“This is just the latest illustration that Bridgeport is making a major comeback and businesses are investing in our downtown and in our neighborhoods. I can’t wait to try their craft beer and enjoy some brick oven pizza. It will be worth the wait.” – Mayor Bill Finch
Bridgeport, Conn. (June 19, 2015) – A 15,000-square-foot brick warehouse is one step closer to becoming a hip new brewpub and café in the South End.
“This is just the latest illustration that Bridgeport is making a major comeback and businesses are investing in our downtown and in our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “I can’t wait to try their craft beer and enjoy some brick oven pizza. It will be worth the wait.”
The developer is targeting the spring of 2016 to open. This week, Bruce Barrett, a partner in Barrett Outdoor Communications, secured approval from the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals to open a yet-to-be-named brewpub in a warehouse at 363 Warren St. Over the next several months, he will seek approval and permits from city Planning and Zoning and state and federal agencies.
“We have a phenomenal 15,000-square-foot warehouse sitting at the juncture of (Interstate) 95 and Route 25 and it’s itching to be something exciting,” said Barrett. “And we decided, because it is a welcoming doorway into Bridgeport for anyone coming from Fairfield or Trumbull or Monroe, that we want it to be a brewpub.”
Barrett showed members of the commission pictures of Bar in New Haven and the Southport Brewing Company in Fairfield as illustrations of what he plans. The brewing equipment will be incorporated into the dining area, drawing patrons further into the brewing experience. At the same time, he plans to make the interior unique to highlight the interesting construction of the building.
“We’re coining the phrase ‘soft industrial steam.’ It’s going to hip and cool but we want to bring out the architecture of the warehouse. There is steam piping and steam heat and these cool steam radiators on the ceiling. We want to draw that out and enjoy it.”
Barrett envisions an outside deck and large bay doors that can be opened during the summertime and closed during the winter. He also is eying brick oven pizza ovens so he can serve “the best craft beer and New Haven-style, thin-crust pizza in Bridgeport.”
“I hope we’re going to change it and call it Bridgeport-style pizza, as soon as we figure out what that is,” he said.
Currently, a newspaper distributer occupies the building but only utilizes about 4,000 square feet. That portion will be walled off and the remainder will be occupied by the brewpub.
“So many great projects are underway or in the pipeline in Bridgeport. This is an exciting time for the Park City,” said Mayor Finch. “We really have momentum going forward, and developers and small businesspeople are choosing Bridgeport as a place where they want to do business. Who would have that imaged 15 years ago?”