Beer Barn became the first retail business to open at Agritopia’s Epicenter, swinging open the doors to customers Aug. 5.
The bottle shop is a beverage only place at 3150 E. Ray Road, Ste. 150. It will share a patio area called the paseo with Matt’s Big Breakfast.
The bar is the latest offering from partners Justin Evans and Tony Fatica, whose other places in Phoenix include The Wandering Tortoise and The Theodore in Phoenix, The Sleepy Whale in Chandler, Golden Pineapple Craft Lounge in Tempe and Hops on Birch in Flagstaff.
Beer Barn’s exterior and interior are meant to invoke a rural feel as a nod to Gilbert’s rural roots as well as the owners — Evans is from rural Ohio and Fatica from Montana.
“For us the barn theme is a really fun concept,” Fatica said. “We're really excited about bringing that. It's like a lot of wood, a lot of earthiness, just right back into rural Gilbert, we think a lot about old Gilbert, the roots being the hay capital.”
The owners said they want it to be a simple place with great selections where people can have a good time.
“It's our favorite thing to do is just hang out with people and have conversations, see where they're from,” Fatica said. “We’re really looking forward to it.”
William Johnston, the CEO of Epicenter developer Johnston & Co., said Beer Barn should be a fun concept and that Evans, who lived nearby at Lyons Gate, always wanted to do something in Agritopia.
“One night we ran into each other at the coffee shop, and the rest is history,” he said.
Tom Blodgett Senior News Editor | Gilbert @sp_blodgett
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
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