TODAY IS OFFICIALLY THE FIRST
FULL DAY OF THE NEWEST BREWERY
AND TAPROOM IN THE AREA, EXCEPT
IT'S NOT OPEN AT ALL AND WON'T
BE FOR AWHILE.
CHRISTIE:
NEWSCHANNEL NINE'S JEFF
KULIKOWSKY CAUGHT UP WITH THE
NEW OWNERS AS THEY BEGIN
TRANSITIONING THE FORMER EMPIRE
FARMSTEAD BREWERY IN
CAZENOVIAINTO MEIERS CREEK
BREWING.
JEFF:
THE PIECES ARE ALL STILL IN
PLACE FROM THE FORMER EMPIRE
FARMSTEAD BREWERY IN CAZENOVIA.
Doug Gorman, Corporate Counsel
for Feldmeier Companies, " It
was the old company that had to
shut down, we didn't have
anything to do with that
process, all we do now is look
around and say well, okay these
are the assets that are left in
the building, this is our
property now and now what do we
do going forward." JEFF:
MEIERS CREEK IS STILL ASSESSING
WHAT THAT WILL MEAN.BECAUSE
IT'S NOT OPERATING THEY'VE ONLY
BEEN ABLE TO HIRE A FEW FORMER
EMPIRE WORKERS, FOR NOW. THE
FELDMEIER FAMILY THAT NOW OWNS
THIS BREWERY, IS FAMILIAR WITH
THE PLACE, THEY HAVE ANOTHER
COMPANY THAT MADE ALL THE TANKS
USED TO BREW BEER HERE.
Nate Hickey, General Manager,
Meiers Creek Brewing, " We're
bringing together a team that
has significant restaurant
experience and brewing, so we're
still bringing together that
team." JEFF:
THE NEW G-M SEES ONE BIG CHANGE
ALREADY.
Nate Hickey, General Manager,
Meiers Creek Brewing, " We do
want this to feel more as one
versus brewer side and tap room
side so we're looking to meld
the two together a little
better." JEFF:
MEIERS CREEK CLOSED ON THE DEAL
THIS WEEK TO BUY THE WHOLE PLACE
OUT OF BANKRUPTCY BUT THERE IS
ONE KEY THING THEY COULDN'T BUY.
Nate Hickey, General Manager,
Meiers Creek Brewing, " We did
not pick up IP, intellectual
property from Empire, so no
recipes, no brand so we're
building all of that from
scratch so exciting and nerve
wracking all at the same time."
JEFF:
THEY'LL BE WORKING ON FEDERAL
AND STATE LICENSES TO GET
BREWING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND
TACKLE SOME INFRASTRUCTURE
NEEDS.
Jeff Kulikowsky talks with Nate
Hickey, General Manager, Meiers
Creek Brewing, " Jeff says...So
Nate when somebody walks in here
for the first time, when you
guys do reopen, will this look
that much different?Nate
answers...It could, we are still
just brainstorming and getting
those ideas together and putting
them out there.We've gotten a
lot of feedback about the sound
in the room so we're that's
definitely going to be
addressed."
Doug Gorman, Corporate Counsel
for Feldmeier Companies, " You
don't have to miss it for long,
the venue is still here, the
scenery is still here, the
brewery is still here its just
going to be an exciting new
concept."
JEFF:
YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT A FEW
MONTHS, HOPEFULLY BY SUMMER TO
GET THERE.JEFF KULIKOWSKY
NEWSCHANNEL NINE.
CHRISTIE:
HEAD TO THE NEWSCHANNEL NINE APP
FOR EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ON WHY THE
FELDMEIERS BOUGHT THE BREWERY
AND MORE ON PAST AND FUTURE
EMPLOYMENT.
