There are a few things going on in back of The Bricks. Known for its food more than anything — which is a bit strange, considering the menu consisted of snacks and stuff like peanut butter sandwiches when the doors opened almost seven years ago — the Ybor City cafe and bar's courtyard is set to receive a face-lift.
Translation: One of its coolest features is about to get even cooler.
Located off the outdoor courtyard, a small event space called the Study Hall has been with the Seventh Avenue restaurant since the start. It's used for small art shows, typically private showings, private birthday parties and the like. But the addition of a bigger event space, the former home of SPoT Ybor next door (the decision to close the skate shop was made last September, ICYMI), prompted the idea to work on "the smaller area that's always kinda been neglected," according to Bricks General Manager Joshua Gonzalez.
"It's two halls, really, that are built into our courtyard that will come down, and then the courtyard will be about twice as big," Gonzalez said, adding that it's currently around 400 or 500 square feet.
Picture the same open-air setting, with some sort of roof to shield patrons from the rain — and sun. Gonzalez says they might also try live music, which The Bricks hosted regularly in its beginnings, out there again.
"Free shows were our thing," he said. "We'd have a couple bands play on a Saturday night and we'd charge no cover, so we kinda wanna bring that back in a sense. We think we could do it outside if we get it covered and protected."
Another neat highlight planned for the courtyard: a bar. When the restaurant transforms into a venue for the annual Tampa Pro or Tampa Am, it's useful to have multiple bars, or satellite bars, spread throughout the property, but this new bar would be a little more permanent, maybe something that's open on the weekends if it's busy or there's a band playing outside.
Owner Brian Schaefer has promised the courtyard will be done by next month, Gonzalez tells CL, which would mean extra space in time for The Bricks' seven-year anniversary party, scheduled for the end of July.
"Our courtyard is one of the coolest things about The Bricks, I think," the GM said. "To make it bigger is a win-win."
The restaurant hopes to have some more permanent offerings in that bigger event space, where all sorts of happenings are held, as well. Gonzalez names off a couple of possibilities — pushing the coffee shop over on that side and opening up earlier — so stay tuned.
This article appears in Jun 8-15, 2017.