It’s been a long project (aren’t they all?), but Grainworks has finally completed their big taproom expansion and I wanted to share a little bit about it with you so you can keep up to date on what they’ve been doing.
If you’ve found yourself in the brewery anytime in the last few months – you’ve seen this, in some capacity. I mean – “seeing” it might have consisted of the big wall and some fun teasers on it. However… if you go now, it’s like an entirely new taproom experience. We’ll get there, though… let’s talk a little broader first, about expansion.
Expanding Before, Expanding Now
When a taproom used to expand, it was sometimes for more space inside, sure. There was usually a big piece of it that leaned into private event space, though. I think that when Grainworks first started planning this expansion, that’s exactly what fueled a big part of it, creating a couple private event rooms that are separate, and also rentable.
However… if you haven’t been paying attention, the world has changed this year. Taprooms have been fighting through it all trying to navigate the current world we live in and trying desperately to follow all the new rules that exist, as well as the expectations of customers. It’s not horrible in the warmth of summer – we can spread out on patios, outside, in the sunshine and stay socially distanced, and feel good about it.
Winter, though? It opens up a whole new can of worms for our breweries. How do you safely spread out in a taproom that isn’t maybe the biggest space? This is where expansion takes on a whole new meaning now. Those taprooms that have private event spaces are able to use those for more floor space – spreading people out and creating more social distance for folks to be comfortable and safe.
Point? This expansion was always needed for Grainworks, but with how things are right now… it takes on an entirely new, almost critical meaning for them.
The Taproom Expansion
Calling this just a new expansion doesn’t even begin to encompass what this growth is like. With the new taproom space they’ve added more than 3,500 additional square feet to their taproom that was around 2,300 square feet (that’s not including the patio). The new space includes two rentable private rooms, and one semi-private rentable lounge area. The spaces will be geared up and ready for any type of event, from parties to corporate presentations and yoga… they’re ready for it all.
All of this means that their capacity grows from 148 people to 301 people now, in addition to the 90 person patio, too.
Oh, Yeah… And a Kitchen.
Finally… Finally… there’s a kitchen inside Grainworks. They are in the process of looking for someone to partner up with for a food option – but you can now rest assured that it’s coming!
All of this takes Grainworks into the next phase of their story, which should be a really exciting one for them. If you haven’t been already – you 100% need to be watching them, now! This is gonna get fun!