Minneapolis-based Indeed Brewing Co. plans to open a brewery and taproom in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood to help boost the growth of its brand in Wisconsin.
Tom Whisenand, Indeed Brewing co-founder, said Wisconsin represents the most important state to the company’s growth outside of Minnesota. The idea is for the taproom to give a boost to Indeed’s efforts to sell at the wholesale level in Wisconsin.
“It’s really meant to introduce people to our brand and get us in their normal rotation of beers they might be buying,” Whisenand said.
Indeed closed on the purchase a building at 530 S. 2nd St. on Thursday. The company’s affiliate IBC Real Estate WI LLC purchased the property from Milwaukee Fix Annex LLC for $542,500. Whisenand said Indeed has been working with Kahler Slater to design the taproom and building. The plan is to begin construction in January with work complete by mid-summer.
The Milwaukee location will have a 10-barrel brewing system built by W.M. Sprinkman that will focus more on small-batches and experimental production while the Minneapolis brewery focuses on higher volume production.
Indeed has already been self-distributing its beer in Wisconsin, but the opening of a taproom and brewery marks a more substantial commitment to a market that has already seen significant growth in craft breweries in recent years.
“We have a brand that stands out. We have beer that stands out,” Whisenand said, adding the company has emphasized quality and consistency since its founding in 2012.
Even though the taproom is intended as a way of introducing people to Indeed’s beers, Whisenand said the company is also putting a lot of focus on making it a place people want to come.
One way of drawing new people in is the company’s Indeed We Can program, which donates the net proceeds of sales on Wednesdays to nonprofits selected by employees. Indeed’s Minneapolis operation gave away more than $108,000 to nonprofits through the program last year.
Whisenand said the program is mutually beneficial as nonprofits get donations and people who might not otherwise learn about the company come to the brewery.
“They get introduced to what we’re all about, which is more than just beer,” he said.
The company plans to replicate the program with the 20 employees it plans to have in Milwaukee.
