Business Beat - October 11 - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Business Beat - October 11

A unique business is getting ready to open up shop right here, just south of the 3rd Street bridge.  The old TJ's Bar is about to become Souris River Brewing.  Three Minot men are preparing the business right now they say they are about a month away or so from being ready to open up what General Manager Aaron Thompson calls the oldest business model around -- a brew pub -- a place to meet for food and beer.

(Aaron Thompson, Souris River Brewing) "I got tired of people asking me where the local brew pub was and then I met these guys and we thought we could pull it off...so here we are."

These two guys are brewmaster Nick Holwegner and chef Daniel Haff.  The building itself is impressive -- the wainscoting comes from an old grainery near Lansford -- pictures here from the harvest of that wood -- and the massive bar is red oak and impressive.  

(Nick Holwegner, Brewmaster) "This is the brewhouse where we will be making our beer..."

Nick Holwegner is the brewmaster -- certified through the world brewing academy...

(Nick Holwegner, Brewmaster) "I have a buddy who is a brewing assistant and we bounce ideas back and forth and develop recipes.  It will be a lot of fun."

But it isn't just drinks -- Daniel has spent months perfecting a menu that has a North Dakota feel...

(Daniel Haff, Chef) "I guess what you would call upscale pub food.  We will have sandwiches and a few full meals.  We are going for traditional, Midwestern, and hearty kind of menu.  Bison meatballs and such.  I try to locally source as much of the food as possible."

Construction continues here at Souris River Brewing -- which you can check out on facebook by the way.  The hope for an early November opening.

Finally -- downtown, Lillians on Main Street is open for the first time today.  Tanya Tofteland along with husband Tracy have opened the trendy woman's shopper known as the 'Hippest Shoppe In Town."  Lillians is known for unique hours...and days of operation.  It will be open from Thursday through Sunday on the second week of each month.  That means today through Sunday at 16 South Main.

With Business Beat, I'm Perry Olson.