BrewGrrs ~ Burgers & Brews

**Suffice to say, I am super excited about Vero's new baby that is due to arrive hopefully sometime in July. I say hopefully because we know how these construction things can be sometimes in terms of unexpected delays. Fret not though for it WILL be opening no ifs, ands, or buts and I can't wait.
~giggles in glee as only a beer geek foodie can~
Since I'm also a July birthday baby, BrewGrrs is kinda like my own personal birthday present of epic beery foodie gastropubbie proportions. I welcome wholeheartedly a great and unique craft beer and artisanal food venture in Vero Beach, my beloved home town.
Could Vero Beach be the new Portland? Why not, in my not so humble opinion. If nothing else, we'll start by giving Tampa and/or Orlando a run for their beers!
I could care less about the majority of mass-market food chains (with a few special exceptions) whether they be fast or small where I don't matter because only the bottom line matters. Good brews and good food speaks for itself and doesn't need a corporate conglomerate publicity machine spinning a pretty picture of lies to try and blind me to the mediocrity of their products. When the beers, the food, and the people matter, something beautiful happens which brings community together and enriches all.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: small is beautiful.
Welcome home, BrewGrrs. Welcome home.**

BrewGrrs Burgers & Brews to anchor former Modernage building at Miracle Mile in Vero Beach

By Nadia Vanderhoof

A pilot and entrepreneur is planning to open an independent casual concept eatery in July anchoring the former Modernage Furniture building. The new family-run restaurant, called BrewGrrs Burgers & Brews, will offer more than a dozen handcrafted burgers and 36 draft international and domestic beers in a 3,600-square-foot spot anchoring the former Modernage building, now called the Modern One building.

Owner Robert H. Cobun Jr. trademarked the restaurant’s name, a combination of brews and burgers, in April. He describes the restaurant as a hip, value-oriented, family-friendly restaurant with a “contemporary rhythm.” “Our main focus is making fresh burgers,” said Cobun, who is expected to hire an estimated 20 to 25 employees. “We’re going to grind and blend our own meats on the premises everyday. Everything will be made fresh. There’s no freezer or microwave in our kitchen.”

The restaurant features an outdoor dining patio, an eyebrow shaped bar, a full liquor bar, and an open kitchen concept. Cobun is working on the menu now, which will consist of fresh quality ingredients and specialty homemade desserts from family recipes. His favorite burger creation so far is the Aussie Roo, a spin-off on roadside burgers available in Australia.

“It’s a juicy burger with a slice of pineapple, beet root, eggs, lettuce and tomato with spicy mayo,” Cobun said. “After a month, we’ll start to serve breakfast, in addition to lunch and dinner, and that menu is going to have some real off-the-wall stuff. Nothing this beachfront town has ever seen before.”

Cobun is a commercial airline pilot with AirTran who moved to the county in 2007 with his wife from San Francisco. Originally from Pennsylvania, Cobun said he grew to love Vero Beach in 1997 after attending FlightSafety Academy. When his wife finished law school, the couple moved and are currently expecting their first child in July.

“You could say I am having two babies in July,” said Cobun, whose wife and mother will help run the restaurant. “I love that small hometown feel and from the beginning, I wanted to create an awesome dining experience with very reasonable prices that everyone could afford. This isn’t a corporate entity or a chain operation.”

Billy Moss, principal associate at Vero Beach-based Commercial Real Estate, brokered the deal and acted as a consultant in some of the final aspects of the restaurant. “The sky is the limit for this pilot,” Moss said. “This is going to be the spot to be seen in Vero Beach. It’s definitely a place that I’ll be hanging out at.”

Other tenants at the site include The Beach Shop, Faith Hope and Chocolate, Elle 720 Salon, women’s boutique Talulah’s Consign to Design, a third location for Vero Beach Dry Cleaners and other professional offices on the second floor. “We’re going to have a grand opening when all the tenants occupy the spaces in July. At about the same time the courtyard wine bar and lounge is expected to open. It’s called Cork and will serve wine and a limited food menu,” said Modern One developer Brian Curley.

Modern One LLC, where Curley is a managing partner, bought the 1.4-acre site in late 2007 for $4 million several months after Modernage Furniture mailed letters to households along the Treasure Coast stating the Stuart and Vero Beach stores were “closing forever.”
(copy&pasted from tcpalm.com)