Brewery 1886, a brewpub and restaurant, will open in Old Towne Orange at the end of September - OCRegister

The restaurant scene in Old Towne Orange continues to heat up and this time it’s a new brewpub by the guys who brought you Smoqued in 2012.

Michael Hernandez and his business partner Andrew Ciora will open Brewery 1886 just two doors down from Smoqued in the former George II antiques store at 114 N. Glassell St.  The building was constructed in 1886, providing the name for the new place which is slated to open at the end of September.

Michael Hernandez, left, and his business partner Andrew Ciora will open Brewery 1886 just two doors down from Smoqued in the former George II antiques store at 114 N. Glassell St.  (Courtesy of Michael Hernandez)

“It’s a gorgeous building and the wood was brought in from South America in the ’80s. We’re not touching any of the front. But it’s never been a restaurant unlike our barbecue place,” Hernandez said. “We’re putting everything in there and working with a couple of designers just to finalize plans. We’re putting in  a 10-barrel system and we’ll have a full liquor license and a full bar.”

The 4,560  square-foot space, with a 1,120 square-foot  outdoor area at the rear of  the  building, will seat 150.

Hernandez calls the menu “upscale pub food.” He hasn’t hired a chef yet but he plans to offer appetizers, sandwiches and more. He will allow the chef to put his own stamp on the menu but the theme will not be narrowly focused. “There’s a lot going on in Old Towne Orange and everything is very specific. Our restaurant is barbecue and there’s Thai and pizza and I feel it could use a place where the menu’s a little bit more expanded, so that’s what we’re going to bring.”

He will hire a brewmaster soon and he expects to be turning out a tasty selection of craft beers, given the partners’ experience in the industry; the two have been working in restaurants since 1991 and Ciora owns a couple brewpubs and barbecue restaurants in Michigan. “We’re really good friends, college roommates (at Long Beach State University) and we worked at Laguna Beach Beer Company and Huntington Beach  Beer Company.”

He says his pub will be for everyone. “I want to make it a meeting place that’s casual for families and focus on putting out great beer and good food in a great environment,” he said. “Smoqued has done a really good job of that. You can come in a suit or flip-flops and shorts. It’s not pretentious, just cozy and fun.”

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https://www.ocregister.com/2019/04/15/brewery-1886-a-brewpub-and-restaurant-will-open-in-old-towne-orange-at-the-end-of-september/ 2019-04-15 18:11:00Z