After more than two years, Tampa Bay music fans might soon be able to look at each other and say, “Hey, let’s go to New World.”
In a phone call with CL Tampa Bay, New World Brewery’s Spiritual janitor, Dean Rosenberger, said that on Wednesday, the beloved live music venue, restaurant and bar—which, in 2017, closed in Ybor City after a 22-year run—received its certificate of occupancy for its new location at 810 E. Skagway Ave. in Tampa’s re-burgeoning Sulphur Springs neighborhood.
New World also posted a job listing for line cooks, who Rosenberger said would work with Michael Ayoub—a former sous chef at Refinery and Fodder & Shine.
MUSIC ISSUE 2017
The long goodbye—what we'll miss about New World's Ybor oasis
Rosenberger would not commit to an official opening date for New World Brewery and did not share many details on the live music side of the venue, but he said training could start as early as next week.
As far as the menu goes, Rosenberger said that New World’s famous pizzas will be present along with “lots of other stuff.” He says the back of the house staff will be slim compared to the 15 people—including former employees like Clay Parkinson, Connor Kennedy and Krystal Ralph—he hopes to hire for the front of the house.
“We know we’re gonna get crushed,” Rosenberger said about the venue’s first few days open. No matter what I do I know we’re not gonna have enough people, but I also know after 30 years of doing this that I’m not gonna hire a bunch of people and then let the first month pass, and say, ‘OK we don’t need you anymore.’”
More hires will happen once the 300-person music hall side of the venue is open, but Rosenberger was mum on details about that. However, The Love Doctors, regular performers at New World over the years, did tease a Valentine’s Day performance taking place at a “Brand new venue. You kinda know where it is (finally.)” Rosenberger added that each side of the new New World—the venue and the restaurant/bar—has a 300-person occupancy, which means up to 600 people could be on site at any given time.
“An opening date is going to be dependent on what kind of people we end up hiring,” Rosenberger conceded.
Follow @cl_music on Twitter to get the most up-to-date music news, concert announcements and local tunes. Subscribe to our newsletter, and listen to us on WMNF 88.5-FM’s “Radio Reverb” program every Saturday from 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
