Annie Laurie’s owners open eclectic new eatery in downtown Cape

Laurie and Rob Ray are expanding into a new business. Soiree by Annie Laurie's features a variety of small plate and beverage options on a regularly-changing menu. It will open to the public in early August.

Christopher Borro ~ cborro@semissourian.com

Soiree by Annie Laurie’s is in the midst of its soft opening, but the idea for this new lounge at 111 William St. in Cape Girardeau spans years into the past.

Laurie and Rob Ray, the same couple behind Annie Laurie’s emporium and The Indie House retail space on Broadway in downtown Cape Girardeau, own the eatery. Rob Ray had conceived the idea of a tapas-style restaurant years ago and his wife thought up the atmosphere and design. They acquired the location for the lounge in the last few years and spent the intervening time developing it.

“Something felt right about this space. It just seemed like the right size. I knew we could make it really special,” Laurie Ray said.

The eatery features a mix of American, Asian, Italian and other world cuisines on its menu. As a tapas restaurant, named for the Spanish style of snacking, diners don’t order individual meals so much as small plates for their entire party. The Rays said the idea is for people to stop by, engage in conversations and snack along the way.

Soiree also features a bar serving a variety of beer, wine and cocktails. The Rays said both the beverage and plate menus will change on a semi-regular basis.

“The idea is when you think of us you don’t think of one particular cuisine. We want to stretch it a little bit. We want to make it fun and inviting and challenging and new to people, and also keep it kind of simple, too,” Rob Ray said.

Laurie Ray said Soiree will be able to accommodate parties of up to 10 people, though it is set up for smaller groups.

“I know that my Annie Laurie’s crew will be onboard because they’re very excited and they’re eclectic people, too. They like to have unique experiences. But I also hope to reach all different types of people,” Laurie Ray said.

The owners said they did not want to be constrained into thinking they need to change menu items or keep them the same at any time, but rather they will take customer feedback and their own opinions into account when determining which dishes to serve.

“We’re all foodies so we get inspiration from other places that we travel and eat at,” general manager Kate Velishek said. “… We wrote down a million ideas and talked about which ones we liked and how we could make those happen.”

Velishek is an industry veteran. She has worked in different capacities, including leadership roles, at Cape Girardeau establishments Bella Italia, Primo Vino/Cask and Celebrations. She brainstormed many of the beer and wine options served at Soiree.

“We wanted to bring kind of a tropical vibes and also have wines that are very approachable from all different parts of the world, kind of like the cuisine,” Laurie Ray said. “… That’s the great thing about this restaurant is it will always be full of surprises. It will always be changing and evolving. That keeps it interesting and exciting.”

Soiree by Annie Laurie’s will open to the public starting the first weekend in August. It will be open 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The Rays said seating will be reservation-only for the first few weeks, though the bar will be open without requiring reservations.

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