EAST LANSING -- For Mark Sellers, a routine opening isn't enough for his first expansion outside of Grand Rapids and one near the campus of his beloved Michigan State University.

So when HopCat's new East Lansing location officially opens its doors on Thursday, Aug. 22, the latest installment in the Grand Rapids-based craft beer bar will attempt to set a new world record for number of beers on tap.

Partnering with Short's Brewing Co., the new HopCat will fill all 100 of its taps with Short's beers, many of which have been brewed just for the event. Sellers said working with

whom he termed "the Willy Wonka of the beer industry," will make the grand opening that much more special.

"It's fun," Sellers said. "When we realized that the world record was about 70, we decided we have the opportunity that creates national news. Not a lot of bars could do this if they wanted to."

The current world record tap takeover was set by Cannery Row Brewing Co. and California-based Sierra Nevada in 2012 with 70 beers, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

"Working with HopCat to attempt this record has been one of the most exciting challenges we've accepted at Short's," Short said. "We've brought out all of our year-round brews, some seasonal favorites and an amazing selection of some new, experimental recipes that guests will be able to try for the first time."

Sellers' new establishment will occupy the entire 8,500-square-foot first level of The Residences, a new eight-story loft apartment building located at 300 Grove St., at the corner of Albert Avenue about one block north of the MSU campus. Both HopCat and The Residences, which is set for occupancy this month, are being built by Grand Rapids-based Wolverine Building Group.

The Residences will sport a large HopCat sign at the top of its structure, making the bar's insignia visible from Spartan Stadium about a mile south.

It was important for Sellers to have his first establishment outside of Grand Rapids located in East Lansing, he said. Sellers is an MSU alumnus and die-hard Spartan fan.

"I became a Spartan at the age of 9 years old when I watched Magic Johnson and Greg Kelser win the national championship in 1979, and I've been a lifelong Spartan ever since," Sellers said, noting the East Lansing location has been in the works for about a year and a half.

"(East Lansing is) just a really natural expansion--it's just an hour from Grand Rapids. And we hear all the time in Grand Rapids from people who live in Lansing who wished they had (a HopCat)."

HopCat has hired about 80 people, Sellers said, many of them recent MSU graduates. HopCat requires its employees to have two years of experience in the industry.

East Lansing City Manager George Lahanas said the addition of HopCat further strengthens the city's downtown, which also is adding another Grand Rapids-based restaurant, Peppino's, next door to HopCat.

"HopCat has a very good reputation, and I think that says we are diversifying our downtown," Lahanas said. "Hopefully that means we're attracting all sorts of businesses. We're excited to have them here."

Sellers doesn't want people to forget HopCat is a restaurant, too. The new East Lansing location will be serving free Crack Fries, a favorite dish of seasoned French Fries, for the duration of its opening day. It's also giving away free Crack Fries for a year to the first 200 customers in the door that day.

Sellers expects his latest establishment to do well, given its location among the Lansing area and MSU community. It also will further expand HopCat's reputation, which should bode well for the Grand Rapids location, Sellers added.

His long-term plan is further eastward expansion to Michigan's largest city.

"This is kind of our first toe in the water expanding outside of Grand Rapids," Sellers said. "If it does really well, then I think the next logical step for us would be a Detroit location."

Follow Brandon Howell on

and on Twitter: @BSHowell88. Email him at brhowell@mlive.com or call him at 517-318-1615. Follow MLive Lansing on Facebook and Twitter.