A New Craft Beer Headquarters in New Orleans

Four breweries have planned to combine and move to a single headquarter in New Orleans. Faubourg Brewing Co., a New Orleans-based brewery, has merged with three breweries that are owned by an Alabama private equity firm. The goal of the merger is to “build a regional craft beer powerhouse.”

The Faubourg Brewery in New Orleans is owned by Tom and Gayle Benson and will be the new headquarters. The Benson Group and Wiregrass Equity Partners of Montgomery who own craft breweries in the Carolinas and Florida will relocate there. The deal will be a 50/50 partnership and will also include future mergers and investments made by the Benson Group.

“Our goal is to help New Orleans become as well known for its beer as it is for its cuisine and to see the local craft beer industry continue to grow and create quality jobs,” said Gayle Benson in a prepared statement. “Our partnership with Made By The Water allows us to grow the Faubourg brand, and bring in a partner that is a leader in building craft beer brands.”

The Bensons purchased Faubourg in 2017 which was called the Dixie Brewing Company. Dixie was originally founded in 1907 but it was shut down because of Hurricane Katrina. The huge facility, 275,000 square feet is located at the junction of Interstate 10 and the Industrial Canal on a 15-acre site.

Combining the companies into this one brewery will make this the 46th-largest craft brewer in the United States. “This is not just a merger,” said Ben Hales, chief operating officer of the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans. “We’re all doubling down and making additional investments, and not just in the Made By The Water headquarters but in other breweries that are a cultural fit for us over the coming years.”

“New Orleans and its culture and history is an ideal base for us to build on that,” Alexi Sekmakas, CEO of Made By The Water said.

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Avenue Pub Will Have New Owners

 The Avenue Pub in New Orleans went up on the market for sale and now has new owners. The Blue Oak founders Ronnie Evans and Philip Moseley and the owners of Frenchmen Street bar the Rambler, Steve Jeffcoat and Ryan Noland have purchased the bar and will still call it Avenue Pub.

The new owners paid $1.7 million and beat out all the other bids, mainly because they plan to keep it Avenue Pub. The bar will runs similar to how it ran under owner Polly Watts and will also retain the current staff.

Staff are excited because of the great benefits that Blue Oak offers. These include medical and dental and paid time off plus above average pay. Blue Oak also helped hospitality workers during the panedemic by giving free meals away.

Avenue Pub first opened its doors in 1987 and is loved locals. It is known for a 24-hour haven for late shift workers; a cutting-edge beer hub for enthusiasts; and one of the city’s leading pub food destinations. The sale took place this month but Watts will still be on hand to help with the annual Zwanze Day event.

There will be some changes according to the new owners. The food menu will be the biggest change but will stay focused on smoked meat dishes. Meat from Blue Oak smokers will now hit the menu. Dishes will include tater tot poutine, stuffed boudin balls, a fried chicken sandwich, shrimp tacos, and smoked chicken wings, which is one of few items borrowed from the original Blue Oak menu. There will also be more TV’s added making it a perfect Saints game day spot.

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