Helluva Brewing Company, a described ‘‘suds and smoke’’ brewpub, is planning to open this fall in the former Zipps Sports Grill building on the northeast corner of McClintock and Ray in Chandler.
Owner Shawn Shepard says a 15-barrel brewing system will take up 1,300 of the 6,000-square-foot interior. Twenty beers will be on tap, including eight from Helluva: an IPA, American wheat, pale ale, light lager, Kölsch, amber, red, and two seasonals.
‘‘I’m a hophead,’’ Shepard says. ‘‘I love IPAs, especially the New England-style IPAs that are so popular right now.’’
Shepard and his wife reside in Chandler and are mortgage bankers. This is their first foray into the food and drink industry, although Shawn is a longtime home brewer.
Steve Stone, formerly the brewmaster at Huss Brewing, is a part-owner of Helluva and will oversee the brewing.
On the food side, the kitchen will specialize in smoked items, but ‘‘we’re not going to be a BBQ joint, so to speak,’’ Shepard says. ‘‘I don’t want that label.’’
He promises many of the smoked items will be healthy, such as smoked vegetables.
Helluva currently is interviewing candidates for general manager, then will turn its attention to identifying an executive chef.
The Shepards spent nearly 18 months looking for a location for their brewpub. They almost moved into the now-closed Tilted Kilt building in Tempe before settling on the former Zipps.
‘‘I like the demographics of the area,’’ Shepard says. ‘‘People have the income that will support the slightly higher prices of craft beer and high-quality food.’’
Construction work is scheduled to start in mid-July to create a family-friendly destination. The interior will be completely gutted and the old bar will be moved.
The new interior will highlight the brewing equipment. ‘‘I want a concept where customers know they’re in a brewery, where they feel like they are in the trenches,’’ Shepard says.
‘‘We’ll also have 22 TVs. A lot of brewpubs don’t like having lots of TVs because they think they’ll be seen as a sports bar. But I want the sports crowd.’’
Shepard says he’s pushing hard to be open by October.
