CLEVELAND, Ohio— Great Lakes Brewing Co. (GLBC) announced early Thursday that it plans to carry on operations at their historic Ohio City brewpub and gift shop at 2516 Market Ave. “indefinitely” while evaluating potential locations for a new combined production facility in Greater Cleveland.
Great Lakes’ leadership, led by CEO Mark King, are in the process of vetting potential sites for a new production facility, ”including properties in Avon and on the Scranton Peninsula in Cleveland’s Flats.”
The announcement indicates that the capital project is in an “exploratory phase,” and that a need for a new production facility is “required to meet growth challenges” inherent in its current “urban footprint.”
The announcement also reaffirms commitment to the Ohio City neighborhood, GLBC’s home and headquarters since its inception in 1988.
“For us to grow and consistently produce the highest quality beverages, a larger modernized operation is needed,” said GLBC CEO Mark King in the release.
“Our current building is full of history and charm but limits us in terms of efficiency, output, and quality control. Having everything under one roof with more state-of-the-art amenities is vital for us to remain competitive and provide the safest, highest quality experience for our customers and staff,” King added.
“Our assessment of any potential build site must take all these factors into account.”
In 2020, GLBC tackled some of the space limitations of the brewery by adding a 67,000-square foot canning facility in Strongsville. This move was made to bring production canning back in-house after launching a canning initiative with Harpoon Brewing Company’s Boston, Massachusetts facility.
Up to that point, all brewing production was taking place at 2701 Carroll Ave., due west of the brewpub.
Related: Great Lakes Brewing Co. set to launch canning line in Strongsville (photos, video)
Related: Great Lakes Brewing Co. to begin distribution of beer in cans
Despite its limited footprint, GLBC was the 18th largest independent U.S. craft brewery by volume in 2022. A goal of any new facility is to consolidate “all brewing and packaging operations under one roof.”
The brewery’s expansion plans prioritize maintaining a strong hometown presence.
“We understand what our brewpub means to Ohio City and there’s a mutual appreciation, so closing the brewpub has not been considered,” said King.
“We want to keep this special place running and serve our guests here for as long as we are able, while providing new, quality, and innovative products and experiences to even more consumers in a new production facility for years to come.”
Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reached out to Great Lakes Brewing Co. for further clarification from King. He was very pragmatic in explaining the reasons surrounding the announcement:
“Due to some recent confusion around the future of our brewpub as part of our expansion process, we felt it important to share a clarifying update regarding the project’s status and confirming our commitment to retaining our Ohio City brewpub,” King said in a statement.
“We have over 200 employees we care about, many of whom are customer facing and have been fielding questions and concerns from guests, so we wanted to put these folks at ease while sharing our intentions to expand our production operation in Greater Cleveland.”
This story was updated at December 28, 2023 at 3 p.m.