Red River Brewing to expand in Downtown Shreveport

SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - Last week, it was announced that the Red River Brewing Company will be expanding in Downtown Shreveport. It's a move that some say will be a game changer for that area.

Downtown Development Authority Director Liz Swaine said she's been in talks with Red River Brewing for two years now, and finally all of the puzzle pieces in the vision to make Downtown Shreveport great are falling into place.

"And that's the thing about it. One piece goes here. Somebody sees it, and says I need to be there. Then it starts filling out in a way that we all want," she said.

The latest development being Red River Brewing announcing an expansion that will include a tasting room. After seeing the success of Great Raft and Flying Heart Breweries in the market, Red River said Downtown Shreveport is where they wanted to be.

"If you want a vibrant downtown you have to have a reason to go there," said Co-owner of Red River Jared Beville. "We feel like our business model, and our public tasting room is really going to provide a great opportunity to bring people back downtown, and see what all it has to offer."

The new location at 1200 Marshall St. is a massive 23,000 square foot space. Beville said they plan to use the space for the tasting room, and have full glass walls separate the tasting room from the brewhouse so people can see where the beer is made. Beville said the location couldn't be better for what they hope to accomplish.

"Breweries in particular are locating in previously blighted areas, and really being that anchor tenant that really starts that revitalization, and gives people a reason to come back to areas that they otherwise wouldn't know even existed," said Beville.

Shreveport native, and young entrepreneur Justin Martin agrees with that thinking, especially when targeting young professionals to stay or return to the city.

"When you can give people a place where they can work, play, and live that will always draw people in, especially young people," he said.

Red River Brewing hopes to have their tasting room at a point where they can start serving beer by the middle of December, but their full renovation likely won't be completely until the first part of next year.

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