>> GOOD TO KNOW.
GOOD TO KNOW.
THANKS AJ.
>>> A POPULAR BREWERY IN WALKER 
CELEBRATED THEIR GRAND
REOPENING WITH A HUGE TURNOUT.
FOR THIS WEEK'S IN BUSINESS 
REPORTER MALAAK KHATTAB WAS AT
THE RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY. 
SHE SPOKE WITH SOME OWNERS AND
COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
[CHEERS]
>> IT'S BEEN 11 MONTHS SINCE THE
POPULAR BREWERY IN WALKER 
PORTAGE BREWING COMPANY WAS 
DESTROYED IN A FIRE.
ON SATURDAY, A GRAND REOPENING 
RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY WAS HELD
TO CELEBRATE BEING BACK IN 
BUSINESS.
>> IT'S GREAT SEEING ALL OUR OLD
FRIENDS BACK AGAIN.
IT'S LIKE HOME AGAIN, WHICH IS 
REALLY AWESOME.
>> FREQUENT CUSTOMERS OF THE 
BREWERY SAY THE GRAND OPENING IS
EXTRA SPECIAL AND THEY ARE GLAD 
THAT THE BREWERY IS BACK.
>> WHEN YOU HAVE A PLACE LIKE 
THIS IN WALKER, TO BRING YOUR 
FRIENDS, AND THEN TO HAVE IT ALL
GONE, IT WAS UPSETTING.
BUT TO WATCH THE COMMUNITY COME 
TOGETHER, DIFFERENT 
FUND-RAISERS, THINGS LIKE THAT, 
TO SEE THEM, AND TO SEE THIS 
PLACE NOW REOPEN, IT IS 
BREATHTAKING.
>> IT IS MORE THAN JUST THE 
BEER, THE COMMUNITY AND 
EVERYBODY IS SO FRIENDLY.
THE OWNERS ARE SO WONDERFUL, 
TALKING TO THEM, GETTING TO MEET
THEM, SO HELPING THEM WHERE WE 
COULD AND THEN GETTING A HUG 
FROM THEM SAYING YOU ARE NOW 
PART OF THE FAMILY, SO IT'S MORE
THAN JUST A BREWERY AND THE 
BEER.
>> THE HEAD BREWERER JEFF 
VONDENKAMP SAYS THEY ARE 
CONSTANTLY EXPANDING WITH NEW 
BEERS AND THE MENU WILL CONTINUE
TO CHANGE ITS WEEK.
>> FOR PORTAGE FOR LOCALS 
ESPECIALLY IS COMING IN HERE 
EVERY WEEK AND TRYING SOMETHING 
NEW.
YOU'RE NOT STUCK WITH THE SAME 
8, 10, 12 BEERS.
EVERY TWO WEEKS YOU COME IN, 
THERE MIGHT BE AN ENTIRELY 
DIFFERENT MENU IN FRONT OF YOU.
WE'RE VERY FOCUSED ON THE SMALL 
BATCH EXPERIMENTATION.
>> THE OWNERS OF PORTAGE BREWING
COMPANY SAYS THE RECONSTRUCTED 
BUILDING IS BIGGER AND MORE 
EFFICIENT THAN THE PREVIOUS 
BUILDING AND WILL ACCOMMODATE 
MORE PEOPLE.
>> PRODUCE MORE BEER THAN WE 
PRODUCED BEFORE, ALMOST DOUBLE 
THAN WHAT OUR PRODUCTION 
CAPACITY WAS BEFORE.
IT'S A MORE EFFICIENT BREW 
HOUSE.
SQUARE FOOTAGE IN THE TAP ROOM 
IS SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER.
WE WENT FROM ABOUT 1600, 1700 TO
ABOUT 2400 SQUARE FEET.
>> THE BREWERY IS NOW OPEN TO 
THE PUBLIC, BUT THE EXTERIOR OF 
THE BUILDING IS NOT QUITE 
FINISHED.
THE OWNERS SAY THE BUILDING WILL
BE PAINTED BLUE, ONCE THE 
WEATHER WARMS UP.
REPORTING IN WALKER, FOR THIS 
