Jean Mikle

@jeanmikle

SEASIDE HEIGHTS -- A new microbrewery is headed for the Boulevard.

Heavy Reel Brewing Co. could open by late summer if the Borough Council votes in favor of a zoning change to accommodate the small brewery at the council's April 19 meeting.

"There is definitely no contract signed yet, but we've been looking at a couple of different spots in Seaside Heights," Heavy Reel owner Jeff Greco said.

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Greco initially appeared before the Seaside Park Planning Board in February with a proposal to build a 640-square-foot brewery on Central Avenue, but his plans faced opposition from some board members as well as residents, who worried about noise and parking issues.

Enter Seaside Heights officials, who approached the 29-year-old Greco to express interest in his business. Mayor Anthony Vaz and the Seaside Heights council have been trying to attract businesses to vacant buildings on the Boulevard for the past several years.

"We're very optimistic," said Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz, who is the mayor's son. "We see it as a positive for the Boulevard. It's an interesting concept and it will add something different."

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The ordinance the council is considering would permit craft breweries and liquor distilleries on the Boulevard. Administrator Vaz noted that such establishments cannot serve food and will only be open for limited hours.

Greco, who is a teacher and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, said he learned about brewing beer from veteran brewer Gretchen Schmidhausler, who opened Little Dog Brewing Co. in Neptune City in 2014. He considers Schmidhausler his mentor and still consults her regularly.

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"I text her with a question, and go in there and talk about different aspects of the business," said Greco, who has also spent time networking and meeting people in the craft beer world.

He said Heavy Reel will start out with a two-barrel brewing system, making it smaller than a traditional microbrewery. He said he wants to start small, using the equipment he's already purchased and could expand in the future if the brewery proves popular.

During the season, the business would be open four to five days a week, while in the off-season, it would likely be open only two to three days.

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Greco said he spent lots of time in Seaside Heights as a child and is pleased with the reception he's received from borough officials.

"I grew up as a kid going there," he said. "It was my favorite place as a kid."

He said he is optimistic about the future of Seaside Heights.

"I just kind of see this opportunity as being one of the first, trying to rebuild the town back up and rebuild the Boulevard," Greco said.

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Jean Mikle: (732) 643-4050, jmikle@gannettnj.com