Tire Shack Brewing Plans Ambitious Expansion In Moncton
MONCTON – The husband-wife duo running Tire Shack Brewing Co.’s plans to double its footprint in downtown Moncton include an opportunity for guests to sip their beers on the roof, year-round.
Co-owners Alan Norman and Jerrica Kennedy told Huddle that they knew it was time to expand, building a four-season rooftop patio and rentable community space when they started getting requests to rent out the taproom for community events.
Norman said they wanted to keep the taproom space available for anyone who wants to drop in – and figured a rentable space would be a good addition for weddings, corporate events and anything else that is planned.
Of the plans for a rooftop patio, Norman said, “In the winter, you could watch a snowstorm up there, and in the summer, there’s going to be a garage door that opens up so you can sit outside.”
Riverview-born Norman and Kennedy are no strangers to such a setup. The couple originally renovated an abandoned former auto garage at 190 John Street that had sat neglected for three years into the brewery with five opening garage doors and a frequently-changing food menu, after moving back to New Brunswick from Toronto, where they previously lived for about 15 years.
“We wanted to be able to have as much seating as possible in the taproom, so the brewing part is pretty condensed in the back. We had a pretty good capacity for guests, but we outgrew it pretty fast,” said Norman.
The brewery’s physical expansion is proportionate to a hiring spree Norman and Kennedy have planned. They told Huddle they plan to at least double the brewery’s staff of 13 – and to introduce a barrel-aging program for future beers.
“You can get some really unique flavours and you don’t see a lot of that around here. It takes space to keep those barrels for a long time, but we’re really excited to bring something totally unique to the area with that program,” said Kennedy.
Tire Shack is already known for some unique small-batch brews, with offerings that include beers like Secret Society Toasted Marshmallow Stout, Love at Midnight Pina Colada IPA and Tiki Bar Lime Margarita Gose.
Norman said there are also plans to expand the brewery’s selection of beers by doubling its 1,500-hectaliter brewing infrastructure, allowing Tire Shack to have more beer to sell at ANBL stores, bars and restaurants.
“Right now, we have a hard time being able to provide, when restaurants and bars ask us for beer. This expansion will allow us to really grow our reach throughout the province,” said Norman.
The couple demurred when asked what the price tag of such an ambitious expansion would be, noting they’d prefer not to try and guess at a particular price point yet.
“We’re not sure at this point. At this point, it’d be a ballpark figure,” said Norman, a certified beer judge and former employee of Toronto-based Henderson Brewing Co.
“From previous experience renovating the original Tire Shack, it’s hard to predict,” added Kennedy.
The expansion, which includes a 4,000-square-foot expansion onto an adjacent property at 227 Dominion Street for a community room, is being considered by Moncton City Council. A public meeting to gauge public response to the expansion is slated for Nov. 15.
Kennedy noted the expansion wasn’t in the couple’s original plan, but when the property adjacent to their business became available, they decided to jump on it.
“We feel really fortunate that being open just two years, we’re already looking at an expansion,” said Kennedy.
“For our original plan, we just crossed our fingers and hoped people would come here and buy a beer,” added Norman with a chuckle.
Norman and Kennedy praised their neighbourhood – a place they both live and do business – for the great support it’s provided since they opened. That support includes Tire Shack’s early days in the pandemic, with Norman personally delivering beer orders.
“There were some pretty bleak days there, so we tried to be a bright spot and brew up interesting beers we thought people would gravitate to,” said Norman.
“The area is being rejuvenated and we really love the community, and how they supported us. We’re really happy to be back in New Brunswick and being part of the growth of Moncton.”
Sam Macdonald is a Huddle reporter in Moncton. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].
To read more stories like this in Huddle, sign up to receive our free daily newsletter.