Big Ash Is Transforming Into The New ‘LaRosa’s Taproom’
Written By: The Gnarly Gnome
Photography By: The Gnarly Gnome
12/19/2025
We are finally getting some news regarding what’s been going on with the folks down in Anderson at Big Ash. This summer, they put out a post that got a lot of commentary, announcing that coming “soon,” they’d be closing down their kitchen and converting it to a LaRosa’s Pizza… outpost? A LaRosa’s inside a brewery?
Truth be told, they didn’t tell us much, and a lot of folks had no idea what they were doing, when it was going to happen, or what it meant for the brewery.
Let’s get up to speed, shall we?
The Landlord Makes The Choice
It can happen to a lot of places, because despite what you might think from the outside looking in, a lot of our local breweries don’t actually own the building or the land that they are operating on. They own the business, the equipment, etc, but they pay to rent or lease a space from someone else, their landlord.
Sometimes, the landlord decides they want to unload the space. When you have a new development that is finally finished, a business in your building that is settling in post-COVID, and your investment looks good… It’s not crazy to think that you might consider selling.
That’s what happened to Big Ash. The building was for sale for a while, and finally, someone stepped in to purchase it. That someone was Nick Fucito, who owns five LaRosa’s franchises around town and was looking for a place to move one that had outgrown its current space.
That’s how “LaRosa’s” came to buy the building that houses Big Ash.
The New Partnership
Fucito could have forced Big Ash, who’s currently on a month-to-month lease, out of the space. Instead, the two companies figured out a way to do something that the local pizzeria hasn’t attempted yet. It’s a one-of-a-kind ‘Taphouse’ space.
I guess I don’t get to call the new LaRosa’s Taphouse “Big Osa’s” anymore, then?
The kitchen is already being expanded, with an additional 600 square feet to accommodate the LaRosas, who are moving in. The space itself will retain the same personality and the same feeling that long-time fans of Big Ash have come to love. The massive self-serve tap wall won’t go anywhere, but the food, the service, and the experience of a LaRosa’s will move in to enhance what’s already been built at Big Ash.
It remains to be seen if the name ‘Big Ash’ will stick around. They are being very deliberate with the news in letting us know that “Big Ash will still be there” and that “Big Ash beers will still be brewed.” They haven’t clarified, yet, if that means that they’ll be there in name or not. I have an email out to some folks at Big Ash and will update the article if I hear back!
The Future Of Collaboration
Partnerships like this one are a huge piece of the puzzle that I think we’ll see moving forward as a lot of industries adjust to changing consumer habits.
It’s not a difficult stretch for the craft beer industry, which has always hung its hat on things like community collaboration and inter-industry partnerships, but it will likely be done in bigger and more obvious ways like this one.
When Do They Open?
I’ll preface this with the standard “ish” before I say any dates, because we know how these things work sometimes – but as of right now, new ownership is hoping to have all the renovations completed by early next year (they’re shooting for February of 2026). But you’ll already start to see some of the changes in place right now.
The new building owner has already taken over some of the management of the kitchen, and you won’t be able to ignore the changes inside the beer hall, either.