By Zach Weigel
Craft-beer fans will soon be able to rejoice when an eastern Iowa brewery makes its way to Iowa City.
Solon-based Big Grove Brewery plans on expanding to Iowa City, and it is set to start renovation at 1225 S. Gilbert St., the site of the former Iowa Hawk Shop Outlet building.
“We’ve been looking for a specific building … and wanted to be close to the Downtown District,” said Matt Swift, a co-owner of Big Grove.
Swift said the business officials have searched for more than a year for a place to expand.
“It’s been a struggle finding a location,” he said. He thinks this location will be perfect because of Iowa City’s recent investment in the Riverfront Crossings District.
Access to the the Iowa River, recreation trails, a waterfront park, new housing projects, and much more will be showcased by the redevelopment project.
Swift said the brewery received a $40,000 façade grant from the city to update the building. He noted that the Iowa City location will have a “unique customer experience.”
Water-bottle filling stations, bike-repair tools, and an outdoor fire pit will all be part of the unique customer experience Big Grove plans to deliver, he said.
Big Grove will fuse an eclectic ambiance with a laid-back, relaxing atmosphere by having glass garage doors and outdoor seating to accommodate customers wanting to chill out in the back close to the recreation trails and Riverfront Crossings Park, which is under construction.
“We have a lot of demand, and we make a really small amount [of beer],” Swift said.
The brewery in Solon currently produces approximately 1,000 barrels of beer annually, with each barrel holding 31 gallons. Swift said with upgrades to technology, the Iowa City location will be able to increase output significantly.
Iowa City City Manager Geoff Fruin said he is excited to see Big Grove come to town.
“Big Grove is already established in the area and runs a great operation,” he said “It is important to have a diverse mix of business, and breweries have been extremely popular.
“I think it’s really going to set the tone for future development.”
Swift said his establishment will make improvements in flexibility, automation, and accuracy.
“It’ll be 10 times more efficient,” he said, noting it is thanks to a quicker brewing process and the ability to brew larger batches.
In addition to brewing beer, Big Grove will also have a taproom that serves its beers in addition to other local brews.
The food menu will also be different.
“It won’t be a full-service restaurant like in Solon but will have casual foods to eat when you drink beer,” Swift said.
Swift said Big Grove wants to bolster its business locally before going regional.
“We have a lot of accounts in local bars and restaurants that we want to build on,” he said. “We want to make sure that Iowa City and Coralville are taken care of, then look to Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Waterloo, Dubuque, and the Quad Cities.”
Swift also said the company aspires to eventually start selling its beers in cans instead of only kegs, as it does now.
University of Iowa senior Andrew Potocki said he thinks Big Grove will do well, given its business plan.
“I love that it is marketing itself as a social gathering place as well as a brewery,” he said. “It will be good for the college scene, because it’s not too far from downtown.”