USA, VA: Richmond’s Isley Brewing Co. planning second location in Virginia Beach

Richmond’s Isley Brewing Co. is planning to open a second location in Virginia Beach, joining a handful of local craft breweries that have branched out to other locations in the state, Richmond.com reported on April 19.

Isley Brewing, which has a brewery and taproom on Summit Avenue in the Scott’s Addition area of Richmond, will open its second location in a 5,582-square-foot building at 315 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach government officials announced.

The building is in Virginia Beach’s ViBe Creative District, an area of small shops, restaurants, coffee bars and offices within walking distance of the beach, between 17th and 22nd streets, where the city has offered incentives to attract “creative industries” such as artisans and technology firms, as a revitalization strategy.

The new brewery, located in a building built in 1946, is scheduled to open in July and will be capable of making 2,000 barrels of beer a year, the city said. It will have a tasting room and space for live music and events.

“This is a great re-use of the property,” said Michelle Chapleau, business development coordinator for the city’s economic development department. She said the building was previously a night club that closed.

“It has been sitting vacant for some time,” she said. “We do not have many breweries that are located in the district currently, so it is something that the city supports.”

Isley Brewing is expected to invest $825,000 in the property and create 10 full-time jobs, the city said. The Virginia Beach Development Authority said it awarded a $30,000, performance-based incentive grant to Isley Brewing, based on the capital investment.

“They are taking an older building within the district and really rehabbing it,” Chapleau said. “They are re-doing the facade and windows and doing a lot of interior work.”

Mike Isley, owner of Isley Brewing, confirmed in an email that he plans to open the location in Virginia Beach but did not provide any additional details.

In a statement released by the city, he said the brewery considered several different markets for its second location but chose Virginia Beach because it is a tourist destination and emerging market for craft beer.

Isley Brewing opened in 2013 and makes beers such as Choosy Mother Peanut Butter Porter, The Bribe Oatmeal Porter, Plain Jane Belgian White Ale, and Off the Boulevard Irish Red Ale.

Other Richmond-area craft breweries that have opened branch locations recently include Legend Brewing Co., which opened a brewpub in Portsmouth last year; Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, which opened a Charlottesville satellite brewery and taproom; and Strangeways Brewing, which opened a Fredericksburg brewery and tasting room.

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