New Belgium Brewing to Open San Francisco Restaurant and Taproom
New Belgium’s first company-owned restaurant — located in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood — will open Friday, April 9.
The location features a 4-barrel research-and-development brewery and a restaurant with “globally inspired seasonal cuisine from Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz.” The taproom can seat more than 110 guests indoors with patio seating for 60.
Ramon Tamayo will lead the on-site brewing team, which will be overseen by brewmaster Christian Holbrook. The brew team will also collaborate with chefs Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz on small-batch beers to pair with the menu. A Sour IPA will be the first packaged beer release from the location.
Last September, New Belgium announced it would convert the space formerly occupied by Australia’s Little Creatures, a fellow Lion-owned brewery. The 6,300 sq. ft taproom is located within walking distance of the Golden State Warriors’ home arena, the Chase Center, as well as Oracle Park, where the San Francisco Giants play.
“San Francisco has always been a strong market for New Belgium Brewing and is the second home of founder Kim Jordan. We are lucky to have access to an exceptional location in the heart of a growing neighborhood to launch our first New Belgium-owned restaurant in a city where New Belgium Brewing has always had a strong brand presence,” New Belgium CEO Steve Fechheimer said in a press release. “We’re looking forward to growing our customer base in the SF market and building further loyalty.”
Construction Begins on Castle Island’s South Boston Taproom
Construction has finally begun on Castle Island Brewing Company’s second taproom space, this one located in South Boston. The location is expected to open this summer and will feature a 10-barrel innovation brewery, tasting room, event space, full kitchen and outdoor patio.
“It’s no secret that we have always wanted to open a location in South Boston,” Adam Romanow, founder and president of the 6-year-old Norwood, Massachusetts-based craft brewery, said in a press release. “In many ways this feels like a homecoming, both personally and for the brand.”
Castle Island will lease the space from real estate developer National Development, who the brewery has partnered with in the past on seasonal pop-up beer gardens in Charlestown.
The location was originally expected to open in 2020 but those plans were scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Once opened, the location will feature South Shore-style bar pizza, chicken cutlets, house-made sausages and small plates from event and catering company Lombardo’s in a new concept called Bardo’s.
Castle Island, which takes its name from a peninsula in South Boston, estimates that the new location will create more than 35 jobs, as well as 10 additional jobs at its Norwood production facility and tasting room.
Bold Rock to Open Cidery and Taproom in Asheville
Hard cider maker Bold Rock will open its fourth cidery and taproom in downtown Asheville, North Carolina, in the 8,000 sq. ft. space formerly occupied by the CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective. Renovation of the site is underway with a projected opening in mid-summer.
The location will feature small-batch cider production, a scratch kitchen and event space. It will also serve as an innovation hub for hard seltzer, tea and lemonade.
“We believe this summer will mark the return to on-premise consumption channels and we also see a rebound occurring in the adult beverage related tourism industry,” Bold Rock co-founder Brian Shanks said in a release. “With Asheville’s rapidly rising reputation of being the U.S. top city for adult craft beverages, the timing for the project couldn’t be better.”
Charlottesville, Virginia-based Bold Rock first established a presence in North Carolina in 2015 by opening a cidery and taproom in Mills River. Bold Rock also operates locations in Nellysford, Virginia, and a seasonal spot in Carter’s Mountain, Virginia.
Bold Rock, the second best-selling cider brand in the U.S., was acquired in 2019 by Artisanal Brewing Ventures, the roll up of craft breweries Victory, Sixpoint and Southern Tier.
Night Shift Location to Open in Encore Casino
A Night Shift-branded location will open Thursday, April 15, in the Encore Boston Harbor casino.
Night Shift Brewing Kitchen & Tap will feature 20 beers on tap, as well as canned beer and Hoot Hard Seltzer, and a pub food menu put together by executive chef Kyle Bradish.
The move is a licensing deal, with Encore operating the spot while Night Shift will lend its brand name and provide draft beer.
Notch Hiring for Brighton Location
Salem, Massachusetts-based Notch Brewing is hiring staff for its second taproom and beer garden in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood, which is expected to open this spring after being delayed for a year due to the pandemic.
Open positions include front- and back-of-house staff.
Notch’s Brighton location will feature a seven-barrel brewhouse, where Notch owner Chris Lohring expects production to track similar to the company’s 10-barrel brewhouse in Salem, which produces about 2,000 barrels annually.