LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A vacant Kroger in Old Louisville is being remodeled for a new brewery.
Noble Funk Brewery will move into the old grocery store at 922 South Second Street. With more than 28,000 square feet of space, the brewery and taproom won’t be the only ones setting up shop in what will be called "The 922." There are plans for a restaurant, coffee shop, community space and more.
“We’re really excited to get this up and running,” said Dominique Shrader, co-owner of Noble Funk Brewery.
Shrader is joined by her husband, Johnathan Shrader, who is also the head brewer. He was most recently brewing professionally in Florida.
“And now we're back in our home town, and we're excited to bring something new and fun to the Louisville area," Dominique Shrader said. "We’re so happy to collaborate and be part of the brewing scene here."
So far, The 922 is about a $3 million investment. Kroger closed the Old Louisville store in January 2017. Spalding University bought the building later that year, but it remained empty. Then in 2019, Louisville-based developer Domino Partners LLC bought the buildings with plans to turn it into a brewery and taproom.
“It's a little bit bigger than we were anticipating taking on when we were first conceptualizing the brewery many years ago,” Shrader said. “But this is a major step for us. And we really wanted to bring something to the community where folks can come in and enjoy themselves, hang out, whether it's for business or pleasure.”
The couple has been working on the plans to start a brewery that blends German traditions with new, funky flavors. While conceptualizing and building a brewery in the middle of a pandemic is a difficult task, the Shraders said they are optimistic to be open and ready for when locals feel more comfortable to venture out and for when tourists begin to travel again.
The building is currently under construction, but areas are starting to take shape as framing and walls are starting to go up. As soon as guests walk in, there will be a vast open area with seating that will connect to a patio outside. The brewery and taproom will be toward the back and left side of the building.
In the center of the building there is a restaurant space that will serve pizzas, sandwiches and salads. Dominique Shrader said the team expects that menu to expand and include other food options and events, eventually.
“We're going to have a kitchen here as well," she said. "We'd be excited to have guest chefs do pop-ups and do beer dinners."
The blueprints also include areas for a coffee shop and a multi-purpose community space.
“We can have folks come in and have meetings, students from Spalding, U of L, staff, anyone who wants to gather, meet, do small events,” Dominique Shrader said.
She said it’s important that The 922 is a good neighbor and serves the needs of the community surrounding it. And without a grocery store in the near vicinity, she said that’s still on the team’s list of hopeful tenants.
“We have absolutely looked into that," she said. "We're still looking into that. We're absolutely open to it. We'd love to be able to provide as many food options for the community as we can."
The developer is interested in hearing from potential partners that might want to bring a market concept to the space.
A grand opening is not set in stone yet, but the Shraders hope the brewery will open in the first half of this year.
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