Since 2020, the Vergara family has managed a triple-concept operation in the former Brim Kitchen and Brewery space in Willoughby. The first floor had been occupied by Hola Tacos and the upstairs was home to Barroco Arepa Bar. Rounding out the options is Pulpo Beer Co., which claimed the honor of being the first Latin-owned brewery in Ohio.
If all that sounds a tad confusing, you’re not alone.
“It was a little: are we a brewery, are we a restaurant – we lacked a little bit of identity,” admits Juan Vergara. “And that translated into the customer experience a lot and customer service is a priority to us; it’s something we take pride in.”
RELATED: From Pepsi to Pulpo: How Paola Valbuena Stuyvesant Became Pulpo Brewing Co.'s Brewmaster
So when a burst pipe in winter caused a shutdown of the entire operation, management used the disruption as an opportunity for change. After nearly two months of interior repairs and renovations, the former Hola-Barroco-Pulpo complex reopened in late February as, simply, Pulpo Beer Co.
“Obviously, we love offering people our food, but the brewery was in the shadows,” Vergara adds. “We wanted to give the brewery more of the spotlight. I wouldn’t call it a rebranding exactly but more of an evolution of our concept. The menu and the atmosphere are really clear now that you are inside Pulpo Beer Co.”
In addition to a slew of physical upgrades that includes new flooring, furniture, paint and décor, there is a new and distinct menu that features the best of all three concepts. Going forward, diners will be able to enjoy, in a single location, appetizers from the Pulpo taprooms in Willoughby and Westlake, Hola-style tacos, and those comforting arepas that the Vergaras have been selling since 2011.
RELATED: First Look: Downtown Willoughby’s Hola Tacos & Barroco Arepa Bar
All of the activity has been consolidated to the main floor, which frees up the second floor for something new. Vergara says that the success of Amazonia in Lakewood, the restaurant group’s first foray into craft cocktails, has inspired them to double down. Under the guidance of beverage director Gabrielle Swafford, the group will open Kraken, an upscale lounge, sometime this spring.
The final phase of the improvements will take place in spring, when the building’s exterior gets a facelift with new paint and signage.
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