East Crossroads brewery in KC is relocating for a bigger space and distribution goal

Border Brewing Company in the Crossroads has been selling out of its beers just through its taproom, especially in the summer months.

For its goal of local distribution, it would have to get bigger.

“It is pretty small but it has been a great incubator for us,” said Eric Martens, founder. “We want to distribute to bars, restaurants and liquor stores. And we had to turn people away in the taproom because of occupancy limits, and as a business owner you never want to do that.”

He spent a couple of years looking at other Crossroads spaces, and now has snapped up a 6,483-square-foot red brick building at 512 E. 18th St., just down the street from his current location. The new brewery will be on the 3,200-square-foot first floor, with apartments currently on the second.

Martens has a chemical engineering degree from Kansas State University and had been in that industry for five years. But he also was a home brewer for seven years with plans to make it a career.

In May 2014, he leased a 1,275-square-foot space at 406 E. 18th St., across from Grinders. He opened the brewery and taproom in early 2015, in what later was dubbed “brewers alley.” Other breweries, three distilleries and a winery now operate nearby, he said.

Border pivoted to canning and take-out during the pandemic and put in social distancing measures at the taproom.

It started with five employees and now has a dozen. It plans to add more once the new brewery opens, probably in late spring 2021.

Martens will continue to operate at the current space until shortly before opening the new brewery. Then he will sell his old brewing equipment.

“To be able to stay in the neighborhood that we started is pretty awesome. We’ll have more space to try out some new beers, maybe barrel-aging, events,” Martens said. “But we still want to keep that small feel in the taproom. Keeping it approachable, inviting and warm has always been important to me.”

Anné Erickson of JLL, a real estate and investment management company, handled the negotiations for Border on the purchase of the building. The purchase price was not disclosed.

This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 2:51 PM.