Old Black Bear Brewery moving to downtown Madison

This vacant building will be the site of the Old Black Bear Brewery. (RECORD PHOTO/ALDO AMATO)

By Aldo Amato

Staff Reporter 

MADISON — The steps towards revitalizing downtown Madison took a major step on Friday.

Old Black Bear Brewery announced that they will be relocating to one of the vacant buildings on Main St. in historic downtown Madison. The company will make it official at Madison Derby Days on May 4.

“We will be moving all operations to Madison,” Old Black Bear Brewery Company marketing director Jeremiah Arsenault said. ” There will be a tap room and they will be converting the space in the back into an entertaining space for concerts.”

Plans to renovate the building have been in the works for some time. Building owner and Bandito Burrito co-owner Larry Anderson mentioned in early February that he had offers for several properties downtown.

A mock-up of the location provided by Black Bear Brewing Company. Bandito Burrito is not sold and this is just a proposed plan. The only building confirmed by Black Bear Brewing Company is the one on the left. (CONTRIBUTED)

“We want to get it done,” he said in February interview. “We are absolutely open to renovation.”

Mayor Troy Trulock praised the proposed move.

“It is absolutely huge for us,” he said. “Revitalization downtown is huge no matter what business is moving in. It is part of our $6 million Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) pledge to the downtown area. So we’re pretty excited about it.”

Owners Daniel Levis and Todd Seaton said this move will benefit the city in more ways than one.

“We believe this is a real game changer for the residents of Madison looking to spend their money in Madison on a Madison-owned business,” both said in an May 3 e-mail. “For downtown visitors, we will add to the atmosphere downtown and as ABC laws continue to evolve, we envision coming out to listen to a local acoustic duo and carrying home a six pack that was packaged just an hour before. At the same time, Madison is getting a locally owned, family friendly business.  While we will produce beer for the over 21 crowd, we will also have homemade lemonade and root beer for the kids.”

Currently, all Black Bear Brewery operations take place at 201 East Side Square in Huntsville. Some of the house beers include Milepost 652 ESB, Roaming Bear Porter, Cave City Lager and Speckled Trout American Wheat.

Both Levis and Seaton said they are excited to offer a new place for residents to come and relax.

” We will be a cornerstone part of the Madison community,” they said. “We will be a place where people can get together after work to have a good time as well as be a central location for events that will benefit all members of the Madison community.”