Brew goes Pint Sized, plans second location (and a tiny bar)
The current shop on Lark Street.
Changes are coming to Brew, the popular beer/coffee shop on Lark Street.
Owner August Rosa says he's changing the name to Pint Sized. And he's opening a second location in Saratoga Springs -- what he believes could be the Capital Region's tiniest bar.
Rosa said the success of Brew on Lark Street sent him looking for a second location, someplace that had some of the same qualities that work for current spot -- "being in the heart of a city and having a walkable area" have been important to Brew's success.
He searched the Capital Region and found a tiny underground space at 489 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs to create Pint Sized, a small brew and bottle shop. It's smaller than he originally planned, but he says he's really excited about the space.
"A smaller space lends itself to creativity," he said. "It will be a cozier experience."
The plan is to build something very much like Brew, with beer you can take out -- but with 12 taps and a small area where people can sit with a drink.
One aspect of Brew that won't be as big a part of the Saratoga Pint Sized: coffee. "We will be keeping coffee in the mix, but with a focus on the retail bags." says Rosa. " Other elements of Brew, like cocktail mixers and tea will slowly phase out," he says. But the focus at Pint Size will definitely be on beer. The new bar will feature many local brews on tap.
"It doesn't seem like the pace of craft beer is slowing down and that's why I'm confident in a second endeavor," Rosa said. "We're thinking baby steps, but if Saratoga works I'd be definitely open to more craft beer focused businesses down the road."
The exterior of the current Lark Street shop.
If it goes well, he's say's he's planning to replicate the concept in other areas in the Capital Region, including expanding the current Lark Street shop.
"We love Lark Street," Rosa said. "We're not leaving."
The new shop in Saratoga is expected to open in late April or early May.
Earlier on AOA: Follow up: Brew
Say Something!
We'd really like you to take part in the conversation here at All Over Albany. But we do have a few rules here. Don't worry, they're easy. The first: be kind. The second: treat everyone else with the same respect you'd like to see in return. Cool? Great, post away. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks for being patient.
Comments
Great news! This is a wonderful business run by lovely people and it's so nice to hear they're doing well enough to expand.
... said JayK on Feb 23, 2017 at 2:43 PM | link
Love this place and am so glad to hear they're planning to stay, if not expand, on Lark. Exactly what the neighborhood needs!
... said Deirdre on Feb 23, 2017 at 8:40 PM | link
This is so funny, my husband and I were just saying we'd love these guys to branch out to Troy. So what I'm saying is PLEASE COME TO TROY NEXT!
... said Cris on Feb 24, 2017 at 8:43 AM | link