On Saturday, February 24, at its Hellshire Mini-Fest in Eugene, Oakshire owner Jeff Althouse announced the upcoming opening of its third location, Oakshire Commons, a 2,300 square-foot pub located in the historic and newly renovated Rivett Building at 448 Main St. in Springfield. Along with its wide range of ales, lagers, and barrel-aged beer, Oakshire will bring a slice of its Northwest Portland Beer Hall to Springfield in the form of Detroit-style pizza.

Oakshire founder Jeff Althouse made the rounds to Springfield businesses in advance of the public announcement, connecting with Main Street business owners and implementing one of the brewery’s core values: community. “We’re excited to take what we do and humbly be a part of the great scene in Downtown Springfield,” he said during the announcement.

Though the pizza will undoubtedly be enticing to many, outside food will also be allowed. Downtown Springfield has a thriving food scene, with restaurants ranging from health-wise Lovely and pub fare at Plank Town Brewing*, to food carts serving Indian, Peruvian, and other worldly delights. Further, Oakshire commons will be open in the morning serving coffee.

As a medium-sized brewery, producing between 5,000-10,000 barrels of beer per year, Oakshire’s beer is distributed throughout Oregon and in the Seattle area. Many breweries open multiple locations in order to sell more of their beer directly to consumers. Not only does this net more profit, it gives the business more tangible public access and community engagement opportunities than if it focused solely on outside sales.

Events like trivia nights, live music, and beer fests like Hellshire are staples of Oakshire’s current locations; the Public House is often packed for these, as well as any sunny day during the winter. It is also well known as a supporter of local nonprofits, hosting benefit events at the Public House and running its 1% for Watersheds program.

The Rivett Building, originally constructed in 1909 as a single story along unpaved Main Street, is in the final stages of being crowned with another story comprised of 12 loft apartments, with creative adaptation by Springfield-based architecture and design company Campfire Collaborative. Oakshire Commons will be one of two retail spaces on the ground floor, along with an ADA-accessible live-work space.

See the full press release below.

OAKSHIRE BREWING UNVEILS PLANS TO OPEN A THIRD TAPROOM LOCATION IN DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD 

Oakshire Brewing is excited to announce plans to open its third taproom featuring their Award-Winning Beers, Detroit-style pizza, and morning hours with coffee. The company has leased 2,300 square feet at 448 Main Street in Springfield, Oregon. At the corner of 5th and Main, the Rivett Building is being renovated with two ground floor retail spaces, a ground floor ADA accessible live-work space, and 12 loft apartments above. Architect and Co-Founder of Springfield-based Campfire Collaborative, Jenna Fribley, shares that this “project is the first of its kind in downtown Springfield, combining adaptive reuse AND new construction.” Originally built in 1909, the 115-year-old single-story building is the perfect home for Oakshire’s new taproom, blending its history of craftsmanship and innovation with its evolving approach to the beer business. The building’s apartments and retail spaces are on track to be completed in July 2024, with Oakshire opening its taproom in the Summer of 2024. 

“The people and businesses in Springfield are already an important part of the Oakshire community. We’re excited to be a part of the vibrant Springfield Downtown that’s been evolving so intentionally,” said Oakshire Founder and CEO, Jeff Althouse. 

The Springfield taproom location will combine the best of Oakshire’s current taproom locations, the Oakshire Public House in Eugene and the Oakshire Beer Hall in NE Portland. Without space for food carts, the Springfield Oakshire will serve its popular Detroit-style pizza, currently available at the Oakshire Beer Hall in NE Portland. 

“I’ve been asked ‘why Detroit-style pizza?’” states Dan Russo, Oakshire Chief Operations Officer and creative leader for both beer and pizza. “The Detroit-style pizza, like beer, uses both grain and fermentation. It gives us another avenue to develop as makers and expand that creative energy from the brewery into our taproom spaces.” 

Consistent with the vibe of a public gathering space, outside food will be allowed – including from the neighboring businesses such as Lovely, Planktown, Mezza Luna, and Cornucopia. The new location will also open in the morning for coffee, allowing the space to serve as a public gathering space throughout the day. The company has named the new location the “Oakshire Commons.” A public space to gather, converse, work, or simply relax with a beverage or a bite

to eat. Whether you’re a beer fan or not, the Oakshire Commons will have space for you to come as you are and enjoy Downtown Springfield. 

“The Springfield location allows us to expand our staff so the current team can support both the Eugene and Springfield locations. Familiar faces at the Oakshire Commons will give this location that comfortable Oakshire feel from day one,” said Megan Gallbraith, Oakshire Public House General Manager. 

The staff at Oakshire is as excited as Oakshire’s community of owners. Jordan Swan-Wallis, who joined Oakshire as a Pubtender in 2013 and has also served in multiple sales positions, responded to the internal announcement about the Oakshire Commons in Springfield, “I have to express how excited I am for Oakshire. I feel like we’re poised right now to truly do something special – I ‘feel it in the air.’” 

About Oakshire Brewing: Oakshire Brewing of Eugene, Oregon, is a community inspired small batch brewing company founded in 2006. The company owns and operates a small production brewery in NW Eugene and two taprooms: the Oakshire Public House in Eugene, located at 207 Madison Street, and the Oakshire Beer Hall in NE Portland, located at 5013 NE 42nd Ave. Oakshire is privately owned by the family and friends of its founders, employs 32 people, and produces a wide variety of award-winning beers through its three distinct brewing programs: Core, Pilot, and Vintage. These beers are available on draft and in package through Oakshire’s wholesale partners in Oregon, Portland-metro Area, and Colorado. Oakshire also operates its own distribution operations in the Seattle-metro area serving 25 independently-owned specialty beer retailers, bars, and restaurants. For more information about Oakshire, including its people, locations, and beers, visit oakbrew.com on the internet.

*I am currently employed by Plank Town Brewing