Big Grove Brewery will open Omaha taproom, restaurant and distribute in Nebraska
Big Grove Brewery says it plans to open an Omaha taproom next year as it expands its distribution into Nebraska.
The Solon-based brewery said Tuesday it will build the 10,500-square-foot taproom and restaurant, with a 6,000-square-foot patio, in Catalyst, a 170,000-square-foot mixed-use building the University of Nebraska Medical Center is constructing in the shell of the former Omaha Steel Works next to its campus.
In addition to Solon, Big Grove has taprooms in Iowa City, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. The fast-growing craft brewer is building a 40,000-square-foot production facility in Iowa City, 50% larger than its existing one, which will expand its capacity to more than 90,000 barrels a year. Its beers are widely available across Iowa and it began distributing in western Illinois in December and in Nebraska last week, said Bryan Ferrell, a spokesperson for the company.
The release said Big Grove hopes to open the Omaha taproom in spring 2025.
It said the new outpost will be similar to the 12,000-square-foot Des Moines taproom Big Grove opened in 2022 in the former Crescent Chevrolet building at 555 17th St. in the Sherman Hill neighborhood near downtown's Western Gateway. Big Grove announced last week that it is partnering with neighboring Lua Brewing to distribute Lua's Climbing Kites line of THC-infused beverages.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center describes Catalyst as a "place of innovation" that will bring together health-oriented companies and provide a variety of amenities, including a restaurant and a health club. It will be adjacent to Omaha's nightlife-oriented Blackstone District west of downtown, which claims to be the birthplace of the Reuben sandwich.
Big Grove is partnering in its Nebraska push with Omaha beer and wine distributor Quality Brands. Big Grove CEO and co-founder Matt Swift said in the release that the brewer has tried to be careful as it expands outside Iowa and attempts to become a regional brand. Quality Brands will allow Big Grove to reach a wider customer base and The Catalyst development will help revitalize the area near UNMC, he said.
“We are excited to create Omaha's Big Grove, and welcome the good people of Omaha to their new brewery," Swift said.
Philip Joens covers retail, real estate and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184, pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Big Grove Brewery plans taproom, restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska
