LEWES, Del.- There are many local breweries around Sussex County who open their doors to visitors to enjoy food and drinks. But also just to have a good time
On October 13, Big Oyster Brewery's site plan was approved by the Sussex County commissioners and owner Jeff Hamer says it will help tremendously for a continuously growing business.
"Part of the whole idea of getting this new approved plan is to make the property more customer-friendly with the appropriate amount of handicapped spaces and parking spaces," Hamer said. "To have the sidewalks, the lit areas to walk in and to expand the patio making it more friendly than it already is."
The revised site plan includes an addition to the current building for an enclosed patio area. There will also be a 3,000 square foot storage building that is already in place.
Director of Brewing Operations Andrew Harton says the extra space means more beer that can be brewed and stored.
"We're going to be able to keep a bigger inventory of basically all of our products and it will allow our wholesalers to do a better and easier job of staying in inventory so they can get what they want," Harton said.
This expansion could impact traffic on Kings Highway. Big Oyster is helping to pay for a traffic light at a new retirement center across the street which Hamer says will benefit his business as well for people turning into the parking lot for the brewery.
Some commissioners raised concerns two weeks ago about how this plan could affect plans to expand Kings Highway. DelDOT would not comment because there is no specific traffic plan in place yet. Hamer says once the project gets started it should take a year to complete.
