GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - Badger State Brewing Company is expanding their operations, while preparing to offer patrons more options at their brewery and tap room.
The 9,500-square-foot expansion and renovation project will include an event hall, building additions, and expansion of production equipment.
"What we're going to create is a space specifically designed to hold corporate gatherings, wedding receptions, charitable functions, parties, tailgating maybe," said Badger State Brewing Company Founder and President Andrew Fabry. "This location, directly adjacent to the tap room, is going to allow us to do all that fun stuff and create more of a destination for the brewery compared with what we have now."
The event hall is planned to accommodate larger scale events including weddings, corporate gatherings and community events with a capacity to seat up to 400 and allow up to 1,000 standing-room. Fabry says the demand for Badger State to host these events is too big to pass up.
"I believe in 2015 we turned down probably close to 35 or 40 wedding reception requests," Fabry says. "The problem was, in order for us to host a wedding reception, we had to close down the tap room. It was fine because it meant guaranteed income, we would be busy that night. But we had to turn away our regular patrons and regular customers."
Fabry says it was a frustrating scenario for him and the staff, which caused them to strongly reconsider how they were using that space that was being used mainly for storage.
The space will also feature a dedicated beer bar, catering prep room, outdoor patio, and an exclusive view into the brewery’s new barrel aging room housing an expanded portfolio of barrel aged beers.
"We're really going to put a focus on our barrel-aging program," said Fabry. "We are renovating a room dedicated for the storage of those barrels in a climate controlled environment. That's going to allow us to control the flavors that we're getting out of the bourbon barrels, the wine barrels, whatever barrels we decide to use."
Fabry adds that they will tie-in this room with their new event space, to give people in the space an exclusive view into that barrel room which provides a unique experience.
Plans are to have everything in the project finished in June.
MORE SPACE MEANS MORE JOBS
The expansion at Badger State means that up to 12 new jobs will be created, for those who have such a passion for craft beer that they want to join a team dedicating their lives to it.
"Immediately we'll be able to bring on more part-time people and a handful of full-time people," says Fabry.
Fabry says the first priority is an event planner, to handle and organize all of the events that will go in the new hall.
"On the brewery side, to help plan more unique and fun events that we host at the brewery, that will be more beer centric," Fabry says.
Other jobs will be focusing on their retail program, and work hand-in-hand with their tap room manager.
"Hosting these functions and really tying the overall experience, whether you're in the event space or tap room, together with the brewery production and the brew house space making sure we have enough beer, and we continue to get beer out the door and around town," said Fabry.
Servers and beertenders will also be part of the new hires.
A LONG, AMAZING JOURNEY
Fabry says that reaching this point in his beer-fueled life continues to amaze him.
"When we got into this, we did it because we had a passion for making beer. Not because we had a passion for opening new businesses and making money," says Fabry. "It's been very humbling and very emotional as far as the experience goes."
One of the joys of the Badger State venture for Fabry is when an event is happening, or the tap room is buzzing with activity, and drinking in the atmosphere.
"That's a pretty special thing and it really makes you happy with what you've done," said Fabry. "When we started this, we didn't know what was going to happen. The brewing scene was concrete as far as what it had been for a number of years, and we really were pleased to be the spark as far as new places opening in town, with a new feel, look and something totally different."
Fabry explains that the employees who've joined him, Sam Yanda and Mike Servi along the way have bought in to being a part of the Badger State family.
"They're not just here to clock-in, clock-out, and get a paycheck. They're here to offer ideas, we encourage that, and they're here to support us and promote the beer around town and talk it up,"
Even on the days when the work is hard, the feelings are tough and they're in the weeds, to turn a culinary phrase, Fabry says they still do it with a smile on their face. Most of the time.
"It's pretty special and we're just going to try and keep doing things right and we'll see what happens next," Fabry says.
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