New Holland Brewing Co. pushes Battle Creek opening back to 2023
New Holland Brewing Co. is still bringing its trademark "gezellig times," or "cozy times," to downtown Battle Creek — but fans will have to wait another year to sip Dragon's Milk stout in their new storefront.
The Holland, Michigan-based brewery announced in 2018 it would renovate the former JCPenney building at 64 W. Michigan Ave. into its third location. Initially planned to open the following spring, a number of setbacks have pushed the development project into its fourth year, with the company now planning to open in early 2023.
"While we have faced numerous hurdles along the way to open our Battle Creek location, we continue working very hard to get to the finish line," said Arturo Rojas, New Holland vice president of marketing, in an email to the Enquirer. "Our current timeline has us opening in 2023 if all goes well. This is the most up to date information we can share at this time.
"We are eagerly looking forward to the day when we can open our doors and create 'savored moments.'"
Following Larry Bell's sale of Bell's Brewery, New Holland Brewing Co. became Michigan's largest independent brewer. The company brewed over 50,000 barrels of beer in 2020 and additionally distills whiskey, vodka, rum and gin.
Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU), the agency that serves as the economic development arm for the city, sold the historic building to the brewery for $1 and awarded it $200,000 in incentives to rehabilitate the site, originally constructed in 1926.
New Holland’s plans for The Pub in Battle Creek have included onsite brewing and distilling, lunch and dinner options, a seasonal beer garden, retail and possibly a coffee bar. The company expects to employ about 50 people at the site.
The initial planned opening in 2019 was pushed back due to rising construction costs before financing was secured for the $5 million project. Construction by Schweitzer, Inc. began in January 2020 and continues, albeit at a slower pace due to the effects of the pandemic.
"Nobody predicted COVID," said Joe Sobieralski, president and CEO of BCU. "I think people are going to see some pretty significant progress starting now into 2022. The supply chain things are all still screwed up, there's lead times that pushes all that stuff out. They are targeting 2023 and it sounds a long way off, but in the construction world, it's not."
Construction delays aside, downtown businesses continue to adapt their models as many of the office workers who would typically be their customer continue working remotely.
New Holland Brewing Co. has been awarded a $968,500 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation as part of its Community Revitalization Program and $265,000 in funding from a Real Estate Connection grant towards the project.
The company was started in 1997 by childhood friends Jason Spaulding and Brett VanderKamp, the latter staying on as CEO. New Holland owns two restaurants — the Pub in Holland and the Knickerbocker in downtown Grand Rapids — plus a spirits tasting room in Saugatuck and two brick-and-mortar stores.
In 2016, New Holland Brewing Co. struck a deal with Pabst Brewing Co. to distribute its beer nationwide, allowing customers to buy New Holland beers in 47 states (though 40% of its overall sales take place in Michigan).
"(The Pabst deal) helped us grow and remain independent," VanderKamp told the Free Press in November. "What it allowed for us was to keep control of our brands, our marketing, our space, our pubs, and to continue to focus on other alcoholic beverages we love, including spirits, hard seltzer, etc. It afforded us all that and to continue to grow on a national level."
Contact reporter Nick Buckley at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: New Holland Brewing Co. pushes Battle Creek opening back to 2023
