As the first Beer Grotto prepares to
open in Dexter next week, owner Sam Short is already working to open the craft beer and wine retail and tasting concept's second location on S. Ashley in downtown Ann Arbor.
"It's an ideal location, right across the street from Grange, and all of these other wonderful businesses," says Short. "And more importantly, the building is just so unique. We don't usually have a patio arrangement, but we're changing our concept slightly so we can serve out on the patio."
The 1,500 square foot space won't be seeing too much renovation on the exterior, as preserving on the building's historic integrity is an important factor for Short. On the inside, however, decades of former renovation work will be peeled back to take the interior back to some of its original features.
"We want to maintain some of the spectacular historic elements of building," Short says.
Similar to the Dexter location, the
Beer Grotto will offer beer and wine for purchase as well as tastings, with seating for enjoying a beverage at the store, including the patio, which will be unique to the Ann Arbor store. Wine and 48 beers will be on draft for customers to take home in growlers.
Short intents for renovations to begin in the next two to three weeks with the hope of opening by mid-September. He plans to hire 10 to 15 employees to operate the Ann Arbor Beer Grotto, and will open at least one more Michigan location this year in Lansing.
Source: Sam Short, Beer Grotto
Writer: Natalie Burg
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