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Brewery Ommegang store
In an effort to better accommodate the surging number of tourists who flock to Ommegang each year, the brewery has broken ground on an extensive expansion of their onsite visitors’ center that they hope to have up and running by the start of the 2018 summer season.
With nearly 80,000 visitors are now making the trek to the Cooperstown, New York-based craft brewery annually (40% of whom visit between June and August), Ommegang’s $2 million destination far-reaching upgrade is being launched with the goal of delivering a superlative experience to every visitor.
Highlights include a new entry way with access to the store, tasting room, and café. The café itself is also being redesigned to accommodate more seating and tables that will look out onto the Ommegang’s scenic patio and brewery grounds.
Additional outdoor seating is also planned for Ommegang’s all-weather pavilion, as is an expansion of Ommegang’s retail store, to include a new beer cellar that will allow the brewery to showcase their growing line of small batch limited releases.
Aiding in the overall renovation, and in the marketing of the brewery once everything is completed, is a $525 thousand grant that Ommegang recently received from the state’s economic development council which under Governor Cuomo leadership has been tremendously supportive of New York States craft brewing industry.
“With this renovation, we will build an onsite experience that is world-class, matching the quality of the experience with the quality of the beer we brew here every day. As a significant tourist draw for the area, we always aim to provide a unique, memorable experience that leaves our visitors with a love of beer and of the Cooperstown area. The grant from New York State and the additional capacity it will enable us to add will aid in that aim significantly,” stated Doug Campbell, Brewery President.
The renovations, which began just before the holidays, will require the brewery to close the visitors’ center for two days in mid-January and to operate a slightly limited café service for roughly six weeks from early-March to mid-April.
But Ommegang’s retail store will remain open, and tours and tastings still being offered daily throughout the ongoing expansion period.
All image credits: Brewery Ommegang
