Foreign Local Brewery and Taproom is looking forward to opening its new location in the Hessville neighborhood of Hammond before the end of the year.
The microbrew pub bills itself on its website as a music and art-driven brewery whose name reflects a dual focus on brewing, from traditional old-world styles to new experimental styles of fruit beer.
Foreign Local closed its 489 Fayette St. location in November and announced in April its planned new location at 6716–18 Kennedy Ave. The pub plans to open before the end of the year, owner Mike Glowacki said.
The relocation was prompted by the sale of the Fayette Street location, which Glowacki was leasing.
“Although that was a devastating blow for us at the time to abruptly relocate our business, it was truly a blessing in disguise,” Glowacki told Inside INdiana Business in an email. “After moving out of our previous location, we were able to purchase our very own building, and we are now located in the busy and bustling Hessville neighborhood in Hammond, Indiana.”
The city recently invested more than $5 million in federal pandemic relief funds into Kennedy Avenue, the main street of the Hessville neighborhood, Executive Director of Planning & Development Anne Taylor said. The thoroughfare was reduced from four lanes to two lanes with raised intersections to slow traffic and encourage pedestrian use.
The new 6,000-square-foot brewery location occupies the former Hose Connections building, which was originally built in 1941 as a tavern and bowling alley. By restoring and reimagining the space, Glowacki aims to honor the building’s past while creating a vibrant gathering place for the community, the news release said.
Up to 15 new jobs are expected.
“Foreign Local Brewery and Taproom is exactly the type of investment we love to see in Hammond,” Mayor Tom McDermott said in a news release announcing the brewery’s new location. “Hessville has a rich history and a strong sense of pride. We are thrilled Foreign Local Brewery and Taproom is reinvesting into our Hammond community.”
Hammond is a Lake County city of about 76,000 residents south of East Chicago.