× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

Stone Brewing is open in Richmond. Sort of.

The retail store and tasting room portion of Stone Brewing Co.’s East Coast distribution center and brewery quietly opened Friday afternoon.

The 220,000-square-foot facility is in the Fulton neighborhood east of downtown Richmond.

“The store is open, but please note this is the soft open. During this time, Stone asks fans to be patient as they are still training their staff and lines could be long,” said Laura Koleniak with Murphy O’Brien Public Relations, the firm handling the store’s opening.

The official opening is March 2.

California-based Stone Brewing announced in October 2014 that it had selected Richmond for its East Coast brewery and distribution center. Construction began last summer.

Operations at the brewery — which is expected to be a 250-barrel brewhouse, with the capacity to brew 600,000 barrels of beer annually — should begin soon. Brewing is expected to begin in April or May, with the release of its first beers probably in June or July.

The Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens restaurant, to be built along the riverfront near the Intermediate Terminal docks, is expected to open in the next year or two.