Downtown Royal Oak is getting a new location of a popular Michigan-based brewery and restaurant.
According to a news release, after four years of trying Royal Oak’s Bastone Brewery has announced a partnership with Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales to bring a craft beer destination to the corner of Main and Fifth streets in downtown Royal Oak this summer.
Located at 419 S. Main Street, a new restaurant, Jolly Pumpkin Royal Oak, will be moving into the space currently occupied by Bastone and Vinotecca Wine Bar.
Bastone and Vinotecca will be closing in mid-May, but the Monk Beer Abbey and Craft Royal Oak night club in the basement will remain open through construction.
A 60 indoor seat version of Bastone will be moving into the Monk Beer Abbey space located on the complex’s W. 5th Street side and focusing its food and beverage menus to specialize in Belgian cuisine and brews. There also will be an additional 36 seats for Bastone on a seasonal patio.
“Bastone Brewery is one of the most decorated craft breweries in Michigan, having received over 200 awards for our Belgian beers,” said David Ritchie, managing partner. “This renovation and partnership with Jolly Pumpkin will allow us to ‘return to our roots’ and focus more on Belgian-style dining and brewing while still catering to the varying tastes of Royal Oak diners.”
General Manager John Sleamon, Chef Robert Young and Master Brewer Rockne Van Meter will stay on to lead the restaurant’s new and refocused culinary experience. Future plans include bottling and distribution of its beer.
The main space is going to be taken over by Jolly Pumpkin. The Royal Oak location will feature an open floor plan with seats for 210 patrons inside and an additional 40 on a seasonal patio, as well as a central, round bar for easy access by guests and waiters. It’s going to be redone in the Jolly Pumpkin style.
“Our goal with the new Jolly Pumpkin is to create an all-encompassing dining and drinking experience for our patrons,” said Tony Grant, COO and CFO of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in a statement. “Customers who enjoyed wine at Vinotecca can still enjoy a great selection here, and Belgian beer fans will continue to enjoy both Bastone and import beers in their space — and of course, sour beer fans will quench their thirst on Jolly Pumpkin’s renowned barrel-aged ales.”
The new location will have a full bar featuring a selection of Jolly Pumpkin, Bastone, North Peak and other rotating Michigan craft beers, a comprehensive wine list as well asboth domestic and import spirits. The food program is going to be classic Jolly Pumpkin with the Ann Arbor location’s truffle fries, the Detroit location’s pizza, sandwiches inspired by their Traverse City location and then some Royal Oak-only, yet to be revealed items.
There were a litany of permit issues in 2013 that stopped Jolly Pumpkin from opening then.
“We never gave up on having a Royal Oak location. We’ve wanted to be here for years, but it had to be the right space,” Grant added. “This is the right space, time and partnership to make our beer and food available while helping support another great Michigan brewery. We’re very excited for the future and cannot wait to open later this summer.”
If you’re interested in more Jolly Pumpkin info, check out our review of the Midtown Detroit location here or information on their Chicago expansion.