Massachusetts’ Wormtown Brewery today announced plans to open a second taproom, adjacent to the New England Patriots’ stadium, before the end of the summer.
Speaking to Brewbound, Wormtown managing partner David Fields said the Worcester-based craft brewery took control of a 4,000 sq. ft. space at Patriot Place — a shopping, dining and entertainment center near Gillette Stadium in Foxborough — from Battle Road Brewing Company, which had operated a pop-up taproom there during the latter half of 2018.
Fields declined to share how much the company paid to have the rights to the lease transferred from Battle Road to Wormtown. Nevertheless, the lease agreement gives Wormtown access to the property for five years, and the company as an option to renew. The company is investing about $1.3 million into the project, he added.
“Sixteen million people go through Patriot Place on an annualized basis, and they come from not just Massachusetts, but all over New England and all over the country,” Fields said. “So there’s an opportunity to connect our brand to a whole bunch of people that may or may not have seen us before.”
Wormtown has purchased a 7-barrel brewhouse for the facility, which will serve as an innovation hub. The company is hoping to open the Foxborough outpost ahead of the New England Patriots’ first exhibition game on August 22.
“This is a real fast turnaround and buildout,” Fields said. “We have our plans and designs in place; we have our construction company ready to go.”
Despite adding a second taproom, Wormtown’s focus on wholesale distribution is not changing, Fields said. He called the Patriot Place taproom “a unique opportunity” to build awareness for the brand and an opportunity to “build deeper relationships with the retailers” in the area.
The taproom also brings Wormtown closer to one of its biggest customers: Gillette Stadium.
“They’ve been great partners of ours, he said, “so further cementing that relationship with those guys is important for us.”
At the same time, Wormtown has entered into a contract brewing agreement to manage production for Battle Road Brewing, which made about 800 barrels of beer in 2019, according to trade group the Brewers Association. Wormtown also produces beer for Cambridge Brewing Company.
“We have a strong background in the retail side of our operation, but ultimately wanted to improve in the area of making great and innovative beers,” Battle Road managing partner Greg Hill said in a press release. “I have known the guys from Wormtown for a long time and reached out to them about this exciting opportunity for a brewery and taproom at Patriot Place.”
Fields added that Wormtown is working on a collaboration with Battle Road that would allow the company to maintain a presence inside the Patriot Place taproom.
As for Wormtown, the company grew production 15 percent in 2018, to 24,615 barrels of beer. Through the first four months of 2019, Fields said the company’s volume is up about 40 percent. If those trends continue, the company could finish 2019 at around 33,000 barrels, he added.
About 90 percent of Wormtown’s beer is sold in Massachusetts, Fields said. The remaining 10 percent is distributed to New Hampshire, Rhode Island and parts of Connecticut.
Wormtown’s flagship IPA, Be Hoppy, accounts for 86 percent of the company’s volume. However, initial sales of Don’t Worry IPA and Mass Whole Lager, two recently launched products, are strong.
In fact, Wormtown was forced to pull back distribution of Mass Whole Lager, a beer made exclusively with Massachusetts-grown malts and hops, from New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The company also canceled a midsummer rollout in Boston, due to an inability to get ingredients to meet existing demand in Central and Western Massachusetts.
“It’s been pretty cool,” Fields said.
Fields added that Wormtown is working with Hadley, Massachusetts-based Valley Malt to ensure the company has enough ingredients to expand distribution of Mass Whole Lager in the fall.
A press release with additional information about the Foxborough taproom is included below.
WORMTOWN BREWERY PLANS TO BRING TAPROOM TO PATRIOT PLACE
Wormtown Brewery reaches agreement to contract brew Battle Road Beer for Maynard Brewery
Brewery and taproom concept at Patriot Place to feature seven-barrel brewing system to produce Wormtown and Battle Road beers; targeting a summer 2019 opening
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Wormtown Brewery, of Worcester, Mass., and Battle Road Brewery, of Maynard, Mass., have entered into a contract agreement that will bring the production of the Battle Road brand under the management of Wormtown and open a brewery and taproom facility at Patriot Place in Foxborough, Mass. later this summer.
As a result of the new relationship, Wormtown is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement to build a new taproom in Patriot Place’s North Marketplace. The space is approximately 4,000 square feet and most recently served as the Battle Road Hop Up during the fall and winter of 2018; serving Patriots fans in the shadow of Gillette Stadium throughout the team’s Super Bowl LIII Championship season.
“Being able to bring our brewery to the fans of the New England Patriots, New England Revolution and concertgoers from all over is an amazing opportunity for us,” said Wormtown managing partner David Fields. “In addition, Patriot Place has incredible year-round foot traffic and we are looking forward to bringing great local beer to the Foxborough area.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Wormtown to open their second brewery and taproom at Patriot Place,” said Brian Earley, vice president and general manager of Patriot Place. “Craft brewers are in huge demand and this concept provides our guests a great opportunity to socialize while enjoying uniquely, and locally, crafted beers brewed specifically for this location.”
Additionally, Patriot Place has worked closely with Wormtown to partner with many of the restaurants throughout the property to feature their menus and make food offerings available for delivery or “take-in” at the taproom.
According to Wormtown’s founder and master brewer, Ben Roesch, the Patriot Place facility will feature a seven-barrel brewing system that will produce a level of innovation the award-winning brewery does not currently have at its Shrewsbury St. facility in Worcester.
“I am really looking forward to the flexibility and innovation this new facility will offer us and the opportunity to encourage our team to explore and try new things for our guests and consumers to share in Foxborough,” said Roesch.
Battle Road, founded in 2013, had been seeking a strategic partner to assist in their brewing operations before entering into an agreement with Wormtown, according to Battle Road managing partner Greg Hill.
“We have a strong background in the retail side of our operation, but ultimately wanted to improve in the area of making great and innovative beers,” Hill said. “I have known the guys from Wormtown for a long time and reached out to them about this exciting opportunity for a brewery and taproom at Patriot Place.”
According to Fields, Wormtown is targeting a summer 2019 opening for the facility, which will feature a 2,500-square-foot taproom and include an outdoor seating area.
ABOUT WORMTOWN BREWERY
Wormtown Brewery was founded in Worcester, MA in 2010. The brewery has been recognized as a world class brewery with over 150 national and international medals. Currently, Wormtown is located at 72 Shrewsbury St, Worcester. The 24,000 sq ft facility includes a 30 barrel brew house, canning, bottling and kegging lines and a quality control lab. In addition, the Wormtown taproom provides a view of the brewery, while serving full pints, tasting flights and beer to go and BYOF (bring your own food) with 20 restaurants located within walking distance.
ABOUT PATRIOT PLACE
Patriot Place is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination located adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Patriot Place features large and boutique retailers, 17 casual to high-end restaurants and other nightlife venues. Among the highlights of Patriot Place are New England’s first Bass Pro Shops, a state-of-the-art, 14-screen Showcase Cinema De Lux, the award-winning Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon, the retro-style bowling alley, Splitsville Luxury Lanes featuring live entertainment by Howl at the Moon and Topgolf Swing Suite, the modern gastro sports pub, CBS Sporting Club, the four-star Renaissance Boston Patriot Place Hotel and the Hilton Garden Inn Foxborough/Patriot Place. For more information, visit www.patriot-place.com, follow Patriot Place on Twitter (twitter.com/patriotplace) or like Patriot Place on Facebook (facebook.com/patriotplace).