Coal Country Brewing is expanding in a big way! The brewery has recently purchased a new property at 2343 Ben Franklin Hwy (RT 422) in Ebensburg. This new location is just about 4 miles (5 minutes) from their original location.
We recently spoke with Coal Country Brewing Founder and Brewer Mike Kutchman to learn more about the expansion and the new building he will be operating out of.
BIPA: Will you keep the original location that you have been operating in since June 2018?
Mike: The brewery will be completely moving out of the original brewery/taproom location at 625 West High Street in Ebensburg.
We are aiming to start the transition from the original location to the new location, at the beginning of November. We would then look to reopen the doors before the end of 2021 or immediately in the new year.
BIPA: Can you describe the building to us, and how Coal Country Brewing will be using it?
Mike: This build was originally going to be a hunting lodge, but it was built and has sat unused for 20 years. It’s around 15,000 sq/ft total, has 2 floors, and about 3 acres outside for parking and other outdoor space we will utilize.
We will have the brewery, taproom, and kitchen, all on the first floor. The second floor will be a banquet hall called “The Union Hall at Coal Country Brewing”, which will be able to accommodate around 150 people. In addition to the banquet hall, we will have 9 bed and breakfast rooms that will be available to rent out for both events and overnight stays.
We have some cool plans for the rest of the building and the exterior property, and eventually will add a beer garden too!
BIPA: Can you tell us about the brewery and taproom?
Mike: The taproom will seat around 99, and we are bringing over our current bar, which seats about 14. We are shooting for around 24 taps, which would be 20 taps of our beer, and 4 taps of our house-made soda. This is an upgrade from our current location, which has 10 taps. We will also have local spirits and wine as always too.
For the brewery, we are looking at upgrading to a 5BBL from our current 2BBL system, for increased production.
We will be carrying over the Coal mining theme with the same kind of decorations on the wall, with way more of them.
BIPA: You mentioned a kitchen, what food will you be offering?
Mike: We haven’t gotten to the specifics of the kitchen yet or a menu. But the kitchen will be located right in the taproom and will have a simple menu to start. We are thinking pub food and snack food to start.
BIPA: When are you looking to be open?
Mike: We just passed our first code inspection. A transition will have to happen from the old location, and we will keep everyone posted. We will be working on the taproom and brewery first, and then look to renovate the top floor for the banquet hall. We are aiming for summer 2022 for that space.
Make sure you follow Coal Country Brewing on Facebook and Instagram as they work towards moving into this new location. Breweries In PA will of course have a follow-up article once the brewery is ready to open!
