Boston-based Lord Hobo Brewing Company will open its first Florida location in Tampa Heights

Between Hidden Ale Spring Works, Magnanimous Brewing and Woven Water Brewing, Tampa Heights is already a hub for craft beer. And when Boston-based Lord Hobo Brewing Company opens its flagship biergarten at 2304 N Florida Ave., it will contribute even more so to that brew-loving culture.

This will be Lord Hobo’s fourth location  but the first outside of the greater Boston area. Located in between Joe Haskins Bike Shop and Metropolitan Ministries—plus across the street from Grand Cathedral Cigars—Lord Hobo’s first Florida location will feature an outdoor biergarten, kid-friendly recreation area, and rooftop bar—although blueprints don’t yet show space for any on-site brewing.
They do show a small kitchen space, so maybe expect some brewpub bites when Lord Hobo debuts. It’s a complete demolition job, so it will probably be a while until its doors officially open.

The plan is still subject to approval from Tampa City Council.

The architect for the project took to the Facebook comments under URBN Tampa’s announcement post to answer some questions and explain more about Lord Hobo’s build out.

“We are incorporating a dedicated area that will be landscaped for parents and children to safely enjoy play time without feeling disconnected or separated from the rest of the space,” architect Patrick Thorpe, of the construction company Allegedly Design, wrote. The 4,000 square-foot outdoor recreation area will be located next to the 6,185 square-foot beer garden.

Thorpe also states that he’s been in contact with the Tampa Heights Neighborhood Association, and that Lord Hobo’s new building will have a “pedestrian-friendly streetscape with a consistent building frontage that enhances the district.”

URBN Tampa—which stands for “United Residents for Better Neighborhoods”—also confirms that there will be five on-site parking spots accompanied by 75 off-site spots within 1,000 feet of Lord Hobo.

Lord Hobo expanded its distribution to Florida in 2017, as craft beer folks might have noticed its brews in Tampa Bay bar and restaurants like Stein and Vine, Stillwaters Tavern, Thirsty First, and the Ale and the Witch. Some of Lord Hobo's most popular beers include its Doom Sauce double IPA, Free Bird Golden Ale, Angelica Hazy IPA and the Glorious New England IPA.
Last year, Lord Hobo made headlines for its involvement in a #metoo scandal, which resulted in the resignation of its CEO Dan Lanigan, after he allegedly harassed his female employees and colleagues. Lanigan is still on Lord Hobo’s board, according to masslive.com, despite being replaced by Brian Walsh as the CEO.

The Instagram page @emboldenactadvance, which collects anonymous accounts of sexual assault and harassment in the craft beer world, was instrumental in spreading information about Lanigan. UThe account’s “FL Stories” highlight are various misconduct stories associated with Hidden Ale Spring Works, Lord Hobo’s future Tampa Heights neighbor.

Hidden Spring's owner Josh Garman denied the accusations, and told the Tampa Bay Times "while we are aware of allegations made toward us and despite how deeply uncomfortable it is to be unfairly accused, we support the right of women in particular to be heard, even when we vehemently disagree with the allegations being made."

Since last summer’s scandal, Lord Hobo has implemented different measures to ensure the safety of its female employees—including bystander, sexual harassment and discrimination training, a confidential reporting mechanism and employee resource group called the “Women of Lord Hobo,” according to Eater.

UPDATED 02/17/22 12:08 p.m. Updated with renderings and note about Tampa City Council approval.