Exclusive preview - ferg's live

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We had an opportunity to meet with Ferg's Live owner Jay Mize to discuss the new restaurant/bar and to take a tour of the place before its official grand opening and full menu rollout.

Jay already has two successful Irish 31 restaurants in Tampa and is known to be a down to earth, hardworking guy. Jay also has Melissa Maloney on staff as his Director of Marketing and Special Events. We have known Melissa for years as she was a bartender and manager at the Bennigans in Channelside before it closed. Melissa brings a lot of knowledge with her about the residents in this area and how to create events and promotions that would attract the Channelside crowd. 

Being that we are your neighborhood blog and Facebook page, we asked questions we thought would interest you. 

One of our first questions was...
"What took so long to open?" - I guess being the first person in Tampa to open a bar using three, 40' shipping containers takes time. 14 months to be exact. Jay signed his lease in January 2014 and is just opening this month. 

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let's count all of the things in common with this ferg's
and the ORIGINAL in st. pete.....ready.....

1. The Name
2. That's pretty much it...just the name

The name Ferg's was licensed to Jay and has a great following of people who know that name as "a place to go prior to the Tampa Bay Rays games." So it makes sense to have another Ferg's across from the Amalie Arena where people will likely begin to know it as "a place to go prior to a Lightning game." But unlike the St. Pete Ferg's, this location has events happening in the neighboring Amalie Arena almost every night of the year. That's a huge consideration when opening up a business.

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We could tell right from the second we entered the building, this Ferg's would feel nothing like its St. Pete sister. It has a much more industrial and clean look about the space. The indoor space alone is 3,300 sq. ft and has 38 flat screen TV's at what seems like every available place you could think to hang a TV.

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I asked Jay what he wanted this new place to be known for, and he was definitive in his response.
"LIVE MUSIC!"

They plan on having live music at least 6 nights a week. He actually said he wanted it to be known as the "Jannus Landing of Tampa." Now that's a big feat. He is calling Ferg's Live a Concert Venue.

There will be music starting 3 hours prior to any Lightning Game or Major event happening at he Arena, and then a regular schedule for other nights. 

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There's a nice and pretty unique stage for the bands and DJ's to play on as well. The yellow structure on the second level shown in this photo is the stage. 

Another interesting feature is the special VIP Room that is located on the first level under the stage. This room holds up to 25 people and is available to be reserved/rented out. It will come with the space and a roped off area in front of the space as well. Oh, and it is fully air-conditioned!

The outside area is huge in it of itself. There is 4,000 sq ft of outdoor space covered under the awning and I would guess another 4-5k sq. ft in the open area. The total capacity of the venue is just under 1,000. 

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tidbits of interest to residents

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Lunch - There will be lunch served 7 days a week. Residents and people who work downtown now have another lunch spot. 

Parking - There are 175 spaces of free parking next to Ferg's. And if that runs out, there are another 200 spots right behind them with only a $1 charge. But there is catch... That is only available if there is nothing happening at the Arena. If there is an event across the street, you are on your own to find parking. 

Dogs - For those of you with dogs, which we know is most of you, your canine companion is welcome in the outdoor areas of the venue. 

Bikes - There is a Coast Bike Share location right outside of the venue. If we ever get more than the one bike share location that we currently have in Channelside, this may be a good option. If you are riding your own bike, there are plenty of spaces to lock up on the iron gate that encloses the entire venue.

Happy Hours - Happy Hours will be weekdays from 3-7pm. We mentioned to Jay that most of the residents we know are not able to make happy hours that end at 7pm. We find that people who live in Channelide for the most part work late, then go to the gym or workout, and then after all of that, they may want to go grab a drink and some food. He's considering a later happy hour until 10pm just for this reason.    

Sundaze - Looking for something relaxed and beach-like to do on Sundays without having to drive all the way out to the beach?  Us too!
Ferg's will be doing a weekly event they are calling "Sundaze." Every Sunday starting April 12th they will have a Jimmy Buffet style band starting at 1pm, a Bloody Mary Bar, Green Egg grills making some BBQ, beach games in the courtyard, and the best part... No shirts or shoes required!

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Jay seemed genuinely interested in being part of the Channelside and Downtown Tampa Community. He talked about the way his staff is trained and that "excellent" and "friendly" service is the No. 1 thing he looks for in the 78 new staff members he just hired.

Jay said that he wants Ferg's Live to be a locals bar with a "BAW/BAG" policy. This means when you come to his establishment, you will be greeted with a "Big Ass Welcome" and when you are ready to leave... a "Big Ass Goodbye!" The goal is to make sure everyone feels both welcomed and appreciated when they visit. 

The Actual Opening Day is March 26th, but they are soft opened until then. 

go check it out and celebrate st. patrick's day all at the same time

Ferg's and Irish 31 are celebrating in a big way. A 4-day celebration where you can play cornhole for a $1,500 cash prize, participate in a get your Jig on Dance Contest for a $500 prize, a Fun walk benefiting the Ronald McDonald House, and a whole bunch of green beer drinking good times. 

They are also having the Brew Bus available to shuttle folks between Hyde Park and Channelside every 15 minutes on St. Patrick's Day.