RICHFIELD, Ohio – The Jolly Scholar is expanding to Richfield with a brewery called Craft by The Jolly Scholar.

Matt Vann, who has run a bar at Case Western Reserve University campus since 2005, signed a lease for a building at 3404 Brecksville Road, a quarter-mile from Whitey's Restaurant, a quarter-mile from Interstate 271 and a mile from I-77.

Vann's target opening date is October.

The space will cover 3,500 square feet and occupy the first of Dental Ceramics Inc.'s two floors. He said it will seat 85 to 90 people, but room for expansion could take it to 125. Despite being an office building, the site sits on 10 acres and looks more like a park or ski lodge, Vann said.

"It will feel like you're in a park-like setting with modern charms and amenities," he said.

Expect barrel-aged beers, wild fermentation and historic beers. A bottle club also is planned, where folks will pay about $100 a year and receive a club-exclusive bottle per month.

Basic infrastructure - HVAC, sprinklers - is intact, he said. Floor work, painting, bar and tables will be coming. State and federal licensing has been submitted; he plans on reaching out to Summit County officials soon.

Vann, who is finalizing the head-brewer position, is a big believer in the rising-tides-lift-all-boats theory, a common theme among area brewers who want to see proteges succeed. His most recent brewer, Aaron Wirtz, recently announced he is starting Planted Flag Brewery in Medina.

"I wasn't looking, but it’s (Craft) about eight minutes from my house," said Vann, who lives in Broadview Heights. He'll be alternating between the short commute and the longer one to The Jolly Scholar, which is tucked in the Thwing Center on busy Euclid Avenue on Case Western's campus.

Craft will be in an area not jammed by nearby craft breweries. R. Shea Brewing in Akron is 10 miles away. The Brew Kettle and Hop Tree Brewing are both within 13 miles, in Hudson.

"I'm excited and all in," Vann said. "What I take personal pride in is how to aggressively open the place and still be fiscally responsible."

Vann's success in competitive barbecue competitions will translate to the menu at Craft. And he aims to have a separate kids area.

"In lieu of getting a baby-sitter for a night, we'll set people up in that room," he said. "We want it to be family-friendly, but we're still a pub."

As he sat in The Jolly Scholar he described Craft succinctly.

"It’s a little bit of a grown-up version of this place," he said.

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