It’s probably obvious that choosing the right architect is important when building a brewery. But contrary to what most may think, an architect is not typically used for designing the layout of the brewery equipment. This is mostly accomplished in consultation with the equipment manufacturer. Rather, the architect works within the specifications given by the manufacturer and the needs of the brewer to determine the appropriate dimensions of the brewing production area.

Designing the Taproom

What’s more important, in our opinion, is choosing the right architect to create the taproom experience. This is why we sought an architect with significant experience in urban restaurant design. Our search ended with Gregg Hackett Architecture. Gregg’s career has spanned over two decades of restaurant design featuring such projects as Pazzaluna, Doolittles Woodfire Grill, Porter Creek Hardwood Grill, and Redstone American Grill.

Although we aren’t planning a full-service restaurant, Gregg’s ability to visualize the space from every seat allows him to design a layout that fits our vision of taking the taproom experience to the next level.

Here’s a peak of our latest design scheme.

Our Progress

We first started the design process in January, 2017 when we met with Gregg. After he asked questions to fully understanding the scope of the project as well as our design preferences, Gregg got to work and produced the first layout draft within days. Since then, we worked with him to tweak elements of the layout as more information about our project has come to light. We’re currently on our fourth layout draft that we hope will be very close to final (pending more review with the appropriate building officials from Edina).

Working with Gregg Hackett

We’ve definitely enjoyed working with Gregg. He’s fast, responsive, and develops creative solutions when faced with challenging design tasks. Check out his other projects on his website or email him at [email protected] to get started on your next building or renovation project!