There seem to be two philosophies that craft brewers fall into when determining the location for their brewery. Theres the “if you build it, they will come” camp which basically says- “hell with the atmosphere, I’m brewing great beer and people will come to my garage to drink it.” John and I have been to several garages/warehouses/industrial centers where we’ve enjoyed excellent beers. And then there’s the other camp- the “location, location, location” people. These brewers think that their location and atmosphere play a large part in their overall brewery design.

As we searched for a home for Trek Brewing Company we found ourselves alternating between the two camps. There were some distinct advantages to being in the “if you build it they will come camp”- cost being the biggest advantage, followed closely by the notion that we could make it into whatever we wanted. We knew we had awesome beer, and we figured we’d draw you all in eventually. In the end though, I think you’ll be pleased to hear- we’ve got an AWESOME spot for Trek Brewing, a “location location location.”

Trek Brewing Company will be located at 1486 Newark Granville Road, Newark Ohio. We’re in love with the spot for several reasons, but one of the biggest is it’s physical location. The building is located less than 3 miles from where John grew up and Kristin graduated High School. When you decide to take a giant leap and leave your job and move your family three thousand miles across the country to follow a dream– it’s a really amazing feeling to come HOME. In addition to being close to home, this building is within 5 miles of 3 colleges, close to major highways, and in a section of town that sees a lot of traffic, which are all great for business.

The building itself is ideal to become a brewery. It’s “got good bones” you might say. This location was a former sports bar/pub. It also had a brief life as a fine dining establishment. The dichotomy of these two experiences has left us with THE BEST of both worlds.

You’ll enter Trek Brewing into a large lobby. To your right there is a large banquet room, which we’ll use to house your special events. This room is PERFECT for wedding receptions, class reunions, really big parties… if you’ve got a big group for something, we’ve got the room for you. The banquet hall has a beautiful stone fireplace in the middle of it. It’s set up with a large caterer’s area in the back, so you’ll be able to bring in your own caterer for your event. There’s not a whole lot of work that needs to happen in this room, so you can see a sneak peek picture now.

If you went left from the lobby, you’d enter the taproom side of Trek. We’ve got a large bar already in place that seats 18 comfortably. In addition to seating at the bar, we’ve got ample seating around the taproom, both in booths and at tables. Each booth is equipped with an audio device that will allow you to decide which TV you’d like to hear- if you’re following one of the games on in the taproom. We’re a family friendly spot, and we’ve got big plans surrounding that idea, so hang on for another post about that. We’re planning on adding a patio space to the brewery as well. You’ll hear a lot more about the patio in our Indiegogo campaign which will begin soon! (stay tuned!) You don’t get to see any sneak peeks of this area, because there is a fair amount of work being done here. Don’t worry, we’re taking pictures so you can see the before and afters.

Our brewery will be housed in the former kitchen. If you’re familiar with what all goes into building a brewery- you’ll know what an awesome thing this is. A lot of the physical structures that we’ll need for brewing are already in place- coolers, vents, drains, etc. Here’s a picture of where the brewery is going to go.

We couldn’t be more pumped about this spot. We know once you see it, it will become your new Third Place, and you’ll be hanging out here with us as often as you can. We’re eager to be there with you.

Cheers Friends!