Growing ‘explosively,’ this franchise brewery is coming to Boise. The food may ‘wow’ you

When Garrett Rose and his wife, Megan, began exploring the idea of opening a place to eat and drink, they came across something interesting.

Everybody has heard of a franchise restaurant. But what about a franchise brewery?

The Roses plan to open Voodoo Brewing Co. in Southwest Boise this year, but the beer won’t be made on-site; it will be shipped from headquarters in Pennsylvania.

“If you don’t know how to brew beer,” Garrett Rose says, “it’s the perfect model.”

The food will be made in-house, though — with some Idaho inspiration.

The new bar and restaurant will take over the former Growler’s Pizza Grill, 9931 W. Cable Car St., suite 110 — about a quarter-mile east of Overland and Five Mile roads. Rose hopes it will open by June or July, he said.

Founded in 2005, Voodoo Brewing is relatively new as a chain. Its first taproom opened in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in 2012. “Since that time, our brand has seen explosive growth,” Voodoo’s website explains. Two more locations came in 2015 and 2016, followed by a “sweeping” production facility in 2017, and then a pub in 2019 — all in Pennsylvania.

An employee-owned company, Voodoo has since expanded out of state. More than a dozen total Voodoo locations are open. There are plans, Garrett Rose says, “to open a bunch more this year throughout the country. It’ll be national.”

Food menu

When Growler’s was in Boise — it still operates in Donnelly and McCall — the seating capacity was about 125. That will stay roughly the same at Voodoo Brewing, Rose says. There’s a small patio area outside. The Roses also plan to get rid of the building’s drive-thru to create an additional outdoor space for yard games and more picnic tables. That will put the total body count — indoors and outside — at around 190, Garrett Rose says.

Voodoo Brewing will fill a need in the southern part of the city for dining options, he adds. “That’s kind of the reason we went down this path,” he says. “Where we live ... there’s not a ton of commercial.”

“We’ll have a full kitchen. We’ll have a list of beers on tap. We’ll have cocktails, seltzers, some local wines.”

While there’s some repetition, Voodoo’s menu varies by location. A recently opened pub in Knoxville, Tennessee, offers a sizable, tasty-sounding array of bar grub such as smoked wings, burgers, pulled pork nachos, sandwiches, pizzas — and a children’s menu. So far, it rates 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google and 3 1/2 out of 5 stars on Yelp.

“Stopped in for a quick lunch with my wife while running some errands, and I have to say we were ‘wowed,’ ” one Yelp review says, raving about the Creamy Buffalo Kegs — crispy tater tots topped with all sorts of goodness, including beer cheese.

The Roses hope to impress Boise customers with Gem State flair. “We’ve got to have a killer potato of some sort,” Garrett Rose says. “I think you have to. And, yeah, we’re going to do our own twist on finger steaks.

“Most of it’s going to be locally sourced. That’s kind of one of the Voodoo things.”

Lots of beer

Voodoo Brewing will have 24 taps. A couple of guest handles will pour local brands, but Voodoo’s creations will dominate the lineup. Beers range from a Styx-branded beer, Oh Mama lager, to Good Vibes West Coast IPA and Voodoo Love Child, a fruited, Belgian-style tripel. Voodoo also sells barrel-aged beers in limited-release bottles.

Best of all, for a local franchise owner? As good as Voodoo’s beer might taste, Rose won’t have to create any of it.

Most folks are better at drinking beer than brewing it.

“That is definitely me,” Rose says with a chuckle. “If I started tomorrow, it would be my first day.”