World of Beer opening Feb. 4 on Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach.
Photo by Palms West Journal.
Fans of craft brews will be able to drink to the return of the World of Beer Bar & Kitchen when the chain opens its 7,049-square-foot location in Royal Palm Beach on Feb. 4.
The opening ends a drought of more than five years for Palm Beach County. The craft beer tavern and eatery had franchise-owned locations in Wellington and downtown West Palm Beach, but both closed in 2017.
Since then, Florida in general and South Florida in particular have experienced a population explosion. As has World of Beer, which started out as one of the original craft beer bottle shops more than 15 years ago but has expanded into a worldwide chain that’s not only a beer superstore, but also serves food and cocktails.
“We see South Florida’s rich demographic profile and robust economy as a growth opportunity for us,” says Paul Avery, the CEO of World of Beer Franchising.
Each location offers close to 300 international beers with 40 rotating taps, wine and signature cocktails like the Mango Tango. A local beer expert is in charge of the selections, working with area breweries and distributors to continually rotate the list, with quality and originality in mind. Beer-paired menu offerings run the gamut from appetizers, seafood and burgers to flatbread pizzas, street tacos and health-food bowls.
The chain also has its Secret Llama proprietary line of one-of-a-kind domestic and international flavors. Depending on the market, these can include Blueberry Wheat, Blood Orange, Mango Pineapple, Imperial Hazy, Belgian Quad and Rose-Style Ale. All staff members complete the chain’s Beer School and thus can recommend brands and food pairings based on customers’ tastes.
“We’ve come from just having beer to having beer, food and cocktails,” says Neil Patel, a World of Beer Bar & Kitchen franchise owner in Syracuse, New York. “It’s really a great one-stop experience now. The food quality is there, so you can get that dining experience as well as the social experience. I see it getting better and better each year.”
Royal Palm Beach will have seating for 234 people between the interior and the 639-square-foot outdoor patio, where pets are welcome, in addition to multiple activities, games and high-definition TVs.
“After finding the perfect location, we are very excited to bring World of Beer Bar & Kitchen back to the Palm Beach community,” says Ben Novello, the chain’s principal and chief development officer. “Between our bar and food menu, outdoor patio and Topgolf Swing Suites, we offer an unparalleled experience to our guests. Combined with the shared anticipation and the amazing outreach from the residents of Royal Palm Beach, we are confident we will see nothing but success.”
Now with nearly 50 locations in the United States and China, World of Beer Bar & Kitchen was founded by friends Scott Zepp and Matt LaFon in the Tampa neighborhood of Westchase in 2007. Its 20 Florida locations include three others in South Florida: Coconut Creek, Doral and Miramar.
“I’ve been a loyal customer and franchisee for over a decade now,” says Dung To, a franchise owner in Westchase. “I started out in 2007 as a bartender, and I naturally grew to love the concept, love the brand, and had the opportunity to watch it grow into what it is today. When the opportunity arose for me to take over as a franchisee, there was no reason to turn that down.”
World of Beer Bar & Kitchen will be at 11121 Southern Blvd. For further information, visit worldofbeer.com or call (561) 834-2430.
