We get A LOT of questions about how the expansion is going, and it can be difficult to explain, so I'm going to try to clear things up. What we've been doing is a very drawn out process, and it can be difficult to put a finger on what "expansion" means without touching on all the points. It is essentially a three-tiered process, and we've made it through the first two tiers.
Establishing new infrastructure for the 7 barrel system was stage one, and probably the most difficult. Once the system was installed, it was on to step two ... wrapping up the new patio. While there was some overlap, it was really a separate project that included the cover and heater, as well as the fence, etc ... Once this reached a certain point, we had much greater capacity for seating, and much greater capacity for production. Wholesale sales became a much bigger part of the operation. Larger crowds could be sustained, but the real end to expansion won't happen until we can finish out the bar in the Jackson St frontage.
This last step, while a big one, will happen when the time is right. We are stalled a bit due to a number of factors, but part of that equation has been a result of the 23rd Ave construction that has so many businesses in the CD in serious trouble. We have the huge benefit of having a draw from far outside the neighborhood, and an industry that fosters a kind of tourism that helps keep things afloat during the hard times. It is a huge factor, however, that someone who lives on the other side of the CD's severed artery might choose to get their beer a mile north to avoid navigating the veritable dirt road encased in orange cones down what used to be 23rd Ave.
It is with this in mind that I went down to City Council last week and presented some perspective on the magnitude to which this project has been botched and mismanaged. I did it to support our neighborhood's businesses, some of which have been in business for 20 years and have been decimated during this protracted nightmare. The city has graciously (and controversially) offered $650,000 to support these businesses, in a retraction from their original response. Some of the media covering the subject implied we were looking for financial support from the city, but Standard Brewing is not asking for any of this money. Though our expansion has been stalled by 23rd Ave construction, Standard is not in danger of closing. Some of our neighbors cannot say the same. So please, go out of your way to support CD businesses that might be impacted by the construction and if you are anxious for Standard's new bar to open, we can all hurry it along with your beery help. Thank you, and tell your friends that Martin Luther King Jr. Way is open.
