Saucy Brew Works looks to grow THC-seltzer business

EntertainmentThe brewery is shifting focus after construction costs increased for the planned Urban Meyer’s Pint House in downtown Cleveland.The Plain DealerCLEVELAND, Ohio – With Saucy Brew Works’ plans to bring an Urban Meyer’s Pint House to Cleveland scuttled, the company is focusing on its THC-seltzer line, CEO Brent Zimmerman said.The Cleveland-based Saucy operates Urban Meyer’s Pint House in Dublin and announced in 2024 it was planning to go into the former Winking Lizard location in downtown’s Gateway District.The location, at 811 Huron Road, appeared to be a prime location: It is a five-minute walk to Guardians and Cavaliers games, is surrounded by other lively pregaming spots like The Clevelander Bar & Grill and A.J. Rocco’s, and is a high-trafficked area showing growth. Cosm, a bar-restaurant and giant theater concept just north of Rocket Arena, is expected to open in 2027.Zimmerman had touted Urban Meyer’s Pint House’s focus on stadium seating, something that is rare in sports bars in Northeast Ohio. It allows folks who prefer a good vantage to watch a game on a large-screen television rather than sit at a table. Taps were going to pour both Saucy’s craft beers as well as mainstream lagers from Anheuser-Busch or Miller.But it wasn’t meant to be.“Construction costs that we went into the project with weren’t accurate. It was double what it was going to cost vs. the estimates we used,” he told cleveland.com.“It’s frustrating in that a lot of people put a lot of time into it. You don’t go into a project not hoping to get it done. It’s disappointing from that perspective. It wasn’t fiscally responsible to move forward. There was no way to make a return, there was no way to raise enough capital. I hope the area does great. There’s some promising things going on.“The environment doesn’t lend itself to new construction right now. It’s a tough slog. No matter what you’re doing there needs to be multiple layers of financing, or these things don’t just pencil.”Zimmerman now is content to eschew Saucy expansion and remain focused on the THC-seltzer business. THC is tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive property in cannabis.Related: Brewers band together to oppose DeWine’s line-item vetoIn March, Zimmerman emerged as a catalyst in the effort from a group of breweries that banded together to urge consumers to show support opposing Gov. Mike DeWine’s line-item veto regarding hemp beverages. His focus hasn’t wavered.“I’m not looking to expand at all. I’m going to grow the THC-seltzer business and the beverage side of the business, but I am not looking at any more locations,” he said.“We fought a good fight so we have a little bit of a runway here and it’s growing fairly rapidly here in Ohio. … Talking to potential capital partners to really put some gas in the fire as it relates to direct-to-consumer business. We always want to go faster, but we made a lot of progress getting through all the hurdles.”Saucy has locations in Cleveland’s Hingetown neighborhood as well as Columbus and Put-in-Bay.As a features writer on cleveland.com's life and culture team, I primarily cover food, restaurants, beer, wine, sports entertainment and sports history. I have written four books, all on sports including "Not...