Staff photo by Fritz Busch The Sleepy Eye Coffee Co. recently opened for business in the former PIX Theater building on Main Street, downtown Sleepy Eye. The business offers food and drink including a new micro-brewery that opens at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27.

SLEEPY EYE — Sleepy Eye Brewing Company opens its tap room at 4 p.m., Friday, Dec. 27 under the lights of a restored theater marquee in a one-of-a-kind venue.

“It’s not just your normal bar,” said brewery manager Kelly Krzmarzick. “We envision people from all walks of life coming together to enjoy a craft beer. We’re bringing the brewery atmosphere to small town Minnesota.”

The taproom will feature nine beers on opening day, followed by a tenth on Saturday, Dec. 28 with the tapping of a new beer named after brewmaster, Aaron Luebbert. Other brewery’s offerings include a kolsch, saison, pale ale, cream ale, hazy IPA, porter and coffee stout.

Sleepy Eye Brewing was founded by five friends who decided to scale up their passion for craft beer and put their town on the craft brewery map.

The brewery is a tenant in the renovated Pix Theater, a local landmark that fell into disrepair over nearly three decades of disuse.

Major renovation work culminated with the opening of Sleepy Eye Coffee Company in October. The brewery and coffee shop share the space and have already collaborated on a coffee stout.

The five owners, all of whom have young families and work full-time jobs in Sleepy Eye outside their new venture, see it as a community investment.

“I think it’s really helped rejuvenate downtown and is a great example of what we can do with these old buildings,” said Kurk Kramer, Sleepy Eye Economic Development Coordinator.

The brewery hired 11 full and part-time employees. It will be open 4 to 11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Visit the company site on Facebook.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com