{"id":37457,"date":"2022-05-08T22:06:30","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T02:06:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?p=37457"},"modified":"2022-05-08T22:06:30","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T02:06:30","slug":"common-roots-plans-to-build-a-second-structure-with-restaurant-brewing-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2022\/05\/common-roots-plans-to-build-a-second-structure-with-restaurant-brewing-spaces\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Roots Plans To Build A Second Structure With Restaurant, Brewing Spaces"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Bert Weber, left, and son Christian Weber are expanding their Common Roots business.
\u00a92022 Saratoga Photographer.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Paul Post<\/p>\n

A smile crossed Bert Weber\u2019s face when a Cape Cod barkeep urged him to check out a new beer made by Common Roots of South Glens Falls.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really good, you should try it,\u201d the tavern worker said.<\/p>\n

Little did he know that Weber and his son, Christian, own the business, which is one of Saratoga County\u2019s fastest-growing craft breweries. \u201cIt never gets old when we go to a spot we\u2019ve never been to, walk in and there\u2019s a Common Roots beer on tap,\u201d Christian said.<\/p>\n

The Webers have\u00a0 <\/span>a $3.2 million expansion plan in the works.<\/p>\n

Plans call for acquiring a two-acre parcel adjacent to the brewery, at 55 Saratoga Ave.,\u00a0 <\/span>and building a large facility for warehousing, storage, a separate farm-style brewery that will\u00a0 <\/span>produce wild-mix fermentation beers, and a large restaurant capable of hosting special events such as weddings.<\/p>\n

The owners said the project will free up more space in the existing building for additional brewing capacity. The Webers expect to increase production from 8,000 to 12,000 barrels per year. Several new tanks will be added to the main brewery this summer, allowing Common Roots to introduce more new beers, in smaller batches if needed, adding to its already extensive list of 90 different brews.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/b>\u201cWe create an annual calendar,\u201d Christian said. \u201cFor the most part we\u2019re scheduled to brew 15 new beers every year, or more than one per month. Some stay in the tap room, some go out for distribution.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new tanks will occupy space now used for storage in the main building. Temporary off-site storage will be used while awaiting construction of the new facility. Site work is slated to begin by mid- to late-summer.<\/p>\n

The new two-acre parcel is on the same side of Saratoga Avenue (Route 9) as the main Common Roots building, but separated by Marion Avenue.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will take time for steel to come in and get slabs poured,\u201d Christian said. \u201cWe\u2019d like to have it wrapped up by this time next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Primary financing is by Berkshire Bank, although the Webers have obtained $450,000 from Empire State Development, the state\u2019s economic development agency. Funding was approved by the Regional Economic Development Council and includes a $250,000 grant and $200,000 worth of tax credits under ESD\u2019s Excelsior program.<\/p>\n

Common Roots must meet certain benchmarks, such as creating new jobs, to obtain the funding.<\/p>\n

The new farm-style brewery will have 12 employees, with the new second restaurant adding even more.<\/p>\n

Bert Weber said Common Roots has been quite successful in finding qualified, good help despite a severe labor shortage problem that plagues many businesses. \u201cOur company philosophy is to treat people well and pay them well,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have very little turnover. So far, so good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a craft brewery is still a fun environment to work in,\u201d Christian added. \u201cWe have established this community presence, which maybe attracts people to the company, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Common Roots Foundation, with a 10-member volunteer board, distributed $10,000 last fall to worthy area causes, and a second larger round of\u00a0 <\/span>funding will be approved this spring.<\/p>\n

The Webers launched Common Roots in 2014, with just four beers on tap.<\/p>\n

The new expansion is the latest chapter in a comeback story for the brewery, which was completely gutted by fire in late March 2019. The Webers immediately began making plans for a bigger, brighter, more state-of-the-art facility with a restaurant, which the old building didn\u2019t have. They had just laid the foundation for a small kitchen when the blaze occurred.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always been about creating a certain experience when people come here,\u201d Bert said. \u201cObviously making a nice, great quality beer is the main goal. But enhancing that with food was always part of the plan, whether it was a food truck or our own little kitchen to create that better experience for customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

While cleaning up and rebuilding from the fire, Common Roots operated out of temporary space just down the street.<\/p>\n

The Webers encountered another big setback in 2020 when the new building\u2019s planned opening was delayed by COVID-19, which closed restaurants and taverns in major markets such as New York City, and eliminated on-premises taproom sales at the brewery. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Common Roots beer is found in 10 other \u25b6 states, primarily in the Northeast, but the Webers\u2019 main focus is keeping the local area well-supplied.<\/p>\n

The pandemic had at least one silver lining by giving them more time to get new systems up and running. The time of also allowed them to learn how to operate a restaurant, which they\u2019d never done before. A second restaurant in the new facility will have the same menu and beer on draft as the current eatery, but with more space for large parties.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want this to be a destination,\u201d Christian said. \u201cWe\u2019re fortunate to get tourists from Saratoga and Lake George.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no mistaking that Common Roots\u2019 main goal is producing high-quality products with a commitment to serving a local customer base. \u201cFor us it\u2019s not about volume,\u201d Christian said. \u201cWe\u2019ve decided, after these new tanks are put in, that we aren\u2019t growing any more. They\u2019re really to supply our local wholesaler. Most of the beer we produce stays right in our home territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe brewery is built on community,\u201d he said. \u201cSouth Glens Falls really accepted us so we want to be that kind of steward back to them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Paul Post A smile crossed Bert Weber\u2019s face when a Cape Cod barkeep urged him to check out a new beer made by Common Roots of South Glens Falls. \u201cIt\u2019s really good, you should try it,\u201d the tavern worker said. Little did he know that Weber and his son, Christian, own the business, which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":37458,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-construction"],"yoast_head":"\r\nCommon Roots Plans To Build A Second Structure With Restaurant, Brewing Spaces - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2022\/05\/common-roots-plans-to-build-a-second-structure-with-restaurant-brewing-spaces\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Common Roots Plans To Build A Second Structure With Restaurant, Brewing Spaces - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Paul Post A smile crossed Bert Weber\u2019s face when a Cape Cod barkeep urged him to check out a new beer made by Common Roots of South Glens Falls. \u201cIt\u2019s really good, you should try it,\u201d the tavern worker said. 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