Swell Brewing Co wants to expand its tasting room to be allowed to cater for more patrons, just five months since it opened its taphouse in McLaren Vale.
The craft brewery, on Olivers Rd, has applied to Onkaparinga Council to be allowed to cater for 250 patrons at any one time, up from 100 allowed currently.
Under the plan, a new carpark with an extra 64 spaces and two mini-bus bays would be created, and a mezzanine storage level and a balcony would be converted into a tasting and sales area.
This area, along with the ground floor sales and tasting space, would be used for functions.
Swell also wants to be allowed to cater for up to 400 patrons at any one time, on 12 days of the year.
The popular brewery has been operating since 2010, but only opened the taphouse, which boasts 16 beers on tap, in February.
A report to the council by Masterplan, for Swell, said the brewery was regularly turning away up to 50 customers a day.
Swell Brewing is seeking to expand its taphouse. Photo: Kate Elmes
The report said the proposed expansion would have a “favourable economic effect on the locality” and would generate significant demand for goods and services across McLaren Vale.
The McLaren Vale wine region is home to more than 150 wineries and 80 cellar doors.
Firehawk Farm Pty Ltd is hoping to join the fray and has applied to the council to convert a shed on its vineyard on Chaffey Rd into a cellar door.
Article copied from here in July 2019.