The group behind the revival of the old Tennessee Brewery is setting the stage for a new downtown beer garden during the Grizzlies’ and Tigers’ basketball season. The revival team, TNBG, LLC, will open the old firehouse on the corner of Third Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, which is only a block away from the FedEx Forum.
“The Firehaus will be open to the Memphis and Mid-South community,” Benjamin Orgel, one of the four main organizers of Tennessee Brewery revival, said. “I hope everyone comes out and supports a good cause and taste some of the best Memphis beer that is to offer.”
During the months that follow the impending basketball season, the ‘Firehaus’ will be open to everyone before, during and after each game.
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The Memphis Firehaus will operate under the same premise that its predecessor, the Tennessee Brewery, did. It will be an open garden with local artists, vendors, food-trucks and beer coming together to make an all-in-one sports bar highlighting Memphis athletics.
The building’s 6,000-squarefoot floor and courtyard that is centered around a double bar will be open to the public.
“I can’t wait to see people from all walks of life come out and support the revival and see the smiles it brings to people,” Orgel said. “When these doors open, I hope everyone comes and shows us support. We really want this to be a success like the Tennessee Brewery.”
Local craft beers such as Memphis Made, Ghost River and High Cotton will be available. Firehaus will also premier four new brews specially made for the revival.
“When the Tennessee Brewery opened, I tried all the new beers from the local breweries,” Will Maxwell, a criminal justice major at the University of Memphis, said. “I can’t wait to try the new ones that come to the Firehaus.”
The Firehaus was originally a traditional firehouse during the 1800s before becoming a nightclub and a recording studio for local talent. More recently, ownership passed from renowned recording arts producer, Chips Moman, to local businessman, Billy Orgel, who is also the owner of the Tennessee Brewery.
The first day that it will be open, all beer proceeds will go to John Foote, a firefighter with leukemia who has to make weekly trips to St. Louis for treatments. The funds will help with travel expenses and other necessities.
It will be open on Thursdays through Sundays from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30. It also plans to open on game days that don’t fall under their traditional schedule.
