BARRINGTON – A proposed micro-brewery here will be a “destination” attraction with a beer garden and a stylish setting intended to immerse patrons in the production process, representatives of Tonewood Brewing said Monday night.

The eye-catching design will offer a “Willie Wonka beer experience," predicted Tonewood co-founder Eli Facchinei, referring to a 1971 fantasy film about contest winners who tour a chocolate factory.

He said that will help Tonewood, which will continue to operate a smaller facility in Oaklyn, to “differentiate ourselves” in a competitive market for microbrewers.

"We're just excited," Facchinei said after Barrington's planning board unanimously approved his firm's proposal for a vacant lumber yard at Clements Bridge Road and East Atlantic Avenue.

The 14,000-square-foot complex, which once held a lumber yard, will “significantly increase” Tonewood’s brewing capacity, Facchinei said.

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"There will be shift brewing," he said, noting the potential for round-the-clock production.

"We are a manufacturing facility at heart," said Facchinei, whose firm supplies retailers and wholesalers across the state. "While there is a retail aspect to it, the manufacturing's the heart of it."

Tonewood, founded in mid-2016, is seeking a state license that would allow it to brew up to 50,000 barrels a year in Barrington.

The firm, which brewed 450 barrels in 2016, produced almost 6,000 barrels last year and is “growing exponentially,” Facchinei said.

Tonewood is planing substantial renovations and some new construction at the former home of Mr. Roberts Lumber Center.

The project has been in the works since at least April 2018, according to minutes of a planning board meeting from that time.

“The building is going to be transformed,” Duncan Prime, an attorney for Tonewood, told board members.

Multiple windows and glass doors will make the brewing process visible to patrons in the tasting room and people outside the building, according to renderings shown to the board.

“I think the experience will have a lot to do with people’s enjoyment,” said Facchinei.

“Because the brewery is very active and it is a family-friendly atmosphere, we want to encourage people to see what’s going on,” added the project’s architect, George Murphy.

“There will be some grain silos out front, so you’ll understand this is a brewery operation,” he said.

The holder of a limited brewery license cannot have a restaurant on its premises.

Facchinei said the Oaklyn brewery, which is about 5,000 square feet on West Clinton Avenue, will likely develop new specialty beers once the Barrington site opens.

Tonewood, which currently employs 17 people, expects to have more than 30 workers after its expansion.

The company has no timeline for the project, which still awaits approval from Camden County’s planning board, Facchinei said.

But the firm will pursue construction "as fast as we can," said Facchinei.

Jim Walsh is a free-range reporter who’s been roaming around South Jersey for decades. His interests include crime, the courts, economic development and being first with breaking news. Reach him at jwalsh@gannettnj.com or look for him in traffic.

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