Viewed with six months of hindsight, it seems that the wildly successful opening of the quirky, membership-based BrewHounds Brew Pub and Dog Park was a minor miracle occurring during the onset (and onslaught) of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year.
The boa constrictor-like death squeeze felt by many business owners struggling to survive quarantines and lockdowns, while living day by day, has left much of the area reeling while rolling full bore into the holiday season.
Home most recently (if briefly) to the Haint Blue Brewing Company, the site is more well-known for a much longer stay, after opening nearly 120 years ago, to the generationally owned Quinlivan family’s historic Crystal Ice House Company, tucked away inside the Church Street East neighborhood in downtown Mobile.
This Saturday will reportedly mark the next step in the rapid evolution of the popular space created by company founder and president Jim Ivy: a name change to HopHounds for the pooch park and pub, and the addition of a brand new related business, a 136-square-foot stationary food truck called Sticks & Stacks to be parked next door serving gourmet hamburgers and hotdogs.
“There were several businesses nationally using the name BrewHounds in one form or another,” Ivy said. “We wanted a name that was truly ours, to own and secure the trademark. The success of our brewpub and dog park has been tremendous and it was clear that if we were going to expand, the right name would be critical to growth. HopHounds fit our needs.”
Both businesses are located at 806 Monroe Street.
HopHounds still offers over 8,000 square feet of off-leash play area, including an area for small dogs. The 1,000-square-foot deck with tables remains from the initial opening in late May, but the 2,500-square-foot indoor space will now be filled with more tables and chairs to accommodate patrons of Sticks & Stacks next door. The bar will still retain its stock of choice, wine and craft beers, but the soda and bottled water sections will be expanded.
To use the space, any canine over 1 year old must be spayed or neutered, and proof of vaccination must be presented. Access still starts with single-day passes that are now $10 per dog Monday through Sunday as well as holidays. Annual memberships are $225 for a single hound, $275 for a duo and $325 for a three-puppy pack.
Hours of operation for the Sticks & Stacks food truck, parked to the left of a building sitting on a 1.5-acre plot of property, will run similar to HopHounds.
Tuesday and Wednesday will see food served 3-9 p.m.; Friday hours will be 3-10 p.m.; Saturday operations will run 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday hours will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
If the service is well-received by customers, hours may expand during the week to cover lunch. Initial pricing on fare is still somewhat in the air, but Ivy thinks the cost per gourmet burger or dog will be in the $7 to $10 range.
“The hamburgers and hot dogs will be cooked fresh on the food truck. We’ve hired a professional cook to handle the menu,” Ivy said. “This is not going to be dressed-up fast food. For example, we will offer shrimp and Conecuh sausage dogs with or without the bun. The burgers will be handcrafted and large.”
Exact hours for the upcoming reopening, currently anticipated to be next weekend, were unknown as of press time. More information about the park’s rebranding, as well as Sticks & Stacks menu, can be found on Instagram, Facebook and their rebranded website.
BUSINESS MOVES, TRANSACTIONS
Calabasas, California-based commercial real estate broker Marcus & Millichap announced the $1.8 million sale last week of a 4,700-square-foot retail parcel, sitting on a 1.01-acre section inside the 80-acre Rangeline Crossing development.
The massive, 1-year-old mixed-use site is located at 5176 Rangeline Service Road North in West Mobile and the deal’s closing was initially announced by Joseph W. McKibben, regional manager for the local office.
Andrew Chason, in Marcus & Millichap’s Mobile office, had marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a regional developer.
Scott Gould, Rory Shelby and Braden Dwyer out of Marcus & Millichap’s Orlando office, worked for the buyer, a repeat client satisfying a 1031 tax-deferred exchange. This is the third property the buyer purchased with the group this year.
“Our client was attracted to Rangeline Crossing due to the property’s strong tenant mix and strategic location in a growing retail corridor, directly off I-10,” Dwyer said.
The three retail tenants currently occupying the site are Jimmy John’s, Rock ’N’ Roll Sushi and T-Mobile.
Lagniappe Home Store (no relation to this paper) has leased some 30,000 square feet of warehouse space located at 3314 Werkland Street in Mobile. The space will be used as a distribution site for both their Mobile and Daphne locations. Mike Reid and Gowan Lenaghan of White-Spunner Realty represented both sides of the transaction in the deal.
U-Haul has purchased St. Francis Plaza, a 73,771-square-foot neighborhood retail center located at 2501 Government Street in Mobile, for $2.4 million. Retail tenants in the center include Salvage World, Dollar General and Advance America.
U-Haul plans to gradually expand its current footprint on-site by utilizing vacant spaces in the center as leases expire. Amanda Goldman with Stirling Properties represented the seller in the transaction.
The Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism media department recently announced the opening of three new restaurants in the area.
Brookman’s Smokehouse, located at 1544 Gulf Shores Parkway, Suite C, will offer smoked fish and meats in a made-to-order format; OSO Early, a breakfast spot, will be located at 5749 Bay La Launch Avenue in Orange Beach; and A Sweet Secret Bakery and Café, located at 1538 Gulf Shores Parkway, will serve breakfast, lunch and specialty desserts.
All three eateries are expected to open by the end of this year.
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