Funkytown Brewery to Open Near West Side Taproom
Funkytown Brewery, a Black-owned brewing company, is opening a new taproom in Chicago's Near West Side. The new location will be situated on Lake Street, expanding the presence of Black-owned businesses in the area's craft beer scene.
- The new taproom is made possible by a $3.7 million grant from the City of Chicago, aimed at supporting minority entrepreneurs. - Funkytown Brewery was founded in 2021 by three lifelong friends, Rich Bloomfield, Greg Williams, and Zack Day, who have known each other since grade school and attended Grambling State University together. - Prior to this, the brewery operated out of Pilot Project Brewing, a beverage incubator in Logan Square where their beer was first professionally produced. - The brewery's founders aim to make craft beer more accessible and appealing to new beer drinkers, particularly from underserved communities, by brewing beers with moderate alcohol levels and low bitterness. - The new facility will be located near the United Center at 1931 W. Lake St. and is part of a broader, privately funded $7 billion development project called "The 1901 Project" intended to revitalize the area. - Funkytown has a goal of opening the new brewery and taproom sometime in 2027. - The brewery has received national recognition, winning the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Brewing & Business Experienceship in 2023 and the Brewbound Pitch Slam Competition in 2021. - Their beers are already available at major Chicago venues like Wrigley Field, Guaranteed Rate Field, and the United Center, as well as in various retail stores.
