The craft beer that has become a staple of Chaffee Crossing now flows from two sides of the city.



Fort Smith Brewing Co. on Thursday opened a second taproom at 115 N. 10th St. at Brunwick Place in downtown Fort Smith. With the new taproom, owner Quentin Willard hopes to create another space that will continue to diversify the culture of downtown Fort Smith.

"There’s already a certain genre in downtown Fort Smith, and we want to bring in a different genre," he said. "We’ve got a lot of good spots downtown. We just need more, and that’s what we’re doing."



First established in fall 2017 at Chaffee Crossing, the brewery serves up beers with names that often incorporate local history. Willard said he originally opened the brewery to promote craftsmanship, both in his beer and in the design of his space.



Willard said he planned to open the second location from the time they first opened in Chaffee Crossing.



"It’s such a big (city), so it’s hard to serve everybody’s needs," he said. "We’re excited to have a second location to reach more people in this city."



The new taproom cost less than $50,000 to open, Willard said. The interior features a bar, kitchen and beer shelves designed after the two-row barley leaves in the company logo. It also has a mural of noteworthy Fort Smith residents in a recreation of Da Vinci's "Last Supper". Those who visit might notice Mayor George McGill and Deputy U.S. marshal Bass Reeves on the wall.

The taproom also has more food options than the original location, including sandwiches and burgers. This was recommended to staff by the customers at the original location, Willard said.

"We take a lot of advice from our customers and the city of Fort Smith," he said. "If they want something, we’ll do what we can to give it to them."

Even though visitors had no problem making themselves at home on Thursday, Willard said the space is only about 20% done. The finished space, he said, will feature more artwork on the walls and additional soundproofing for larger crowds.

The space is smoke-free, family friendly and pet friendly, Willard added. He would like the space to accommodate a different feel than a traditional bar — some customers brought their laptops to the taproom Thursday evening.

"It’s bringing in a different crowd, and we want to bring in a different crowd. We just want to have a lot of diversity downtown," said Willard. "We don’t want it to only be for one group of people. We want everybody to feel welcome here, we want everybody to have a good time."

"It's another nice place to go in downtown Fort Smith," said Bill Loshe, who on Thursday afternoon enjoyed a beer with his wife at the taproom bar.

The taproom is currently open to the public Thursday through Saturday, but Willard said that may change. He said he and others at Brewing Co. are "happy to give" if there's demand.

But for now, Willard is focusing on bringing craft beer and a unique atmosphere to downtown Fort Smith.

"The expectation is just to get more Fort Smith people drinking local beer, local products," he said. "There’s a very specific downtown crowd, but it’s changed because of Fort Smith Coffee Co., Bookish. It’s bringing in a different crowd, and we want to bring in a different crowd."

The Fort Smith Brewing Co. Taproom in downtown Fort Smith is open 11 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday.