Brewing, Cideries & Spirits  August 4, 2022

Brewpub opens in renovated downtown Loveland building

LOVELAND – A family-owned brewpub will have its grand opening on Saturday in one of a row of century-old downtown Loveland buildings that were redeveloped using tax-increment financing.

Sky Bear Brewery & Pub, owned by Amanda Kissel and her parents, Mark and Linda Kissel, had a soft opening July 28 and has been attracting a steady stream of customers to the 2,300-foot leased space at 72 E. Fifth St. in the “Cleveland Station” development, which formerly housed the Reporter-Herald newspaper as well as a Banner Health clinic and gift shop.

“She’s got character,” Amanda Kissel said of the building that her family renovated. “She’s old for sure. We wanted to keep the old feel.”

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She had worked 12 years with the Qdoba fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain, including as a district manager for its stores in Loveland, Brighton and Thornton. Her father was a homebrewer for 10 years out of the family home on a street in the Colorado foothills called Sky Bear Trail – hence the pub’s name.

“Every beer on tap is ours,” she said, including an IPA, dark Irish, blond, kolsch and brown ales, “and we’re going to work our way up to 10.”

The fare also includes other beers and cocktails, pizzas, quesadillas and sandwiches, as well as board games and a patio. “We created a place where any group or family can come,” she said.

The developer, Love 450 LLC, a Boulder-based company registered to Gregory Fair, won unanimous approval from the Downtown Development Authority in December 2020 and the Loveland City Council in January 2021 for $800,000 in tax-increment financing to complete the redevelopment — money advanced through bond financing and repaid by increases in both property and sales-tax revenue that result from the improvements. Love 450 planned to spend $4.7 million to rehabilitate the buildings, including $1.6 million for items such as widening of sidewalks along Fifth Street, facade improvements, restoring historic architecture, improving alleys and parking areas, and installation of public art. 

Sky Bear joins other businesses including Radial Development, Tom Davis Saloon and Boutique by Sonja at Cleveland Station, and Amanda Kissel said a few other spaces remain to be leased.

“Putting together the family’s love of enjoying beer and spirits together, Mark’s passion for brewing beer, Linda’s love for family and meeting new friends, and Amanda’s passion for hospitality, we believe we can create a great experience for any guest who walks through the door,” the family says on the brewpub’s website. “With Amanda living in Loveland, we decided it was time to bring our delicious family beer to Loveland.”

LOVELAND – A family-owned brewpub will have its grand opening on Saturday in one of a row of century-old downtown Loveland buildings that were redeveloped using tax-increment financing.

Sky Bear Brewery & Pub, owned by Amanda Kissel and her parents, Mark and Linda Kissel, had a soft opening July 28 and has been attracting a steady stream of customers to the 2,300-foot leased space at 72 E. Fifth St. in the “Cleveland Station” development, which formerly housed the Reporter-Herald newspaper as well as a Banner Health clinic and gift shop.

“She’s got character,” Amanda Kissel said of the building that her family…

Dallas Heltzell
With BizWest since 2012 and in Colorado since 1979, Dallas worked at the Longmont Times-Call, Colorado Springs Gazette, Denver Post and Public News Service. A Missouri native and Mizzou School of Journalism grad, Dallas started as a sports writer and outdoor columnist at the St. Charles (Mo.) Banner-News, then went to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before fleeing the heat and humidity for the Rockies. He especially loves covering our mountain communities.
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