USA, IL: More Brewing postpones opening date till February

Construction and licensing setbacks have pushed the completion date of the More Brewing microbrewery and brewpub restaurant, 13980 Automall Drive, Huntley, back to as late as Leap Day next year, the Northwest Herald reported on December 20.

In January, the Huntley Village Board approved the execution of a business development agreement between More Brewing and the village to assist with the renovation of the former auto dealership property. The agreement set of a date Dec. 31 for completion of renovations and the beginning of operations.

The business development agreement also provided for a sales tax rebate of $50,000 and an additional $75,000 reimbursement for moving and equipment expenses.

But in a letter to Huntley Development Manager Margo Griffin dated Dec. 5, the law firm representing More Brewing Co. said delays in construction and licensing at the state and federal level would push the renovation to Feb. 29.

The Village Board unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing the extension during its Thursday meeting.

The Automall Drive site will be the Villa Park-based craft brewery’s second location. Because of the unique aspects of the microbrewery, the board had to approve a new class of liquor license for the facility.

More Brewing has been converting about 14,000 square feet of the 25,302-square-foot dealership into a brewpub restaurant, which would have a full kitchen and would be open for lunch and dinner six to seven days a week.

The other 11,000 square feet of the building would be used for production, including a brewhouse, fermentation and conditioning vessels, a packaging line and a barrel room, where beer will be aged in whiskey barrels. Plans also call for outdoor patios and a special events area.

Under its liquor license classification, a microbrewery would be a retail establishment with the subordinate manufacture of malt beverages, including the retail sale of beer manufactured on the licensed premises for on- and off-premises consumption, tasting of beer whether manufactured on the licensed premises or otherwise and the sale of beer and other alcoholic liquors for on-premises consumption. Any establishment with this liquor license would pay an annual fee of $1,500.

20 December, 2019