BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – After being in the works for five years, New Holland Brewing Co. will finally open its downtown Battle Creek brewpub at 11:00 a.m. Friday.
The Holland, Michigan-based brewery has hired about 70 employees for its Battle Creek location and likely will add more positions in the coming months.
It will be open from 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Sunday.
In addition to an indoor dining area that seats 150, there is retail space with New Holland beer, spirits, and apparel at the Michigan Avenue entrance.
A 4,000-square-foot beer garden with much of the space under a permanent cover with radiant heaters for year-round outdoor dining is expected to open this summer. It will include an outdoor walk-up bar, televisions, yard games, and a stage for entertainment, increasing the overall capacity to about 300 people.
A small, three-barrel beer brewing and distillery operation also is on site.
The interior of the Battle Creek location for New Holland Brewing Co. (courtesy New Holland Brewing Co.)
Battle Creek Unlimited sold the former J.C. Penney building to the brewery for $1 and awarded it $200,000 in incentives to rehabilitate the site, originally constructed in 1926.
New Holland also was awarded a $968,500 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation as part of its Community Revitalization Program and $265,000 in funding from a Real Estate Connection grant toward the project.
