Country superstar Chase Rice and Forward Hospitality Group have plans to bring a little bit of southern country fun to St. Pete this summer with the opening of Welcome to the Farm.
Known for top 10 hits like “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” featuring Florida Georgia Line and “Eyes On You,” Chase Rice has sold more than 2 million albums and has over 2 billion total streams worldwide.
The live music country bar will debut in the former MacDinton’s Irish Pub located at 216 1st Avenue North on the Jannus Block, the most popular block for nightlife in downtown St. Pete.
“I’m a North Carolina guy through and through, but I was born in Florida and spent a lot of my childhood there,” said Chase Rice. “It’s one of my favorite places to visit and to find inspiration for my music – so it seemed only fitting to bring Welcome to The Farm here, too.”
CHASE RICE PERFORMING AT WELCOME TO THE FARM IN CLEVELAND | ORVILLE MCEACHRON, FORWARD HOSPITALITY
Abbreviated as “WTF,” the venue will take visitors the closest they can get to the live music scene of Lower Broadway in Nashville without having to leave Florida.
Inspired by a “Welcome to the Farm” sign displayed on Chase Rice's own farm in Tennessee, the concept hits close to home for the musician, with all aspects of the venue inspired by his own life – from cups with his dog's face on it, to pictures of his bison, one wall is even a copy of the outside of his home.
The 4,000-square-foot space, which has a capacity of 400 people, will be highlighted by a center stage for hosting live music. Two double doors in the back lead out to an expansive outdoor patio bar overlooking Jannus Live, one of the most popular 2,000 seat outdoor music venues in the country.
THE INTERIOR OF WELCOME TO THE FARM IN CLEVELAND. THE DÉCOR IN ST. PETE WILL ALSO FEATURE NOSTALGIC TRIBUTES TO RICE’S LIFE AND CHILDHOOD | JOHN KUNTZ, CLEVELAND.COM
The exterior will be clad in white brick with an outdoor bar and garage doors that open onto 1st Avenue North. As for the interior, picture cowhide benches lining the back wall and a large red, white, and blue neon star hanging above a hardwood dance floor.
The décor will feature nostalgic tributes to Rice’s life and childhood, like a dinner bell, an American flag, a Craftsman tool chest, and a Dairy Queen sign reminiscent of Rice getting ice cream with his dad as a child.
The idea behind the venue was imagined during the height of the pandemic, when Chase Rice found himself playing parking lot shows all over the country.
“During COVID, I attended a show that Chase Rice played in the parking lot of an abandoned mall in Columbus, Ohio,” said Michael Schwartz, CEO of Forward Hospitality Group.
“Through a friend of a friend who knew Chase, I was invited backstage to meet him and we hit it off. A few weeks later at a show in Youngstown, we started talking about opening a country bar together.”
A LARGE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE NEON STAR HANGS ABOVE A HARDWOOD DANCE FLOOR AT WELCOME TO THE FARM IN CLEVELAND | JOHN KUNTZ, CLEVELAND.COM
Welcome to the Farm will be open every day of the week, with local and touring country musicians being showcased at the venue, bringing a genre-specific stage to the St. Pete music scene.
The bar will offer an expansive whiskey menu, with selections from Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee distilleries, along with themed cocktails, such as “Bennington’s Flask” named after Rice’s favorite buffalo and “Troubadour Transfusion” named after a golf course where Rice and Forward Hospitality’s team first initiated ideas for the concept of the bar.
Welcome to the Farm will also offer a handful of sharable cocktails for 3-4 people, such as a Mimosa Tower and a Big A$$ Mule served in a massive copper mug.
Cans and bottles or your favorite beers, hard seltzers, and cocktails will be available as well.
A WALL BEHIND THE BAR IN CLEVELAND FEATURES THE TITLE OF CHASE RICE’S MOST POPULAR SONG “DRINKIN’ BEER. TALKIN’ GOD. AMEN.” | FACEBOOK
After enjoying a few High Noon’s, grab some food from Welcome to the Farm’s menu of traditional BBQ items like pulled pork, brisket, mac and cheese, baked beans, and coleslaw.
From Forward Hospitality’s perspective, St. Pete is a perfect location for the second Farm. “St. Pete has been on our radar for over a year,” notes COO Bobby Rutter. “The growth in the market coupled with the area’s love for live music is extremely exciting.”
Forward Hospitality Group is also behind the upcoming 70s-themed nightclub Good Night John Boy, which will debut later this year at 16 2nd Street North on the Jannus Block. The new nightclub will replace Ringside Café, which closed a few months ago and is in the process of finding a new home.
Welcome to the Farm hopes to open at 216 1st Avenue North by late summer with a grand opening party featuring a performance by Chase Rice. Follow Welcome to The Farm on Instagram and Facebook for updates and grand opening details.
WELCOME TO THE FARM IS EXPECTED TO OPEN BY LATE SUMMER IN ST. PETE | FACEBOOK