PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Focusing on preserving some of the history, workers began to demolish two buildings in downtown Butler to make way for a new micro brewery and beer garden.

“We intend on putting a back patio for a beer garden area, sitting area, maybe a bocce court, and some parking for our clients,” says Greg Deal, CEO of the Butler Brew Works.

Deal and his partner Travis Tuttle, chief operating officer,  were out at work site at the corner of Main and Jefferson — where bystanders glanced at the work and more than a few took pictures on their smart phones.

Once home of The Hot Dog Shop, closed years ago, the site holds lots of memories for local residents.

“I remembering coming down to parades and going there afterwards with my mom — and my kids,” notes Peggy Weston of Butler.

“A lot of people from Butler went there.   It was big after Mass on Sundays,” adds Roseann Skal of Butler.

Despite the memories, almost everyone likes this new revitalization project.  It’s being done with no government money and is the brainchild of several young men brewing their own beer in their basements.

“The three of us were working together at Verizon Wireless actually.  We started home brewing together two and a half years ago.  One of our partners is a real entrepreneur spirit, wanted to sell the first batch of beer we made.  Since then we’ve gotten better at it and decided to make a go of it,” says Tuttle.

The old Eckerd drug store on Main Street will house the beer bar and brewery — while the site of the demolished buildings will become the beer garden.

If all goes according to plan, the Butler Brew Works and their microbrewery and their beer garden right here will be open by the spring of 2013. 

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