The Magnolia Green welcome center had been on the market for a few years but is now spoken for. (Mike Platania photos)
A prolific downtown entrepreneur is flying south to western Chesterfield for his latest project.
Brambly Park co-owner Bobby Kruger is preparing to open a new event venue at 17301 Memorial Tournament Drive, in the former Magnolia Green neighborhood clubhouse off Hull Street Road.
Dubbed The Cardinal, the venue initially will be solely an event space, to which Kruger said he plans to eventually add an on-site food-and-beverage concept.
The 4,500-square-foot clubhouse had been vacant and sitting on the market for the past few years, Kruger said. The neighborhood’s anchor, Magnolia Green Golf Club, has its own clubhouse that remains in use.
Kruger said he began discussing taking over the space last year and recently signed a lease that includes an option to buy the property at an undisclosed price after two years – a clause he said he intends to exercise.
“It’s been beautifully manicured. Honestly, I really lucked out with a somewhat turnkey property,” Kruger said. “(The purchase) is going to happen, it’s just a matter of when.”
Kruger said he’s planning to extend the rear deck so that it approaches the pond.
Sitting on four of Magnolia Green’s 2,000+ acres, the neighborhood clubhouse includes covered front and rear patios and a pond in the back of the property.
“I’m going to extend the back deck to do ceremonies overlooking the pond,” Kruger said. “As a wedding venue or event venue, I think it has broad appeal.”
He has other improvements on the to-do list ahead of The Cardinal’s opening, namely in the clubhouse kitchen, where he said he’s planning to add some equipment to optimize it for catering.
The Cardinal is the latest in a steady streak of business ventures for Kruger. Three years ago he opened winery and restaurant Brambly Park with Carter Snipes in Scott’s Addition, and earlier this year Kruger bought Alchemy Coffee near VCU.
Kruger also formerly was a partner in Snipes’ HofGarden restaurant and event space along Broad Street.
Kruger said he has another project in the works in Scott’s Addition, as well as a farm and meadery in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
All these projects have led him to delay adding a food-and-beverage service to The Cardinal.
“I do think eventually it will make a lot of sense to do another large-scale project (at The Cardinal) similar to what’s going on at Brambly,” Kruger said. “I think I’m a little overwhelmed. I wasn’t expecting everything to happen at the same time.”
Kruger said he’ll begin work on The Cardinal soon and hopes to have it ready by late summer. In the meantime, he’s also looking to add to Alchemy’s menu.
“I’ve got an ABC license application in, so hopefully we can do beer and wine sales there and have a bigger presence at First Fridays,” Kruger said.
The Magnolia Green welcome center had been on the market for a few years but is now spoken for. (Mike Platania photos)
A prolific downtown entrepreneur is flying south to western Chesterfield for his latest project.
Brambly Park co-owner Bobby Kruger is preparing to open a new event venue at 17301 Memorial Tournament Drive, in the former Magnolia Green neighborhood clubhouse off Hull Street Road.
Dubbed The Cardinal, the venue initially will be solely an event space, to which Kruger said he plans to eventually add an on-site food-and-beverage concept.
The 4,500-square-foot clubhouse had been vacant and sitting on the market for the past few years, Kruger said. The neighborhood’s anchor, Magnolia Green Golf Club, has its own clubhouse that remains in use.
Kruger said he began discussing taking over the space last year and recently signed a lease that includes an option to buy the property at an undisclosed price after two years – a clause he said he intends to exercise.
“It’s been beautifully manicured. Honestly, I really lucked out with a somewhat turnkey property,” Kruger said. “(The purchase) is going to happen, it’s just a matter of when.”
Kruger said he’s planning to extend the rear deck so that it approaches the pond.
Sitting on four of Magnolia Green’s 2,000+ acres, the neighborhood clubhouse includes covered front and rear patios and a pond in the back of the property.
“I’m going to extend the back deck to do ceremonies overlooking the pond,” Kruger said. “As a wedding venue or event venue, I think it has broad appeal.”
He has other improvements on the to-do list ahead of The Cardinal’s opening, namely in the clubhouse kitchen, where he said he’s planning to add some equipment to optimize it for catering.
The Cardinal is the latest in a steady streak of business ventures for Kruger. Three years ago he opened winery and restaurant Brambly Park with Carter Snipes in Scott’s Addition, and earlier this year Kruger bought Alchemy Coffee near VCU.
Kruger also formerly was a partner in Snipes’ HofGarden restaurant and event space along Broad Street.
Kruger said he has another project in the works in Scott’s Addition, as well as a farm and meadery in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
All these projects have led him to delay adding a food-and-beverage service to The Cardinal.
“I do think eventually it will make a lot of sense to do another large-scale project (at The Cardinal) similar to what’s going on at Brambly,” Kruger said. “I think I’m a little overwhelmed. I wasn’t expecting everything to happen at the same time.”
Kruger said he’ll begin work on The Cardinal soon and hopes to have it ready by late summer. In the meantime, he’s also looking to add to Alchemy’s menu.
“I’ve got an ABC license application in, so hopefully we can do beer and wine sales there and have a bigger presence at First Fridays,” Kruger said.