Food, beverage industry going strong in Loveland

If you research any town in the United States, some of the aspects you may find yourself looking into are the food and beverage trends in the region. Thankfully, Loveland can be very proud of the continued growth in these industries that are essential to a healthy local economy. I recruited the help of our very own Loveland Business Development Center to find the hottest trends in business that we are currently seeing.

The brewery craze came to Loveland when Grimm Brothers Brewhouse opened in July 2010. Big Beaver Brewing also set up business in Loveland that same year. Soon to follow, Loveland Aleworks opened in August 2012. Verboten Brewery began their business in March 2013 at their original location on Taurus Court. They recently moved their operation to Fifth Street in beautiful downtown Loveland.

Brewery tours have become so popular that the city of Loveland has created a brewery tour that includes a Passport. All of the local breweries are listed, and you get your passport stamped when you visit each brewery. There are all sorts of fun giveaways that are noted on the back of the passport. Big Thompson Brewery, Buckhorn Brewers, Crow Hop Brewing and Rock Bottom Brewery are included in the passport, along with the others mentioned above.

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One cannot deny the benefit to the local economy with tourists wanting to visit all the breweries while they are in Loveland. Those same people who are visiting the breweries are also going to visit the local restaurants, which adds up to a definite economic boost for our local food and beverage industry.

There are some mainstay restaurants in downtown Loveland that have been attracting hungry visitors for quite some time. Just to mention a few: Black Steer, 4th Street Chop House, Henry’s Pub, The Pour House and Adelitas Mexican Restaurant continue to have dedicated fans.

There has been a flurry of up-and-coming restaurants in Loveland during the past five years. Some of those include: The Boar and Bull, Door 222, Doug’s Day Diner, Generations Wine and Martini Bar, Mo’Betta Gumbo, Origins Wine Bar and Wood Fired Pizza as well as The Laureate Publick House.

This is not a complete list of Loveland restaurants and breweries by a long shot. There is quite a large selection of restaurants throughout Loveland.

Something to be commended here is the longevity of these food and beverage business owners. In a survey commissioned by Restaurant Startup & Growth magazine, 23 percent of first-year restaurants fail. Based on that study, a new restaurant has a one in four chance that it will fail.

Food trucks/carts, bakeries, cideries as well as distilleries are all part of the growing food & beverage trends in the region. It is fascinating to watch downtown Loveland blossom with the addition of new businesses. Fresh Plate Café & Catering is looking to open in October, and Slate Eatery, Starlight Dessert Bar & Bakery and Zetta Marie’s Patisserie have all recently opened on Cleveland Avenue.

With new development plans underway for downtown Loveland, opportunities are plentiful, and it’s an exciting time of growth. Looking to the future, census projections show that Larimer County is going to grow by 52 percent by 2025. One can only expect that this industry will continue to expand as a result, especially because everyone loves to eat and drink.

These are just a few of the hidden jewels one can experience in Loveland. Whether you’re a beer connoisseur or just love great food, you’ll want to keep your eye on this industry and enjoy the opportunities you’ll find. Here is to good food and beverages from Loveland … cheers!

Mindy McCloughan is president and CEO of the Loveland Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at 970-744-4791 or via email at mmccloughan@loveland.org.