20 Jun Reformation: ‘Woodstock’s backyard’ to open in August
By Thomas Hartwell thartwell@cherokeetribune.com
WOODSTOCK – Reformation Brewery will soon be celebrating the opening of its second Woodstock location, with construction on the .86-acre Elm Street space currently ahead of schedule.
“The building is ahead of schedule,” CEO Spencer Nix said on Friday. “Getting it approved took longer than expected, but the actual construction is going really fast.”
The 6,000-square-foot location at 105 Elm Street, which will house a small-batch brew system for research and development and experimental brews, is slated for an August opening with possible “soft openings” for an early peek in late July, Nix said. The company has labeled the site the future home of “Woodstock’s backyard” and plans to host community events, live music and other gatherings there.
The property includes a nearly 50-year-old building, currently undergoing extensive renovations, as well as a large lawn space with an approximately 100-year-old tree that Reformation made extensive efforts to preserve during site planning.
The building’s two street level entries from Elm Street and slightly elevated Oak Street will serve as the main entrances for Reformation and food partner Queenie’s, respectively, Nix said walking through three large doorways in the building that will soon house garage doors.
Downstairs, off Reformation’s main entrance, will serve as the experimental brew house and will have seating areas with large garage doors for hybrid indoor-outdoor seating, as well as high-top tables and a 16-tap bar. The upstairs will house the Queenie’s space, another 16-tap bar and an event space, as well as “something that (Reformation) currently doesn’t offer anywhere.”
“We’re calling it the study bar,” Nix said, gesturing to an area of future booth seating. “It’ll be more like the coffee shop feel up here. We’ll have some couches, a lounge area where you can relax and have a conversation… I want to make it as flexible (as possible) for all the moments around why we drink beer.”
Reformation Brewery announced ahead of their opening in downtown Woodstock a food partner for the new location: Queenie’s, a restaurant based in downtown Canton.
The upstairs section will also hold a space Nix called “The Hall” for community events like sports viewing, yoga and local business gatherings. He said Reformation is currently in talks with a local gaming pop-up that is considering a permanent location there for visitors to try and buy games. The company hopes start-ups and small businesses will also use the space to “try things out,” Nix said.
Other additions to the Elm Street location include diagonal parking off Elm Street and a wrap-around deck with picnic tables.
The main challenges to the new location’s momentum since the company’s announcement in October have centered on regulation, Nix said. Cost of bringing utilities and proper food and drink infrastructure to the building have not been cheap, he said, but even more taxing has been working with all levels of government to do it according to code.
“We’re doing things that haven’t ever been done before, and so a lot of times, I think it’s just easier to say, ‘no,’ rather than ‘how do we figure this out together?’” Nix said. “Having to always challenge the regulatory folks is probably one of the emotional (tolls). The relational capital you have to put into that is not small.”
Construction Manager Scott Belcher said Monday that the construction team, which will be responsible for all installations and interior, down to the paint, expects to be done in mid-August. Belcher said the project has been a large undertaking considering the existing building was a warehouse with very little power and no water, sewer, fire sprinklers or drainage.
“It’s a big transformation from what it was,” he said.
The current focus is on wrapping up exterior improvements including deck construction, drainage and grease trap infrastructure and parking installation, which Belcher said, should be completed in 2-3 weeks. Interior work, including insulation, drywall and paint will come in the next phase in July and August, he said.
Nix said despite the extensive time and effort it has taken, the company is still excited and the new location’s goal remains to serve as Woodstock’s backyard and a community-centered addition to the Reformation brand.
“I think when you see what’s happening in Woodstock – all the growth and all the culture that’s occurring – it seems to be centered right here,” he said. “When this became available, we felt like we’re already a big part of the community, but this is just right in the heart of it. And that’s why we exist, that’s why we started.”
Though Nix said he was not ready to release a dollar amount for the Elm Street space’s total investment, he did say it is “the largest investment we’ve ever made on a growth project.”
The new venue will be able to serve 16-24 unique beers and more than 200 guests at a time.
