Construction update: Here's when Miller's Ale House expects to open in Port Orange

Clayton Park, Daytona Beach News-Journal
·3 min read

PORT ORANGE ― Hiring has begun for the Miller's Ale House restaurant nearing completion at the Altamira Village shopping center just east of the Interstate 95/Dunlawton Avenue interchange.

The fast-casual restaurant/sports bar chain known for its large selection of craft beers expects to open its Port Orange location within the next few weeks.

Here's the latest update on the project:

Construction workers carry a bar countertop into the Miller's Ale House restaurant nearing completion at the Altamira Village shopping center just east of the Interstate 95/Dunlawton Avenue interchange (Exit 256) in Port Orange on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. The eatery is on track to open in early December.
Construction workers carry a bar countertop into the Miller's Ale House restaurant nearing completion at the Altamira Village shopping center just east of the Interstate 95/Dunlawton Avenue interchange (Exit 256) in Port Orange on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. The eatery is on track to open in early December.

When is it going to open?

The target date for the "soft opening" of the Miller's Ale House at 907 Taylor Road in Port Orange is "right before Thanksgiving," said Michael Springer, a spokesman for the City of Port Orange on Monday. He added that the operators of the fast-casual restaurant informed the city that they were "hoping to fully open for Thanksgiving."

But that's a best case scenario, which doesn't always happen for construction projects.

Curry Simic, a spokeswoman for the Orlando-based brew pub chain, on Wednesday, said. "We are comfortable saying early December, just in case any delays occur."

A Miller's Ale House restaurant nears completion at the Altamira Village shopping center just east of the Interstate 95/Dunlawton Avenue interchange (Exit 256) in Port Orange on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. The eatery is on track to open in early December.
A Miller's Ale House restaurant nears completion at the Altamira Village shopping center just east of the Interstate 95/Dunlawton Avenue interchange (Exit 256) in Port Orange on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. The eatery is on track to open in early December.

How big will the new restaurant be?

According to plans filed with the city, the standalone Miller's Ale House will be 7,265 square feet in size with seating for up to 223 customers at a time.

The estimated cost to construct the new eatery is $1.6 million, according to the building permit application, confirmed Springer.

How many people will it employ?

Simic said the chain is looking to hire 100 people for its new Port Orange location.

Ads on online job search websites show a variety of available positions including servers, hosts, bartenders and cooks. The jobs include health benefits, a 40% dining privilege and an "ability to advance your restaurant career" in a "fast-paced, fun environment," according to a listing on SimplyHired.com.

A "Now Hiring" banner can be seen in front of the Miller's Ale House restaurant nearing completion at the Altamira Village shopping center just east of the Interstate 95/Dunlawton Avenue interchange (Exit 256) in Port Orange on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. The eatery is on track to open in early December.
A "Now Hiring" banner can be seen in front of the Miller's Ale House restaurant nearing completion at the Altamira Village shopping center just east of the Interstate 95/Dunlawton Avenue interchange (Exit 256) in Port Orange on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. The eatery is on track to open in early December.

Didn't there used to be another restaurant there?

The 2.3-acre site where Miller's Ale House is being built was previously a standalone Golden Corral buffet restaurant that opened in 2012 and closed this past April. It was torn down that same month.

The Port Orange Golden Corral made national headlines in a bad way in 2013 when a video went viral showing trays of raw meat outside in the sun near a Dumpster behind the restaurant.

Who owns the property?

The property, located just west of CVS Pharmacy, was sold for $3.5 million by Metro Corral Partners Inc. of Winter Park to Peoria, Illinois-based Wisdom Development Group Inc., doing business as MJW Enterprises LLC, on April 14, according to Volusia County property records. Wisdom Development Group is a commercial developer whose projects include several freestanding Miller's Ale House restaurants.

Isn't there another Miller's Ale House nearby?

The Port Orange Miller's Ale House will be the chain's second location in Volusia County. It opened a standalone restaurant eight miles to the north in June 2022 at Tomoka Town Center, just east of the I-95/LPGA Boulevard interchange.

The LPGA location replaced an older Miller's Ale House restaurant that was at 2610 W. International Speedway Blvd., just east of the I-95/International Speedway Boulevard/State Road 92 interchange that opened in 1994.

What will its hours of operation be?

Simic did not provide any further details about the Port Orange location. That said, it's a safe bet that its hours of operation will be identical or similar to the Miller's Ale House in Daytona Beach: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., Fridays, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.

For more about the chain, visit millersalehouse.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Here's when Miller's Ale House expects to open in Port Orange