Hare & Hatter to expand to new Sonoma Plaza location

Sonoma’s sausage emporium, run by three generations of local female entrepreneurs, hopes to expand into a new Plaza storefront later this summer.

Business partners Miranda Ives and her mother, Linda Ives Welch opened a coffee bar and gourmet hot dog stand in Friedman’s Hardware in 2016, and their Hare & Hatter Sausage Emporium in the El Paseo Alley in 2018.

The Emporium has been such a success that the restaurateurs have signed a lease to move into a bigger space on the south side of the Plaza – the old Kane men’s apparel storefront on East Napa Street, between the Pangloss tasting room and Chico’s clothing store.

Meanwhile, Maya Ives-McCrory, a Sonoma Charter School fourth grader, has developed a business called “The Society” that delivers a selection of hand-crafted sausages paired with local and international wines to your home alongside other artisan goods on a subscription basis.

“Maya recognized that everything is on subscription these days and suggested the concept one night over dinner,” said Miranda Ives. The website, at societysonoma.com, is taking orders now. An e-commerce store is also in the works.

TV station KRON 4 news even filmed a segment at the Sausage emporium on the 10-year-old Sonoma entrepreneur last week.

The new Plaza dining spot will be open for breakfast and lunch, as well as dinner on the weekends. Inside there will be both seating and a small retail store that will sell sausages as well as other artisan products. The design by architect Michael Ross will also include a bar that will serve beer and wine. Ives said the new sausage restaurant will have “slightly different branding.”

Ives realizes that she faces a complicated process, converting a clothing store into a small restaurant but she has confidence in the team she has assembled to work with the City of Sonoma to make it happen.

“We just loved the space and its position on the Plaza,” said Ives. “We are excited to be a warm and welcoming spot, bring some life to that corner of the Plaza

“We’re so proud to have three generations of female entrepreneurs here in Sonoma,” she added. “This is an exciting move for us considering we only just started the concept as a coffee cart two years ago.”

Ives added that she is currently hiring for the new cafe.

Learn more at harehatter.com and at societysonoma.com.