Funkytown Brewery Expands to Near West Side

- The new brewery and taproom will be located at 1931 W. Lake St. on the Near West Side, near the United Center. This positions the brewery within the footprint of the planned $7 billion 1901 Project, a massive mixed-use redevelopment initiative by the owners of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks. - To finance the new facility, Funkytown received a $3.7 million grant from the City of Chicago's Community Development Grant program and is also raising $5 million in a seed funding round. The building itself is under contract for $2.85 million. - Before this expansion, Funkytown operated out of Pilot Project Brewing, a Logan Square-based incubator that helps new breweries scale up production and distribution without the high initial capital costs. - The brewery was founded by three childhood friends from Oak Park, Rich Bloomfield, Greg Williams, and Zack Day, who are all graduates of Grambling State University, an HBCU. Their mission is to make craft beer more accessible and welcoming to women and Black consumers, who have been historically underserved by the industry. - Funkytown has gained significant recognition, including being named Brewery of the Year for 2023 by VinePair and winning the Samuel Adams' "Brewing the American Dream" award. The founders were also named to Crain's Chicago Business "40 Under 40" list in 2023. - Their beers, which focus on approachable styles with moderate alcohol and low bitterness, are already available in over 700 locations, including major Chicago sports venues like the United Center, Wrigley Field, and Soldier Field. - With the new, larger facility, Funkytown projects its annual revenue will increase from around $500,000 to $5 million. The brewery hopes to open the new taproom sometime in 2027.