New brewpub with indoor playground to open with southwest-inspired menu, variety of beers
Jul. 2—What started as an idea for someone else to do has turned into a family project with an opening date right around the corner.
Springboro natives Brianna and Jordan Joo found themselves in desperate need of a date night after a miscarriage in 2018. They wanted to go to a brewery to talk, but didn't have a babysitter for their daughter. They had joked that someone needed to open a brewery in the Dayton area with an indoor playground, but over the next couple of months they realized they should be the ones to do it.
A unique space with decades of history
Entropy Brewing Co. is a 10,000-square-foot brewpub in Miamisburg featuring an indoor playground, outdoor patio and a speakeasy in the basement.
Jordan's dad, Eric, had bought the former Suttman Men's and Boy's Wear building with the idea to build eight apartments in the upstairs space. He started construction in July 2020 and by October, Brianna and Jordan decided the first level would be the perfect spot for the brewery.
"It was in a state of serious disrepair," Jordan's mom, Kim said. "You had to have vision to understand that this would be a great space. They had vision. They could see what it could ultimately be."
The Suttman building was built in 1900. The family worked with designer Eric Daniel to bring the space to life. The upstairs is light, airy, green and multi-generational — meaning all ages should feel welcomed in the space. The playground is located on the main level featuring a slide, small rock wall, fire pole, climbing rope and a hidden set of monkey bars.
There is a set of bleachers in the play area for people to sit and a mural painted by local artist, Chloé Chicarelli, highlighting iconic spots in Miamisburg. The mural was originally designed by the couple's friend, Bevan Binder.
The downstairs portion of the brewery is dark, sexy and for those 21 and over. The plan to feature live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
One of the biggest whys to opening the brewery was to provide the community a space to invest in their marriages and relationships.
"I'm excited to watch relationships and community grow because we gave them a space to be able to do that," Brianna said.
The beer
The brewery features a total of 16 taps including beer, cold brew coffee, a margarita mix and eventually root beer. Jordan is planning to have about four staples and the rest of the taps will be rotating.
"The brewery is designed to give me as much freedom as I want," Jordan said.
He is starting off with the first beer he made on tap called, "The Warm Up," a hoppy IPA with the classics — Mosaic, Citra and Simcoe. Favorite beers so far during private events have been: — Bleacher Talk (a blonde ale that's light and crisp with just enough flavor) — Red Shift (a red ale that's malty, crisp and east for the heat)
Entropy will also have a variety of cocktails including the Coffee Whiskey Sour featuring Rare Breed, lemon juice, maple syrup and coffee vermouth.
Before Jordan decided to pursue the brewery full-time, he was working at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base as a research engineer. His love for physics and all things science is reflected in the name of the brewery.
Entropy is "the temperature of how chaotic something is," Jordan said. "The more chaotic something is the higher the entropy."
With the beer, playground and patio, the family said they are expecting the space to have a little bit of entropy.
Elevated bar food with a southwest twist
The brewery's food menu was created by Brianna, who described cooking as one of her personal hobbies.
"I just love cooking at home," Brianna said. "I like making a mess. If a recipe says simple, I'm not interested. I want to make a mess. I want to have fun. I want to create something."
The menu features a variety dips like guacamole, salsa, queso and corn dip. Brianna said the guacamole is her homemade recipe that she has been making for years and the corn dip was inspired by a friend's recipe.
The menu of tacos, burgers and sandwiches is food that Brianna and her friends like to eat. Favorites so far include: — The 'Burg (a warm, creamy queso topped with seasoned shredded beef, fire-roasted salsa and cilantro) — Hot Mac Taco (a soft tortilla filled with beer cheese macaroni and cheese, Nashville hot sauce, grilled chicken, cilantro and sour cream drizzle)
"We want to have heavy vegan and vegetarian options, as well as gluten free," Brianna said. "We really care about people's restrictions and want you to be able to eat here."
All tacos can be made on a corn shell and burgers/sandwiches can be made on a gluten-free bun.
The brewery has a kid's menu featuring macaroni and cheese and dino nuggets. For dessert, the brewery will have warm cookies.
Creating a legacy
This past week the owners have gotten their feet wet with a series of private events for the mayor, friends and family and the local business community.
Eric is proud of the unique spaces they've created throughout the brewery — especially the community room that honors the legacy of the Suttman family.
"If we can match that legacy, I'll be really happy," Eric said.
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How to go
What: Entropy Brewing Co.
Where: 26 S. Main St., Miamisburg
Opening: Opens to the public at 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 3 following a ribbon cutting ceremony starting at 3 p.m.
Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. The owners plan to eventually expand hours by adding brunch on Saturdays.
More info: The brewery is still hiring. For more information, visit entropybrewco.com or the brewery's Facebook or Instagram pages (@EntropyBrewCo). The owners plan to eventually expand hours by adding brunch on Saturdays. They hope to create a play cafe atmosphere in the future when they open in the morning for coffee and breakfast.