Melvin Brewing is coming to Eureka.
The Wyoming-based brewery, distributor and restaurant cleared its final hurdle when on Aug. 21 the Board of Aldermen voted 5-0 to allow the microbrewery to move into 109 Hilltop Village Drive.
Ward 3 Alderman Jerry Holloway did not attend the meeting but is one of the local investors, so he would not have voted on the matter.
“Melvin is thrilled to be calling Eureka its next hub,” said Jamie Morris, Melvin Brewpubs vice president of operations.
Melvin Brewing Eureka is expected to be more than a brewery and restaurant when it opens, which is expected to happen in February.
“It will be a tourist attraction,” Eureka Mayor Kevin Coffey said. “It’s exciting. It is a unique restaurant that will attract people from all over the region. It is going to be great for Eureka, and we are proud to have them here.”
The 12,709-square-foot business will go in next to Poor Richard’s Restaurant and Sports Pub. The building will feature brewing and storage areas, a dining room, lounge, bar, covered and uncovered patio seating, loading docks and a retail store.
“The space we found provides us with a tremendous opportunity to have both a premier brew pub and launch our sour program,” Morris said.
Jeffrey Fillers, who represented Melvin Brewing at the board meeting and is a primary investor in the company, said the operating hours will be from 3 p.m. to midnight when it first opens. Melvin Brewing plans to start opening at 11 a.m. and serve lunch by the spring of 2019, about the same time that Six Flags opens for the season, said Fillers, who is a Eureka resident and local promoter for Melvin Brewing.
And though the business will package the product seven days a week, trucks will likely only ship beer to other locations two to three days a week and between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
“We will ship with the FedEx pickup schedule,” Fillers told the board.
The brewery is expected to produce upward of 1,500 barrels of beer per year and could ship the beer to 15 states, Fillers said.
The restaurant will be able to seat 276 people in its dining room, private event room, outdoor patio, covered patio and bar/lounge area, according to the floor plan Fillers presented to the board.
The full-service brewpub will have 20 taps offering selections from light ales to sours/barrel aged products. It will also offer an Asian-influenced pub fare menu.
The company is expected to employ between 35 to 45 people, Fillers said. Melvin Brewing plans to have hiring clinics in late December and early January.
“It is exciting for the community to have another option as far as restaurants go,” said Julie Wood, Eureka director of economic development. “It is another eating option for date night, family night or meeting your neighbors. Being able to bring something like Melvin Brewing here is a win-win for the city.”
Melvin Brewing began in the back of a Thai restaurant in 2009 in Jackson, Wyo., according to the company’s website. It continues to operate in the Thai Me Up restaurant in Jackson and has an Alpine Taproom and brewing facility in Alpine, Wyo., and a Melvin Brewing location in Bellingham, Wash.
Melvin Brewing also is looking to expand into San Diego, said Melvin Brewing spokesman Eric Henderson of Meteorite PR.
“We are so excited,” Wood said. “We have been working with them for over a year to find the right place and conditions for them to locate here.”
The restaurant will offer more than its own beer; wines and spirits will be available, too.
“We plan to partner with a local company to bring in gluten-free beer,” Fillers told the board.
He said Melvin Brewing will be involved in the community.
“Eureka's passion for and access to outdoor activities and the craft beer movement make it the perfect match for Melvin,” Morris said. “The city of Eureka is working tirelessly to promote the area, and we are excited to work together to grow this community over the years to come. We hope that Melvin Brewing will be a spot for locals to gather and create memorable experiences while sharing great beer, food and fun.”