Columbus courting Stone Brewery expansion

Written by Cheryl Harrison on July 9, 2014 in Beer - 1 Comment

PHOTO CREDIT: StudioSchulz.com

Few breweries are as well-known and respected as Stone Brewing Co, the 10th largest U.S. craft brewery, which produced more than 213,000 barrels in 2013.

The good news for us is that the California-based brewery may be considering Columbus for its planned expansion.

The news broke earlier today when Jeni’s CEO John Lowe Tweeted this photo of himself with Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman alongside Stone Brewing co-founders Greg Koch and Steve Wagner. The Tweet was in response to Dan Eaton from Business First’s earlier speculation about Columbus as a viable contender for the project, which has since been confirmed.

Stone put out an RFP earlier this year for an east coast brewery at a site offering at least 130,000 square feet with room to expand into 220,000 square feet. The RFP designates an additional 15,000-30,000 square feet for the brewery’s planned restaurant, Stone World Bistro & Gardens, as well as for a retail store. The site must also be within a mile of a major freeway. Stone is expected to select a city for the expansion by the end of the year.

I spoke with Koch — who spent 15 years of his early life in Central Ohio (specifically Pataskala) — at the Craft Brewers Conference back in 2013.

“My main impression [of craft beer in Columbus] is that I haven’t spent enough time enjoying the great beer being brewed in Central Ohio,” Koch told me in 2013.

Let’s hope that changes soon.