YORK COUNTY — The wait is over for residents who have anticipated what will become of the nearly completed building on Route 17 originally intended as a Beale’s brewpub after York County announced Tuesday that The Virginia Beer Company (VBC) signed a lease for the property with developer Waukeshaw, the Beale brand’s parent company.
Since 2016, VBC has operated a microbrewery in The Edge District — the trendy area on the border of Williamsburg, York County and James City County.
The company’s new brewpub will include craft beers and a full range of locally-inspired food offerings. According to the county, the location will serve as a gathering space for the community, with a family-friendly menu and an indoor/outdoor flow.
County officials said it was the exact fit they were seeking for this project, which stalled when Beale’s owners had to pull away in the spring due to unforeseen family health concerns. The project had been announced in 2019 on a piece of vacant, county-owned land located at 7120 George Washington Memorial Highway.
Beale’s/Waukeshaw worked diligently with the economic development staff to find a tenant that would fit their shared vision for the property, the county said.
“We’re grateful to the Board of Supervisors and the Economic Development Authority for their patience while we searched for the best option for this space,” said Kristi Olsen-Hayes, director of York County’s Department of Economic and Tourism Development. “I can’t believe our luck that The Virginia Beer Company was interested. It’s opportune because they’re a known commodity — you know they’re going to bring great energy and products because they’ve already proven themselves as a huge success in The Edge District.”
“Happy to know the wait is over,” said Stephen Roane, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “Beale’s started constructing a beautiful facility for York County to enjoy for years to come, and they committed to getting us to the end and fulfilling our vision for what would be in that space. Luckily, The Virginia Beer Company had that same vision for their second location, long before discussions began.”
The Economic Development Authority board was also highly complimentary of the tenant selection.
“If it couldn’t be Beale’s, I can’t think of a better partner and a better business to go into that facility and make it succeed than The Virginia Beer Company,” said chairman Jeff Clemons. “They’re fresh off winning the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Small Business of the Year Award … and we get to have them in two locations now.”
VBC has also racked up plenty of previous awards and honors, both locally and through its national and global distribution.
Co-founders Chris Smith and Robby Willey, who met as students at William & Mary, invested a full four years into planning the microbrewery — from demographic research to expert consulting to design details to, of course, beer tasting.
But the business’s fun vibe, product quality and community involvement have proved its true key to success.
“We both left jobs in the financial world to move here and start a microbrewery. For those four years, our full-time job was pouring a dream,” said Smith. “We’d go to beer festivals with blueprints. We developed a mantra of beer, people, purpose. Anything we do has to check at least one box, but hopefully all three.”
“We knew right out of the gate that to be successful, we had to hire someone who knew the science and chemistry and scalability of brewing,” added Willey. “Our brewmaster Jonathan Newman has been with us since before opening — we’d all talk about recipes and branding ideas. Our director of sales Michael Rhodes has been here since the beginning … it’s a very tenured team.”
That team hopes to bring the same quality and passion to their new location, which they plan to open in 2025.
Unlike at the current location, where they schedule a different food truck each day so patrons can enjoy a meal with their beer, the new site will be their first chance to create a dining menu.
“We love pairing food and beer. We certainly have a passion for it, and we figured, hey, people love this beer … why shouldn’t we try the same with food? But it still needs to go with The Virginia Beer Company brand identity. We’re talking to people with lots of experience as we set the menu,” said Willey.
They described the menu as “celebrating the area,” with dishes that could be coastally inspired to reflect the vibe of the building, which itself is surrounded by famous bodies of water. The state-of-the-art kitchen will allow them to include some modern pub fare in addition to the custom creations.
“Our current location has 16 beers, with 11 that rotate on a regular basis. We use our taproom as a test kitchen, so we want that same vibe in Yorktown for both the food and the drinks,” said Smith.
“They’re taking the building pretty turnkey, where we had left off,” said Emily Sanfratella, chief operating officer for Waukeshaw. “The brewery equipment is there and ready to go, the kitchen equipment is installed… all that’s left are brand decisions like what does the bar look like, tables and chairs, etc. There’s an outdoor bar and patio space for casual gatherings — they’re going to blow that out of the water and really bring that space to life.”
The new brewpub will leverage local growers, farmers markets and seasonal foods. Everything will be handmade and locally prepared. The team wants to ensure the menu has wide enough appeal where everyone will find something they like, but that at the same time, will expand people’s palettes and horizons.
“We want to give them an elevated experience that’s memorable for those who come occasionally, but welcoming for regulars,” said Willey. “Whether it’s beer or food, the idea is that we put out a product that’s exceptionally fine-tuned, but under a brand that’s approachable.”
In addition to beer and food pairings, other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage options will be offered.
After being grouped with Williamsburg for so many years, the brand now has an opportunity “to really plant our flag as a York County brewery,” said VBC founders.
“I love their vision and community involvement,” said Olsen-Hayes. “The Virginia Beer Company is always collaborating with and lifting other businesses, and supporting local nonprofits. Their management team serves on multiple boards. They’ve taken a leadership role in The Edge District and its success, and I have no doubt they’ll be just as visionary for lower York County. We can’t wait to see where they take it.”
