What’s happening: Eastern Market Brewing Co. continues its northward expansion with the anticipated October opening of Lincoln Tap, their new Royal Oak taproom. The 30-tap tasting room is located within the company’s also-new Royal Oak production facility on the edge of downtown. While opening date details have yet to be released, EMBC recommends checking their
social media and
website for the latest on grand opening announcements and pre-celebration soft launches.
Who they are: Eastern Market Brewing Co. was founded in 2017 in Detroit’s Eastern Market, where they maintain their flagship taproom today. The company later opened their more experimental brewery, Ferndale Project, on Ferndale’s stretch of Livernois Avenue, in 2020. Additional offshoots include a direct-to-consumer beer delivery service, Dooped Donuts, and ASHE Coffee.
[Related: Read “Community, camaraderie, craft: Ferndale Project establishes itself as a true neighborhood brewery” on Metromode.]
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Lincoln Tap is located at 330 Lincoln Ave. in Royal Oak.About the expansion: This latest venture in Royal Oak is notable for a number of reasons. The new production facility will allow the brewery to triple its production capacity, supporting the company’s expanding distribution footprint. And Lincoln Tap itself is being touted as one of Michigan’s first self-service taprooms, featuring 30 high tech taps rotating EMBC and Ferndale Project beers, as well as wine and cold-brewed coffee.
High tech and hops: You read that right; Lincoln Tap won’t have traditional servers and bartenders. The taproom has partnered with iPourIt, Inc. to utilize that company’s self-serve technology. Guests will wear RFID-enabled wristbands and pour the drinks themselves. The wristbands track the amount poured by the ounce, meaning that guests can fill their pints as high or as low as they like. A recent bill signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer allowed the technology to begin being implemented in Michigan, and the EMBC team embraced it once they experienced a Florida self-serve taproom for themselves.
What they’re saying: “Customer service is the foundation of our business and the experience that our staff creates is integral. With self-pour technology, they can focus on storytelling and creating an awesome, inviting experience,” says Dayne Bartscht, co-founder and managing partner of Eastern Market Brewing Co. “Being able to operate more efficiently is also a big benefit and we like to innovate so being one of the first is exciting.”
Lincoln Tap is located at 330 Lincoln Ave. in Royal Oak.
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