WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - A once crumbling bakery in Waterloo that for decades produced Hostess Wonder Bread is now opening as a brewery, restaurant and distribution center.

SingleSpeed Brewing Co. opened Thursday for the first of three soft openings this weekend, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (https://bit.ly/2oSkv5w) reported.

The facility can hold 500 with seating for 300, and includes a full menu to complement 10 beers on tap. An outdoor beer garden scheduled to open this summer can hold an additional 125.

The beer hall will also appeal to children with a large kids zone hosting games, Legos, art supplies, a chalkboard, magnet board and little stools and tables.

“It’s inspired by West Coast breweries - they all had cool kids zones,” SingleSpeed owner Dave Morgan said.

Morgan decided to decorate the facility with various bicycle-themed accessories.

“We have a target of next week,” Morgan said about opening to the public. “It depends on how the invite-only events this weekend turn out. Best case Monday, worst case another week. We don’t want to rush it.”

While Morgan and his team worked for years on rehabilitating the old Hostess building, he still made sure it was restored to its 1957 glory. Original floors are displayed at the entrance and replica windows ring the outside.

“It’s nice to remind people what it looked like when we came in,” Morgan said. “And how, over 60 years, it changed.”

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Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, https://www.wcfcourier.com

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