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Broad Ripple restaurant 317 BBQ is rebranding to become 317 BBQ N’ Tap Room, a change that corresponds with a new approach to offering craft beer to accompany brisket and pulled pork menu items.
Instead of Centerpoint Brewing operating a taproom inside the 317 BBQ building, 6320 Guilford Ave., beers made by three Indiana companies will be available to customers.
Centerpoint, which had managed all 12 taps since 2023, now is responsible for four. Chilly Water Brewing Co. and Bad Dad Brewing Co. are taking over four taps each.
317 BBQ N’ Tap Room co-owner Bill Ficca said the revamped business model allows for other breweries to eventually be featured in one of the three spots. The concept, which could be described as a residency for craft beer makers, is based on a 60-day commitment by each brewery.
“It’s somewhere between being on a single tap and having your own taproom,” said Ficca, who opened 317 BBQ in 2020.
Centerpoint Brewing co-founder Jeff Ready described the rebrand as a “joint satellite taproom” for the breweries.
In general, restaurants as well as craft beer locations are facing challenges in attracting customers, Ready said.
“We’ve been experimenting with a few things and thought that expanding the options at 317 BBQ might help draw people in,” Ready said.
Ficca said the new format will feature “meet the brewer” nights, beer flights showcasing all three companies and food pairings.
“Our goal is to bring a fresh take to a business that sorely needs to shift the focus to the positive,” said Ficca, who oversees 317 BBQ N’ Tap Room with business partners Brad Rateike and Nicholas Schellinger.
Centerpoint Brewing debuted in Factory Arts District, previously known as Circle City Industrial Complex, in 2016. In addition to Ready, the company’s ownership team is made up of Jon Robinson, Peter Argiris and Carl Fuhrmann.
Ready said Centerpoint isn’t overly reliant on sales at its Factory Arts District location or at 317 BBQ N’ Tap Room.
“We wanted to be a beer factory,” said Ready, noting Centerpoint’s distribution of packaged beer in stores throughout most of Indiana.
By volume, Centerpoint makes 70% of its beer for sales in stores, Ready said.
Chilly Water Brewing Co. opened a Fletcher Place brewpub, 719 Virginia Ave., in 2014. The brewery added a taproom near the campus of Butler University in 2019 and a taproom in Greenwood in 2023.
On Saturday, a music group known as the Chilly Water Family Band will perform at 317 BBQ N’ Tap Room.
Bad Dad Brewing Co. launched in Fairmount in 2017.
Before 317 BBQ opened, the Broad Ripple building was occupied by New Zealand-based chain BurgerFuel from 2017 to 2020. Quality Leasing operated for decades as a vehicle-focused business at 6320 Guilford Ave.
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Seems like a fair amount of changes happening in the local craft brewing segment with consolidation and closures. Beer seems out of favor being replaced by canned spirits.