Broomfield, CO — Big Choice Brewing, located off 118th Place in Broomfield, Colorado, will be relocating their brewery to 21 S. 1st Avenue in Brighton, Colorado, with an expected opening date of late May, 2017. Their current taproom will remain open until then. Big Choice has been a part of the Broomfield community for roughly five years since opening in May of 2012. Expanding beyond taproom draft sales in March of 2013 into distribution across the Front Range, Big Choice has been faced with growing pains of a small two-level taproom off a cul-de-sac in an industrial park in Broomfield since inception.
Big Choice has been searching for a new location for more than two years. A deal they were close to finalizing in the Broomfield area fell through in December, 2016, which caused Big Choice to continue their search elsewhere across the Front Range. “We searched all over Broomfield, Arvada, Thornton, and within close proximity to where our regular customers lived, but it became clear after seeing the Buddhist temple in Brighton, that it was the best space for our growth,” said Andrea Miller, Co-Owner and Events/Community Manager at Big Choice Brewing. “It was a hard decision for us. Broomfield is where we began and where we wanted to stay. We love the Broomfield community, but we have to do what’s best for Big Choice and this new space is amazing,” said Miller.
The new space is a historic Buddhist temple built in 1940 by Japanese-Americans as a place of worship in the community. After renovations, the temple now boasts two outdoor patios, high ceilings with exposed wooden beams and 5,300 square feet for both a taproom and brewing. The current Broomfield taproom has as an eight-tap system, but the new location will allow for a 15-20 tap system, as well as an increase of occupancy from 50 to 180 people. Nathaniel Miller, co-owner and Brewmaster, explains that the change in focus from primarily distribution to a more prominent taproom is due to the constant fluctuation and competition in the Colorado craft beer market. “With an increased battle for shelf space and the importance of maintaining fresh beer in liquor stores, it is time for a slight change for Big Choice.” He stands behind the idea that the larger taproom will allow Big Choice to focus on providing their customers with “fresher beer, more often, and with more choices.” Also, Big Choice will utilize their in-house canning line to package experimental and small batch beers that will only be available for purchase in the taproom, guaranteeing optimal freshness.
The current taproom space is limiting because it does not allow for live music or patio space. “It’s important to give our customers an amazing experience while they enjoy our beer, and this new location will be able to provide all of that…more choices,” says Brewmaster Miller, “Broomfield will always have a place in our hearts and we hope that those that have supported us for the first five years will join us on our next journey.”