The Brew Kettle has big plans for dormant Canton Brewing: Concert venue and Airbnb space

Bev Shaffer, Canton Repository
·4 min read
The Canton Brewing Co. likely won't reopen until this fall. The Brew Kettle, which purchased the downtown property and brewery last year, plans to add a concert hall and Airbnb space to the building.
The Canton Brewing Co. likely won't reopen until this fall. The Brew Kettle, which purchased the downtown property and brewery last year, plans to add a concert hall and Airbnb space to the building.

CANTON – The Brew Kettle has big plans for the dormant Canton Brewing Co. building downtown.

Not only will the brewery chain, which purchased the property last year, reopen the brewpub, but it also will add a concert venue and Airbnb space. The property has sat vacant for months, leading to speculation about what will happen to the building.

The Brew Kettle opted to expand its plans after Rite Aid closed its store that occupied a large portion of the building last year.

“We were moving forward with our existing plans to revitalize and reopen the Canton Brewing Co. and then Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy and that 45,000-square-foot adjacent space became available," Brew Kettle owner Bryan Weber said.

Plans changed and the priority involving renovations was altered. Once upstairs tenants moved out, construction on the upper level became a priority.

“Part of our plan is to create nine Airbnb apartments upstairs, seven two-bedroom and two single-bedroom, with full kitchens and baths," Weber said. "Some of the basics for those required early completion. You can’t have plumbing and drilling and major construction work being done while you have a brewery and restaurant open to the public below.”

Despite the brewpub being closed to the public, brewing is taking place there, he added.

Brew Kettle owner: 'This is another level of commitment to downtown Canton.'

The Canton Brewing Co. likely won't reopen until this fall. The Brew Kettle, which purchased the downtown property and brewery last year, plans to add a concert hall and Airbnb space to the building.
The Canton Brewing Co. likely won't reopen until this fall. The Brew Kettle, which purchased the downtown property and brewery last year, plans to add a concert hall and Airbnb space to the building.

The Canton Brewing building is a key property downtown, with Centennial Plaza across the street and the nearby Renkert Building being converted into the Century Plaza Hotel. Centennial Plaza plays host to numerous community festivals and events.

“This is another level of commitment to downtown Canton and gives us the ability to really expand our area’s footprint,” Weber said.

The Brew Kettle, along with a Topgolf Swing Suite, joined the Canton community last year, opening at the Hall of Fame Village. The Brew Kettle also operates a production brewery in Middleburg Heights and several brewpubs throughout Northeast Ohio, and recently purchased Lock 15 Brewing Co. in Akron.

The Canton Brewing Co. likely won't reopen until this fall. The Brew Kettle, which purchased the downtown property and brewery last year, plans to add a concert hall and Airbnb space to the building.
The Canton Brewing Co. likely won't reopen until this fall. The Brew Kettle, which purchased the downtown property and brewery last year, plans to add a concert hall and Airbnb space to the building.

Weber said the Canton Brewing restaurant is under construction. Restrooms are being added and existing ones are being revamped. A design is in place for an outdoor patio, and Weber is working with the city for approval.

Additional plans call for an entertainment venue, an activity center and concert hall hosting small concerts that would initially be held on the weekends.

“Stark County has a huge country music following, and in addition to country music concerts, I could see a house band, pop and rock entertainment, standup comedy … a litany of various performers," Weber said.

Weber, a Marine veteran, spent 32 years in a previous life with Morgan Stanley managing money for the NFL and other large institutions. He recently brought in Evan Schumann as CEO to focus on the consumer goods side of things for the Brew Kettle.

A poster announcing Cascade Beer, made at a time when cascade hops grew wild in the Tuscarawas River Valley.
A poster announcing Cascade Beer, made at a time when cascade hops grew wild in the Tuscarawas River Valley.

Canton Brewing will retain its name

Originally, the thought was to rebrand the Canton Brewing Co. as The Brew Kettle, but after studying its extensive history dating back to the 1800s, Weber plans on keeping and honoring the name.

He also is intrigued by the connection with the NFL. Football team representatives gathered at a Canton auto dealership in 1920 to form the American Professional Football Association, which would be renamed the National Football League two years later.

“We have all the original recipes, and their original brewmaster was Otto Weber (no relation)," he said. "There was a time in the Tuscarawas River Valley that cascade hops grew wild. We plan to honor that using the original recipe for Cascade Beer. It’s likely that Jim Thorpe and the founders of the NFL were drinking it in 1920 at the car dealership showroom in Canton.”

Canton Brewing Co. beer bottles are seen in iced buckets in 1920 at the signing of the formation of the NFL.
Canton Brewing Co. beer bottles are seen in iced buckets in 1920 at the signing of the formation of the NFL.

When will Canton Brewing Co. reopen?

As the weather warms, Canton Brewing plans to participate at First Friday events and sell beer from its patio.

“We obviously plan to open in stages," Weber said. "Once the plumbing and HVAC is complete, we’ll open the brewpub and restaurant first — fall, probably sometime before the holidays.

“The event space would be next, and we hope to open that early next year, with the apartment/Airbnbs by spring 2025.”

Weber said he's excited to contribute to the revitalization of downtown.

“I grew up a farm kid in Valley City, Ohio," he said. "People often think we are a big corporation, but we’re just a group of five friends passionate about craft beer and doing our part in the community.”

Canton Brewing has been a regular stop for visitors along Barb Abbott's Explore City Tours.

"Over the 12 years that I've been doing tours in Canton, my tour guests were always in awe of the Canton Brewing Company venue. There is so much history to the brewery, and during the tours we would highlight the NFL connection while waiting for our food and drink to arrive," she said.

"I am thrilled that so much of that wow factor honoring the past will be kept while The Brew Kettle continues to move forward with updates."

Reach Bev at [email protected] or 330-580-8318.

The Canton Brewing Co. likely won't reopen until this fall. The Brew Kettle, which purchased the downtown property and brewery last year, plans to add a concert hall and Airbnb space to the building.
The Canton Brewing Co. likely won't reopen until this fall. The Brew Kettle, which purchased the downtown property and brewery last year, plans to add a concert hall and Airbnb space to the building.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: When will Canton Brewing Co. reopen downtown?

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