Justin Aprahamian, the celebrated chef who co-founded brewery-restaurant Like Minds Brewing, plans to exit his ownership stake in the business.
John Lavelle, Aprahamian’s co-founder, will continue to run Like Minds. The news was first reported by BizTimes media partner OnMilwaukee.com.
Aprahamian, the chef-owner at East Side restaurant Sanford, told OnMilwaukee he is stepping back from the brewpub to focus on his family.
Like Minds opened its Milwaukee location at 823 E. Hamilton St. in October after a lengthy approval process. The pair opened the first Like Minds brewery in Chicago because a state law prevented Aprahamian from holding a retail liquor license for Sanford and also obtaining a brewery license.
But Aprahamian and Lavelle were eventually able to circumvent the rule and open the 5,000-square-foot Milwaukee brewpub. It has a seven-barrel brewing system and 10 beers on tap. Like Minds, which serves food that pairs with its beers, recently added brunch to the fold. Chefs Paul Funk and James Cababa craft the food menu, and Lavelle brews the beer.
Aprahamian was named Best Chef Midwest by the James Beard Foundation in 2014.
