GIG HARBOR, WA — 7 Seas Brewing Co. has announced a move and expansion into a larger building in historic downtown Gig Harbor. The popular local craft brewery has outgrown their current space and says construction is already underway in the new facility, located in downtown’s Peninsula Shopping Center, just a block from the waterfront. Initially, the company says, the expansion will create four new jobs.
7 Seas Brewing Co. will occupy 11,000 sq/ft of the previous QFC grocery store, and the new site will dedicate 8,600 sq/ft to their production facility, and 2,400 sq/ft towards a Tap Room. Partnering with AAA Metal Fabrication of Oregon, a new, shiny, stainless steel, custom-built steam-fired 25 bbl (775 gallon) 3-vessel brew-house arrives in mid-January. 7 Seas secured SBA financing through local Heritage Bank to fund the expansion, which was made necessary after successive expansions left them no room to expand in their existing space.
7 Seas Brewing Co. opened in 2009 after rebounding from a devastating fire that tore through their initial facility in downtown Gig Harbor. The fire, stemming from a neighboring business’s space heater, destroyed 80% of their assets and equipment. They relocated to their current building and began operating on an 8.5 bbl (265 gal.) brew-house.
“We’re really excited. The new facility will house both the 8.5 bbl and the new 25 bbl brew-houses. This will allow 7 Seas Brewing Co. to produce year-round offerings on the larger brew-house as well as experiment and create new seasonal beers on the smaller brew-house,” said Mike Runion, one of the brewery’s owners.
The initial brewery footprint at full capacity could eventually produce up to 20,000 bbls/year. However, 7 Seas Brewing Co. estimates a first calendar year production of around 4,000 bbls (8,000 kegs), with annual growth as new tanks are installed in the future. Current 2011 production is 1,200 bbls/year.
The new facility is expected to be brewing its first batches of 7 Seas beer in March of 2012. The new Tap Room is expected to open sometime between June-October of 2012 and maintain a cozy, living room feel while providing a little more space to enjoy a pint and watch the brewery in action. The current 7 Seas Tap Room will remain open during the transition.