Overland Park’s newest microbrewery could be open by September. At least that’s the hope for its owner, Matt Britton.
Britton’s venture, Discourse Brewing, is set to open in the former home of Window Door & Trim, 7211 W. 97th St., in the Windmill Square Shopping Center.
Britton has been remodeling the former space the past few months, taking out almost everything, save for a distinctive chimney.
“I want customers to be able to look (through the windows) and see the fermentation vessels, come in and see the entire process,” Britton said. “When I go into a brewery, I want to see the operation.”
It’s along the changing Metcalf corridor
As part of the city’s approval process, Britton was required to mail certified letters to all neighbors in the area within 1,000 feet, announcing his intentions to operate a brewery there.
After sending out 52 letters and not hearing any objections, he feels he has cleared the last of the hurdles necessary to move towards an opening.
“I do think the city does like how [the brewery] fits into their vision for this area around the old Metcalf South,” he said, a reference to the site of the old mall just to the northeast that is also going through its own renovation.
That includes a new Texas Roadhouse that just opened across Metcalf, as well as plans for a new gym and fitness center where the Sears store formerly stood.
Britton got his brewing start in Florida
Britton, who grew up in Lawrence, returned to the Kansas City area a year ago after learning the brewery business in Jacksonville, Florida.
There, he was teaching high school social studies and decided to dip his toe into becoming a homebrewer.
As he grew in his own brewing abilities, he approached Bottlenose Brewing, a local brewery in Jacksonville, about working for them and learning the trade.
“They took a chance on a homebrewer like me,” Britton said. “After about a week-and-a-half, the owner stepped away and really let me take over. I made them profitable and received many awards there.”
Britton found the Overland Park space last year
After returning home last year, Britton zeroed in on Overland Park’s relative dearth of microbreweries and found the vacancy at Windmill Square.
The space had been empty for years when he secured a lease to the nearly fifty-year old building in November.
There’s more work to be done, but he sees an opening on the horizon.
A potential September opening around Labor Day would coincide with the kickoff of football season, he said.
Despite plans to outfit the brewery with big screen TVs, Britton says he doesn’t want Discourse to be “just another sports bar.”
“I’m a sports fan, and we will show sports,” Britton said. “The NFL Calendar now takes up half the year.”
Other notes about Discourse Brewing
- Britton plans to have the space evenly split between a brewery on one side and a bar on the other.
- He wants a “Nintendo nook” with old school Nintendo games being played on a big-screen TV, as well as an area for board games.
- There will not be a kitchen on site, but Britton hopes to forge partnerships with nearby restaurants to provide food options.
- Tentatively, Discourse will open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on most weekdays, with extended evening hours on weekends.
Ben McCarthy is a contributor to the Post and other publications in the Kansas City area. He can be reached at ben.c.mccarthy@gmail.com with questions, comments and story suggestions.
