Grand Junction Brewing will expand in Westfield
Westfield brewery is getting more space for production facility and tasting room near Grand Park.
Grand Junction Brewing Co. has been pinched for space since day one.
It wasn’t long after the brewpub opened on Westfield’s Union Street in April 2014 until owners Jon Knight and Charlie Wood and head brewer Shawn Kessel realized the tiny brewing area in the kitchen wouldn't work.
The partners secured 2,000 square feet of temporary space for brewing while they searched for a permanent home.
They finally found it just a mile northwest of Grand Junction's current location — at a building formerly occupied by Hall & House Lumber Company, 1189 E. 181st St.
Grand Junction will add a production facility and tasting room in the new location. The brewery's location at 110 S Union St. will remain open.
Knight expects the new location to require a complete gut job. But at 10,000 square feet, the warehouse offers plenty of room for expansion.
The brewery’s current brewing capacity is just under 1,000 barrels annually. The new location will immediately double capacity, with plans to reach 4,000 barrels annually by the end of 2017, Knight said, allowing for greater distribution.
Moving closer to Grand Park is intentional, Knight said. The new location has been designed to serve the community and the nearly 2 million visitors to the sports campus each year.
Three thousand square feet will be used for a tasting room where patrons can sip the brewery’s popular 1520 Hefeweizen, One with Nature IPA and Imperfect Backside Oatmeal Stout.
As for a food, the brewery's approach will be different from its now restaurant-centric hangout. The site plan includes a large outdoor patio and parking for food trucks.
“We want this space to be more production-focused,” Knight said. “There’s a very industrial vibe to it, so we want to keep it somewhat bare-bones and simplistic.”
The spot will be kid-friendly, with added features like free water for bicyclists coming from the nearby Monon Trail. Dogs will be allowed, too.
Construction is underway, and the brewery is targeting a mid- to late-January opening. The company plans to hire 10 to 12 more employees.
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