Tanisha Brewdog

Tanisha Robinson is CEO of BrewDog USA.

The United Kingdom’s largest craft brewery, whose American headquarters sits in Columbus, is opening a gigantic taproom and restaurant in Cincinnati’s Pendleton neighborhood.

Scotland-based BrewDog, whose U.S. headquarters and brewery is in Canal Winchester, Ohio, has signed a long-term lease for 8,500 square feet at 316 Reading Road in Pendleton. BrewDog U.S. CEO Tanisha Robinson told me the brewery signed a 10-year lease on the space.

“We’re in for the long haul,” she said.

BrewDog hopes to open in Cincinnati by summer 2019.

The Cincinnati BrewDog will not be brewing beer on site. Rather, it will contain a 25-tap bar, half of which will be occupied by BrewDog’s own beers and the other half by Cincinnati craft brews.

The restaurant is still in planning mode, but Robinson said it will likely contain some of the same items as BrewDog’s other eateries. She described it as an extensive menu of upscale bar food with its own spin on tacos, burgers, sandwiches and grilled cheese with a rotating menu of seasonal items.

BrewDog expanded to the U.S. in 2017, opening a brewery in Canal Winchester. It has grown around Central Ohio with bars in Franklinton, Columbus’ Short North district and the DogHouse hotel with two beer fridges and a mini tap season in each hotel room.

BrewDog’s U.S. sales clocked in at $6.4 million in the first half of 2018, according to the Business Courier sister publication Columbus Business First. It’s best known for its Punk IPA along with its Elvis Juice IPA and Hazy Jane. The company employs 205 in the U.S.

Something that sets BrewDog apart, Robinson said, is that the brewery pays all of its employees a living wage above the minimum with a 401(k) match, four weeks paid vacation and a share of 10 percent of the brewery’s profits. Another 10 percent of the profits are given to charity.

Robinson said Cincinnati was a natural extension for BrewDog, and she personally loves hanging out with the Queen City’s startup community.

“We feel like Ohio is the center of the universe for BrewDog,” she said.

BrewDog is represented in Ohio by 3CRE Commercial Realty Advisers.

 

 

 

 

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