Lil Beaver Brewery, located on the South End of Bloomington IL at 16 Currency Drive, opened its doors to the public for the first time in January 2018. In just two years, the brewery has gone from a moonlight project to a full blown career for co-owner and head brewer Chad Bevers, who partnered with local business owners Justin and Adam Bellas at the start of 2019.
“I’m not going to lie, I was extremely concerned about the fate of this company when the covid-19 closures started,” commented Bevers. “Fortunately, we have an amazing customer base, including the individuals that buy directly from us at our brewery taproom, as well as the 150+ retail partners we have throughout Illinois. As a result, the demand for our unique beers has never been higher, and we’re honestly at a point where we’re selling out of nearly every beer we package within just a few days, it’s quite exciting at LBB right now!”
Under the leadership of Justin Bellas, one of Bevers’ business partners as well as co-owner of Bellas Landscaping with his twin brother Adam, Lil Beaver Brewery just opened a completely new patio space and additional parking lot on the east side of the currency drive location, positioning the brewery between Finance and Currency drive with entrances on both sides. The patio features numerous highlights, including the first in Bloomington Normal Shipping Container Bar, custom built by Justin, which houses 8 Beer Taps for outdoor service.
“We purchased the building and adjacent lot on Finance Drive last year, but didn’t get the plans approved in time to start construction until this spring”, stated Justin. “The patio and parking lot were just the first step in our expansion. We’re so excited to announce the next phase of the project, which is moving into the adjacent unit at the 16 Currency Drive location, which was previously occupied by a rental company until April of this year.”
The digital renderings give an idea as to what the team has in store for fans of the flavorful beverages produced by the brewery. Plans are currently under review by the City of Bloomington before construction can begin. “We’ve outgrown the space we’re in, both for customer seating as well as production”, commented co-owner Adam Bellas. “Our only limiting factor right now from us selling more beer, is us producing more beer. By building a new space for our customers, we’ll also be freeing up space for more brewery equipment, which will ultimately allow us to double our recently-doubled capacity.”
Once the buildout is complete, the brewery will include a full kitchen to provide food to diners for Lunch and Dinner. Scott Swanson of Workbench Architects, the designer of the space, mentioned that “We had a few obstacles to work around on this project, such as maximizing the seating capacity while reducing the kitchen area for optimal efficiency, and still leaving enough growth space for the brewery equipment. Many considerations were taken into account with the limitations of the existing building, including a mezzanine area to serve as an observation deck to the brewery, a private video gaming area than one would typically encounter in many Illinois establishments, and a flexible “barrel room” for private parties that will seat up to 40 people.”
To help with the day to day functions of the growing brewery, LBB hired a new Operations Manager, local resident Lucas Smith. “Lucas has been an employee of Bellas Landscaping while home from college the past few years, and we’re very lucky to have him now working full time for Lil Beaver”, said Bevers. “Our team continues to grow and having someone like Lucas to help us stay organized is vital.”
Lil Beaver Brewery is located at 16 Currency Drive on the South end of Veterans Parkway. The taproom is open daily along with the patio, weather permitting. https://www.restaurantji.com/il/bloomington/lil-beaver-brewery-/
