In the past year, Wichita Falls Central Business District has witnessed a commercial revitalization with nearly a dozen restaurant, bar and market openings. Wichita Falls Brewing Company (“WFBC”) will be at the forefront of the boom, making and serving multiple styles of craft beer and providing the community a spacious and welcoming place to call their own. The opening will be led by award-winning head brewer, Matt Bitsche, the founding brewer behind Austin’s Infamous Brewing.

WFBC will fill a market in need of a serious craft brewpub with scalable production capabilities. Equally important, the brewery will give the town a product and place to call its own. Patrons will enjoy a glass-lined taproom with full view of the brewing process and a beautiful beer garden, all enclosed in a family-friendly layout and design.

In addition to the taproom and brewery, two private dining spaces with regular food options will be available to patrons. The city of Wichita Falls has an impressive food truck scene, and the brewery plans to have a permanent food truck presence, serving daily. In addition to in-house brews and other domestic beers, a wide selection of non-alcoholic beverages will also be available.

WFBC sits comfortably by the office buildings and emerging residential real estate of downtown. Bistros, shops, cafes and pubs all help to generate foot traffic. So too does the food truck park just one block east of the brewery.

Distribution will also comprise an important portion of the business. WFBC expects to produce and sell over 700 barrels a year, including distribution to local businesses and nearby towns. Distribution and revenues generated from outside the town will also serve the brewery’s larger vision of promoting pride in Wichita Falls and the greater Texoma region.

WFBC plans to open to the public in the Spring of 2018.

WFBC will fulfill an emerging need in the Texoma region, an open-to-all craft brewpub. Local residents will come to enjoy their hometown ales just as their city is seeing a commercial boom.

Similar sized towns with comparable demographics in Texas have proven to easily support brewpubs of this size. Given these comps between patrons and its distribution, WFBC expects to see annual sales nearing $1M in the next five years.

Revenues will be primarily driven through on-site beer sales, distribution of the product throughout the region, and additional food and beverage sales in the taproom. Families will be encouraged to enjoy WFBC together. The space and layout will be designed as a family-friendly destination, complete with games and outdoor playscapes for the under-21 set.

On the cost side, labor demands have been reduced through operational efficiencies built into the business. The brewing process has been developed with a fully automated system, allowing an individual to brew a batch alone. Further, counter order service in the taproom, a permanent food truck and a contracted distributor will also ensure that labor costs are comparatively low.

The brewery has also reached a generous “lease-to-own” agreement on the brew system. The arrangement allows for a flexible first year in which WFBC will only be paying interest on the equipment.

WFBC will also have the benefit of a graduated scale on rent, keeping costs especially low in the first nine months.

Numbers have shown that the craft brewing industry sees fairly level sales throughout the year, including times when other industries hurt badly (i.e. the recession). The beer trend has slowed only slightly as 35-44 year old consumers are migrating to wine and spirits. Aware of this and committed to serving the whole community, the taproom will also serve wine and food. Discussions have started on distilling liquor in the future.

Wichita Falls Brewing Company will be located in the heart of downtown at 701 Indiana Ave, Wichita Falls, Texas 76308.

Wichita Falls is an historic and family-oriented town centrally located between Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma City. An international investment in manufacturing has brought hundreds of thousands of professionals to the Texoma region. The majority of Wichita Falls locals fall squarely into the 25-54 year-old range.

WFBC will be surrounded by many other businesses with the same goal: to breathe new life into the Wichita Falls Central Business District. Major buildings are undergoing renovations with plans to add residential real estate, markets, restaurants, bars and retail locations. The city council has also appointed a downtown development committee to improve sidewalks and streets, enforce codes and determine the most efficient ways to attract other major businesses in the area.

New housing subdivisions have also been approved in recent months, continuing Wichita Falls population growth efforts and indicative of the region’s increasing popularity.