PHOTO PROVIDED The new Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille on the St. Pete Pier.

GATES Construction has completed the building of Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, the first restaurant to open on the new St. Pete Pier. The 10,000-square-foot Old Florida-style restaurant provides seating for 250 patrons. The 4,000-square-foot interior is air-conditioned, while the remainder of the space is dedicated to covered outdoor seating overlooking downtown St. Pete’s scenic waterfront.

The new restaurant is the fourth Doc Ford’s in Southwest Florida. Other locations include Sanibel Island, Captiva Island and Fort Myers Beach. The restaurant’s name and Florida theme are based on the novels by New York Times best-selling author Randy Wayne White.

Restaurant guests have access to all of the other amenities along the pier as well, including a marketplace, fishing deck with bait shop, walking area, picnic spaces and family park with kid’s play zone.

Design services for the restaurant were provided by WJARC Architects.

For over 25 years, GATES Construction has provided award-winning construction management, general contracting and design-build services throughout the Southeast United States and Latin America.  The company’s diverse portfolio of commercial, multi-family, industrial, healthcare and club and hospitality projects showcases numerous landmarks constructed over the past quarter of a century.  GATES serves its clients from offices in Bonita Springs, Sarasota and Palm Beach Gardens.  For more information on GATES Construction, please call 239-593-3777 or visit the website at www.GATESinc.com.