Little Rock's Rock Town Distillery plans for bigger digs

Luke Klifman works Tuesday at a whiskey still at Rock Town Distillery. The distillery is hoping to move to a “big, flat lot” on Capitol Avenue, owner Phil Brandon said.
Luke Klifman works Tuesday at a whiskey still at Rock Town Distillery. The distillery is hoping to move to a “big, flat lot” on Capitol Avenue, owner Phil Brandon said.

Rock Town Distillery has submitted a transfer-of-location application to the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control administration and plans to build on a vacant lot at 1616 E. Capitol Ave. in Little Rock.

Distillery owner Phil Brandon said Rock Town was planning to spend about $1.2 million to build a 16,000-square-foot facility and move equipment to the new location. Brandon said the prospect of building specifically for his distilling operation was attractive when weighed against a looming increase in rent.

"It will be laid out better and allow for future expansion," Brandon said. "It's a big, flat lot near where we were. There's still easy access from downtown and the Clinton Library. We had been planning to stay here, but it's going to be cheaper to build a new building than it is to stay right here."

Rock Town's current location at 1216 E. Sixth St. was purchased for about $400,000 as part of a larger real estate deal in October by 6th and Shall LLC, an entity affiliated with executives at Cromwell Architects Engineers and Moses Tucker Real Estate.

Dan Fowler, director of finance and business development at Cromwell, and Moses Tucker Real Estate President Chris Moses have been spearheading an effort to redevelop the area that is being called East Village.

Moses said those involved in East Village remain confident it will be an entertainment destination similar to the city's River Market District. Moses said about $15 million will be invested in real estate and infrastructure improvements for the area.

"We'd love for Rock Town to participate in this endeavor, but we certainly understand that they are their own business, they have their own investors and they need to do what is best for their team," Moses said. "At the end of the day we're going to have one of the coolest developments in central Arkansas, if not Arkansas. It's going to be cutting edge, mixed use that attracts real food, beverage and entertainment-oriented folks."

Brandon said moving expenses could reach $200,000, and he planned to start a $30,000 crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com.

Relocation will take about 30 days and Brandon said the distillery will have to stop operating during that time. It will "ramp up production ahead of that," he said.

Rock Town will celebrate its sixth anniversary Saturday. It has been operating in its current location since it opened in 2010.

Alan Sims, vice president of sales and services with the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, said he takes clients to Rock Town who are looking for off-site venues for special events.

"Beverage tours and bourbon are the biggest thing going right now on the tourism side," he said. "Rock Town is a great asset to the city. Craft beer has exploded, but there aren't many cities with distillers."

Before Rock Town can move, its application must be approved by Bud Roberts, director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration Division. Notices are being sent by the state agency to Little Rock's mayor and chief of police and to the Pulaski County sheriff and prosecuting attorney. After 15 days, Roberts will make a determination to approve the transfer request, agency spokesman Jake Bleed said.

Should the application be denied, Brandon could appeal to the full beverage control board. Unlike liquor stores, there are no restrictions on a distillery or brewery's location in proximity to a school or church.

"Those limitations are only for package liquor stores," Bleed said. "Obviously if one of the individuals notified or somebody in the community protest the move, that will certainly be something we consider."

In another East Village real estate transaction, Little Rock's eStem Charter School paid $1.73 million for an 111,096-square-foot warehouse on 3.7 acres at 400 Shall Ave. Enrollment at the school will double as part of the expansion, which is expected to be complete in 2018-19.

Business on 06/22/2016

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