News Photo by Crystal Nelson The Alcona Brew Haus, 676 U.S.-23 N. in Harrisville, is seen in December. Renovations at the building are ongoing, with the business expected to open this spring.

HARRISVILLE — A new restaurant and brewpub in Harrisville could be just what the city needs to revitalize its business community.

At least that’s what principal owner Sandy Arens hopes will happen when the Alcona Brew Haus opens this spring.

Arens decided to open a brewpub with her husband, Steve, the property’s owner, after a brainstorming session they had one day. The couple own the Harrisville Harbor Grocery and Harrisville Harbor Laundromat and have experienced firsthand how businesses in the community can struggle.

“We were talking about how we need a draw to the area to entice more people to come and just see the amazing area that it is,” Sandy said of the community she has come to love.

The Alcona Brew Haus is still being renovated at 676 U.S.-23 N., in the building formerly occupied by Muehlbeck’s, a German restaurant once well-known to the locals. The Arenses are working to integrate as much of the original building into the renovation as possible so that the building will keep its charm.

When the business opens, patrons can expect all of the beer to be made in-house by Head Brewer Eric Protiva.

Sandy was able to recruit Protiva through their mutual affiliation with Schoolcraft College in Livonia, where Sandy is getting ready to graduate from culinary school. Protiva specialized in brewing and distillation and has had two years of experience brewing professionally.

Protiva will locally source as much of the hops and other ingredients for the beer as he can. He will brew up a number of microbrewery favorites — such as amber ale, kolsch, India pale ale and stout — and is looking forward to experimenting with flavors in the future. The brewpub will have 16 taps and the capability to make five batches of beer at a time.

Protiva, who moved to Harrisville last April, said people are excited to have something new in town and are looking forward to not having to drive to Alpena or Oscoda to go to a microbrewery.

“People are excited and the place has a lot of history, so the place is quite close to a lot of locals’ hearts,” he said.

Sandy said it’s important to her that the food won’t be an afterthought. She is working to design a menu for the restaurant, which she says is still a work in progress.

“We will be making our own pizza dough and having different pizzas,” she said. “We’ll have a big smoker, so we’re going to do a lot of smoked entrees and we’ll have other entrees and burgers, as well.”

Sandy said it’s also important the restaurant is designed to accommodate individuals with food allergies — especially those with peanut and tree nut allergies. As someone who has food allergies, she said there won’t be anything with peanuts or tree nuts served in the restaurant.

The community has been very supportive and is looking forward to the brewery’s opening this spring, she said.

“I think the community is very eager and excited,” she said, adding it’s a big deal for the community. “I don’t know what we could put here that’s better, and, if this doesn’t draw people and doesn’t help other businesses, I really don’t know what will.”

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.