The Cumberland Brewing Company has plans to nearly double its occupancy.
Cumberland village council approved a structural change application for the business’s brewery and lounge licence on June 25. The application will now be forwarded to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB), which will decide whether to approve the brewery’s renovation plans.
The Cumberland Brewing Company is undergoing construction to move its cellar into a newly leased space next door. Pending approval from the LCLB, its renovations will allow the business to increase its occupancy from 49 to 94 people, including a maximum of 29 people in the lounge and 65 on the patio.
Two additional washrooms and an exit from the patio will also be installed.
Business owner Darren Adam said the renovations have been driven by increased production capacity. He said the micro-brewery recently commissioned two additional brite tanks and a fermenter, allowing the micro-brewery to increase its production capacity by about 30 per cent.
“By the end of all that renovation, we discovered we could add a little bit more seating and we could make use of the seating we already have room for,” he said, adding the renovations will cost the brewery about $25,000.
Despite being one of Cumberland’s most popular businesses, support of the brewery’s growth has not been unanimous.
On May 23, the Village of Cumberland issued 38 notices about the brewery’s structural change application to property owners within a 75-metre radius of the building.
Only seven residents responded, with four concerned the increased occupancy would bring higher noise levels and fewer parking spaces in the evening.
Adam shrugged off the naysayers, saying disagreements are a part of running a business.
“This is the part of the joy of a community, that we have a consultation and open conversations on these things,” he said.
“Any time you do that, you’re going to run into people who agree with you and you’re going to run into people who have different views. That’s a part of life.”
The Cumberland Brewing Company opened in December 2014. It is located at 2732 Dunsmuir Avenue.