The Jersey Village native said he is excited to bring the city a unique business that can cater both to its retired population and to the growing demographic of young families moving to the area.
“I’ve been involved in the local community since I was a kid, and just over the years that I’ve been involved, there has always been a lack of quality restaurants and community gathering spaces,” he said.
What started as a vision for a small operation developed into something bigger over the last two years as Mitcham said he realized the need for this type of business in his neighborhood.
About five years ago, Mitcham founded a neighborhood group called Dads, Driveways and Drafts. He said as many as 50-100 dads in the Jersey Village area meet once a month in a local driveway to sample and bond over craft beers.
“To me, that shows a very underserved market, when it comes to craft beer,” Mitcham said. “The by-product is people have conversations, and they learn about each other, and it makes for a better community. That’s a direct reflection of what craft beer can do for a community.”
Located at 16000 Dillard Drive, Ste. F, Jersey Village, the 4,800-square-foot facility will have 12 craft beers on tap, patio games, a large greenspace for children and a full kitchen serving pizza, burgers and seafood, among other items.
Mitcham said the business would be open for lunch and dinner daily as well as for brunch on the weekends. Additionally, he said Senate Avenue Brewing Company would be one of the only brewpubs in the region licensed to stream English Premier League soccer games on Saturday mornings.
Another local need the brewery will meet is the one for event space in town, Mitcham said. The facility can be rented out completely but also has a smaller dedicated space for birthday parties, family reunions and corporate meetings.
Mitcham said he believes a concept like Senate Avenue Brewing has much potential to thrive in Jersey Village, as its residents crave non-chain businesses to support.
“One of the other reasons why we did this was because I was kind of tired of developers looking at Jersey Village and not seeing the market that I see,” he said. “With my experience on City Council and as mayor, I just know that this market is screaming for something better to serve the community." www.facebook.com/senateave
