- December 23, 2024
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The new Miller's Ale House in Palm Coast is open for business and Palm Coast residents lined up outside for hours ahead of the opening for a chance at the restaurant's give-away to the first 100 customers.
Palm Coast resident Halle Bernard was the first customer inside the new restaurant on Aug. 5. She said she showed up for the free Miller's Ale House promotion around 6:15 a.m. alongside several others, despite the tropical storm weather.
"I'm a real Floridian," Bernard said. "I will go through any weather for some food, honestly, especially if it's free."
Bernard said she was most looking forward to Miller's Ale House's calamari and mozzarella sticks. The first 100 customers — including Bernard — received a gift bag with a magnet and beer cozy with the Palm Coast Miller's Ale House logo on the side and a coupon booklet for their free Miller's Ale House.
Miller's Ale House staff, Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin and members of the Flagler County Education Foundation celebrated the grand opening on Aug. 5 with a ribbon cutting. Along with the giveaway, Miller's Ale House celebrated its new location by donating over $1,200 to the Flagler County Education Foundation.
The new Miller's opens with 115 new employees.
"I am very excited about not only 115 new jobs, but the spirit and the enthusiasm amongst the staff that I heard just before the ribbon cutting," Alfin said. "They are offering unreasonable hospitality."
Divisional Vice President of Operations Paul Livrieri said this is the first time Miller's has handed out a promotion with its grand opening.
"We wanted to do something a little differently," he said. "Usually we just open up in our communities and we just let it flow. We figured we'd create some excitement moving forward with our opening so many locations."
Director of Operations Christ Bates said the excitement for a Palm Coast location really began at Miller's Daytona location. Many customers there were coming from Palm Coast, he said, and constantly asked when the restaurant would open up in Palm Coast.
"We started looking in this area and found it and just the welcoming we've had since we've been here — people have been calling, 'when are you opening,'" he said. "The excitement of this town has been [great]. They're ready for us."
Palm Coast's tax base is primarily made of property taxes, and, Alfin said, the Ale House opening is just the first step in growing local business the city's economy.
"Let this be the beginning of all of the entrepreneurial spirit that folks have been waiting here for a long time," he said. "We're here. We're rolling forward."
According to the Miller's Ale House website, the store will be open from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is located at 5861 State Road 100 and is opening just weeks ahead of Palm Coast's new BJ's Wholesale store.