Norfolk, Va. - In the coming months Stone Brewing could be the next name in the beer brewing boom in Norfolk.
The west-coast based company has its sights set on the mermaid city, joining local favorites like O'Connor's and Smarthmouth.
Smarthmouth president Porter Hardy says although Stone could add some healthy competition within the Norfolk beer scene, it will be a struggle to be on the same playing field.
“They make about 500 times to 1000 times the amount of beer we make in a year. So yeah, it's a little intimidating to have somebody come put a 20 million dollar brewery down the block,” says Hardy.
But none of this is official.
Norfolk is competing against Richmond and Columbus, Ohio to try and convince stone brewing that their city is the best fit.
But city spokespeople are being tight-lipped on exactly what they're offering as an added incentive, even though there are dozens of speculations.
And much like Hardy, those perks aren’t sitting well with O’Connor's founder, Kevin O’Connor.
“I don't really know what the city is offering, but at the end of the day, I think sometimes cities should look at little small businesses as well as big businesses coming into the market,” says O’Conner.
But O’Connor does acknowledge that Stone would be good for the city.
“I think the City of Norfolk still has an uphill battle against Richmond and Columbus so at the end of the day, whatever they're offering hopefully it's better than other cities,” says says O’Conner.
