Fast-growing Cleveland-based Platform Beer Co. will be opening up a new brewery and tasting room in Pittsburgh, currently scheduled for a summer 2019 opening. This would be the first tasting room location that Platform would operate outside of Ohio (it also has locations in Columbus and Cincinnati).
Platform is finalizing the lease on a two-story, 8,000-sq-ft space located in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood. The project would include a 10-bbl brewhouse, multiple fermenters, canning line, barrel aging, 100+ seating capacity and 24+ taps.
“We are opening with a big enough brewhouse to allow for a nice variety of draft beer made on site in Pittsburgh. Our packaging capability will also allow for limited can release offerings on a regular basis. Locals will be able to experience some of our more unique, smaller batch beers”, explained Co-owner Paul Benner. The space will also feature a kitchen with specialized food menu along with a private space for larger events.
Why Pittsburgh?
According to Justin Carson, co-owner, “There are a number of reasons why the Pittsburgh market makes sense for our next tasting room. Existing distribution, consumer drinking trends, geography, location of the space and the desire to engage with the local community are just a few reasons why we are so excited to call Pittsburgh our next home.”
The Pittsburgh location will look similar to other Platform retail locations, leveraging an old, brick, warehouse-style building to create a warm, authentic feel for customers. Platform will be sharing location details, floor plans, construction photos and timelines on their various social media outlets over the next few months.
After a year in the works, Platform’s Cincinnati tasting room location, dubbed LOCOBA (local coffee barrels), is set to open the week of Jan. 28 (the company already had a production facility in the city). The 1,700-sq-ft retail location, situated on the busy corner of Main and 12th St in Cincinnati’s Over-The-Rhine district, will highlight a full-service coffee shop during morning hours along with a lunch and dinner food menu while transitioning to a more traditional tasting room experience throughout the day and evening.
“It is a very attractive proposition for us to have a retail location in all three of Ohio’s major markets. Customers are visiting tasting rooms at an all-time high because of the opportunity to drink fresh beer, sample a variety of offerings and to have an experience with a brewery brand. Cincinnati has a thriving beer culture, with a host of fantastic options locally. We hope that our unique approach to LOCOBA will give local customers another great option,” explained Carson.
Platform also expects to begin public hours for their dedicated wild beer and souring facility, branded Phunkenship, in the spring of 2019. The Cleveland space has approximately 2,000 bbls of aging beer in wood barrels and foeders with releases planned for the spring. A tasting room and event space are currently under construction.
Platform Beer Co. says
Cheers!!