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Brewery owner proposes using Demorest post office space as taproom and community venue
Summary
Brock Toole, owner of South Main Brewery in Watkinsville, told the Heart of Habersham Downtown Development Authority on Feb. 4 that he would like to use a vacant Demorest post office space as a brewery and community gathering place. He said beer production falls under the Department of Agriculture and that code changes and permitting would likely take about six months.
Brock Toole, owner of South Main Brewery in Watkinsville, presented a proposal at the Heart of Habersham Downtown Development Authority meeting on Feb. 4 to use a vacant post office space in downtown Demorest as a brewery and community gathering spot. Toole said he introduced the plan and offered to help Demorest draft or amend city code, drawing on work he helped do in Watkinsville.
Toole told the authority that beer production "falls under the Department of Agriculture" and that the permitting and code-change process, including state and federal requirements, typically takes about six months. He said the proposed operation would have a limited menu served by a food truck using Holden Oversoul's kitchen and that all liquor and wine would be supplied by Holden Oversoul.
Jamie Allred accompanied Toole to the meeting and facilitated the presentation. Toole said he has experience working on local code for brewery operations in another city and offered to assist Demorest in forming appropriate regulations. He noted that any local code changes would ultimately require a vote by the City Council and that state and federal rules would also apply.
The authority did not take a formal vote on Toole's proposal during the meeting. Board members added downtown expansion to the March agenda for further consideration, and any next steps will include formal review of code language and applicable permitting requirements.
