The plan to bring a new restaurant concept to St. Francis Brewery (3825 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) was all set from a food planning standpoint, and now the spot has a brewer to take care of that important side of the business.
Dheren Stewart and Shallece Saleen, who are opening the popular brewery space that has been empty since 2019, hired Tyler Killips as their brewmaster. Killips, who honed his skills at the World Brewing Academy, is no stranger to the local brewery scene. He started as a bar manager at Bay View’s now shuttered District 14 Brewery, was the first employee when 1840 Brewing Company opened in 2017, and was with Enlightened Brewing from 2021 until it closed in early January.
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“I’m excited to be here,” said Killips. “It’s cool because they’ve given me a lot of creative freedom. We’re just starting to dive into the brewing equipment and sorting through everything with a fine-tooth comb. Sitting unused for five years takes a toll. The bones are good, it just needs some TLC.”
Stewart has an extensive restaurant background and spent the past decade at Texas Roadhouse. But brewing isn’t one of his specialties.
“The restaurant was an afterthought when they built the brewery,” Stewart explained. “It’s a fairly small kitchen and we may have to adjust it. We’ll try a few different things. (Brewing) is the only part of the industry I haven’t worked in. I needed a creative person to execute at a high level, the same way a restaurant needs a chef.”
Killips has a seven-barrel brewing system at his disposal. He spent four months of his World Brewing Academy experience in Germany, so expect a few traditional styles to be in the regular rotation. The rest of what’s on tap might rely on trial and error.
“My overall approach will be approachable beers with an emphasis on quality,” said Killips. “I’ll also be working closely with Dheren and the kitchen team to create beers that pair well with our food menu. I think we’ll try to test out some things and see what works for us. That may change. We will definitely have some core beers but we’re not sure what those will look like yet. There will definitely be some influences from both (Enlightened and 1840). We’ll likely have a hybrid of traditional beers, German styles, and maybe a hard seltzer or two.”
The plan is to have the reimagined St. Francis Brewery up and running by the spring.
“Dining out has become an experience and people are experience driven,” added Stewart. “I’d like to create a space here where people can have a great experience.”
