LOCAL

New coffee shop comes to town as Beef O’ Brady’s closes

Emily Mavrakis
emavrakis@gvillesun.com
People drink coffee at Concord Coffee as they use their laptops at the new coffee shop in the Gator Wesley Foundation in Gainesville on Wednesday. [Brad McClenny/Staff photographer]

Another coffee shop recently opened on West University Avenue, a longtime restaurant in Gainesville closed its doors for good, a food festival will gather more than 50 restaurants in one convenient location and your next food delivery order may help someone in need this Thanksgiving. Here are the latest updates for local restaurants.

Concord Coffee

A new coffee shop recently opened up in a fast-growing section of Gainesville just north of the University of Florida campus.

Lakeland-based Concord Coffee opened its second location at 1380 W University Ave., inside the Gator Wesley Foundation building, late last month.

TJ Zimmerman, who co-owns and operates the location with Andy McEntire, said Concord provides espresso drinks, tea, homemade syrups and locally sourced pastries to its customers.

Zimmerman said he and McEntire connected immediately after they met at a camp they both attended in Leesburg when they were younger. The two always had entrepreneurial aspirations, he said.

“We always toyed around with this idea of opening a coffee shop,” Zimmerman said.

Other careers and starting families put that idea on hold. But after they both ended up in Lakeland, they decided to turn it into a reality.

Concord opened in Lakeland nearly five years ago. Collaboration with the Gator Wesley Foundation, the United Methodist campus ministry at UF and Santa Fe College, began nearly two years ago as the organization juggled ideas about how to best use additional space.

Zimmerman said the location is perfect because of recent growth in the area, such as The Standard apartment complex next door.

“Being right across from the campus is great, too,” he said.

Zimmerman said Concord sources its coffees from across the globe.

“We import coffees from all over,” he said. “We really like to find coffees where we can pay homage to the farmers.”

Concord’s simple syrup, vanilla, caramel and coconut syrups are homemade, Zimmerman said, and a local honey is also available to sweeten up a drink.

Seasonal syrups, such as the current pumpkin spice and an upcoming peppermint, also rotate in the store’s lineup.

Twelve-ounce bags of whole beans, fresh roasted in Lakeland, are also available in the store, Zimmerman said.

If popping into the shop in person for your coffee is not ideal, Concord offers an online ordering service: for $25 per bag, customers can order a 10-ounce bag of whole coffee beans delivered to their door every week, biweekly or monthly.

Zimmerman said the best part about establishing a presence in Gainesville is to offer a new hangout spot in collaboration with the Gator Wesley Foundation. The two created a sign on the wall of the store that showcases Concord’s mission: to be a welcoming place where everyone belongs.

“There’s a lot of divisiveness out there right now,” Zimmerman said. “If we can be one place where people can come and feel safe and welcome, that’s a win for us.”

Beef O’ Brady’s

Beef O’ Brady’s, 1999 NW 43rd St., has permanently closed after 20 years of service.

In a prepared statement released by a spokesperson, the restaurant thanked Gainesville fans for their support.

“We hope to bring the brand back to the area through the franchise opportunity in the future but in the meantime hope that you'll come visit us if you're near any of our other locations,” the statement said.

GCM Food Fest

Gainesville foodies will be able to access 50 of their favorite restaurants without ever leaving from one parking lot at an upcoming event.

The GCM Food Fest will take place at Celebration Pointe on Thursday from 5-9 p.m.

Attendees must download the free app Gift Certificates and More to their phone, after which they will also receive one free meal or drink ticket to use at the booth of a participating restaurant.

Additional tickets for plates and drinks will be available to purchase for $2 each at the event.

Tickets to an indoor VIP area at Midici, featuring food from the Neapolitan-style pizza restaurant, and an outdoor area featuring exclusive pasta dishes from Piesanos are available to purchase online.

Bite Squad

A local food delivery app is making customers’ convenience a benefit for families in need over the holidays.

Bite Squad began a campaign Monday during which it will make a donation toward buying meals for area families during the week of Thanksgiving for every order made.

The Minneapolis-based company will work with local organizations in each of its operating cities to serve the families. People can nominate Gainesville families they believe should receive assistance online while the campaign continues.