Food hall inspired by NOLA carousel bar to open in downtown Dunedin
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 28, 2023

A food hall with a rotating carousel bar and event space is coming to downtown Dunedin.

The mixed-use concept, called Dunedin Mix, is a family-owned project from Brandon Stanley, his wife, Ashley Stanley, and his mother, Kristen Ernst. In the style of classic New Orleans architecture, the building, located at 990 Broadway, will wrap around an interior open-air courtyard that will be home to a carousel bar with a "French industrialist/mixologist" theme.

The food hall will feature four food vendors and two boutique tenants on the first floor of the building. The second floor will be an event and banquet space. Stanley told the Tampa Bay Business Journal he anticipates Dunedin Mix will open in December, though a specific date has not yet been announced. The group purchased the property in May 2018 for $680,000, according to the property appraiser. Stanley said in total they've invested $2.5 million into the project.

“We bought the property five years ago and wanted to do a mixed-use at the time, not a food hall, but then we saw Armature Works and liked the concept so much we began to think about bringing a food hall here,” Stanley said. “A couple of my tenants have been involved in other food halls in the area. … And we wanted to have an emphasis on events because Dunedin doesn’t really have a proper event venue.”

Stanley has spent his career in general construction building hotels; he met his wife during a hotel project in Orlando. She lived in Dunedin for the majority of her life, and he said when he began visiting several years ago, he never dreamed the “retiree town” would evolve into the thriving destination it’s become.

They found the parcel — which is just over a third of an acre — and took a chance on the property. At the time, an old home that had been converted to a business sat on the site. The group demolished it and following delays from the Covid-19 pandemic, eventually moved forward with creating the food hall.

The building is roughly 10,000 square feet, including the courtyard and balconies, and has a capacity for 200 people. Stanley said they intend to hold a plethora of events at the location, including live entertainment ranging from concerts to aerial acrobatics.

The courtyard is visible from the street, and Stanley said he hopes to become a destination for those seeking live entertainment in the area. Even the themed bar will have an element of performance as the mixologists will be themed as scientists and creating “experiments” as drinks.

Huli Bowl & Rotisserie and Al Dante Pasta and Pizza will join the hall; remaining tenants will be revealed over the course of the next few weeks.

“Everyone will be doing a ‘street-flair’ vibe,” Stanley said. “Instead of larger entrees that you sit down and have plated, we’ll have fun to-go style foods. For example, the Italian food will come in small cartons filled with fresh pasta and homemade sauces, and you can get gourmet personal pizzas.”

One area in the food hall has been reserved for cooking classes. Stanley said each month they’ll offer classes where you can sip a glass of wine and learn techniques from the diverse chefs.

The property is at the corner of Broadway and Skinner Boulevard and is a few blocks from Lucky LobsterCo., Dunedin Brewery and Dunedin House of Beer. Dunedin Mix is also just one block from the Pinellas Trail, which has become one of the top destinations in Dunedin.

Stanley’s construction company, Paramount Construction Group, is the general contractor on the project. They are currently finishing buildouts for the tenants, which Stanley said they’re doing at cost to keep the price point down. The architect for the project is Clearwater-based Empad Architecture + Design.