After six years of operating out of a two-story location in downtown Miami, the Filling Station & Garage Bar is getting some new digs in Broward County.
But don't worry -- everything, including the menu and the decor, will remain the same, says owner Adam Feigeles, who was looking to start fresh with his restaurant.
See also: The Filling Station Expanding, Seeking New Home for Reggae Tacos
Feigeles moved for several reasons.
"It was just time," he says. "The building I was in was getting old. Rent was getting a little high. It became a little bit more difficult to handle monetarily."
In November, Feigeles temporarily closed his restaurant. He searched Miami for a new location, including Wynwood and downtown, but couldn't find anything he could afford.
Feigeles eventually found a space in Oakland Park at 3200 NE 12th Ave., where the By Word of Mouth restaurant used to be. It's not just any random location. He landed a spot just down the road from Funky Buddha Brewery, a place he says is totally his crowd. He believes the two places will complement each other.
That shouldn't be much of a surprise, because the Filling Station is known for its selection of craft beers. The beer-and-burger joint was also a popular stop for Miami Critical Mass, and now he's reaching out to the Critical Mass crowd in Fort Lauderdale.
Feigeles says he has received mixed reactions from people about the move, but so far most of the responses have been positive.
The haters shouldn't hate for long when they find out that the Filling Station's new location has 100 spaces of free parking. This is good, Feigeles says, because customers won't have to pay more for their parking than they do for their burger.
Even better, the new spot is one level -- easier to manage and thus better service, according to Feigeles -- and also includes a 1,000-square-foot outdoor dining area. It's about the same size as the previous location, he says, with half of the seating area outside.
Aside from these changes, Feigeles is looking to hire some new help because most of the Miami staffers can't make the trek north. He wants to hire about 15 employees, including back-of-house cooks and kitchen staff and front-of-house servers.
Everything else will pretty much be the same, Feigeles says. Wednesday trivia nights will be kept too. Being so close to the brewery, he wants to have more beer-related events. He's also applying for a full liquor license.
The move will benefit the Filling Station in more ways than one, but Feigeles says he will miss the old place. He hopes to open the restaurant sometime in March with a grand celebration.
"I really got a great deal here," Feigeles says. "I think being next to the Funky Buddha is just going to be great. I think I really hit the right spot."
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