Krush Brau Park and Biergarten to bring eateries, brewery, petting zoo and zipline to Osceola
-
Krush Development CEO Waylon Krush, left, and Krush Development President and General Contractor David Monington stand in the facility where a German restaurant and brewery will be located. NEWS-GAZETTE PHOTO /BRIAN MCBRIDE -
The former Jungleland Zoo site is being transformed into Krush Brau Park and Biergarten. NEWS-GAZETTE PHOTO/BRIAN MCBRIDE
If you’re looking for a taste of German cuisine, you’ll soon be able to get it without even getting on a plane.
Krush Brau Park and Biergarten (beer garden) is currently in development at the former Jungleland Zoo location, 4580 W. U.S. Highway 192, Kissimmee.
When the job is complete, Krush Brau Park will offer a German restaurant, brewery, container eateries, shops, a petting zoo, a zipline and outdoor arenas for entertainment.
A beer garden is defined as an outdoor area in which beer and local food are served, typically at shared tables.
Beer gardens originated in Munich in the 19th century, and remain common in southern Germany. They are usually attached to a brewery, beer hall, pub, or restaurant.
Leading the charge is Krush Development CEO Waylon Krush, who was stationed in Germany for three years when he was in the military.
“One of the issues is you have to travel far away from the Orlando/ Kissimmee area to get anything real Bavarian or real German,” he said. “Being here in the tourist corridor, there is really no other place to go unless you pay the big money and go to Epcot and that doesn’t work for everybody.”
The project is being done in two phases. Phase I will concentrate on the restaurant and brewery. Krush said the restaurant will be serving authentic German food, such as sausages, schnitzel, rotisserie chicken, potato salad and cucumber salad. It will serve five course German meals.
The imported beer will be wellknown brands from the 16 states of Germany. The home-brewed beers will replicate old-style original recipes, Krush said. There will be domestic beers as well.
“I know what to expect from a food perspective, a beer perspective and an atmosphere perspective,” Krush said.
And the venue is going to offer a legitimate Oktoberfest, he added.
Phase I is expected to open sometime during the spring of this year.
Phase II will be developed behind the restaurant in a loop on the 7-acre site. Krush and crew will utilize large refrigerated containers, some as 40- feet high to establish other eateries, shops and offices. That’s also where visitors will eventually find the petting zoo, arenas for concerts and other entertainment and the zipline. Phase II is slated to open at the end of the summer.
Depending on the market and environmental studies, Phase I could cost about $1.3 million to complete. Phase II would be about $3 million, according to Krush Development President and General Contractor David Monington.
The attraction will also keep artifacts found at Jungleland Zoo, which closed in 2002, such as animal cages people can eat in.
“We really want to try to maintain a lot because the park had a lot of history,” said Monington.
When the attraction is complete, the hope is families come out and spend several hours enjoying everything it has to offer.
“That’s basically the concept here, a good family venue that’s developed for everybody,” Monington said.
Those interested in visiting were encouraged to keep checking the website for updates at https://krushbraupark.com and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KrushBrauPark.
