New brewery takes space in Arvada strip mall

Screenshot 2024 05 28 163334

From left: Alex Godfrey, Stephanie Ference-Stone and Shane Eskew are opening Stay Tuned Brewery in Arvada. (Courtesy Stay Tuned)

In the Arvada beer scene, Stay Tuned is coming up next.

Stay Tuned Brewery is opening at 5127 W. 64th Ave. this summer. While good beer is a must, founders Stephanie Ference-Stone, Shane Eskew and Alex Godfrey want their taproom to feel like a living room. 

“I want it to feel like people are coming into their friend’s house to chill and talk about music and TV,” Stone said. 

The 2,300-square-foot, 16-tap brewery will double as an entertainment spot, Stone said, with a cozy living room to host movie nights, live music and bingeable television — hence the name Stay Tuned. 

The name is also a hint at the rotating beer offerings. Eskew said they plan on switching them out frequently, especially since he and Godfrey have different tastes. Currently, Eskew is working on a chocolate porter, an Irish red and a kolsche, whereas Godfrey is brewing a summer coconut IPA. 

“We’ll be exploring new flavors pretty much constantly,” Eskew said. “I feel like people who like going to breweries want to try new stuff all the time.”

Eskew estimated Stay Tuned will produce about 100 barrels from opening to the end of the year, and aims to do 200 to 300 next year. 

They’ve invested about $150,000 in the buildout of the space, which needed to be completely gutted. Those funds came in part from Eskew’s savings and retirement, as well as a Colorado program for new manufacturing businesses. 

The trio met while working in the beer industry. Eskew, a physical therapist, was a home brewer for years before he decided to enter Regis University’s craft brewery program in 2020. He then met Stone, who he is now dating, and Godfrey, another brewer. 

About a year ago, Eskew decided it was time to branch out on his own and started securing funding and looking for real estate to open Stay Tuned, targeting Westminster. 

He stumbled upon the space the trio ultimately leased, which is in a strip mall, and liked that it would make Stay Tuned “the most eastern brewery in Arvada before you get to Westminster or Denver,” offering a more accessible option to those who don’t want to go all the way to Olde Towne Arvada.

Eskew noted the strip mall includes a movie theater and various dining options, which is helpful given that Stay Tuned won’t serve food.

“I think a lot of the struggle other breweries are having can actually be due to the real estate they’re in — rising costs of rent, where they are situated — which is incredibly unfortunate,” Stone said. “We didn’t want to start too big. That’s how a lot of places get themselves in trouble.”

“It does make you nervous, a little bit, trying to open in a post-Covid world when a lot of breweries have closed down,” Eskew said. 

But with Stay Tuned’s location, rotating beers and entertainment theme, “We’ll be able to make it,” he said.

Screenshot 2024 05 28 163334

From left: Alex Godfrey, Stephanie Ference-Stone and Shane Eskew are opening Stay Tuned Brewery in Arvada. (Courtesy Stay Tuned)

In the Arvada beer scene, Stay Tuned is coming up next.

Stay Tuned Brewery is opening at 5127 W. 64th Ave. this summer. While good beer is a must, founders Stephanie Ference-Stone, Shane Eskew and Alex Godfrey want their taproom to feel like a living room. 

“I want it to feel like people are coming into their friend’s house to chill and talk about music and TV,” Stone said. 

The 2,300-square-foot, 16-tap brewery will double as an entertainment spot, Stone said, with a cozy living room to host movie nights, live music and bingeable television — hence the name Stay Tuned. 

The name is also a hint at the rotating beer offerings. Eskew said they plan on switching them out frequently, especially since he and Godfrey have different tastes. Currently, Eskew is working on a chocolate porter, an Irish red and a kolsche, whereas Godfrey is brewing a summer coconut IPA. 

“We’ll be exploring new flavors pretty much constantly,” Eskew said. “I feel like people who like going to breweries want to try new stuff all the time.”

Eskew estimated Stay Tuned will produce about 100 barrels from opening to the end of the year, and aims to do 200 to 300 next year. 

They’ve invested about $150,000 in the buildout of the space, which needed to be completely gutted. Those funds came in part from Eskew’s savings and retirement, as well as a Colorado program for new manufacturing businesses. 

The trio met while working in the beer industry. Eskew, a physical therapist, was a home brewer for years before he decided to enter Regis University’s craft brewery program in 2020. He then met Stone, who he is now dating, and Godfrey, another brewer. 

About a year ago, Eskew decided it was time to branch out on his own and started securing funding and looking for real estate to open Stay Tuned, targeting Westminster. 

He stumbled upon the space the trio ultimately leased, which is in a strip mall, and liked that it would make Stay Tuned “the most eastern brewery in Arvada before you get to Westminster or Denver,” offering a more accessible option to those who don’t want to go all the way to Olde Towne Arvada.

Eskew noted the strip mall includes a movie theater and various dining options, which is helpful given that Stay Tuned won’t serve food.

“I think a lot of the struggle other breweries are having can actually be due to the real estate they’re in — rising costs of rent, where they are situated — which is incredibly unfortunate,” Stone said. “We didn’t want to start too big. That’s how a lot of places get themselves in trouble.”

“It does make you nervous, a little bit, trying to open in a post-Covid world when a lot of breweries have closed down,” Eskew said. 

But with Stay Tuned’s location, rotating beers and entertainment theme, “We’ll be able to make it,” he said.

This story is for our paid subscribers only. Please become one of the thousands of BusinessDen members today!

Your subscription has expired. Renew now by choosing a subscription below!

For more informaiton, head over to your profile.

Profile


SUBSCRIBE NOW

 — 

 — 

 — 

TERMS OF SERVICE:

ALL MEMBERSHIPS RENEW AUTOMATICALLY. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR A 1 YEAR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL AT THE RATE IN EFFECT AT THAT TIME UNLESS YOU CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP BY LOGGING IN OR BY CONTACTING [email protected].

ALL CHARGES FOR MONTHLY OR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS ARE NONREFUNDABLE.

EACH MEMBERSHIP WILL ONLY FUNCTION ON UP TO 3 MACHINES. ACCOUNTS ABUSING THAT LIMIT WILL BE DISCONTINUED.

FOR ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP PLEASE EMAIL [email protected]




Return to Homepage

POSTED IN Brewing

Editor's Picks

Comments are closed.