So far, May has been a big month for Saugatuck Brewing Company: the 4-year-old company opened its latest addition, Bier Hall, and began serving wine under its own label.
Bier Hall is a major entertainment complex, says Saugatuck Brewing
Co. President and Brew Master Barry Johnson. The complex seats 220
people as a banquet hall, and 360 for concerts. The hall itself is
4,000 square feet, and features an 18-foot by 36-foot stage, German
beer hall décor and a patio that seats 90. Johnson describes the
atmosphere as “warm and cozy.”
The hall has a dance floor, but can be set up for weddings or
concerts. The hall has music booked through July, and wedding bookings
have begun.
“We expect to be fully booked with events next year,” Johnson says.
At 2948 Blue Star Highway, Bier Hall is located next to the Saugatuck Brewing Company and its non-smoking pub, Lucky Stone Pub,
in what was previously a Hansen Machine industrial building. Johnson
purchased a portion of that building, and renovated it into Bier Hall.
For Johnson, the decision to expand was easy.
“With Saugatuck being a destination town,
and with the success we were having, we had to make our move,” he says.
“We’ve got well over $1 million into this place,” Johnson says of the
brewery, pub and Bier Hall. “Michigan is a great beer state. It’s in
the top five in the nation in microbreweries, which means residents
really support their local breweries."
On May 1, the Saugatuck Brewing Company began serving its own
private label wine. The company has a Michigan Small Winemaker License
for producing hard cider and Johnson decided to take full advantage of
the license. He works with local winemaker Fenn Valley Vineyards & Wine Cellar to bring in wine under the private label.
Source: Barry Johnson, Saugatuck Brewing Company
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.