Tom’s Watch Bar, which opened a year ago on top of an I-Drive parking garage, is interested in a rooftop expansion that would more than double the size of the sports bar concept, but other restaurant users are also vying for the space.
The existing bar and restaurant is located in a two-story, 13,000-square-foot space on the top floor of the Hollywood Plaza Garage at 8050 International Dr. A proposed Tom’s Watch Bar expansion would convert the rest of the garage’s rooftop from parking into a 16,500-square-foot, partially covered outdoor lounge and entertainment area, complete with a beer garden, large televisions, an outdoor games area, and a stage for live performances.
Joshua Wallack, who owns the nine-story Hollywood Plaza Garage, is looking to amend the property’s existing PD to allow for new entitlements of 16,280 square feet of restaurant and event space on the garage’s rooftop. The PD amendment could make way for a Tom’s Watch bar expansion, but Wallack is also fielding offers from other potential tenants interested in the space.
“It could very well be Tom’s. They’re an obvious choice because they’re right there, but I don’t have any deal in place with them. They definitely have shown interest in doing it, but we also had tremendous interest prior to their tenancy for that deck,” Wallack said.
Renderings from One Line Studio indicate that the Tom’s Watch Bar expansion, if built, would have a beer garden with a bar, a variety of seating options, and games such as cornhole, table tennis, and foosball. A mezzanine level above the bar area would provide further traditional seating options that would overlook the rest of the outdoor area, and a stage on the edge of the rooftop would offer live music and performances.
It’s not clear yet which company Wallack will select to convert the space, but he said the venue that ultimately opens there will get to take advantage of the rooftop’s magnificent views.
“It’s the best view in Orlando. You’ve got the Orlando Eye. You’re looking straight at Magic Kingdom, so you get the best fireworks show in the world, 365 days a year, due west. Then, due east of the building is Epic Universe, and we know what’s gonna happen with that. So it’s just in a magnificent rooftop situation there,” Wallack said.
Wallack has envisioned transforming the rooftop into a vibrant entertainment space since he built the garage in 2018. Walt Disney World opened a store on the ground floor of the parking garage and installed a large curved screen at the back of the garage. An Argentinian steak house called Baires Grill is also getting ready to open in the building’s other street-level retail space.
“They’re Leo Messi’s favorite, and they just became the Argentinian team’s official restaurant,” Wallack said of Baires Grill.
If Tom’s Watch Bar were to expand, it would bring the total size of the restaurant to nearly 30,000 square feet. The national sports bar chain has 16 locations throughout the country, but the Orlando restaurant is the only one in Florida. The menu offers over 50 beers, specialty cocktails, wine, and diverse food offerings such as buffalo wings, burgers, sandwiches, mac and cheese, tacos, salads, and more.
The existing Tom’s Watch Bar location has 500 seats, a capacity of 900 people, about 130 television screens, and three bars, including a main one, a small bar on the top level, and another on a covered outdoor patio. On the mezzanine level, there are a pair of virtual golf suites with driving contests, along with soccer, baseball, football, and carnival games programs.
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