Historic Grant Grocery and Deli, a 110-year-old landmark on U.S. 1 at First Street that has been empty for two years will be restored by Chris Pozgar.
Pozgar purchased the 4,000-square-foot structure and said he will be investing more than $500,000 to convert it into an antique-themed cafe with an old-fashioned ice cream store.
“I’d loved this building since I was a kid,” said Pozgar, who grew up in the Eau Gallie area and has lived in Grant-Valkaria for 15 years. “I watched it for years dilapidate, and it was just bothering me.”
The 46-year-old entrepreneur said he will change the name to Grant Station and hopes to open in January 2013.
The main goal of Pozgar is to bring back the historic ambiance of the building that was stripped of almost everything after the store closed. “There’s a ton of history here, and I just want to restore that, hold it dear,” Pozgar said on a recent morning at the store, where he spends most days working on the rehab. “We are going to take it back in time. I’m going to restore all the history.”
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