Laughing Dog brews up move to new home
While moving into the business’ new facility, Laughing Dog co-owner Fred Colby takes a look at the new tasting room bar, a piece of furniture cut from a single tree. (Photo CAMERON RASMUSSON)
PONDERAY — Laughing Dog Brewery is getting a little room to stretch its legs — and on a packed weekend evening, you can, too.
It’s all thanks to their new facility that triples both their seating capacity and their overall square footage. Co-owners Fred Colby and Michelle Douglas are celebrating the fact that the business will be officially moved to the 1109 Fontaine Drive location by Friday, but there is still much work to be done.
“I’ll be glad when it’s all completed,” Colby said. “I’m ready to go fishing.”
After finishing the final decorations, the next step will be to move the kegs, a process that has been carefully timed to not disrupt their beer production — 3,000 barrels-worth in 2010.
“We’re going to continue to brew at the old location until we can plug tanks in over here and get started,” Colby said.
The extra brewing space, 1,800 square feet compared to the old location’s 650, will contribute to a dramatically expanded output. In fact, by 2015, the brewery could be producing 15,000 barrels a year, five times its current production rate.
“This move couldn’t come at a better time,” Douglas said. “We were absolutely maxed out for capacity at the old place.”
But even the current increase in space allowance won’t be enough for Colby and Douglas. They plan to eventually add on an additional 4,000 square feet to the facility to house a cooler, a packaging room and possibly some office space.
“We don’t even have enough space here,” Colby said.
Fans of the brewery since its opening in 2005 need not worry. The tasting room is still dog-friendly and while they aren’t offering food, people can still bring their own. And of course, the beer still carries its market-tested flavor. In all respects, Laughing Dog is the same as always — there’s just a lot more of it, with 12 tap handles and space for nearly 100 patrons.
Their current rate of expansion continues to surprise the Laughing Dog owners. Colby never envisioned his one-time hobby exploding into a professional success.
“This is a surprisingly hard business to get into,” he said. “You’ve got to carve out your niche. We’re known throughout the business for our big, hoppy beer, and that’s served us well over the years.”
To celebrate their move, Colby and Douglass are breaking in the new location with First Firkin Friday festivities.
A British keg tapped by driving a spout into the keg’s keystone with a hammer, the firkin gets its due the first Friday of every month at Laughing Dog. But given the special occasion — and the fact that last month’s firkin sold out within minutes — Colby is selling pints of Citra Pale Ale from two kegs this time around. The 5 p.m. event will also feature a silent auction to benefit the Friends of Scotchman Peak Wilderness.
Douglas and Colby are confident that the public will embrace Laughing Dog’s new location with the same enthusiasm.
“We’ve made sure that we took our time and did the job right,” Douglas said.