Brewery to Debut at The Landing

Thursday, September 6, 2018 06:20 PM EDT
By Alex Brown, Assistant Managing Editor
Brewery to Debut at The Landing This early rendering of The Landing could change with the addition of MKM to the design process. (image courtesy of Greater Fort Wayne Inc.)

Two northeast Indiana business owners are bringing a new concept to a $30 million mixed-use development in Fort Wayne. Caleb France and Brendon Maxwell plan to debut their brewery and BBQ location at The Landing, according to developer The Model Group.

France is the owner of Cerulean restaurant in Winona Lake and Maxwell is the founder of Utopian Coffee in Fort Wayne. France calls the new location at The Landing a perfect opportunity to be a part of the city’s food and beverage scene, though specific details about the brewery have not been released.

"When the opportunity was presented for Brendon and myself to be a part of The Landing Neighborhood, we couldn’t resist," said France. "We completely resonate with The Model Group’s vision for The Landing and the chance to build community downtown. We’re taking what we know about our neighbors and our surroundings to help build an exciting future for this area. We are thrilled to not only create a brewery within the downtown core, but to do it with the help and influence of the community."

Construction on The Landing is ongoing and is expected to be complete next summer. The Model Group says Maxwell also plans to open the first retail coffee bar location for Utopian Coffee at The Landing.

When complete, The Landing will feature 70 apartment units and 60,000 square feet of retail and office space. The Model Group says additional tenant announcements are expected "imminently." 

"First, we are focused on creating a brand new Landing that is a primary home for Fort Wayne’s entrepreneurs—living here, working in urban office space here, creating new businesses here, and meeting over a coffee or a beer to launch something new," said Bobby Maly, principal of The Model Group. "Second, we believe The Landing is a place for people who want to be a part of the broader downtown Fort Wayne renaissance story, and these two homegrown entrepreneurs certainly fit that bill."