Willow Spring Mercantile

Willow Spring Mercantile is a long-running bistro, gift shop, and Missouri wine specialist in historic downtown Excelsior Springs. Opened in 2005 by Jim and Daphne Bowman as an antique store, it has evolved into a shop offering the largest selection of Missouri wines in the state, along with craft beers, spirits, local gifts, and a bistro serving homemade lunch.

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Description

Willow Spring Mercantile occupies a storefront in historic downtown Excelsior Springs. What began as an antique store in 2005 has grown into a multifaceted shop featuring one of the largest selections of Missouri wines in the state, along with craft beers, spirits, and locally made gifts. The on-site bistro serves homemade lunch daily, making it a popular spot for both locals and visitors seeking a relaxed, community-oriented experience.

Ownership and history

Jim and Daphne Bowman opened Willow Spring Mercantile in 2005 in a downtown building they helped revitalize during a period when many structures were vacant or in disrepair. It started as an antique store but quickly pivoted to focus on Missouri-made products, especially wines. Over more than 20 years, the business has become a cornerstone of the downtown revival, with the Bowmans and their family deeply involved in day-to-day operations and community efforts.

Menu

Last verified: 2026-06-21 · Source: Willow Spring Mercantile official bistro menu (shopthemercantile.com), corroborated by Yelp/Tripadvisor reviews and Feast Magazine · URL(s): https://www.shopthemercantile.com/menu, https://www.shopthemercantile.com/ · Confidence: High — items and prices pulled from the official menu page; the basement-bistro lunch concept and Missouri-wine focus are independently corroborated. Medium only on prices drifting between seasonal menu refreshes.

The Basement Bistro serves a from-scratch lunch of salads, sandwiches, croissants, wraps, and flatbread pizzas designed to pair with the shop’s deep Missouri-wine list — open for lunch Tuesday–Sunday.¹²

Signature items

• Tropical Chicken Salad Croissant — chicken salad on a buttery croissant, with a side; a frequently-praised house favorite. ($13.50)¹
• Open Faced Albacore Tuna Melt — the bistro’s well-reviewed open-face tuna melt, with a side. ($13.50)¹
• Hot Ham and Cheese — toasted ham and cheese, with a side. ($13.50)¹
• The Dave Salad — the bistro’s premium house salad, served with warm bread. ($12.25)¹
• Hemme Brothers Cheese Plate — appetizer board built on Missouri-made Hemme Brothers cheese. ($13.99)¹

Salads (served with warm bread)

• Willow Spring Green Salad / House Specialty / Seasonal Spinach / Almond Caesar — ($11.75)¹
• The Dave Salad — ($12.25)¹

Sandwiches, croissants & wraps (served with a side)

• Toasted Italian ($13.75), Turkey BLT ($14.00), Turkey and Pimiento ($13.50), Ham and Apple ($13.50), Grapevine Smoked Pulled Pork ($12.50), Turkey BBQ ($12.50)¹
• Gourmet Egg Salad Croissant ($13.00), Tropical Chicken Salad Croissant ($13.50)¹
• Black and Bleu Wrap ($14.50), All American Wrap ($13.50), Chicken Pesto Wrap ($13.50), Greek Veggie Wrap ($12.00)¹

Flatbread pizzas

• Baked Potato / Buffalo Chicken / Bacon, Pear with Gorgonzola ($11.50), The Merc Margherita ($10.99)¹

Appetizers & desserts

• Hot Bacon Cheddar Dip ($11.50), Red Pepper Hummus ($9.00), Italian Bread and Butter Plate ($7.50)¹
• Sea Salt & Caramel Brownie ($6.50), Vanilla Ice Cream Floats ($5.50), plus daily dessert specials. Gluten-free and dietary requests accommodated.¹

Wine, beer & coffee

• Missouri wines by the glass (~$6); 300+ retail Missouri bottles available to drink in for a $7 corking fee — billed as one of the state’s largest Missouri-wine selections.¹²³
• Beer (~$4.75); coffee, chai, and cold brew ($3.25–$6.75).¹
• Monthly Four-Course Wine Dinner pairing the Bowmans’ cooking with a featured Missouri winery, plus rotating tasting events.²

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Sources

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Disputes

(None recorded.)

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Footnotes

1. Willow Spring Mercantile — official bistro menu. https://www.shopthemercantile.com/menu (hours via https://www.shopthemercantile.com/) — asserts: full Basement Bistro lunch menu with prices (appetizers, salads w/ warm bread, sandwiches/croissants/wraps w/ side, flatbread pizzas, desserts); MO wine by glass ~$6 + $7 retail corking fee, beer ~$4.75, coffee/chai $3.25–$6.75; bistro hours Tue–Fri 11–3, Sat 11–5, Sun 11–3; gluten-free/dietary accommodations. Reviewer-corroborated favorites (tropical chicken salad croissant, open-face tuna melt, hot ham & cheese) per Yelp & Tripadvisor. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶

2. Willow Spring Mercantile — official “About.” https://www.shopthemercantile.com/ — asserts: owners Jim & Daphne Bowman; opened 2005 (“over 20 years since its opening in 2005”); 249 E Broadway, Excelsior Springs; 300+ Missouri wines, craft beer/spirits, basement bistro, monthly wine dinners. ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. Feast Magazine — “Willow Spring Mercantile offers one of Missouri’s largest wine selections.” https://www.feastmagazine.com/travel/kansas-city/willow-spring-mercantile-offers-one-of-missouris-largest-wine-selections/article_5e5bf35c-0be9-11e6-8987-675836b65232.html — asserts: one of Missouri’s largest Missouri-wine selections; Bowman ownership. ↩