Pirate Panda Brewing, a family-owned brewery with a community-first vision plans to debut in Old Town Roanoke. According to public filings, the brewery plans to open at 200 S. Oak St., with construction currently underway. What Now Dallas spoke to Pablo Medina, the mastermind cervecero and head of the project, who shared that the brewing operation is targeting an opening in the first quarter of 2027.
The space is expected to include a designated area for children, a pet-friendly patio, and a second floor reserved for private events.
Medina, who leads the project alongside his three siblings, said the concept goes beyond craft beer. “More than a brewery, we’re thinking of a place that can bring the community together. It’s not a bar, it’s a place where you can go, eat, be with your family, have a good time, and, if everything goes well, drink plenty of high-quality beer,” he told What Now Dallas.
The family’s vision centers on hospitality over product, even as Medina brings serious brewing credentials to the venture. “Even though we’ll have world-class beer, we’re going to focus more on hospitality, on people having fun, on wanting to come back,” he said.
Roanoke’s Oak Street corridor drew them in for its strategic position within a cluster of fast-growing communities including Southlake, Westlake, and Trophy Club, according to Medina.
The project is a true family affair. Medina and his four siblings are building the brewery together, bringing their family’s immigrant background and a long-term, generational vision to the business. “We’re not the type of entrepreneurs who build a business and sell it,” he said to What Now Dallas. “Our plan is to reinvest everything the brewery earns, whether in a new location, expanding this one, or moving into distribution.”
