Today we’d like to introduce you to Pete Downing.
Hi Pete, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to Orlando from California in 2002 to work for Church Street Entertainment, which I worked for in CA managing a place called Chillers. They brought me out to help manage and open a few places in Orlando. Around 2008, I left that company to open a clothing store in Downtown Orlando (that didn’t work out to well and closed a year later). That is why Frank & Steins was born into that space. It was the first craft beer bar in Downtown Orlando featuring 40 taps, games, and a hot dog bar.
After a solid run of eight years, it was time to revamp the space, and we converted it into Market on Magnolia, downtown’s first mini food hall. During that time, I also opened a few Da Kine Poke shops (Winter Park, Downtown, New Smyrna Beach, and DeBary). Market on Magnolia did not make out of the Covid shut down, unfortunately, and we closed in Nov 2020. During the pandemic, I put a group together and we purchased Wally’s Bar and Liquors on Mills Ave. We restored some of the traditional roots of the brand in a new build-out and it’s been doing very well. Next up is Gatlin Hall Brewing that has been in the works for the last year and a half, with an opening in late July/Early August.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, it’s been pretty smooth, there have been many restless nights as well, but I imagine that’s pretty normal if you ask any business owner. Covid was probably the hardest struggle I’ve dealt with. I had to adapt and learn a new way to do business and stay on top of the game; it was rough at first, then we thrived by getting creative and pushing forward.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about COD Consulting?
In late 2020, I formed my consulting company for all things hospitality. Everything from back-end management to FOH/BOH aspects of restaurants, bars, and quick-service concepts. This company brings great pleasure to me because I get to give back 25 years of working in it and experiencing just about every situation possible, and coming up with solutions. In less than a year, we’ve worked with a dozen brands so far and growing.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the growth of our city into great suburb neighborhoods and branded districts. It creates culture and places to explore other than just a downtown area. I’d like to see public transportation get better with the growth to travel without driving.
Contact Info:
- Email: pete@codconsultingfl.com
- Website: www.gatlinhallbrewing.com
- Instagram: @gatlinhallbrew
- Facebook: @gatlinhallbrew
