Local business owner Ryan Kunsch is developing Alfred’s, a new restaurant and venue, in St. Augustine’s West City neighborhood. The project aims for a spring opening at 222 W. King St. and will feature food, drinks, live music, and events to serve as a community hub.
Ryan Kunsch, who owns the restaurant and venue Sarbez! on Anastasia Island and opened neighborhood bar Muggsy’s on West King Street in 2023, is behind the latest addition to the developing West City area of St. Augustine. This historically underserved neighborhood just west of the city’s historic Downtown has seen increased development in recent years.
Kunsch’s team has obtained permits for Alfred’s, with hopes of opening sometime this spring, though no specific date has been set. The venue is envisioned as a gathering spot offering food, drinks, live music, and art to unite people from diverse backgrounds and enhance the neighborhood’s appeal. Kunsch commented, “The West King area has such great energy. There are many voids to be filled, and the people of the neighborhood deserve cool stuff. For whatever reason people are still uncertain about the neighborhood and I find that very silly.”
The building at 222 W. King St. has a varied past, including operating as a venue in the 1950s before the Civil Rights Act, when the area was designated as a white neighborhood. Heading the kitchen will be chef Garrett Schiavone, formerly of Real Peel Pizza food truck, which had a location at Muggsy’s before closing. Schiavone plans to serve his popular sourdough pizzas alongside pastas and salads.
For programming, Kunsch has enlisted local musician Chelsea Saddler to manage events such as music performances, stand-up comedy, movie nights, open mic sessions, poetry readings, and family-friendly activities. Saddler aims to create a diverse calendar similar to Intuition Ale Works’ Bier Hall in Jacksonville, featuring both local and touring acts.
The name Alfred’s honors Kunsch’s grandfather, Alfred Kunsch, a business owner who ran a pharmacy in Sayville on Long Island. Kunsch attributes his entrepreneurial spirit to him, stating, “I believe he is where I got my entrepreneurship from.” Updates on the opening can be followed via the business’s Instagram account.