EAST LANSING, MI -- Wearing hardhats and flanked by city officials, the businessmen behind the new HopCat - East Lansing restaurant celebrated the start of construction on their new establishment by breaking a little ground of their own: planting the hop bines that will grace its outdoor patio in August.

Hops, used in the beer brewing process, are the flowers of the hop bine. The bines will germinate in 20 days; after that, they’ll grow a foot each day.

The bines were planted today by HopCat owner Mark Sellers, East Lansing City Manager George Lahanas, East Lansing Mayor Diane Goddeeris and other city officials at the site of the new restaurant.

HopCat-East Lansing will open at the beginning of August, owner Mark Sellers said.

Sellers owns four other restaurants, all in Grand Rapids, including the popular HopCat brew pub.

He said it was important to him, as a Michigan State University alumnus and lifelong Spartan fan, that his first restaurant outside Grand Rapids be in East Lansing.

The East Lansing location, like its Grand Rapids forerunner, will feature an extensive selection of craft beers, with more than 100 on tap, Sellers said.

A few beers will be available in bottles, he added, but only those that were impossible to secure in draft form.

HopCat – East Lansing will occupy the entire first floor of The Residences, near the campus of Michigan State University.

The eight-story building, located at 300 Grove Street in East Lansing, will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom loft-style apartments.

It's currently under construction and will be finished at the same time as the restaurant, said Kevin Kozak, project manager for Wolverine Building Group.

Wolverine, a Grand Rapids-based construction and contracting firm, is building The Residences and HopCat - East Lansing.

The project is on schedule to open at the beginning of August.

According to a media release, the bines are all Michigan-sourced and serve as a reminder of the growth of the Michigan brewing industry and sustainable principles BarFly, the parent company of HopCat, integrates into its businesses.

Related: USA Today lists Michigan among best best craft beer states in the country

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