Brewery, distillery, pizzeria all in one: Hop Atomica opening soon in Germantown

The tale of Hop Atomica starts with a friendship.

It also includes two cities.

Paul Berrier, a Louisville native, and Kenneth Suchower, who grew up in Georgia, met a few years ago in Louisville while working in management at a well-known restaurant chain. The co-workers turned friends soon talked about opening their own business together.

“We just meshed well,” Berrier, 38, said. “We have a good yin and yang.”

They also had similar goals.

After leaving his corporate restaurant job in 2021, Berrier spent time traveling with his wife and deciding what he wanted next. Something else put things into perspective: The birth of his first daughter.

“When I left my job, I was overseeing 21 restaurants,” he said. “I wanted to be able to do what I love and what I’m passionate about and still have time for my family.”

Suchower, who has a 2-year-old daughter with his wife, shared that sentiment. So he told his friend about a favorite spot in Savannah, Georgia, called Hop Atomica. The craft brewery/restaurant, which is also a micro-distillery, opened in 2020. Suchower is friends with the owner, going back to their days attending the Georgia Institute of Technology.

“I loved the restaurant and the concept,” Suchower, 37, said. “They make their own beer and have great cocktails. Being in the middle of a neighborhood, it just has a great atmosphere.”

As the pair discussed plans to open their own restaurant, they took a trip to visit Hop Atomica.

Berrier was an instant fan. And he realized a family connection to the place: His Savannah-born grandfather grew up in a house a few blocks away from the brewery.

After the trip, Berrier and Suchower decided to partner with the team at Hop Atomica and open their own version of the concept, with the same name, in Louisville.

The brewery, distillery and pizzeria is slated to open in November at 1318 McHenry St. on the same property as the Germantown Mill Lofts. They viewed the property in January, shortly after its former tenant, Germantown Social, announced it would be closing.

“It was the first location we looked at,” Suchower said. “It’s crazy because it kind of just fell in our lap.”

Since then, the duo has been working on renovating the 4,500-square-foot space, creating the menu, and assembling necessary equipment for brewing, distilling, and woodfired pizza-making.

Although they share a name with the Hop Atomica in Savannah, Berrier and Suchower said they have “full creative license” of the menu and options will be ever-changing. As they hire kitchen and bar staff, creativity will be welcomed.

“We really wanted to leverage Savannah’s experience,” Berrier said, including the experience of its master brewer, Smith Matthews. “They’ve got all of this expertise on the brewing side. It just made sense.”

Along with roughly 20 rotating beers on tap, Hop Atomica will serve its own spirits, craft cocktails, Kentucky-made wine, and a variety of pizzas. Its outdoor patio will also serve as a beer garden.

“It’s really cool to know as our daughters get older, we’re going to have something to share with them,” Berrier said. “We definitely think we’re going to bring something different to the community.”

For updates, visit instagram.com/hopatomica_louisville.

Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Hop Atomica brewery, distillery and pizzeria to open in Germantown