Sisu Beer to open Astoria brewpub in former Buoy Beer location
Seaside, Oregon’s SISU Beer is scaling up, with an expansion to Astoria, Oregon where they will take over the current Buoy Beer location at the Astoria Food Hub (1152 Marine Dr,) and install a new brewhouse and taproom.
Following the opening of Seaside Brewing in 2012, Sisu Beer became Seaside, Oregon’s second brewery in 2016. Known for their unique setting and creative beers, Sisu Beer’s current location is the historic Times Theater in downtown Seaside. Closed for nearly 30 years, The Times Theatre is not just the home of the Sisu Brewing Company, but is also an operating venue that screens movies, sports, live concerts, and hosts events. The brewhouse actually sits on the elevated theater stage behind the silver screen at the base of the auditorium - which makes for a great visual showpiece but a difficult production space with no room for expansion.
SISU Brewing and The Times Theatre parent company TM Development LLC has purchased the Astoria Food Hub building that Buoy Beer Company has called homebase for their taproom & restaurant since the original brewpub partially collapsed on the waterfront pier. The Astoria Food Hub was originally intended to serve as a nexus for coastal farmers, fishers, and food producers with onsite cold and dry storage, a commercial kitchen, distribution resources, restaurants, a retail storefront, and support resources for regional food producers. That never really came to pass, which left a huge vacancy for Buoy Beer to salvage their hospitality business at a traumatic time.
With the newly acquired 28,000 square foot Astoria Food Hub building, Sisu Brewing intends to install a 30 barrel brewhouse and open a new taproom and restaurant while leaving the original Seaside location for small batch brews. The much larger space will allow Sisu to begin canning their beers and start a barrel program, as well as distribute outside of the north coast. However, for the current tenants at the Astoria Food Hub and Astoria locals who have been anticipating the original vision for the project, this is likely the final nail in the coffin. In addition to Buoy Beer, the other major Astoria Food Hub tenant is the non-profit North Coast Food Web which works with approximately 40 local producers in Clatsop and Tillamook counties, providing educational programs and running a weekly farmers market.
Announcing their expansion to Astoria, the Sisu Brewing team stated: “This historic building has been a gathering place for local food businesses and creators, and we’re honored to carry on its legacy as an essential part of Astoria’s community spirit. The current tenants at the Food Hub will continue their operations through early 2025, and we’re committed to ensuring a smooth, respectful transition for everyone involved.”
As the New School reported in July, Buoy Beer Company took over the former Reach Break Brewing space on Duane Street in Astoria for a new taproom that would also function as a pilot brewery and tasting room for their sister brand Pilot House Distilling. At the time of the report, Buoy Beer intended to still operate the restaurant at the Astoria Food Hub, but later announced they will up operations there at the end of the year and encourage people to visit them at the new space at 1343 Duane St, Astoria, OR 97103 instead.
The expansion of Sisu Brewing into Astoria likely won’t come quickly either, as the building is broken up into a retail, kitchens, and offices, and not plumbed or setup for a brewery that will call for major infrastructure upgrades including grey water collection.
