The Lazy Manatee, a new craft beer taproom, is expected to open in the spring in Arlington.
It will have 20 taps and serve bottle and canned craft beers from around the U.S. It will also serve food and wine.
Owner Patrick Mulloy said he hopes to open the 2,900-square-foot taproom in April or May.
It is at 3545 University Blvd. N. in the former Wing Depot the Gazebo Shopping Center, which is north of Jacksonville University. The center is at University Boulevard North and Fort Caroline Road.
Mulloy and his wife, Natalee, came from Phoenix to Jacksonville in May 2023 to be closer to family.
He said they also needed a change of location.
“We were just tired of Arizona. It has become LA 2-point-0. It was becoming too crowded and expensive,” he said.
The Lazy Manatee is still in the permitting stage.
Mulloy hopes it will have a capacity of 90. It will have a kitchen serving upscale pub food. There will be two spaces. The main bar and dining room on one side and a lounge with a couple of couches and over-stuffed chairs.
“There’ll be like, two seating areas with a couch and two chairs, and there’ll be a couple other like stand-up tables or high tops made out of probably wine barrels or whiskey barrels,” he said.
There will be a dedicated kids’ area. The Mulloys have a 17-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son.
Mulloy spent 21 years in the grocery business before taking a job at a craft brewery operated by the Huss Brewing Co. The cost of installing a brewing system, which he estimated between $500,000 and $1 million, was cost prohibitive. His budget is around $150,000.
“Then you have to reinforce the flooring, put in all the drains and the water filtration. So it is a big expense,” he said.
Mardon Construction is building-out the restaurant.
The craft beer scene in Arizona is busier than Jacksonville’s, Mulloy said. He wants to import as many Western beers as possible. Florida’s distribution laws may limit the variety he’ll have on tap.
Down the road, he’d like to partner with a local craft brewer to develop beers just for Lazy Manatee.
The beer selection will rotate. But customers shouldn’t expect major brands like Miller or Budweiser.
“We’re going to dig into our Arizona roots and try to get as much of the West Coast stuff that we can, that we’re used to,” he said.
“We’re not gonna have Bud Light. But there’s plenty of other stuff out there that’s comparable to Bud Light. There’s a beer for everybody. That is what we figured out.”