborhood, is expanding its hours and non-alcoholic offerings starting on Halloween.
Beginning Thursday, the shop will offer coffee, tea, pastries, tea sandwiches and other daytime snacks from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. During those times, it will adopt the moniker Tea Time Wolf.
For the past year and a half, the bar was only open during evening hours, offering seasonal and signature cocktails amid mystical decor.
“I just thought: this place is so beautiful, I love being here so I want other people to be here too during the day,” said co-owner Thea Mercouffer.
The menu curated by teahouse manager Maria Abrahamian will include matcha drinks, loose-leaf teas and coffee roasted by the local Black Dog Coffee Roasters.
For under $5, you can order cucumber sandwiches, Mexican chocolate chia pudding, overnight oats, or a cup of tea with your choice of various black, green or herbal flavors.
A pot of tea will be available for $6 or you can opt to share a pot of tea and two scones for $10.
The space will remain 21+ during the day because of restrictions on its license. Patrons in the afternoon can request just under a shot of liquor added to their drink, Mercouffer said.
After noon, hummus, a salad wrap and a charcuterie board will also join the menu.
Patrons are welcome to hang out in the mystical art space from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. to see the change of staff, but food and drink service will not be available, Mercouffer said.
You can RSVP for the Tea Time Wolf grand opening here. Guests on Thursday are encouraged to come in their best tea time costume to compete for a prize.
The Wicked Wolf opened in April 2023 as an “empty nest” project for Mercouffer and her husband George Wolfe after their second child went off to college.
Mercouffer, a documentary filmmaker for the past 20 years, said she was looking for a business venture to devote her time to when she stumbled upon the location on Pacific Avenue.
“For me, it’s truly a speakeasy but it’s an art speakeasy,” Mercouffer said. “You come for the bar and you stay for the art.”
Over the past year and a half, The Wicked Wolf has flourished as an art space. They host karaoke, open mics, live music, mixology classes and even an alcohol-themed book club.
Every month, the walls feature artwork from different local artists. In November, the featured artist will be a former Wicked Wolf bartender.
Although Mercouffer and Wolfe live about a half-hour outside of Long Beach, they spend a lot of time at their bar in Long Beach where they strive to be good neighbors.
Wolfe, a writer by trade, said he recently fixed the “L” in Wrigley on the “Wrigley Village Welcomes You!” sign.
The Wicked Wolf, 2332 Pacific Ave., is open from 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Tea Time Wolf will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday starting on Oct. 31.