USA, FL: Beardless Brewhaus moving into former 5 Flags Brewing Co. space

It’s been a whirlwind year for Beardless Brewhaus owners Steve Dobbs and Nick Holmes, who opened their sparkling and spacious downtown Milton location at 5139 Elmira St. around this time last fall, the Pensacola News Journal reported on October 4.

After finishing the herculean, 17-month process of getting the project up and running, the two are already gearing up to tackle the next one: taking over the former 5 Flags Brewing Co. located at 5642 Woodbine Road in Pace.

What originally started as an inquiry to purchase their equipment after 5 Flags closed turned into a desire to expand their footprint across Santa Rosa County and build up the growing community in Pace.

“Steve and I went up there on their last day that they were open and really saw the space, and saw the potential and saw that the demand for what they had going and realized that they're getting out of this. Maybe it could be more than just equipment that we're buying," Holmes said.

“We started talking to the owners, and just kind of made friends with them, and said, ‘Hey, is there a way we can make this work?’ And they said, ‘I think we can make this work somehow, let's find a way,'” Dobbs added.

5 Flags Brewing Co., which first opened in fall of 2022, served as a solid set-up for experienced brew masters Dobbs and Holmes to carry over their already successful brewhouse model. Now, they hope to open the Pace location under the same name in late-October or early-November.

“That was the one thing that we were very confident. We know how to do the brewery. We can come in here, we can brew, we can make beer. We can be this neighborhood's little brewery,” Holmes said. “That kind of confidence was like, ‘Hey, it's a little shot in the arm,' like, ‘Hey, we could just do this over there too.'”

The new location will have some familiar touches of the Milton location — such as penny tables as a nod to their signature penny bar in Milton — but they want to avoid making it feel like a franchise, Dobbs said.

The Milton location, which is made up of repurposed materials and rusted metals to provide a modern industrial look, will slightly differ from the former 5 Flags location. Though they plan to redecorate, the brewery had “great bones” that the former tenants spent the time and money to create.

“It will be reminiscent of the other location, but it will have its own style as well,” Dobbs said.

The two will be able to brew beer at both locations and transport them back and forth, which will help with the Pace location's brewing area being substantially smaller. Although they may whip up some small-batch, limited edition beers that are only available at one location or the other at first, the core beers will always be stocked at both. One of the best-sellers being the signature Kayak Fuel. They will also be giving Pace their own version of the signature mug club, an annual membership program that comes with a handmade mug, discounts and other perks.

Eventually, they would also like to offer food seven days a week.

The Beardless founders shared in a similar vision as the 5 Flags Brewing Co. in creating a neighborhood spot for the growing Pace community they feel is somewhat undeserved when it comes to businesses in the Five Points area. They understand the community 5 Flags founders were working to create firsthand, because they were doing the same thing in Milton when they created the original Beardless Brewhaus location five years ago.

“Being able to plant ourselves right in the middle of all of these neighborhoods over there (and) become that neighborhood bar — that's why we opened. We wanted to be Milton's neighborhood bar, and I think that this is just a great location and a great opportunity for us to become Pace’s neighborhood bar,” Holmes said.

The location also comes with a large green space with an outdoor bar area, but Dobbs said the two are focused on growing the inside first and its community atmosphere before they dive into the outdoor area's potential. They also plan to carry over some of the Milton entertainment staples, such as live music and trivia nights during the week.

They've already built up a fair share of regulars at the Milton location that are making the commute from Pace, so they are hoping the new location will encourage them to stay a little longer, even though the two are only about 9 miles apart.

“The number of people who have said, I drove down to Milton because you guys have great beer, great atmosphere, whatever it is — but I can only have one because I have to drive all the way back to Pace,” Holmes said. “Well, now they're going to be able to have two, maybe three, because they live right there in Stonebrook, and they're going to be able to just walk across the street essentially.”

Dobbs added, "We've had some people say they even want to drive their golf carts over there."

The new shop provides opportunity for the two to get their “foot in the door” in Pace, with the potential to one day build their own location. Eventually, they hope it will become a destination.

“That's kind of an opportunity cost for us here but being able to get our foot in the market and really see what Pace has to offer for us, how we can grow, how we can serve the community, who we can work with,” Holmes said. “And then you know, maybe down the line, we're able to buy some property over there too and then do it up right.”

In the meantime, the two encourage people to try and get a taste of what they are all about at their Oktoberfest celebration this Saturday or after a Bands on the Blackwater concert.

05 October, 2023