Sunday Funday on Wilton Drive took a giant leap forward with the long-anticipated opening of the new patio at Pub On the Drive. Pride Hub at The Pub was an immediate success, drawing diners and football fans on its opening weekend.
Pride Hub is an outdoor, more relaxed version of the Pub. There is a large, fully stocked bar with seating for about 75 people. A translucent cover and ceiling fans help keep the temperatures down. The sleek wood walls help give the space an upscale feeling.
The patio is designed to have its own vibe. One of the Pub’s social media posts reads, “Drag in the front, football in the back.” While Pub On the Drive is known for booking fab drag shows and singers on the main stage, Pride Hub is for people looking for something else.
It’s a little quieter for conversation, and the monitors were playing football games. Every third Saturday of the month is Yappy Hour, a mixer for people with dogs. But even on Sunday afternoon, a couple pups were spotted hanging out.
Technical Difficulties
Pride Hub had its official Grand Opening in August. However, the very next night the space had to shut down due to electrical problems.
“The Pub’s patio expansion was delayed in opening due to final mandatory paperwork detailing technical issues and the related city contracted inspections that, for the Pub, required no additional work, just costly electrical engineers, etc., detailing items,” owner Mike Connell said.
Sources close to the business say FPL and/or engineers didn’t properly plan how much electricity the space would take. Some feared using the patio, before the final fixes, would have knocked out power to their kitchen or, worst case scenario, the entire building.
Connell says utility upgrades are ongoing.
“The Pub has also a building electrical upgrade planned. This is separate from the expansion. This has been in the works for nearly a year. It will upgrade the entire building and is currently actively moving forward, but [have been] awaiting FPL to set up the date since late June, as they must upgrade their equipment when we do our work.”
