A new brewpub that takes its cues from old England,
George and the Dragon, is coming to Southwest Minneapolis.
Fred Navarro, who co-owns the business with his wife, Stacy, says that the first hurdle was to get neighborhood approval. From there, the pair got to work on the financial side of things. “That’s been the long part of the process,” he says.
George and the Dragon will have about 1,850 square feet in a newly-constructed building that replaces one that burned down a couple of years ago. It's a one-story structure with a brick facade and a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood feel, he says.
The retail shop
Patina will join the pub in the building, along with a to-be-announced tenant.
George and the Dragon is starting from scratch, in terms of the build-out and equipment, he says.
Navarro and his wife worked closely with architect John Abbott to recreate the feel of a traditional English bar or “public house,” one that “feels like it’s been there a long time.”
“Ultimately a public house is a place for the community and for neighbors to gather,” he says. “That was kind of a driving factor for what we wanted the design to look like.”
The Atwater-based company
TimeWorn is creating a wood-paneled interior in the pub, using reclaimed wood. In the basement will be a kitchen, offices and storage, and cooler space.
Altogether, the project totals nearly $500,000, Navarro says. The couple hope to open the pub by April 1.
Source: Fred Navarro, co-owner, George and the Dragon
Writer: Anna Pratt