The gas station on Broad Street is now offering a growler fill station and it will have one tap dedicated to Moccasin Bend Brewing company products. (Photo: Staff)

Authored By chloe.morrison

The craft beer scene is on the upswing in Chattanooga, and area residents can now fill up growlers in an unexpected place-the Raceway gas station on Broad Street.

Matt Franks, who is director of operations at the Raceway on Broad Street, has opened The Full Tank, which features craft beers that will rotate seasonally and based on customers’ requests.

“Our goal is to expose a wider audience to craft beer,” Franks said in a prepared statement.

Because the gas station is near St. Elmo, The Full Tank is dedicating one tap exclusively to Moccasin Bend Brewing Company.

“I believe it’s important to commit to local businesses, and with Moccasin Bend Brewing Company so close to us, it was a no-brainer to give them a tap,” he also said.

Franks also aims to educate people who might not be so familiar with craft beer, and he thought that through the gas station he’d be able to reach a wider audience and draw in new craft beer lovers.

“Since opening, the biggest part of the job hasn’t been pouring beer, but educating people about what a growler is and how craft beer is different from domestic beer,” he said. “We’re constantly telling people about beers they’ve never heard of.”

And convenience is another benefit, he said. Having the taps in the gas station means that customers who have to stop to get gas or other items won’t have to make another stop at a different growler store.

“We’re integrating a craft beer experience into your daily routine,” Franks said. “We want buying craft beer to be as easy as buying anything else on your way home.”

Recently, another kind of craft beer has come to the Chattanooga market. Click here to read about how entrepreneur Alan Newman is focusing on tasty craft beer that has a lower alcohol content.

And click here to read about how Nashville’s Jackalope craft beer has expanded into the local market.