Marietta brewery Schoolhouse Brewing is bringing its beers to Emory Point.
Located next to The General Muir in the former Papi’s Cuban & Caribbean Grill space at 1540 Emory Place, Schoolhouse is on track to break ground in the next couple of months, with plans to open by September.
Thomas Monti, who co-owns Schoolhouse with Justin Waller, said the pair did an “exhaustive search” for the ideal second location, which he said Emory Point provides with large populations at nearby Emory University, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the residents of adjacent apartments.
“The closest breweries are in Avondale Estates, and after that you have to go over to the Westside,” Monti said. “We’ll be the only game in the area.”
Dubbed The Gymnasium, the 4,200-square-foot Emory Point location will have a sports bar feel, with 15 televisions showing sporting events with a focus on Georgia teams.
The brewery’s two-barrel system will brew small-batch barrel-aged beers including mixed fermentation, wild ales, high-gravity barley wine and stouts and classic styles. Several beers brewed in Marietta will also be transferred to the Emory Point location to fill 12 taps, which will likely also offer a seltzer and a cider.
Schoolhouse debuted a small canning line in Marietta about six months ago, allowing guests to take beer to-go in 16-ounce four-packs, crowlers and growlers.
While moving into a former restaurant space has its benefits, including an existing bar and a patio with heaters, Monti said the interior space will essentially be gutted to serve Schoolhouse’s needs.
“We’re trying to get rid of the ‘80s and ‘90s restaurant feel and make it more airy,” he said, with changes including raising the ceiling, adding lighting and brightening the walls.
The space will feature the original interior bar, plus a new indoor/outdoor bar that will serve both patrons on the patio and inside.
Monti hopes to “build relationships” with neighboring restaurants including General Muir and Desta Ethiopian Kitchen, and plans to hire a runner to bring food to hungry Schoolhouse patrons. He said he also wants to host events, including concerts, on the green space across from the brewery.
“We want to be your local brewery, period,” he said. “We’re focused on the people five miles from our location and closer. We look to where people want us, and this location was very high on our list.”
Monti, a former science teacher, opened combination growler/bottle shop and homebrew supply store Schoolhouse Beer and Brewing in 2014 on Whitlock Avenue in Marietta. The shop closed in early 2019, and several months later, Monti joined with fellow teacher Waller to debut full-scale brewery Schoolhouse Brewing on Franklin Court in Marietta.
Schoolhouse will open daily at noon, with plans to stay open until about 10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, midnight Fridays-Saturdays and 7 p.m. on Sundays.
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