Inner Banks Mercantile recently hosted its second Final(ly) Friday program, a fresh low-key event that invites Columbia denizens to partake in some soulful tunes, good food and gain some education on the makings of good wine.

Located along 117 Elm Street, Columbia, IBX Mercantile now sits within what used to be a winery. Recently celebrating its third year in business, the spot takes full advantage of that cultured history while offering a bit more in the form of a selection of sandwiches and refreshments, most of which are made locally.

Similar in spirit to Plymouth’s First Friday showcase at the Beartowne Market on Washington Street, the IBX Mercantile variant also aims to give locals one big cool, once a month, reprieve after a week of hard work and toil.

As such, the establishment opened its doors at 5 p.m. for guests to grab some trinkets from the shelves, vittles from the counters near the cashiers or head towards the back for a taste of the good stuff.

And as far as taste was concerned, IBX has its own specialist in the form of Robert Barnes, who is considered by the establishment as the go-to man for all things wine and gourmet.

As such, he sits at the center of the program and is the friendly and guiding force for what the establishment has to offer and what it hopes to offer down the line.

“Finally, Fridays is still very much a work in progress. We’re trying different things to see what works and what doesn’t and what we can improve,“ Barnes says. “The first thing we’ve done is expanded the kind of wines that we carry. So, now my job is to introduce people to them. To give them not only an idea what we have available, but also to provide a bit of culture as well...”