TOLEDO, Ohio — The people who own Toledo Spirits and Black Kite Coffee are now looking to expand their newest venture.
HEAVY Beer will be going into a building at 13th and Adams Street that's sat vacant for years.
Head down the stairs into the basement at Toledo Spirits and you'll find their newest venture, HEAVY Beer.
It opened in May and now, founders Andrew Newby and Dustin Wade are planning to expand.
"Far more than just beer, it's how do we create this experience and then go drink the beer," Wade said.
Toledo Spirits started with a couple of guys from the tech industry who had a common love for libations. Once that grew, they decided to expand to another love: beer.
And that beer business needs more room.
"The space is so dramatic. Once we get in here and start doing our work, it'll be even more so," Newby said.
The building has remnants of an old auto showroom and is the type of large, empty slate looking for some love.
Newby likes the potential for the indoor space, but it's a trip up to the building's roof that sold him.
The aim for this three-story building goes beyond beer.
It's about a whole experience.
From the rooftop down, the plans include one floor for events and music, another for an arcade and games and the foundation of it all on the ground floor.
That's where a taproom and a not-for-profit diner where local foodies can attempt to launch their own brands will be housed.
"No matter where you go in the building, the brewery and the taproom is going to be part of that experience; it's not going to be pushed in the back, it's going to be right up front," Newby said.
It's early into the process, so the goal for HEAVY Beer is to have the project complete in about two years.
HEAVY Beer will also be launching a location in partnership with the metroparks at Oak Openings this fall.