BarrelHouse Brewing reveals site of Fresno taproom. Here’s why it’s a bit surprising
After months of teasing, BarrelHouse Brewing Co. has officially confirmed where in Fresno it plans to open its newest taproom: River Park.
The Paso Robles-based brewery plans to open BarrelHouse River Park, a place for people to drink its beer in the main part of the shopping center across from IMAX. It will move into the former Wavelengths Surf Shop and the empty spot next door, right next to Teazer World Tea Market.
Work hasn’t started on the interior, so an opening is a ways off. But if all goes as planned, the owners of BarrelHouse are hoping to open in late July or early August.
So why is it a tad surprising?
Because BarrelHouse tends to open in locations that are on the verge of becoming hot spots. Its Visalia taproom, for example, is in the growing brewery district on Main Street’s east end.
The brewery also has a taproom in San Luis Obispo, in addition to the main Paso Robles brewery.
The Fresno taproom is the first time the brewery has had the opportunity to go into a place that already has lots foot traffic, said co-owner Jason Carvalho.
River Park is one of the most popular destinations in town, especially on weekends as people flock to the restaurants, stores and movie theaters that surround the future taproom.
The owners looked at spots in Clovis, downtown Fresno and elsewhere, but eventually decided upon River Park in part because of the shopping center’s recent focus on entertainment.
“There’s plenty of ample parking. There’s security,” Carvalho said. “It’s family friendly. It’s dog friendly.”
The taproom will have a 50-foot bar with 25 taps serving BarrelHouse favorites like the Sunny Daze citrus blonde ale, a mango IPA and its standard ale, a light, crisp “lawnmower beer.” It will have BarrelHouse beers that craft beer fans can’t get anywhere else, along with kombucha and cold brew coffee on tap.
The 6,000-square-foot indoor section will have plenty of tables, and pinball machines and shuffleboard.
The entire front of the building will have roll-up doors and a 1,500-square-foot patio.
“All of these front windows will actually roll up,” Carvalho said. “It should have a very, very outdoor feel even though it’s indoors.”
There will also be a stage with live music indoors. Customers will be able to reserve seating in a portion of the taproom for birthdays or special events.
It will have a self-serve station with water and free pretzels.
“It’s a fun place for grownups to come and hang out,” Carvalho said.
The business is open to all ages, but will check IDs like restaurants serving alcohol would, he noted.
The taproom’s hours will be similar to its Visalia location, closing no later than midnight on weekends and closing at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. on weekdays. It will open at 11 a.m.
Food
Like many taprooms, BarrelHouse won’t have a kitchen or serve its own food. Usually, taprooms have food trucks parked outside or invite people to bring food in.
At River Park, BarrelHouse won’t have food trucks, but it is hoping to form partnerships with restaurants in the shopping center. Customers will be able to place their food order and pay on a device, with the restaurants delivering the food straight to the customers’ table.
Those partnerships haven’t been struck yet, but customers could potentially get food ranging from tri-tip from Westwoods to a burger from Five Guys, along with pizza, Chinese food, ice cream, possibly even sushi.
BarrelHouse River Park will also sell to-go beer in cans, including special monthly brews.
The look
For now, the space is a big empty shell.
They’ll have to build everything new, from the bathrooms to the keg cooler.
But it probably won’t look like the brewery’s other taprooms, which have lots of brick and wood.
“We have something else planned for this place that we’ve never done,” Carvalho said. “It’s going to have a little bit more of a modern feel that what people are used to from BarrelHouse.”
He and co-owner Kevin Nickell — both born and raised in Lemoore — also run a construction company together. Their company will do much of the work on the space.
“The bones are here,” Carvalho said. “We just need to make it look awesome.”
Details: 145 E Paseo Del Centro in River Park. www.barrelhousebrewing.squarespace.com.
This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 1:39 PM.
