New Bar, Pour House At Grand Central, Opens In Channelside In Tampa

A bar in Tampa offers something different to connoisseurs of beer and wine. Pour House at Grand Central is now open for business at 1208 E. Kennedy Blvd. and offers a variety of craft beers and new wine labels.

Pour House is owned by two couples who combined their passions for craft beer and fine wine.

"My wife and I have been into craft beer for a number years," says owner James Vrabel. "My business partners Scott and Heidi Nietzel own Wine Design in Channelside and have an amazing amount of wine knowledge. We partnered to do what we know and are passionate about.''

But don't expect to see a menu. "None of us knows anything about running a restaurant so we left it out," explains Vrabel. "You can bring your own food in or we can provide a number of menus to order in. Leave the food to someone who's passionate about it."

The partners are very happy with the neighborhood and found that building out the 2,500-square-foot space was easier than anticipated. "We started with a dirt floor on Jan. 1, 2010 and were open on March 20," says Vrabel. "An amazing feat by our general contractor Jason Murray who lives and works in the Channel District. Grand Central did their retail space right since we didn't have to dig up an existing concrete floor to run plumbing or electrical. This made the build-out go quickly. We're all very happy with the results of the build." The restaurant used vendors from throughout the Tampa Bay region to provide furnishings and equipment.

"We believe in the neighborhood, Vrabel says. "Now we hear a sports bar and maybe a grocery store are coming to Grand Central. That's great for all involved."

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: James Vrabel, The Pour House at Grand Central