Combo coffee roaster, brewery coming to St. Paul St.

A combination coffee shop, breakfast spot, and craft brewery is coming to Rochester's St. Paul Quarter next year.

Split Batch Brewing, the brainchild of three young Rochester entrepreneurs with experience in those three industries, is the winner of the first Retailent Rochester contest, a joint venture of Steinmetz Planning and Hive Properties.

Split Batch will receive one year of free rent at 155 St. Paul St. in the soon-to-open Hive @ 155 project and other professional start-up services.

The coffee roaster/craft brewery, which hopes to open in late 2016, was selected as the winner by a seven-judge panel after a Shark Tank-style contest where finalists presented their visions during brief five-minute presentations. Split Batch beat out The Spirit Room, a cocktail lounge that would showcase local literary and art talent, and Love.Local, a grocery store that wanted to specialize in local food.

"We’re grateful and we’re humble for the opportunity to help revitalize St. Paul and help Rochester out, get it on the beer map, continue to put this region on the craft beer map, and continue to do great things with craft beer and specialty coffee," said Split Batch co-founder Jonathan Mervine.

Mervine and his two partners, Jarred Foster and Wade Reed, combine unique areas of specialization and expertise into this venture. Mervine was the co-founder and brewer of Roc Brewing, which he started in 2010 with his RIT classmate Chris Spinelli. Foster currently works as the sous-chef at Cure at the Rochester Public Market. Reed is the head roaster at Joe Bean Coffee Roasters.

"They put together a really good team," said Noah Morgenstern, the director of development for Hive Properties. "I think it’s going to be a hit. The experience of every single person was important. Jon has already been through a startup and knows the financial assumptions. He was able to be more realistic and we trusted his business plan. We really think they should be able to draw some people to this area."

Split Batch will focus on craft brewing, specialty coffee roasting and providing a place for breakfast and brunch. "You can start your day with us and I think you can end your day with us," Mervine said. There will be grab-and-go coffee in the morning. It will provide a place for neighborhood residents to study, relax and hang out. There will be space for business meetings and lunch. And then it will give way to beer as the day progresses.

"This is a cross-pollination of all of our passions," Mervine said. "I think it was just a no-brainer really to get together and collaborate."

The retail space, including the restaurant and bar, on St. Paul Street is about 2,000 square feet. Split Batch will utilize offsite space at Carlson Park, between Blossom Road and Humboldt Street, for his production facility. Mervine envisions a 10-barrel brewing system (about 260 gallons and bigger than the systems used at Swiftwater Brewing on Mt. Hope Avenue and Knucklehead Craft Brewing in Webster).

It would be the first venture of its kind in this region and perhaps this part of the country. Emerging San Diego craft brewing powerhouse Modern Times is one of the few places in the country that combines coffee roasting and brewing. Split Batch's entrepreneurs are currently meeting with local banks to work on the terms of an Small Business Administration loan. They are also meeting with private parties to obtain more investors.

The people behind Retailent Rochester will provide Split Batch with what Morgenstern calls a "vanilla box" space. That means the space will merely have white walls and electrical plugins. It's entirely up to Split Batch how the space is utilized and designed. Members of Rochester Young Professionals will give free legal, accounting, design and branding advice to Split Batch, Morgenstern said.

"We really liked Split Batch, because it's not going to be a dead space during the day and can also serve as a neighborhood anchor," Morgenstern said. "It's super unique and we feel like it's people at the top of their game that really help Rochester grow."

Mervine is just excited for a new opportunity.

"I’m blessed to continue doing what I love," he said. "The beer community is one of the best and the Rochester beer community is one of the best in the country. I’m happier than a pig in mud right now. The panel was made of people who love Rochester and want to do big things. I couldn't be more humbled by the opportunity."

WCLEVELAND@Gannett.com