USA, VA: Silver Branch Brewing Company slated to open this fall in former Warthog Brewery location in Warrenton

A new brewery and restaurant are slated to open this fall in the Old Town Warrenton building formerly home to the now-shuttered Warthog Brewery, the Fauquier Times reported on June 5.

Silver Branch Brewing Company, based in Silver Spring, Maryland, will open a second location in the old Wart Hog building in time for “an epic Oktoberfest in late September,” according to Silver Branch spokesman Chris Bonnell.

Silver Branch Brewing Company has been in business in Maryland since 2017. It sells its craft beers in area grocery stores as well as Nationals Park. The brewery will invest $3 million to expand into Warrenton, according to an announcement from Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Its new Warrenton location is expected to create 38 new jobs, the governor’s office said in a news release.

The new brewery and restaurant, dubbed “Silver Branch Brewing Company’s Warrenton Station,” will feature a full menu and bar in addition to the company’s internationally-styled craft beer selection, Bonnell said in an email.

“The primary purpose of our expansion was to brew a wider variety of beer, so naturally this location is where we'll brew some of the lagers we've been dreaming about (as well as ales) but couldn't fit into the (brewing) schedule,” Bonnell said. “We will, of course, offer all of our flagship and seasonal products that are brewed in Silver Spring, Maryland, as well.”

Silver Branch Brewing Company hopes to offer 18 to 24 rotating taps at each location with a selection from the four major brewing cultures: Central Europe, British Isles, the Americas, and Belgium, Bonnell said.

The brewery also plans “a full calendar of European-inspired community festivals,” including Oktoberfest, Kölschfest and Starkbierzeit, as well as local events such as trivia night and First Friday specials, Bonnell said.

Silver Branch Brewing Company was among several regional breweries that were approached by state and local officials about the former Wart Hog space, Warrenton Mayor Carter Nevill told the Fauquier Times Monday morning.

Nevill credited the Fauquier County Department of Economic Development for bringing the deal to fruition and said he is excited about an established regional brewery adding to the town’s already booming craft brewery scene.

“They have a stable … broad range of offerings,” Nevill said of Silver Branch Brewing Company. “These are already market-tested success stories.”

Wart Hog Brewing Company opened in Warrenton in 2017 in a renovated garage at 41 Beckham St. It received a $600,000 economic development grant from the state of Virginia, and Wart Hog’s three partners invested about $2.4 million in the facility, according to news reports at the time.

Wart Hog's restaurant and taproom closed in February 2022 in part because the establishment struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Doug Parsons, director of Fauquier County’s Department of Economic Development.

“Certainly COVID didn’t help them or anyone else in a business where people gather in groups," Parsons said. "But they did a great job of fixing the building to what it is today.”

The owners of Silver Branch Brewing Company, Christian Layke and Brett Robison, first heard about the vacant Wort Hog building through a family member. Then they viewed the building and began talking with Fauquier County officials a few months ago, Parsons said.

Silver Branch Brewing Company is expected to benefit from both state- and county-funded economic development incentives. From the state, the new brewery is slated to receive up to $6,300 in grant money through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program. The program provides funding for recruiting and training new employees and is based on the number of jobs created by the new brewery, Parsons said.

Silver Branch Brewing Company is also a candidate for a tourism zone incentive grant and a micro-loan from Fauquier County. The tourism incentive allows eligible establishments to receive a rebate on their business personal property taxes for a few years, depending on specifics that will still need to be negotiated with Fauquier County officials.

The grant requires a public hearing before the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors and is expected to be on the board's agenda in the coming months, Parsons said.

The brewery is also considering a micro-loan from the county, the application for which would be reviewed by a committee of local bankers working with the Fauquier County Economic Development Authority. Wild Hare Cider received a micro-loan of about $50,000 to remodel its building on South Third Street in Old Town Warrenton, Parsons said.

The micro loans typically carry a lower interest rate than traditional loans, Parsons said.

“This is taxpayer money, so we definitely have security measures in place, such as collateral,” Parsons said. “There’s always a security element for these loans; it’s not some shot-in-the-dark kind of thing.”

Both Nevill and Parsons emphasized the advantage of bringing an established brewery to the town that would complement the breweries and restaurants already in operation.

“I think it creates a little hub of commerce … with a good variety of stuff for folks to choose from,” Parsons said, noting that he appreciates the cooperation from town, county and state officials in bringing Silver Branch Brewing Company to Warrenton.

Nevill said the town and county could work to promote the breweries collectively as a tourism hotspot, as has been done successfully in Nelson County and other Virginia locales.

“Silver Branch Brewing Company will be the perfect complement to our established community of wonderful restaurants, craft breweries, cideries, and unique retail shops,” Nevill said.

05 June, 2023