USA, FL: Ceremony Brewing might come to downtown Bonita Springs soon

A new brewery might come to downtown Bonita Springs, joining other projects in the works, such as apartments and added retail space.

Ceremony Brewing is interested in the café building attached to the Everglades Wonder Gardens. Once home to the Twisted Tangle Café, the building has sat empty for months, the Naples Daily News reported on June 20.

Ceremony will be a new twist on local craft breweries, said its founder Zachary Smith. The taps will feature beer from other local breweries for patrons to enjoy.

Unique beers from across the world also will be for sale.

“It’s like a locally owned mom and pop craft beer boutique,” Smith said. “It will be the (ABC Fine Wine and Spirits) of beer with a local atmosphere.”

Crafting unique beer will be a core part of Ceremony Brewing, although it will be at a smaller scale than other nearby operations like Momentum Brewhouse. Smith wants a homebrew-style operation based on Smith’s extensive background in the hobby.

Smith said the business could be running by the end of the year if everything goes smoothly.

Ceremony Brewing still has a few steps before it can sign a lease.

The city owns the property — part of the Everglades Wonder Gardens takeover last year — and the city council needs to OK any business in the building.

The brewery is moving forward, though. Ceremony was picked as the best fit for the building by city staff. Contact negotiations, including lease payments, are being made before anything goes before the City Council.

“Everyone here is on board,” said Nicole Perino, Parks and Recreations director. “But until negotiations are finished and it goes before council, we won’t know for sure.”

Two other businesses, a multimedia company and a bakery, applied for the space, although the bakery backed out before the final decision was made.

Smith was an elementary school teacher before venturing into a small business. Homebrewing is not new to the Florida native. He’s vice president of the Southwest Florida Brewcrafters and helped plan Bonita Brewfest, already spreading his love of craft beer to thousands of locals.

Homebrewing would stay a focus at Ceremony, Smith said. Public classes on crafting a good beer at home are planned.

“It’s like a cooking school, but for beer,” Smith said.

Equipment for homebrewing would also be sold on site — a “one-stop shop,” Smith said.

The homebrewing focus would carry over to the business’ own beer, so huge batches of beers won’t be possible. Ceremony’s wide offerings of other local beers should fill the gaps, Smith said.

Food will be available, although the specifics aren’t nailed down. There could be a kitchen or a food truck.

Smith said the business might have to roll out in stages depending on funding. The brewing equipment might be placed on hold while the business takes off.

Smith set up a crowdsourcing site and is asking for funds at igg.me/at/ceremonybrewing.

Ceremony Brewing needs to be in downtown Bonita Springs, Smith said.

“I just love Bonita,” he said. “In 5 to 10 years, downtown will be big. It’s very walkable, and it’s more open to younger people and families.”

Housing prices in Collier County are pushing people like Smith, who lived on a teacher’s salary, into Bonita Springs, Smith said.

A few backup buildings are being looked at in case the city lease negotiations fail, so Ceremony should be coming to Bonita Springs even if it isn’t at the Everglades Wonder Gardens site, Smith said.

New construction projects also should bolster traffic through downtown. The City Council recently approved a density change to allow four-story buildings scattered around Old 41 Road south of West Terry Street.

Most of the buildings would house restaurants and shops on the first floor and apartments on the upper stories. Current plans are for five buildings, although the developer is still interested in other properties in the area.

There are plans for 80 units split among the buildings.

Another developer plans to build 273 units split among 10 buildings along Dean Street and the corner of Old 41 Road.

18 June, 2018