But over the next few months, the Boulder County burg will be inundated with a second wave of craft-beer businesses: two startup breweries and two brewery-owned eateries.
See also: 300 Suns hopes Indigogo will help it become Longmont's fourth brewery
Last week a Longmont developer revealed that the Boulder-based Mountain Sun Pub group will open a new restaurant, the Longs Peak Pub & Taphouse, next spring in the under-construction Roosevelt Park Apartments in the 700 block of Main Street.Mountain Sun already runs three brewpubs -- the Mountain Sun and Southern Sun pubs in Boulder, and the Vine Street Pub in Denver -- all of which brew beer in addition to serving food. The company also owns Under the Sun, a restaurant in Boulder that serves numerous Mountain Sun beers as well as those made by other breweries.
Then on Wednesday, Oskar Blues announced that it will open its third restaurant in Longmont, the CyclHOPS Bike CAN-tina, taco and tequila eatery, which will also be the official retail home for the brewery's in-house bike brand, REEB Cycles. CyclHOPS, at 600 South Airport Road, will have 300 seats and offer twenty beers on tap and 43 tequilas.
Oskar Blues was founded in Lyons, where it still operates a small brewery and restaurant, but it opened a massive new brewery in Longmont in 2008. Since then, it has also created the Homemade Liquids and Solids and CHUBurger eateries in Longmont.
But just because Oskar Blues dominates Longmont doesn't mean there isn't room for a few more beer makers. Today 300 Suns Brewing revealed that it has signed a lease on a 3,000-square-foot space at 335 First Avenue near downtown.
"I think Longmont, from what I've seen on social media and from the support we've received, is looking for more craft breweries in the city limits," says Dan Ditslear, one of five partners in 300 Suns. "There are so many opening in Boulder and Fort Collins and Loveland and the L towns [Louisville and Lafayette], so this is a great opportunity."
Ditslear says that both Left Hand and Oskar Blues have offered support, and that the city and downtown business groups have also been helpful.
Both CyclHOPS and 300 Suns, which would like to add a kitchen once it is up and running, are scheduled to open by the end of this year.
And finally, another startup, Grossen Bart Brewery, is hoping to raise $60,000 with a crowd=funding campaign at communityfunded.com. The three owners of the facial hair- themed brewery want to open a place in downtown Longmont next yar as well.
"Our one of a kind facial hair concept engages our patrons to interact with our brand, while enjoying the beer of their choice. By holding the glass up to their face, they can sport that particular facial hair style associated with that beer," the brewery says on its fundraising page. "No facial hair? No problem! There will be bubble gum machines at our front door filled with a variety of different stick on styles!"
"We will be serving eight different flagship beers out of our taproom, as well as growler fills. We also hope to get our kegs in many different local restaurants," it says.
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