“I'm personally extremely excited to be able to invest here and do this here,” Grant said. “Having lived here, been a student here, it's a really cool concept I think to bring to the area, and I think the students will enjoy it and the families in the area will enjoy it. I look at it as an opportunity to bring everybody together.” 

Jolly Pumpkin will occupy approximately 5,850 square feet on the east corner of the district along Albert Avenue.

After some debate among the council concerning noise level outside because of the restaurant's close proximity to a senior living center, approval of the site plan was given. 

The location will feature a brewery, winery, distillery and artisan pizza along with a full menu. The restaurant will also have a mezzanine area that can be reserved for events. 

“Part of the reason we are putting the mezzanine in is ... there are not many great places for events, either recruiting events or student gatherings, the brewery is really a meeting place and a community, that is the DNA of breweries in America,”  Grant said. “So the mezzanine was a really important element in that perspective, kind of a place inside the space for people to be able to get away if they want to use it for meetings or events.” 

The construction of the brewery will begin within the next few weeks, putting the opening date sometime in January or February 2020. Their goal is to open by the time students are back from winter break.