Jacksonville’s Bold City Brewery is getting ready to expand with a new location in LaVilla at the center of Bay, Broad, Forsyth, and Jefferson Streets.
Brewery co-owners Brian and Susan Miller have partnered with First Coast Energy, the Jacksonville-based parent company of Daily’s, who is building a two-story structure with a convenience store and 16 gas pumps, a neighborhood market, a full-service restaurant, and a rooftop bar, according to Jacksonville Daily Record. Bold City Brewery will own and operate the second floor and rooftop. The Millers also plan to eventually close the brewery’s downtown site on East Bay Street, citing issues with the location.
“We don’t have parking, we don’t have food, and we don’t have space for events,” Miller tells Jacksonville Daily Record.
The development became closer to reality after the LaVilla neighborhood received unanimous conceptual approval on March 9 from the Downtown Development Review Board. First Coast Energy paid almost $3.3 million for the 1.4-acre in 2020. The timeline for this opening is unclear, but when this convenience store/gas station project opens, customers can try some of the brewery’s beers, such as the Killer Whale Cream Ale, Mad Manatee IPA, and Duke’s Cold Nose Brown Ale, as well as delicious food to go with it.
“The concept of opening a business, any business, can be a scary one, but at some point, you have to allow yourself to dream about what could be and push forward with your aspirations,” according to the company’s website. “There have been a lot of long hours and hard work, but we’ve been blessed with good times and a bundle of fun along the way.”
