First SBC taproom to debut this summer, officials say

Although delays have pushed back expansion efforts by Springfield Brewing Co., officials expect taproom ventures in Rogersville and Willard will both open in the next couple months.

SBC co-owner Christina Chanter said first up is One 2 Five Taproom and Distillery, which fills 4,000 square feet in space formerly occupied by the shuttered Bub’s Distillery in Rogersville. Via Front Row Property LLC, Chanter recently registered One 2 Five Taproom with the secretary of state’s office, which she said is a play on the facility’s address of 1846 S. State Highway 125. The Rogersville concept is designed to appeal to residents of that city, Strafford and east Springfield, according to SBC officials.

“Rogersville will happen this summer for sure, and I think that Willard will happen late summer to early fall,” she said. “That would probably be the best estimate.”

The ventures are the result of internal conversations SBC officials started around two years ago as the company explored opportunities to expand its footprint beyond the Queen City, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

The company announced the Rogersville taproom in June 2023, a month after unveiling a similar facility plan in Willard. Officials declined to disclose SBC’s investment in the two projects, both of which are renovating existing buildings the company is leasing. SBC is leasing the 4,000-square-foot space in Rogersville for undisclosed terms with CCW Properties LLC. The lease for the Willard location at 115 E. Jackson St. is with Ozark Greenways Inc., which owns the 5,420-square-foot building next to the Frisco Highline Trail.

Chanter said both facilities will have SBC beers on tap, along with spirits from its sister company, Ty Iechyd Da Distillery. The small-batch sprit selection will include bourbon, gin, rum and vodka. The Rogersville taproom will serve wood-fired pizza, along with appetizers and salads from its small food menu, she said.

As for allowing outside food, Chanter said that’s not the current plan in Rogersville.

“In Willard, that is our intention. We’ve had a lot of requests in Willard from residents and everything to provide food there,” she said. “We have the capacity at both locations to do food trucks, the hookups and all those. I think that’s definitely our intention in Willard to start out that way.”

While SBC officials have determined the Willard facility’s name, Chanter said they plan to reveal it at a later date.

Brewery staff will use a portion of the Willard building to produce yet-to-be-determined beers that utilize different yeasts and bacteria to produce varied flavors from current SBC brews, according to past SBJ reporting. SBC’s website notes it has six beers and a hard cider offered year-round, along with five seasonal brews, a rotating roster of kettle sour beers, limited-release and small-batch brews.

‘Take a breath’
While officials originally planned to launch One 2 Five Taproom and Distillery last fall, followed by the Willard facility this past spring, Chanter said various challenges have led to delays.

“I don’t think it’s any one area that has caused an issue specifically. It’s just kind of the process,” she said, noting design plan changes, supply chain issues and permit approval waits have all been contributors. “I think that when you start in on a project, it always takes longer and costs more than what you think it’ll be.”

The company also has had other projects drawing attention, she said, such as expanding kitchen space at its downtown Springfield restaurant and brewery. She said Kyle Johnson, SBC’s director of facilities, has stayed cool and calm amid the challenges as he’s shuttled among the three cities to monitor progress.

“We’ve had to just kind of take a breath and step back,” she said.

The 1997-founded company, which employs 80, produced 2,600 barrels of beer in 2023. That’s up 4% from 2022 and placed SBC second on SBJ’s list of the area’s largest breweries this year. Topping the list is Mother’s Brewing Co., which last year produced 8,053 barrels, roughly on par with its 2022 total.

Unique situations
Chanter said the Willard and Rogersville projects were unique situations that worked out for the company and aren’t intended as a concerted effort to start opening facilities all over the Springfield area.

“We had thought that would be kind of fun, but we did not do any kind of search for a strategy or a way to expand. It felt right,” she said.

The Willard facility was in the plans before Rogersville. She said SBC officials were at Bub’s Distillery looking at some equipment for sale when the idea of leasing the building came about.

“We thought maybe we should call and see about the space,” Chanter said. “We want to do this because it makes sense and it’s a fun way to be involved in the community and be engaged.”

Live music is planned in Rogersville, although outdoor performances will be intermittent, she said. Other outdoor entertainment, such as showing movies, is a goal but won’t be offered upon opening later this summer.

“Anything we do outside will most likely be acoustic, at least at this point,” Chanter said of outdoor music. “It’s not like we have big rock concerts and things like that. It’ll be a more intimate feel. We don’t have a big screen or any of that stuff or stage established yet, because part of that is we want to see how people use the space and where are the best spots to do that.”