The Cleveland Brewery is moving, but staying in its East Side neighborhood

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland Brewery is in the process of moving, but it is staying true to its neighborhood roots.

When John Fuduric opened the brewery in 2015, he envisioned a cozy place at 777 E. 185th St. He wanted to brew beer and be a staple in the community, partnering with area business and having his beer served at local spots.

He accomplished that. In the process the brewery gained a good rep, and Fuduric is moving on with the next chapter in his life: While he will stay on as a partial owner and consultant, he has sold the brewery to Steve Balogh, Eric Hanson and two others.

They are in the transition to opening up, getting electrical and plumbing up and running, and the beer flowing.

The new space is at 15335 Waterloo Road, about two miles to the southwest of the original location. It canvasses 35,000 square feet – a huge change from the 20-foot by approximately 40-foot storefront that covered about 1,600 square feet – and that included the basement, Fuduric said.

“It’s ginormous,” he said.

The brewery was closed for only two weeks with the shift to the new location. A daily menu is planned with the owners working with R & D Sausage, a local farm and others.

“You’ve got the beer from grain to glass, you’ve got food from farm to table, and it’s just going to be this one-stop shop for everything – beer, wine, cocktails, food,” Fuduric said. “You’re going to have a music venue with the ballroom, and bocce. There’s plans for a dog park out back. Everything you want all in one spot.”

Fuduric, who has always waved the flag for his “hyperlocal” home, remains proud to fit in with neighboring businesses like Six Shooter Coffee - whom the brewery has collaborated with multiple times – Citizen Pie, LaSalle Theatre, Waterloo Arts District, Beachland Ballroom and Millard Fillmore Presidential Library bar.

“I took it to where I wanted to take it, and that was three barrels (brew system). And I figured if someone else wanted to take it farther than that they were more than welcome to,” said Fuduric, who is spending his time helping the owners with the transition, brewing, teaching and consulting. And the new role fits him well.

Fuduric, who served as a police officer from 2009 to 2016, said, “I just wanted to keep it simple and have a nice, cool neighborhood brewery. The other guys came along and bought the old Slovenian (Workmen’s) home, so it’s got the ballroom, which is massive in itself, the bar up front where the taps are going to be, a huge spot for (inside) bocce courts, and its own production facility.”

“It’s insanity,” said Hanson, who will be brewing and who credited his business partner Steve Balogh as the “main driving force.” Both went to Shaker Heights High School, and Hanson is well versed with The Cleveland Brewery, where he was a regular, he said.

“It’s real exciting,” Hanson said. “The neighborhood is perfect for this. We’re going to have multiple opportunities to share the beer. It’s a big beer footprint to fill, and we like to fill it with our own stuff.”

At the same time, Fuduric is embracing the next step in his business endeavors.

“I believe in the neighborhood, I believe in 185th and Waterloo and Collinwood, and I always want people to come out this way to see what we’re all about and support the area and help it grow. …

I guess in a way I achieved that goal and am handing it off to them.”

Related coverage: New Cleveland Brewery adds craft beer to entertainment options on E. 185th Street

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I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Twitter: @mbona30.

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