Shipping container seating at Brewdog in the Flats.
UPDATE: Brewdog’s Flats location opens Friday, Dec. 3. We’ve updated this story with new photos.
The Scottish-based craft brewery Brewdog announced details of their “massive outdoor beer garden and outdoor space on the river” at a recent meeting of the Cleveland Planning Commission on Friday, April 16th.
The 10,000 square foot brewpub is slated to occupy the first floor of the recently-renovated Avian building, a two-story structure at 1956 Carter Road on the Scranton Peninsula in the Flats. Its rear yard will unfurl to the Cuyahoga River, offering closeup views of downtown Cleveland.
The brewery, which is scheduled to open sometime this summer, has an option to expand into the second floor of the building, as well.
Exterior of Brewdog in the Flats. .
Juliane Workley of Vocon Inc. presented exterior plans to the Cleveland Planning Commission at the meeting, including outdoor seating in converted shipping containers, a dog park, a playground, and fire pits in the yard area.
The outdoor seating will be located in modified shipping containers with interior lighting and sunshades with retractable fabric canopies. There will also be an outdoor bar located inside of a converted shipping container. The details of the playground are currently in play, with the options swinging from a prefabricated design to a custom-built one.
Interior of Brewdog.
“We’re creating different zones for different experiences for the guests,” said Workley. “They have a really nice lawn, and we’ll add paths for ADA accessibility. There is not a lot of hard space on the site.”
The owners are hoping to install two V-shaped signs on the roof to increase the visibility of the undeveloped location on the Scranton Peninsula, the stuff of developers’ dreams for decades.
Brewdog patio.
“The area’s kind of isolated,” Workley said. “There’s pretty much no development for the public. This will activate this area on the Scranton Peninsula.”
According to media reports, Brewdog has been scouting locations in Cleveland since at least 2017. The craft beer industry was hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic but is banking on a recovery. According to the Ohio Craft Beer Association, there were 47 new breweries opened in Ohio in 2020, while 15 closed.
A recent article in Scene stated, “Launched in 2007 by a pair of young, brash beer lovers, BrewDog played by its own rules. By year two it had become Scotland’s largest independent brewery and by year five it was named the ‘Fastest Growing Company in Scotland.’ With the opening in 2017 of its large Columbus brewery, the company established a presence in the States. Already they have expanded to Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.”
“BrewDog has been interested in establishing a presence in Cleveland since at least 2017, when former USA CEO Tanisha Robinson told Scene, ‘BrewDog Cleveland is in the works! We want Cleveland to be our first site outside of Columbus, and are currently scouting locations for a BrewDog bar.’”
The Cleveland Planning Commission granted the project conceptual approval, inviting the team to come back for final approval at a later date.
Lee Chilcote is a freelance writer and editor of The Land.
Entrance to the Avian building, where Brewdog will occupy the first floor.
A view of Brewdog from the Flats.
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