Birmingham-based Griffin Claw Brewing Co. will open a second location in Rochester Hills that will act as a "teaching and training facility" for its brewers and fans of its craft beers, the company announced Monday.

New experimental small-batch beers, seasonal and specialty beers will be developed, brewed and packaged at the new 8,000-square-foot site along with all of the brewery’s distilled spirits. The new location, in the former East Side Mario’s American Italian Eatery at Crooks Road and M-59, will be Griffin Claw's ThinkTank and Test Kitchen, Griffin Claw said.

The new Rochester Hills location will have a taproom that serves beer and spirits and seats 60. Food service has not yet been decided.

Norm LePage and his son Scott LePage own East Side Mario’s andgastropub and the 4 acres on which they sit.

"We've had the land for 20 years," Scott LePage said. "It was the perfect storm. With the success of the brewery we kept running out of space. This second location will help us be more efficient. It was an easy solution and a great location."

All East Side Mario's employees were placed in other positions within the businesses, LePage said, and Clubhouse BFD is now open for lunch, adding 55 shifts per week.

LePage estimates the build-out for the Rochester Hills location to be "a million plus when all is said and done." The Rochester Hills location will employee 30-40 full-time workers.

LePage said he believes Clubhouse BFD and the new Griffin Claw location will "feed off each other" while "each facility will have its own personality."

"The craft beer community is always changing and embracing collaboration. This new location will be a teaching and training facility not only for our brewers but for customers looking to learn about the brewing process and culture," he said.