USA, OH: Starflyer Brewing Co. coming to downtown Canton this year

Andrew Archer is not new to the brewing scene. He has been in the industry for more than seven years, most recently brewing for HiHO Brewing Co. in Cuyahoga Falls, the Canton Repository reported on January 20.

But now, he’s venturing out to start his own brewery, with some help from family. Archer, along with his wife, Bailey Archer, and her brother, Ethan Comfort, are the team behind Starflyer Brewing Co., a brewery coming to downtown Canton this year.

“We’ve always known that if we ever launched a brewery — or any business for that matter — it would be a family affair,” Archer said. “Beer has always been a part of our marriage, starting with the homebrew we served at our wedding reception, and Bailey has been wanting to start a business since she was just a little girl selling cookies and necklaces to family and friends. And when Bailey’s brother, Ethan, heard about our dream, he immediately asked to join in and offer his math and stats skills as our third partner and CFO.”

The brewery is in an unlikely spot, inside Deli Ohio at 328 Walnut Ave. NE in downtown Canton just a few blocks from Centennial Plaza. If you’ve been to Deli Ohio, you might be wondering where a brewery could fit. Well, there’s a rather large portion of the building that has been unused for about five years.

“We actually met Ryan (Miller), the owner of Deli Ohio, because of another building he’s involved with developing nearby that he thought would be a good location for a brewery. After checking that space out together, we realized it could be more feasible and mutually beneficial to share space with Deli Ohio instead,” Archer said. “This collaborative approach will help both businesses bring in more foot traffic than they would on their own, while also giving guests a unique beer and food experience."

Starflyer will have its own double door entrance on Walnut separate from Deli Ohio’s entrance, but the two restaurants will share dining space. The plan is to have a half wall separating the two spaces.

Stark County already is home to 12 craft breweries, In addition to Starflyer opening soon, the Strongsville-based The Brew Kettle plans to open a brewery at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton.

Things are still in the works to get Starflyer up and running, hopefully by spring or summer.

22 January, 2023