A new dining space under construction near downtown Ocala that will feature a variety of restaurants and a brewery is seeking approval for a permit to sell alcohol at the premises.
Midtown Eateries, LLC, will request approval of its alcohol permit from the Ocala City Council during its regular meeting on Tuesday, October 1.
The company is hoping to secure the permit for The Forge, a new dining concept under construction at 343 NE 1st Avenue in Ocala’s Midtown District. The Forge will take over the former WMOP radio building, which has been under extensive renovations for months.
Midtown Eateries, LLC, is owned by Carlos Sanchez and Francis Wendell Landry, whose other Ocala restaurants include Horse & Hounds and The Crazy Cucumber.
Currently, the group has obtained a 4COP license, which allows the sale and consumption of beer, wine, and spirits on-premises or off-premises at an establishment within the state of Florida.
According to city records, the 35,150-square-foot space is seeking a permit to allow the sale, production, and distribution of beer, wine, and liquor for “on-premise consumption, on-premise consumption outside of an enclosed building, and off-premise consumption.”
City records show that the new building will feature over 650 seats in its dining space and over 300 parking spaces.
The application shows that the “hours of operation” for the new space will be 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Billed as a “modern and diverse concept space,” The Forge will feature an open dining plan with several restaurants within its confines.
Three of the restaurants that will be featured at the site have been previously announced: Blind Eye, a 1920s speakeasy, Ignite Asian Fusion, and The Hammock, which will serve Mediterranean small plates.
According to The Forge’s website, the facility still plans to open this fall.
The new dining concept will be located just a couple of blocks away from Midtown Station, a similar concept that opened in early September. That establishment combines brews from the owners of Infinite Ale Works with food from several different vendors, including Big Lee’s BBQ and Chicken Spit.
Just a few miles away from both The Forge and Midtown Station, the Paddock Market is currently under construction at the Paddock Mall.
If the permit request for The Forge is approved by the city on Tuesday, the approval will be “provisional for one year.” During that period, the permit holder must provide the city with a copy of the “state-issued alcoholic beverage license” in order for the local permit to become fully issued.
The Ocala City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month at Ocala City Hall (110 SE Watula Avenue).
