Lakefront Brewery plans to buy Public Craft Brewing in Kenosha

Lakefront Brewery is expanding its footprint.

On Friday, Lakefront announced its plans to buy Public Craft Brewing, a brewery in downtown Kenosha that struggled during the pandemic.

“Kenosha is an up-and-coming area with many businesses moving in,” Russ Klisch, president of Lakefront Brewery, said in a statement Friday. “The population is growing with housing being developed and it is a good time to become established.”

Public Brewing, like Lakefront, is centrally located in its city's entertainment district. It occupies the former Barden department store, and — like Lakefront's — its historic building was recently renovated. The breweries share the same beverage distributor.

Lakefront signed a letter of intent to buy the brewery, but the sale will need final approval from a bankruptcy judge; Public Craft Brewing Company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy last month.

The business struggled financially during the pandemic, which hit shortly after Public Brewing began a major expansion project, its founder Matt Geary wrote in a recent Facebook post.

"And if social distancing wasn’t catastrophic enough (for a place founded to bring people together!) our community was blindsided once again by the fallout of the Jacob Blake shooting and ensuing events," Geary wrote.

"The result of all of this occurring at the same time we were investing heavily in our expansion, the extended recovery time, inflation, and restaurant partner problems, is our current untenable financial situation."

Public Brewing will have a new logo, but its name isn't changing, and Lakefront doesn't plan to cut any staff. It also plans for Public's existing beers — including its signature sour beers — to be distributed "through our distribution network.”

Lakefront does, however, plan to introduce some of its ingredients for success — including a version of its popular brewery tour. The company is also eyeing Public's large restaurant space for potential events, like the ones hosted inside Lakefront's Beer Hall.

“We look forward to the opportunity to serve the Kenosha area great beer, great food, and great times," Klisch said. "Cheers!”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lakefront Brewery plans to buy Public Craft Brewing in Kenosha