SANFORD, Fla. – A spot known for motor-centric dining and entertainment will be making a comeback in Central Florida.
Ace Café is set to open up in Sanford after the Orlando location closed its doors last year.
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“It’s on and it’s official,” read the caption on a photo posted on the new Ace Café Sanford Facebook page.
Co-owners Sean Kelley and Steve Glum made the announcement, along with the Director and Owner of Ace Café London, after the deal was done last week.
Rumors were already swirling online after people noticed permits had been filed.
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News 6 met with Glum one-on-one on Tuesday to talk about the vision for Sanford.
“It was unexpected,” Glum said. “We weren’t really ready to make the announcement just yet. It kind of leaked online through our socials and our Instagram blew up.”
Ace Café was established in London in 1938 as a gathering place known for bikes, cars, and rock-n-roll.
“It’s the most famous motor diner on the planet,” Glum said. “Anybody who is kind of in-the-know of motor bikes in London knows the Ace.”
Glum brought the well-known brand to Orlando, but that location closed its doors last year after six years in business.
“I had nothing to do with it. I had already moved on since then,” Glum said. “I was as surprised as everybody else, but when Sean and I started thinking about what we were going to do next, we came up with this idea. Well, perhaps, let’s just see if the Ace Café license is even available, because it was not, it was tied up.”
Glum said soon enough they were able to get the license and they plan to open up a new Ace Café at a property in Sanford that Kelley already owns. It made Sanford the perfect fit.
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“It was kind of the right place, right time,” Glum said. “Sean Kelley who is a businessman in Sanford and has been, he owns the location and the building where Ace will be. He’s the founder of 73 Moto, so he’s already a motorcycle guy. He already owns Henry’s Depot, so he’s already in business in Sanford.”
Glum calls the Sanford location an “all new Ace.”
“It’s not a re-hash of Ace Café Orlando,” Glum said. “Same honoring of the legacy of Ace Café in London, but all new.”
The new location on North Laurel Avenue is in historic downtown Sanford. The building used to be the Horstymeyer Farm & Garden feed store.
“It’s a great building. It’s got hardwood floors. It’s got brick walls,” Glum said. “It’s a great live-sounding room for music, but it’s got its own vibe and it’s going to be a cool place to sort of absorb this new Ace.”
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Permits filed with the city show there are plans for a restaurant and music venue.
“We think it’s going to be a spectacular location,” Glum said. “Sanford is just like the nexus of central Florida now. 417 goes there, and I-4 construction is done up there, and the 429 extension is complete — 46 is a straight shot to downtown Sanford where we’re going to be located. It’s a great ride. It’s an easy ride. So, we’re fortunate.”
There is a lot of work to do before the new Ace is ready to open its doors. Glum said there are plans and permits, but no official opening date.
“That is the question everyone wants to know,” Glum said. “There is still so much that is TBD right now.”
Glum said the new Ace Café will fit well into the current landscape of downtown Sanford.
“There’s already kind of this excitement and stuff going on in the downtown. So, you can go see a live show at Tuffy’s or you can go to the Ace, or you can go someplace else,” Glum said. “You can grab a bite, grab a beer, whatever. It’s just really cool, and we’re really excited to be part of that community.”
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