KALAMAZOO — It has been a long, hard trip for Jake Hambright, but the co-owner of Sunset Boulevard Brewing Co. in Kalamazoo said his business will open Friday.

Hambright, who owns the brewery with Teresa Bailey, said the 3,000-square-foot brewery and restaurant near the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport will hoist its first pints as the sun sets at about 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Hambright originally hoped to open last spring but learned the hard way the amount of paperwork needed to get a project such as his approved and off the ground.

Hambright started the process about the same time as the Paw Paw Brewing Co., which celebrated its first anniversary last weekend.

Paw Paw had its own representation, but Hambright tried to submit forms on his own to various federal, state and local authorities.

If you go

Sunset Boulevard Brewing Co.

What:

New brewery and restaurant

Where:

4212 Portage St.

When:

Grand opening about 5 p.m. Friday

Hours:

11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to midnight Sundays

Contact:

269-343-0711, or the brewery Facebook page

“Looking back, I should have” gotten a lawyer, he said. Hambright said the delay eventually led to an additional $30,000 in expenses.

But Hambright said he is ready to begin looking forward. He has hired Kevin Christensen, a homebrewer from the Paw Paw area, to handle making beer on three one-barrel systems.

Sunset Boulevard initially will offer a double India pale ale, stout, porter, kolsch, pale ale and an apple ale. Hambright will have about 18 to 20 employees, including six or seven full-timers, he said.

Howie Peak, who has worked at R. Stanley’s Diner, Zazios and Webster’s Prime, is the executive chef, making California fusion cuisine, Hambright said.

“It’ll be more upscale from normal pub grub but offers everything from seafood to burgers,” he said.

The brewery, with a capacity of 99 people, will be open daily for lunch and dinner, except Mondays.

Sunset also will sell growlers (64-ounce glass containers), so patrons can take beer home, and will deliver food and beer with orders taken over the phone or online.

“It’s been a tough road, but I’m geeked,” Hambright said.

Contact John Liberty at jliberty@kalamazoogazette.com, 269-388-8579; find me on Twitter @JohnTLiberty