5-minute read
Within hours of the City Commission’s 6–0 vote to allow an upscale cocktail lounge where Dissent Brewing used to be, Jeremiah Joaquim was on the phone.
The 40-year-old Lakeland entrepreneur has an ambitious plan to open his new venture — the Velvet Swan — in just eight weeks.
He and his wife Tabitha have been crafting the menu, picking furnishings and thinking through the conversion of the long, narrow space at 125 S. Kentucky Ave. for a long time. But they couldn’t put their plan into action until the commission approved the conditional use permit on Monday.
With that hurdle cleared, Joaquim (pronounced Joke-wum) is ready to roll up his sleeves and start demolition. He said he hopes to open on Nov. 7.
The Velvet Swan
The new venue will have a mix of Victorian and modern decor, Joaquim said. The walls will be forest green with gold accents. The furnishings will be velvet, and there will be historic photos of Lakeland.
Because the Velvet Swan is replacing a craft brewery, the number of downtown bars will hold steady at eight, at least until the Island Breeze Tiki Bar opens next year.
Joaquim said he’s a big fan of nearby establishments and said he thinks the Velvet Swan will fit in well downtown. It will be a bit brighter than Revival, two doors away, and a bit more intimate than Nineteen61’s rooftop Bar Vasco around the corner.
“We want to provide an elegant space where people don’t feel overstimulated.”
Jeremiah Joaquim
“My goal is essentially to squeeze right in the middle of those two,” he said.
“There’ll be nice seating. You can go out on a date night or a business meeting and be able to socialize and engage with each other. But at the same time, you’ll still feel that excitement of the area that you’re in. It will be an uplifting environment.”
The menu: The kitchen and food license might not be ready until January, Joaquim said. But once they are, the Velvet Swan will offer appetizers like white bean tapenade crostinis, entrees including black cherry bourbon wings and shareable desserts.
“We’ve taken a lot of pride and a lot of work to make sure we’re hand crafting all of this menu,” Joaquim said. “There are a lot of great restaurants downtown. We’re trying to bring in something a little bit different, but still with great quality.”
One door closes, another opens
Joaquim already owns a bar in Lakeland: CJ Vapes and Lounge in the Northtowne Square plaza, which also includes Linksters Tap Room and Brewlands Bar & Billiards.
He plans to transfer his 4COP liquor license to the downtown location, so he said CJ Lounge will likely close on Oct. 31. The vape shop will follow suit by Dec. 31 when the lease ends.
A big shift: The transition is more than just geographic. Joaquim said the new cocktail bar will be quite different than CJ lounge, which has air hockey and pool tables, multiple TV screens and a stage for live music or karaoke.
Besides being about half the size, the Velvet Swan will cater to a slightly older, more mature clientele. He is also stepping away from the vaping industry.
“I decided to make a big shift in the dynamic of the business I want to be in,” he said. “Obviously, we’re involved in the vape industry, which is not a healthy industry by any means. But in my way of thought when I generated that, it was a healthier option, rather than smoking.”
Now, he’s interested in being in Lakeland’s historic core and contributing to the city’s legacy, beyond just owning a business.
A family affair … sort of
The Velvet Swan will be in a building and next door to a restaurant owned by Joaquim’s younger brother.
Sam Joaquim, 38, purchased the two-storefront property for $1.2 million in September 2023. He opened Bedrock Wings in the side where the Pita Pit used to be and continued leasing the other side to Dissent Craft Brewing, until it closed in April.
Jeremiah said the brothers, both of whom attended Kathleen High School, support each other’s ventures. But they have largely kept family and business separate.
Sam Joaquim has had at least a dozen businesses, including a limousine service and aquatic weed and algae removal company. Jeremiah also owns numerous businesses, including motels and a mobile home park. But there has been very little overlap.
“When you deal with business or financial stuff like that, it doesn’t always pan out to do within family,” Jeremiah said. “So to avoid a possible conflict, we just find it suitable to keep it separated.”
“We partnered in some real estate some time back, but since then, we’ve been blessed enough to pursue our own ventures.”
Jeremiah said when Dissent Brewing closed, there was a lot of interest in its 2,200-square-foot space. Sam gave him the first crack at leasing it, because he knew Jeremiah would be a good tenant. But there wasn’t any discount on the rent.
Security plans
Before the proposal reached the City Commission, the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority voted 4-0 in favor of it, but with a few conditions:
- Security staff must be stationed at the front door on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
- The back door must be an emergency exit only and alarmed.
- No one under 21 may be admitted.
City Commissioner Stephanie Madden said she was concerned that having to hire private security might be too burdensome for a new business, but Jeremiah said he has no qualms about it.
Finances are always nerve-racking when starting a business, he said. “But it’s more important to do it right.”
“We want to make sure we’re providing a space where people can come and feel safe, as well as making sure people under the age of 21 aren’t participating in underage drinking,” he said. “The best approach to that is by having someone at the door ID checking.”
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