Micro-Brewery and Restaurant Breaks Ground on Former Taco Bus Spot
A new micro-brewery and restaurant are headed to St. Pete’s up-and-coming Grand Central District.
Located next to Dog Bar, at 2324 Central Avenue, the 0.41 acre lot was purchased for $860,000 in September 2019 by Grand Central Property Holdings, a limited liability company controlled by insurance executive and philanthropist Kevin Milkey.
Shortly after closing on the land, the existing structures were demolished and plans for a two-story, 10,270 square foot development were announced. The site was previously home to a Taco Bus restaurant, which closed in September 2017.
The project will feature two separate buildings divided by an outdoor courtyard and beer garden. The design was meant to model a contemporary version of a traditional American main street.
On one side of the lot will be the Grand Central Brewhouse, a 6,040 square foot micro-brewery while the other side will be 3,290 square foot in shell space for a future third-party restaurant.
The two buildings will be separated by an outdoor courtyard and beer garden and will feature second floor drinking and dining areas.
“We intend to make Grand Central Brewhouse a go-to brewery in St. Pete,” said Kevin Milkey, owner of Grand Central Brewhouse. “People are the heart of this city and therefore, the heart of our mission. Grand Central Brewhouse will be a spot for the community to come together, make memories, and taste quality, craft beer.”
For those not familiar with craft beer lingo, a micro-brewery is a brewery that produces less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year and sells 75% or more of its beer off-site.
According to a filing with the city, the Grand Central Brewhouse will produce around 5,000 barrels of beer annually. Tyler Singletary, formerly of Flying Boat Brewing Company, is expected to serve as Head Brewer.
Grand Central Brewhouse’s drink menu will feature a wide variety of lagers and a full range of ales, including pale ales, IPAs and darker ales such as porters and stouts, plus some funky and sours beers. Singletary will also create seasonal beers and limited-release options to complement the core beers.
The buildings are designed to model a contemporary version of a traditional American main street.
The microbrewery will serve craft beer directly from the tank, implementing a European beer tank technology. These advanced-serving tanks hold high-strength bag liners with a self-cooling, bag-in-tank system that will be used directly in the taproom. With less beer handling involved, this technology results in fresher beer than keg storage and a longer shelf life.
Grand Central Brewhouse beer drinkers will be able to relax and sip on a lager in the taproom, an outdoor beer garden, or a second-story outdoor roof terrace. The brewery will be able to hold 250 people.
Additionally, the brewery will be complimented by a future restaurant which will have two floors of dining and a shared outdoor courtyard, which can host an additional 375 guests. The restaurant portion of the project has yet to be filled and is currently on the market.
The Grand Central Brewhouse will be located at 2324 Central Avenue on a 0.41 acre lot next to Dog Bar.
The project will have 17 vehicular parking spaces along with 38 bicycle parking spaces. The Grand Central Brewhouse will also be accessible from Downtown St. Pete via PSTA’s Central Avenue Trolly.
Place Architecture designed the building and Boyd Construction will serve as the project’s general contractor. Hype Group is working on the branding and marketing for the Grand Central Brewhouse.
“Opening a brewery here in St. Pete has been a dream of mine for years,” said Milkey. “I’m excited to see this vision come to life, even beyond its beverage offerings. A portion of Grand Central Brewhouse’s proceeds will be donated to local charities, which is a contribution I am proud to give to a community that has given so much to me."
The Grand Central Brewhouse plans to open in the Summer of 2020. Give them a follow on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date.
Earlier this year Sophia's Cucina + Enoteca opened at 2363 Central Ave, across the street in the historic Mari Jean Hotel. And in June, Baba Restaurant, Bakery, & Cafe debuted on the 2700 block of Central Avenue. In the next few weeks, Valhalla Bakery and Lucy’s Vegan Corner will open their doors at 2462 Central Avenue. The Grand Central District has seen a flurry of new business openings recently as commercial rents have continued to rise in the downtown core and the EDGE District.