Starting his own brew pub was not what Eric Britton imagined doing when he graduated from the University of Oklahoma almost 20 years ago.
“I got to a point where I could chase what I wanted to do, my passion,” the 43-year-old father of three told The Dallas Express. “Through that time, just growing up and trying different alcohol, I really [developed] an affinity for craft beer. I started home brewing and went crazy with it until my career basically consumed me.”
By this time next year, Britton will have opened Forney Brewing Company — a brew pub in downtown Forney built with the community’s families in mind.
“I’m catering to that atmosphere — the Forney demographic,” he said. “A fairly large portion of the patio will be a kids’ area where they’ll be safe, and their parents can come to relax and hang out. I’m trying to be thoughtful with that. I have three kids, so I understand. Of course, we’re going to be cognizant of the fact that no kids will be allowed in the tap room.”
Texas law allows establishments classified as brew pubs to sell food in addition to alcohol.
On the brew side, Britton plans to tap into his customer base.
“I’m going to offer as many out of the gate as I can,” he said. “I know my demographics out here. I just really want to have a solid staple — the core styles I know will be popular here. I’m going to have some lagers, a style of beer I know a large demographic out here has had most of their lives. I’m also going to have a pilsner and maybe a Helles, a West Coast IPA, a hazy IPA, and a stout, which is a big, dark beer. I can do a lot of creative stuff, and I always want to keep it edgy and fun.”
While the brews will clearly be a focus of Britton’s, he wants people to know he’s taking the food service side of the business seriously.
“Me and my wife are big food people,” he said. “I have a standard with my food. I want it to be known that I have as much passion for that side as the other [side].
“My core menu items will be ‘smash burgers,’ which are kind of really trendy and popular right now, and homemade pizzas. If you’re from Forney, you’re thinking the last thing we need is another pizza place. But this will be Neapolitan-style pizza. It’s one of those things that just works with brew pubs.”
Britton said the pies will be made with homemade dough and pizza sauce. He also plans to offer salads and a kids’ menu.
It’s a long way from where the Sooner-turned-Texan started his career.
“This was not a career path for me,” Britton said. “But I’m better built for the chance of success because I’ve done the jobs from bottom to the top.”
After receiving a degree in energy management in 2004, Britton worked several jobs in the oil and gas industry. It took some time, but Britton found his way.
“I was in a career that was just not satisfied with me,” he said. “I married a Texas woman who is much smarter than me. She wanted to go back to school, and I helped her to continue to do that. I did my thing while she did hers. I started home brewing, and that just fueled the fire for me.”
At that time, it was still a hobby. And Britton and his wife weren’t quite settled in their careers, moving in and out of Denver a couple of times. Then, their family became larger.
“We started kicking out babies, and that threw a wrench in that fan,” Britton laughed, recalling those early years of his marriage. “We knew Texas would be the final landing spot, so we made our way back, and, luckily, my wife started earning some money. It got to a point [where] I could step away from what I was doing.”
That’s when a friend asked Britton to join him at a craft beer distributor he planned to open. He had reservations, though.
“I said, ‘Well, I don’t know much about the industry because I haven’t worked in it,'” Britton said. “But then I realized that if I’m going to help him with this, I already have a business degree. So I volunteered at a brewery, and it escalated from there. I ended up running the full gamut at Texas Ale Project.”
Britton also worked at Manhattan Project Beer Company in Dallas, calling it “one of the best” in the industry.
“We moved out to Forney, and I found a brand that was exploding,” he said. “That’s when Manhattan Project Beer Company came into the story for me. It shot up my skills 20-fold, and I couldn’t thank them enough. I told them out of the gate that I was looking to do something myself. I can’t think of a better stamp on my ability than being able to say I spent five years working with them.”
Now believing he is positioned to open his own concept, Britton started searching for property in the Kaufman County community of about 23,000 people on Interstate 20.
“I was looking for ways I could open something out here in Forney,” he said. “Locations are really hard to come by, and it’s very disheartening for a lot of these breweries because rent became such a hurdle for them. I knew it was going to be a big risk and a lot of money down.”
For a moment, Britton considered “setting it aside.”
“But the opportunity came up with the city and the building. I was fortunate enough to talk to the right people, and [I] explained my knowledge. They were very excited and very interested.”
After working to meet Forney’s planning and zoning requirements, Britton next year will spend an estimated $750,000 to renovate a former gym building at 203 E. Main St.
“My goal is to be done by the middle of next year,” he said. “But a lot of different balls are rolling with different permits and construction, so I’m probably looking to mid to late 2024 because I can’t start construction until I get my official building permit from the city. I can start moving dirt with my site plan, and that should be approved very soon.”
Licensed to operate as a brew pub, Britton may not produce more than 10,000 gallons a year at his store under Texas law.
“The packaging side allows you to produce more beer,” Britton said. “The brew pub allows you to sell food. On the packaging side, that is more for those who plan to fight for shelf space. The Manhattan Project Beer Company has a kitchen, and the City of Dallas allows that. The City of Forney does not allow it. But I can produce just about anything I want and call it anything I want. I don’t need label approval as a brew pub.”
Britton expects to open between August and September with eight part-time and full-time workers.