Grand Rapids has worked hard to cultivate the reputation and businesses that led to its newest nickname: Beer City, USA. There is a flourishing microbrewery community in West Michigan, with several big name (but locally owned) breweries like Founders garnering national attention. Now, another local West Michigan business is looking to capitalize on the demand for unique, locally-produced artisan adult beverages by expanding to a second location in downtown Grand Rapids. According to the Grand Rapids Press, Vander Mill Hard Cider hopes to open their new Grand Rapids location either in December of 2015 or January of 2016. In addition to offering their hard cider, there will be a restaurant in the new location as well.
The flagship location for Vander Mill Hard Cider is in Spring Lake, located at 14921 Cleveland Street. This original location offers not only a tasting room but also a cafe for customers and connoisseurs. The Spring Lake location, which opened in 2006 and also houses the productions facilities for Vander Mill Hard Cider, takes up a lean 8,000 square feet of space. This new location in downtown Grand Rapids will be five times larger with 40,000 square feet of space inside the newly renovated building on the Northeast side that originally housed B&B Beer Distributing Company.
The owner of Vander Mill Hard Cider, Paul Vander Heide, has reportedly invested $4 million into this expansion. Those funds covered the acquisition of their new building at 505 Ball Avenue NE, as well as the extensive renovations and changes made to the edifice after its purchase. Vande Heide, as quoted in the Grand Rapids Press, makes it clear that this expansion should be an incredible boon for his business, as Beer City, USA offers massive demand for craft beverages, such as locally made hard cider.
This expansion is something the company has been seriously considering since January of this year, when the business requested permission from the city of Grand Rapids to repurpose the old B&B headquarters. Plans include making the distillery visible to taproom patrons, meaning that the process of pressing, fermenting, and packaging the beverages will be viewable through a massive window in the retail space. The restaurant will take up approximately 3,300 square feet of the building, leaving a substantial space for commercial cider production. Readers can follow Vander Mill Hard Cider on Facebook for updates on the actual opening date of the new Grand Rapids facility, which is sure to add something exciting and fresh to the downtown scene.
As always, Pyxis Realty is keeping its staff and its fans up to date on developments in local neighborhoods that can impact housing demand and prices. Anything from the opening of a massive production facility and retail space (with the jobs that go along with that) to the creation of new sidewalks in the Alpine corridor can impact home values and demand for both properties for purchase or rental spaces. If you're looking to buy a new home or purchase an investment property, having a realtor with knowledge of and experience in the Grand Rapids real estate market is invaluable. Call the team at Pyxis Realty today to get the ball rolling on your purchase with the help of experienced, friendly professionals who make closing a cakewalk.