USA, TN: 1907 Brewing Company coming to Morristown by January

A new type of watering hole and eatery, the 1907 Brewing Company – Morristown’s soon-to-befirst craft-beer establishment – is coming to the former Higher Grounds building on Main Street, and is expected to open by January, the CitizenTribune reported on September 6.

The 1907 Brewing Company, which takes its name from the year the building was constructed, will sell no liquor or wine, and while the menu has yet to be finalized, Haley Fugate, who’s coordinating marketing and media efforts, guarantees it won’t be standard bar fare.

The restaurant will serve craft beers and ciders only, some brewed exclusively for 1907 in collaboration with a Johnson City brewmeister, and others from local and regional craft brewers. The target price is around $5 a pint, depending on the variety of beer and alcohol content, according to Fugate.

“One hundred percent it’s going to happen,” Fugate said Wednesday afternoon. “There’s nothing like this in town. We hope to help revitalize the downtown for nightlife and keep the shops open longer. We also welcome any other healthy competition to the area.”

In addition to beer for on-site consumption – like other craft breweries – 1907 will sell beer “growlers,” large take-away containers of beer meant for home consumption.

The establishment will occupy three floors of the four-story building. The tap room will be on the first floor. The second floor will feature seating and the third floor will be reserved for private parties, according to Fugate, who says both the façade and interior will be revamped to correspond with turn-of-the-last-century style.

It’s not clear if 1907 will be open for lunch.

Fugate says 1907 will target both craft-beer enthusiasts and “those who are a little nervous” about the craft-beer trend. For newcomers, bar staff will ask patrons what type of beer they enjoy, and servers will match a craft beer to their preference.

A limited-liability company called KBD closed on the building on Friday. The purchase price was $372,500, according to property records. Fugate declined to identify the owners of the company on Wednesday.

Knowing that 1907 was coming to town, the Morristown City Council on Tuesday passed a craft beer-related ordinance. These types of establishments can be located on properties that carry central business district, intermediate business, tourist accommodation and planned commercial district zoning designations.

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