COAST Brewing Co. announces expansion

After 10 years operating COAST Brewing Co. without air conditioning, owners Jaime Tenny and David Merritt can finally imagine a climate controlled future. The couple announced this weekend that their longtime plans for an expansion, complete with the addition of AC, are happening.

The upgraded COAST will feature a 2,000 square foot walk-in cooler and keg area adjoining the original production space with their new 5,000 square foot taproom, which may sound like a simple enough expansion until you remember where COAST is located.

“The biggest problem is the field where we’re putting the building. Underneath that are all of the utilities for the area,” says Tenny. And she does mean all of the utilities. Water, sewer, fire, electric are all buried under the new taproom space.

“It’s like a Spaghetti Factory underground. We have to move that at our expense,” she says.

Which is why coordinating engineering has taken two years. Fortunately, COAST is now awaiting the final stamp of approval to move the utilities, then it’s on to installing architect April Magill plans for the new space. Magill runs Root Down Designs which specializes in sustainable building, something Tenny and Merritt have tried to incorporate in their new plans.

“We’re doing cool things like a water cistern for a pretty well established garden for the green grounds,” she says. But it’s that air conditioning that really has Tenny excited. That and the new bar.

“I know people love pulling up a lawn chair, but there’s something to be said for sitting at a bar,” she says. “We’ll still have an outside area, and if you want to sit out there, that’s awesome, but now you’ll have a choice.”

COAST doesn’t have a hard date for the completion of their entirely self-funded new space, but stay tuned for updates on their Instagram page.