The Hammock, one of the restaurants inside The Forge Ocala at 343 NE 1st Ave. Photo: The Hammock at The Forge.
Business
2026-09-295 min read
The Forge Ocala: A Speakeasy, Sushi, Tapas and More Open in Downtown's Old WMOP Building
This is a business news article published on 2026-09-29 covering local Marion County, Florida news. The Forge, a multi-restaurant complex in downtown Ocala's former WMOP radio building, is open with The Blind Eye speakeasy, Ignite, The Hammock and five more tenants. Here is every restaurant, the hours and the history.
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Only In Ocala Editorial TeamLocal Content Specialists · 8+ years in Marion County
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Downtown Ocala has a new place to eat, drink and stay out late. The Forge Ocala, a multi-restaurant dining and entertainment complex at 343 NE 1st Avenue, soft-opened on Monday, July 20, 2026, after years of delays, and now houses a speakeasy, an Asian fusion and sushi spot, a Mediterranean tapas bar, a pizzeria, a dessert shop, a cookie bakery and a coffee bar under one set of roofs.
The project reuses a piece of Ocala history. The Forge occupies the former WMOP radio building, and BusinessDebut reports the property was earlier home to Ocala Iron Works and, in the 1930s, a Turnip Seed Chevrolet dealership. The redevelopment kept the exposed brick, and the "Forge" name nods to the ironworks past.
Small plates at The Hammock, the Mediterranean tapas bar inside The Forge. Photo: The Hammock at The Forge (thehammockattheforge.com).
Who Is Behind The Forge
The Forge's press page, citing Citizen Portal, credits owners Joel and Sheila Gibson, working with partners from the Midtown Eatery Group. BusinessDebut names those partners as Wendell Landry, Carlos Sanchez and Santiago Reynolds. Miles Christian Anderson Engineers handled architecture and engineering, and Walker Design of Orlando did the interior design.
The opening was a long time coming. The Star-Banner first reported a December 2023 target, and later dates in mid-December 2025 and winter 2025 also slipped before the July 2026 soft opening. As of 352today's opening coverage, no grand-opening date had been announced.
The Blind Eye is the headliner: a two-story speakeasy built around a 1920s theme, with Southern plates, a deep whiskey list and, according to local coverage, a roughly 70-seat bar and live music.
Ignite serves sushi rolls, potstickers and other Asian fusion dishes. Its own website lists hours of 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday. Local coverage describes a DJ booth and a weekend nightclub atmosphere.
The Hammock is a Mediterranean tapas bar built for sharing: skewers on flatbread, falafel over tahini-style sauces, salads and a full bar. Its website lists hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
The Hammock dining room at The Forge. Photo: The Hammock at The Forge (thehammockattheforge.com).
Earlier reports also mentioned an Alloy Kitchen Greek concept and an on-site Blue Anvil Brewery that 352today said would open in October. Neither appears on The Forge's official tenant list yet.
Hours, Parking and Getting There
The Forge's website lists complex hours of:
- Monday to Thursday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. - Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. - Sunday: brunch 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., dinner 4 to 9 p.m.
Individual restaurants keep their own hours within that window, so check each tenant before heading out. Ignite, for example, does not open until 4 p.m. on weekdays.
The official site does not detail parking. Ocala-News.com reported more than 300 parking spaces and more than 650 seats at opening, and earlier plans called for on-site and valet parking. The Forge sits a few blocks north of the Downtown Square, which puts it within easy reach of a date night or a First Friday Art Walk evening.
The Forge is part of a busy year for Ocala dining. Yummy House, the Hong Kong-style Chinese restaurant that left SW College Road in June 2025, reopens on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 2510 SW 27th Avenue, Suites 102 and 103. Its old space is now Sushi Feast, an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant that opened in March 2026. Browse more in our guides to new restaurants in Ocala, downtown Ocala dining, Ocala nightlife, happy hour in Ocala, the best sushi in Ocala and live music.
