Kathy Flanigan

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

An out-of-state craft brewery is making its way to Wisconsin. Indeed Brewing of Minneapolis will open a 10-barrel brewery and taproom in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood in June.

"We plan to put roots down, be local and have some of our story written in Wisconsin," said Tom Whisenand, who co-founded the Minneapolis brewery with Nathan Berndt in 2012.

Indeed Brewing affiliate IBC Real Estate WI LLC purchased the two-story building at 530 S. 2nd St. for $542,500, according to state real estate records posted online Friday.

The building was sold by Milwaukee Fix Annex LLC, led by developer Juli Kaufmann. Whisenand said they have hired architects Kahler Slater to turn the former sports equipment repair shop into a 10-barrel brewery with a taproom and shuffleboard table.

Indeed, which makes Day Tripper Pale Ale, B-Side Pils Pilsner and a host of other beers, began selling in Milwaukee earlier this year but adding a brewery and taproom presence is a logical part of the company's growth strategy, Whisenand said.

The building will be renovated to reveal a skylight above the taproom. Patrons will walk past the brewhouse to enter the taproom, which will include a 37½-foot bar from the late 1800s that was rescued from an old Hamms' bar in Minnesota. The size of the bar is significant.

"We have a 37½-foot bar in Minneapolis," Whisenand said. "We'll stick with that."

There will be seating for just under 100 people and an open-air beer garden at the back of the long narrow building that also will include seating. As they do in Minneapolis, Indeed's Milwaukee taproom will have shuffleboard tables. They'll also continue Indeed We Can nights. In Minneapolis, the brewery dedicates Wednesday night net profits to nonprofit organizations selected by the employees. Last year the brewery gave away $108,000 to those organizations, Whisenand said.

Indeed employs 65 people in Minneapolis and expects to have 20 people working at the Milwaukee location.

The Milwaukee brew pub will be help augment Indeed's production and will concentrate on filling kegs, crowlers and growlers. The Milwaukee brewery's size will allow Indeed to experiment with new styles and flavors. Milwaukee production can scale to 18 kegs of beer at a time.

The brewery plans to hire a head brewer for the Milwaukee location.

The taproom is a bonus part to the additional production, Whisenand said. He said he's been going to bars in Milwaukee to get a feel for the nightlife here. He likes what he's found.

The taproom won't serve food. As they do in Minneapolis, Indeed will rely on food trucks. There is one added element specific to Milwaukee. Unlike the Minneapolis taproom, however, the Milwaukee version will have televisions for Brewers, Bucks and Packer games. "It's part of the culture here," he said.

Whisenand and Berndt started Indeed in 2012 with a business plan drawn from a library book called "How to Write a Business Plan." Expanding to Wisconsin seemed a logical extension for production and brand growth, Whisenand said.

"We really believe in a long-term commitment," he said. "We're not Panera bread. It's not a corporate thing."

Journal Sentinel reporter Tom Daykin contributed to this story.