A long-planned brewery aiming to open in the heart of downtown Mobile cleared what looked like a significant regulatory obstacle this week, when a zoning dispute unexpectedly resolved itself before it ever reached a vote. Mobile’s Board of Zoning Adjustment had been scheduled to consider a variance request for the former Roussos restaurant building, a one-story brick structure in the Fort Conde Village area slated to become home to a new microbrewery and cafe.
The project, backed by downtown business owner John Serda and brewmaster Todd Hicks, had run into early pushback from the city’s Land Use Administration staff, who initially raised concerns about the zoning and recommended against approving a variance. But by the time the board’s meeting rolled around, the matter had quietly disappeared from the agenda entirely.
According to the board chairman, city staff had reconsidered the proposal after the venture’s backers clarified exactly what they intended to build. Rather than a standalone brewing facility, the plan centers on a cafe with an auxiliary brewing operation on-site, a distinction that turned out to already be permissible under the property’s existing zoning. Once staff determined no variance was necessary, the request was withdrawn and the board had nothing left to act on, effectively clearing the path for the project to move forward.
Serda and Hicks said they’ve been working toward this venture since 2008 and were relieved to see the zoning question resolved without a prolonged fight. They noted that some of the uncertainty stemmed from the city’s Downtown Development District code, which had only been adopted a couple of months earlier, leaving both business owners and staff still getting familiar with how it applies to new projects.
While the brewery has drawn much of the public attention, Serda emphasized that the attached restaurant will actually be the venture’s primary revenue driver. The pair are targeting a microbrewery focused on German-style beers, operating under an Alabama manufacturer’s license rather than a brewpub license, meaning it can sell its own beer in cans and bottles but won’t be able to serve liquor.
The project adds to a broader craft beer expansion across Alabama in recent years, though coastal Alabama has so far lagged behind the rest of the state, with Fairhope Brewing Company standing as the only established brewery in the region. Serda and Hicks say they envision an operation similar to Fairhope’s, serving beer on-site while also distributing to other area bars and restaurants, with the added draw of full restaurant service built around the brewing operation.
No firm opening date has been set, though the partners said they’d welcome a launch sometime around February, a nod to timing that would coincide with both a personal milestone for Serda and the start of Mardi Gras season in Mobile.