The empty building at the bottom of Fairview Road is getting ready to be designed to house the popular Ontario-based Beertown Public House.
Beertown boasts one of the largest selections of craft beer in the province, with 40 on tap and the goal being to have at least one new beer everyday.
CEO Jody Palubiski tells BarrieToday there's a lot of pressure everytime he opens a new restaurant.
“When your name is Beertown, you really have to have a strong beer game,” Palubiski says.
Under the Charcoal Group of restaurants, there are seven Beertown locations around Ontario, with Barrie’s version opening in mid to late November.
The construction of the interior is about to begin and it will be just over 5,000 square feet.
The spot on Fairview Road, off Essa Road near the Highway 400 exit, was the perfect spot as far as the Beertown creator was concerned.
“I loved the traffic in that area, right off the highway. The hotels in the area add the tourist crowd, but there are also so many residents close by,” says Palubiski.
Palubiski says the relationship with Beertown partners is crucial and something they pride themselves on.
"We have more than 400 brewing supplier partners and last year we had approximately 24 exclusive launches through Beertown,” he says. “Breweries come to us with a brand-new product and want us to do their launch and that allows a joint partnership to promote the heck out of each other.”
Beertown selects craft beers from around the world and from the local companies, giving its customers a large selection.
“We try to have a superior list of styles, geographical significance and then bring it all into one place,” says Palubiski.
The right beer needs the right menu option and Palubiski says the Beertown menu is as diverse as their beers.
“We wanted to accelerate our menu with great flavours and dishes and one way we did that was our plant-based and gluten-free options,” says Palubiski. “We don’t have an item with a lettuce leaf beside it; we have a full commitment to the plant-based community, and we’re very proud of that.”
At a time when many restaurants are scaling back to handle the economics of COVID-19, Beertown in Barrie is already looking to hire and hopes to employ up to 85 people.
Palubiski says he's confident there’s still a strong public appetite for a place like Beertown
“We should be up and running in the fall, which we hope will be a time where people are getting out more and needing some social interaction,” says Palubiski.
For information on Beertown or how to apply for the Barrie location, head to the website.