A new brewery is joining the businesses in Downtown Joplin, Missouri called “Chaos Brewing Company”. It will be located in the building formerly known as JB’s Piano Bar at 112 South Main Street in Joplin.
According to Dale Clark Jr., one of the three owners of the company, the idea of starting a brewery business kicked off with his friend, Daniel Crawford. Five years ago, the duo brewed beer for fun. They enjoyed the process of making a beer as well as creating several flavors. Two years afterward, they decided to turn their brewery creations into a business.
Clark says, “It’s a really good feeling whenever you make a beer and you hand it to someone and they take a drink of it and like it.”
During the process of looking for investors and the perfect place to set up shop, Clark and Crawford asked the Downtown Joplin Alliance for help. The executive director, Lori Haun introduce Clark and Crawford to a man that was also interested in creating a brewery business named Frank Ikerd. After the three met and toured the space in JB’s Piano Bar, Chaos Brewery Company began. Ikerd’s wife came up with the name, “Chaos”. It signifies the pandemonium of mixing ingredients together to create a drink worth tasting.
Clark envisions the building’s esthetic to be a mixture of semi-old and semi-modern style industrial. The brewery company will be an adult-only area at first but will turn family-friendly once they start serving food. Since there will not be a kitchen, guests can bring whatever food they want. The brewery’s plan is to form partnerships with restaurants nearby and on some days during the weekend, brewery employees will bring food to the customer. Plus, the company will be dog-friendly and guests can bring their furry friends with them.
The 8,100 square foot facility will include a taproom and two brewery systems. Guests will enjoy a combination of craft beers in the taproom. There will be four to six beers visitors can enjoy anytime as well as a variety of new beers.
“What is exciting about having a taproom setting, there are things you will only get in the taproom. You are able to come in once a week or once every two weeks and see something different every time,” Clark explains.
Chaos Brewery Company will also include a space for events. It will be used for social gatherings of all kinds as well as a place for art displays. The company plans to be a part of the First Thursday ArtWalk in April.
The center of the brewery will be a community spot filled with seats for guests to enjoy.
“We are going to have plenty of spaces in the main room, which is in the middle of the building, for seating, games, and even to read a book,” Clark says, “I want it to be a gathering place.”
Clark says the company wants to invest in the city of Joplin’s future by opening the brewery and forming partnerships with non-profits or social organizations.
“We have plans for a beer to be our ‘Joplin’ beer and part of the proceeds of that beer will always go back to those charities. So, when you come in and drinking you know you’re not just having a beer you are giving back to the community,” Clark announces.
The company anticipates to be open in late March or early April this year and host the First Friday Wine Share.
Clark says, “We are extremely excited to bring something to Joplin that Joplin has wanted for a long time. We are all pretty invested in Joplin as a whole and we’re happy to give back to the community because they have supported us thus far.”
Announcements about the facility can be found on Facebook.
