The Forks still looking for partner for craft brewery

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This article was published 28/10/2015 (3719 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Plans to open a craft brewery at The Forks Market could be in jeopardy if The Forks Renewal Corp. can’t find a partner.

CEO Paul Jordan said Wednesday after the annual general meeting that the corporation is negotiating with two craft breweries.

“We need a partner. We need someone to actually make the beer,” Jordan said.

Breweries are concerned about the capacity of the site.

“It hasn’t been the cost, it has been more about the capacity; some want it bigger, some want it smaller. It just takes time to work out those issues.”

The project is in the request-for-proposal stage, he said.

So far, two breweries have come to the table, including a local firm.

In August, the corporation announced plans for a craft brewery at The Forks. It would act as the builder and landlord for the $1.8-million turn-key operation.

“If we don’t get a partner, if it doesn’t work for The Forks, we are not going to go ahead with the brewery because it is an expensive undertaking,” Jordan said Wednesday.

“Whenever we find an operator, we will build it, so there is nothing more I can say about the timing, other than when we do the deal, we will build it.”

The proposed public food hall, along with a kiosk that would serve wine and beer, should open in February.

The plan is to open five new restaurants in the food court.

The Free Press reached out to several local breweries to see if they had considered partnering with The Forks. The consensus was the location is too big to be a satellite brewery, but too small to be a stand-alone operation.

Tim Hudek, co-owner of local One Great City Brewing Co, said he’s interested in opening a location with a restaurant component, in order to open a brewpub.

“We had a look and considered it, but it doesn’t fit the model we are looking for. But I think there is going to be another brewery that opens there and it is going to do a really good job and be strong there,” Hudek told the Free Press Wednesday.

Meanwhile, another local up-and-coming brewery, Torque Brewing, said The Forks location isn’t a good fit.

“It is way too small and the way breweries work you need to be able to get the product out,” Torque co-owner John Heim said.

“The Forks project is basically to serve The Forks, we’re looking at kegs, and retail and expanding, once we get product packaged, into the Saskatchewan market.”

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca