Wachusett Brewing Co. of Westminster will open two additional taprooms and brewing facilities this fall in two high-profile locations, including the location at the former John Harvard’s in Cambridge’s Harvard Square.
The Harvard Square location will feature a 15-barrel brewhouse with 16 beers on tap, live entertainment and a full kitchen with a focus on flatbreads.
Brewpub John Harvard’s closed at the end of May after 27 years in the 33 Dunster St. location, but it didn’t take long for Wachusett to swoop in.
Christian McMahan, the brewing company’s president, said the Wachusett brand’s position in the Boston area has been on the rise thanks to the pop up beer garden at City Hall Plaza in Boston in place since fall 2017.
“We’ve demonstrated the ability to succeed in the market there,” McMahan said.
The company for several years has expanded its product line and looked at opportunities outside of Westminster. That includes a planned brewhouse and taproom at the Worcester Public Market, a 48-unit apartment and mixed-use building under construction in Kelley Square.
McMahan said the company’s leaders singled out both Worcester and Boston as part of an expansion plan in the state’s biggest markets. The Cambridge location became an opportunity only after the news broke in May of John Harvard’s closing, he said.
In total, more than 40 full-and part-time jobs will be added between the two new facilities, McMahan said.
The company is about to begin another large expansion of its Westminster facility’s production capabilities and is adding a 4,000-square-foot event and kitchen space at the headquarters.
Expanding beyond Westminster and Central Massachusetts is helping to grow the brand and raise the profile of brews other than Wachusett Blueberry or the sports-themed beers like Bella Czech Pils, named after New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick, said McMahan.
Wachusett is paying attention to consumer trends, which had led to a relaunch of a hard seltzer line and the impending launch of a new line of hard ciders.
“People have a whole new appreciation for the brand,” he said. “There’s a lot more to us than maybe they originally thought.”
