Appleton-based Hop Yard Ale Works is opening a location in Downtown Menomonee Falls.
The site, a former automotive shop, at N88W16521 Main St., is just east of Appleton Avenue and was previously home to Wisconsin on Tap, a karaoke and sports bar.
It will be a taproom and restaurant only. There will be no brew system installed.
Owners Oliver and Amy Behm hope to open on June 5.
Milwaukee's Third Space opened its Innovation Brewhouse in Menomonee Falls last summer. It's about three-and-a-half miles south of the downtown.
Hop Yard, owned the Behms – New London natives and Appleton residents – opened in Appleton in November 2021 at 512 W. Northland Ave. That location also occupies a former auto shop, but one owned by Oliver Behm’s family since the 1950s.
"As we brew more and more beer, we had to make a decision as a business (about) how we wanted to get that beer out into the market," says Oliver Behm. "If we pushed more canning and distribution we feared we would lose the values we hold on keeping our focus to our taproom, community and people.
"Naturally, we started looking for another taproom location where we could mimic what we do in Appleton. A second location would mean pulling Amy and myself in many directions, so staying a certain distance from home definitely played into it. The brewery scene is still strong in Milwaukee and although Menomonee Falls is not exactly Downtown it will still keep us close to the action."
Behm says they looked a several suburbs north of Milwaukee before settling on Menomonee Falls.
"We have family connection in Menomonee Falls and always thought that would be ideal," he says. "The downtown is warm and inviting and very family friendly, which fits our vibe.
"We were very excited when this property opened up and are even more excited to meet the new faces and friends of this quaint Wisconsin town."
Hop Yard brewed more than 40 beers last year, according to a social media post from Menomonee Falls Downtown.
"We love our IPAs and focus pretty heavily on them but have a great assortment of other styles, as well," Behm says. "Our Orange County Hefe is a favorite – a light hefeweisen with hints of orange peel.
"We also have a delicous Irish Red that was made as a collab with the fire deparment here in Grand Chute (Appleton) called Engine Co. Red. Our goals this year are to expand our sour program."
In addition to brewing beer, Hop Yard also serves wood-fired pizzas.
The pizza menu in Appleton includes oddities like watermelon, Cool Rancho Doritos and a PB&J pizza.
"Just like there are many amazing options for craft beer, there are also some great pizza places out there," Behm says, "and we don't want to take you away from your favorite thin crust or late night pepperoni pizza slice.
"Our take on pizzas are quality ingredients with a flair. We only offer hand-pulled wood-fired pizzas but along with the Italian sausage from Haen Meat in Greenville, we bring in a fun twist. You will never hear us ask if you can put pineapple on a pizza.
"Our questions are more like: can we put spaghetti noodles on a pizza? Can I put grapes, peaches, peanut butter, sauerkraut, Cool Ranch Doritos on a pizza? Our creations are fun, daring and delicious. You may be skeptical at first but we will win you over!"
The Hop Yard received approval for sidewalk seating at the new location on Wednesday.
Behm says there will also be live music on tap.
"We love supporting the local music artists in Appleton and hope to do the same at the Falls location," he says. "You may just need to give us a couple months to settle in before we ramp up that schedule."
The Behms remain committed to Appleton, which is not only their hometown, but where they've gotten a lot of support, Oliver Behm says.
"When our children were younger, we both loved the atmosphere a brewery brought to a community and would often plan our vacations around brewery desinations we wanted to visit," he recalls. "The dream was to bring some of those big city brewery vibes to our small city of Appleton, but the timing never seemed right.
"Then COVID happened and the whole world turned upside down. We took a long hard look at our lives and decided to take a leap of faith. Since opening we have been blessed by a town and community that has really embraced us and our vision.
"We are so proud to be apart of the North Appleton neighborhood, because we couldn't be who we are today without the employees and customers that have heped us grow."
For more information on Hop Yards Ale Works, visit hopyardaleworks.com.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
