Three and a half years ago, Paul and Kathi Hoffman decided to take a chance on themselves and created the one of a kind local brewery known as Petskull Brewing. Now, thanks to the support of the local community, they are ready to expand into a bigger location and add a food menu featuring Cajun style eats.
We spoke with Paul shortly after the announcement was made, and he said the support they have received is overwhelming. “I was really excited that people are over the top excited that we are doing this Cajun menu because it is something we don’t have around here, it is something that a lot of people like, and it’s unique, and Petskull is unique,” Paul told Seehafer News. “When we came in three and a half years ago, there wasn’t anything like this in town. A lot of people questioned if it would go over, but we proved that the City of Manitowoc can support cool and unique businesses, and this is just going to be an extension of that.”
When they started Petskull, the Hoffman’s had to, in Paul’s words, “cobble together what is essentially a large homebrew station” in their current taproom on North 9th Street. But now they are ready to add a new, large scale brewing system. “The brewery is going to be about two and a half times the size of what we have here [at 220 North 9th Street],” Paul explained.
“We are going to have more hours at the new place, so we are going to have to provide more beers for the taproom. Also, we have a great distribution contract with Triangle Distributing out of Green Bay, so we are already distributing, but now we can actually up that, and hopefully, get our reach even further.”
On top of brewing larger quantities of beer, Paul said they plan to expand their taproom options from 10 at a time up to 20 different options. Paul explained that this will help them keep the beloved staples on the menu, while also experimenting with other beer styles. As far as the food side of things, Paul admitted he is not experienced in the restaurant industry, so he brought on a retired culinary instructor from Lakeshore Technical College to help them out.
Paul said, “He and I have been working on this for the past 7 or 8 months. Working on the development of the menu…that will drive the kitchen equipment, then you can start putting together an inventory system, and inventory controls. The last step in that is he will assist me in hiring an Executive Chef.”
Paul said he is looking for someone who can “take control of the kitchen”, leaving Paul to only worry about creating the best beer he and his team possibly can. The new location is at 1050 Buffalo Street, which is just outside the new River Point District.
City Council President Eric Sitkiewitz praised Petskull for their expansion, but also for their commitment to the community, saying “I think it shows enthusiasm for a business that wants to move a few blocks to expand the size of their operations and be a part of a really great movement in our downtown.”
To keep up to date on the latest news on the expansion, follow Petskull Brewing on Facebook.