Whistle & Keg, a pour-your-own concept bar with 50 self-serve taps that debuted in Youngstown in October 2017, is on track to open its second location in downtown Cleveland next month.

The business is owned by brothers and Youngstown natives Joe and Mike Thomas. Joe, a dental sales rep, and Mike, a financial adviser, started in business together through their line of Washing Well Laundromats, of which there are now four in Youngstown.

That's what ultimately led to some of their interest in the self-serve taproom.

The brothers were in Georgia for the 2017 Masters Tournament when they visited a bar with a self-service concept powered by tech from iPourIt Inc. of California.

"We just fell in love with that kind of model," Joe said. "It's like the laundromat of beer."

That resulted in them opening their first bar later that fall in Youngstown with an aesthetic inspired by the region's manufacturing heritage.

The "whistle" part of the name comes from an old shift whistle last used at Youngstown Sheet and Tube some 50 years ago. Now refurbished, the steam whistle blows every day at noon and 4 p.m. (and for some special occasions).

The Youngstown space is about 2,500 square feet, has eight employees and seating for about 80. There is no actual bar counter but a beer wall with taps. Seats range from high-tops to couches.

Their Cleveland location, opening at 818 Huron Road East — a space formerly occupied by Prospect Music, which closed last fall — is similar. There'll be 50 taps with offerings ranging from beer, wine and cider to mead and kombucha. There's a heavy emphasis on happy hours, which include live music, and local beers, Joe said.

The Cleveland market has more craft brewers than Youngstown, he acknowledged, noting that he expects half the options will be from Ohio beer- and winemakers, and at least half of those will be Cleveland-specific options. He added that the lineup changes regularly since the focus is on variety (though there will always be an option of popular mega-brew staples like Bud Light).

"We very rarely say no to anyone about carrying their beer. If it's unique and it sounds good and we think it's something people will like to sample, we're going to put it on the wall," Joe said, adding that he's also saving some space for offerings from Youngstown brewers at the Cleveland spot.

The Cleveland location will probably have 12-15 employees and later hours than the Youngstown spot, Joe said. It's also all on one floor versus the Youngstown location, which is the same square footage but includes an upstairs area.

There will be snacks available, such as popcorn, but no kitchen. There is an open food policy, though.

Beers are priced in increments of one-tenth of an ounce, allowing anyone to try even the smallest samples. A pint of something like Bud Light comes out to about $3, Joe said, with prices increasing from there for craft, stronger and rarer offerings. The iPourIt system includes a tablet that keeps track of consumption.

Joe said the plan all along was to branch into Cleveland if their first bar performed well. And while he declined to share revenues, he did say business was stronger than expected, hence the interest in breaking into Cleveland now.

"We went into Youngstown knowing it was almost like a test for us. We wanted to make sure it was profitable. Cleveland was always going to be next for us no matter what," he said. "But (the first store) was better than expected, and we've seen a really good customer base that keeps coming back, which has been a really positive sign for us to make the move to Cleveland."

Joe said the bar is currently on track to open in the latter half of February.