The Mauschkas chose to preserve most of the Tramor Cafeteria’s original architecture, which left Hofbrauhaus St. Petersburg with a unique indoor balcony, large archways and a painted ceiling motif.
A historic building that has stood the test of time is now home to a Munich-based brewhouse.
If German cuisine, live music and beers by the liter is your thing, then you’re in luck # St. Petersburg now has its own full-sized German beer garden.
Founded by the Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria in 1589, Hofbrauhaus got its start as the official Royal Brewery in Munich, Germany. As years passed, the beer grew in popularity and the demand from both commoners and royal servants increased, eventually leading to King Ludwig’s decision to open the brewhouse to the public in 1828. By 1852, the State of Bavaria took on the ownership of Hofbrauhaus.
Fast forward to September 2015 and Hofbrauhaus has opened one of its first locations in the southeastern United States, right in the heart of St. Petersburg. After purchasing the 15,000-square-foot building that once housed the historic Tramor Cafeteria for $2.7 million last September, Joe and Mike Matuschka, the father-son duo that also owns Hofbrauhaus Chicago, got to work.
In order to preserve the building’s traditional architecture, the Matuschkas decided to forgo building a brewery and went with a beer garden and restaurant. Instead of brewing the beer on site, they import it directly from Munich. However, the future possibility of building an in-house brewing area remains.
During WWII, postcards depicting the cafeteria were sold to garner support for the troops. On the card, planes were added to the building’s famous ceiling motif, which Hofbrauhaus owners chose to preserve after their purchase.
The building, a St. Petersburg landmark since its completion in 1929, has a history nearly as rich as Hofbrauhaus itself. Although the structure started out as a cafeteria for tourists, and later downtown workers and residents, it was most recently used by the Tampa Bay Times as a staff cafeteria and meeting place.
Excluding the addition of Hofbrauhaus’s main bar, which stretches nearly the entire length of the building, a majority of the architecture remains untouched. The large archways, indoor balcony, and sky motif painted on the ceiling have all been preserved by the the Matuschkas.
The sizable balcony is now home to bands flown in from Austria or Germany on a monthly basis, who you can see belting out favorites like Sweet Caroline, a song German beer gardens are known for blaring. The band members stay in a condo owned by the Matuschkas on First Street NE.
Hofbrauhaus offers beer in liter, half-liter and third-liter steins. On opening night, it went through 90 kegs, or 4,500 liters of beer.
In addition to the beer selection, which includes the original lager, hefeweizen, dunkel, and oktoberfest – Hofbrauhaus offers a menu full of traditional german fare including schnitzel, spaetzel, pretzels, strudel and various sausages. Servers are clad in traditional dirndls and lederhosen and will not hesitate to paddle you with the wooden plank that shots are served on.
There is also a full liquor bar for those who aren’t a fan of hops.
For those looking to escape the intensity of the loud indoor seating area, the outdoor section offers a more calm, quiet atmosphere with plenty of available seating.
Although the pricing is a bit steep, Hofbrauhaus offers an authentic German beer hall experience just a few blocks north of the university. For those in search of delicious food and beer, Hofbrauhaus is just the place.
If you go…
Hofbrauhaus is located at 123 4th St. S, St. Petersburg
(727) 893 – 3333
http://www.hofbrauhausstpetersburg.com/
