This Cumming-based brewery is starting a tab in Gainesville's midtown
Jun. 23—Gainesville beer buffs and hops handlers will have another depot for craft brews in 2023.
NoFo Brew Co. and Distillery, a three-year mainstay of north Forsyth County, is set to tap a second location off the Midland Greenway at 434 High St. SW.
According to NoFo's marketing director Eliana Barnard, construction on the property's 18,214-square-foot warehouse is slated to begin in August, positioning the brewery to open for business in the first quarter of the new year.
When the flagship set sail in Cumming in 2019, it was to "fill a hole in the market." This, Barnard said, "is a different situation" and a chance for NoFo to lend its hand to Gainesville's influx of growth and development.
"From family roots to first jobs, Gainesville means so much to so many different members of our team," Barnard said. "When we saw there was an opportunity to potentially open a new location there, it was a no-brainer. Plus, the amazing economic development happening in Gainesville right now makes it all the more an exciting time to get in at the ground level."
"We are very happy to bring NoFo Brew Co. to Gainesville and join the incredible growth that is already underway in this great city," NoFo co-founder and CEO Joe Garcia echoed in a statement. "It will be exciting to see a project like this come to life, and we believe we will make an excellent addition to the area."
Gainesville is the first offshoot of the original NoFo, but likely not the last; Garcia added plans for several more locations are in the works across the North Georgia beerscape.
Like its Cumming location, Gainesville's will house both a brewery and distillery.
Fans of the NoFo brand can expect to sip familiar staples like Snow Ghost, Bluebird Day and Collateral, as well as some new Gainesville-specific brews and handcrafted cocktails.
According to Barnard, the new brewery will bring 20 jobs to the city and is seeking a head brewer with at least five years of professional brewing experience.
Speaking of the brand, although "NoFo" was initially coined for "North Forsyth," the brewery's namesake is also making the move to Hall.
"We talked about (changing the name) — it clearly was 'North Forsyth' to us in the beginning — but NoFo has made such an impact on all of our hearts that 'NoFo' could be defined as a whole new meaning," Barnard said. "It means so much to our team; it just feels like home. People could say 'NoFo' is 'North Forsyth,' but they could also have their own meaning in their own heart."
A great deal of love and detail was poured into opening NoFo in Cumming, Barnard said, and launching in Gainesville will be no different.
"There's a lot that goes into the process (of expanding), and our team has been working really hard to make it a reality ... and we can't wait to see it come to fruition."
For updates, follow NoFo Gainesville on Instagram.
