USA, TX: Czech-inspired Pivovar Brewery coming to Waco

A Czech-inspired brewery, restaurant, bakery and boutique hotel is taking shape in downtown Waco despite some hurdles caused by COVID-19, which hit just weeks after construction on the massive project began, KWTX reported on August 3.

The 32,000-square-foot development in a building that last housed a plumbing company at South 8th Street at Jackson Avenue near the Magnolia Silos is called Pivovar, which means brewery in Czech.

The project is the brainchild or a Prague businessman named Julius Kramaric who visited some friends in Central Texas and fell in love with the area.

Brain Mitchell, owner of Mitchell Construction, visited Kramaric in Prague to get a better handle on his vision and is overseeing the project locally.

"He has always wanted to do something in the U.S. and had some friends while getting his doctorate degree in Hawaii and those friends are in Waco," Mitchell said.

"Originally he thought he'd do it in West but he needed a little larger town to pull from so he settled on Waco and has fallen in love with it and wants to make this his home."

The boutique hotel currently under construction will offer 27 rooms with views.

"The boutique hotel is going to be incredible with rooms overlooking McLane Stadium and the Silos," Mitchell said.

The restaurant will offer everything from traditional Czech cuisine to traditional American food as well.

"The food is amazing. They'll have schnitzel to pork chops and hamburgers. I've already tried and sampled some of it and the beer they're going to be brewing on site is going to be delicious as well," Mitchell said.

"Couple that with the bakery and the Czech flair and hospitality you're going to receive there and it's going to be a great success."

The project has experienced some delays and hurdles because of COVID, including material shipping delays and challenges in getting Kramaric from Prague to Waco with travel restrictions in place.

But so far, Mitchell feels confident they'll still open on a planned date of October.

After that, the developers are looking to add two more phases, including an outdoor garden and a large tower in which plans for that are still being decided.

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