Eaton Pub and Grille is used to regular change. Especially with the house made beer list from Charlotte Brewing Co., owner Terry Davis tries to incorporate variety and circulation. This variety has given mug club members and many other customers regular treats to look forward to. But now Davis is running out of room. Because of the variety he and head brewer, Jason Orbeck, have provided Eaton Pub and Grille now enjoys six or seven staple beers, as opposed to their original four. With the demand for more staple beers Eaton Pub and Grille is looking to expand.
“Beer garden” is the term Davis used frequently to describe the hopeful expansion of Eaton Pub. What he generally meant is a patio, likely with an outdoor tap, where customers can sit, dine, and socialize over their Charlotte Brewing Co. favorites. Currently Davis is looking to expand into buildings neighboring the north side of the pub. He is discussing renovation possibilities with friend and business neighbor Mark Hughes, owner of Jerry’s Barbershop.
The expansion would also include more brewing equipment so Charlotte Brewing Co. can keep more regular beer on tap, and so head brewer Orbeck can continue creating creative new tastes. Davis and Orbeck have created a regular rotation of seasonal beers that customers look forward to, like their bourbon barrel beers released in April, Snow Storm Winter Lager released during the winter months. Some seasonal beers like the Copper Mountain Amber Ale have turned into pub favorites. Those customer favorites are in the back of Davis’ mind as he plans for an expansion.
Also in light of a possible expansion, is extensive training for Orbeck. Recently the head brewer has been studying and training to become a beer cicerone. A beer cicerone is essentially a professional beer taster, guru, and connoisseur. After his training and certification Orbeck will be an in house beer master for the Eaton Pub, able to identify differences in thousands of kinds of beers. Upon being an already gifted and creative brewer, Davis indicated that Orbeck will be a special asset to the pub. There are about 2,500 beer cicerones in the country, and only about 50 in the state of Michigan at the level Orbeck is working toward.
Davis noted some key differences between Eaton Pub and other microbreweries. While it’s common for small breweries to either have a higher end menu, or little to no food menu, Eaton Pub prides itself in having standard American fare. Davis has tried to give customers the nuts and bolts menu items that they love everywhere they go. He doesn’t see that as a threat to the pub or Charlotte Brewing Co. He recognizes that visitors already love coming to a local brewery for the specialized beer.
Davis is also excited about the dining opportunities coming to Charlotte. He sees the expansion of Eaton Pub as part of a greater expansion of Charlotte. He’s thrilled that the highly anticipated Dolson will be opening down the street. Davis hopes that the addition of a patio and more brewing equipment will also entice readers, as well as visitors to Charlotte.
To learn more about Eaton Pub and Grille and Charlotte Brewing Co., readers can visit eatonpub.com, or the Eaton Pub and Grille Facebook page. There are event opportunities at the pub, like karaoke and team trivia, as well as special events like Davis’ anticipated IPA Days, which is set tentatively for July 22. There are also great opportunities through Eaton Pub’s mug club, through which club members get discounts and early notifications and taste tests of Charlotte Brewing Co. beers.
