Nearly seven months after revealing plans to open at the Stone Middle School project near downtown Huntsville, Yellowhammer Brewing will host a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday at the development.

Earth and Stone Wood Fired Pizza will launch its first brick-and-mortar restaurant at Yellowhammer Brewing next spring at the Stone Middle School project in Huntsville. (Courtesy)

Yellowhammer, which has been brewing Belgian and German-style craft beer in downtown since 2010, will also formally announce a partnership with Earth and Stone Wood Fired Pizza, a 2-year-old Albertville-based food truck that will launch its first brick-and-mortar space at the site in spring 2016.

Ethan Couch, general manager of Yellowhammer, said Earth and Stone's 2,000-square-foot pizza restaurant will complement Yellowhammer's 8,000-square-foot brewery, bier garten and tasting room on 2600 Clinton Ave. West.

"I am looking forward to a couple of things," he said. "1) A more efficient building structure and floorplan, designed specifically for our use. 2) Being a part of a multi-faceted development that marries manufacturing, entertainment, retail shops and overall community progress."

[Related: Get to know Madison County's 7 craft beer breweries and find out what's on tap for 2015]

Pizza + beer



The groundbreaking event will kick off at 3 p.m. Thursday on the track field of the former Stone Middle School at the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Governors Drive. A short reception will follow at Yellowhammer's current facility on 2406 Clinton Ave.



Owned by business partners Stan Stinson and Tina Ford, Earth and Stone will serve pizza, sandwiches and salads initially. Stinson said there will be a roll-up garage door that separates the taproom from the dining area, which will seat 85-100 customers.



When the site opens, Stinson said they'll use the food truck mainly for catering or special events. Stinson and Ford had considered opening a brick-and-mortar location in 12-14 months, but partnering with Yellowhammer was "just kind of perfect."



"With the plans the city has with developing the little amphitheater between Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer, and developing that whole quadrant, it's just exciting," Stinson said.

Straight to Ale expansion

Straight to Ale on Leeman Ferry Road. (Lucy Berry | lberry@al.com)

In addition to Yellowhammer, Earth and Stone and an outdoor concert amphitheater, the Stone Middle School project will include a 40,000-square-foot brewery and taproom for Huntsville's Straight to Ale.

Wish You Were Beer, north Alabama's first craft-only beer store in Huntsville-annexed Madison County, will also open a home brew supply shop there. The 800-square-foot store, which will be called Sweet Liberty, will sell basic and advanced home brew supplies in a former classroom at the property.



Straight to Ale co-owner Dan Perry said the brewery is still working behind the scenes to get everything in place at the project.



"Randy (Schrimsher) has already done some of the internal demolition on our space and we've been working with the architect to get our plans finalized," he said. "We're still a little bit away from any big announcements, but we are steadily working towards it."