Only about two months after it was announced that Pitman would have its first-ever brewery open in the spring, another brewery has just announced it will open two doors down.
PITMAN -- About two months after it was announced that the first-ever brewery would open on South Broadway this spring, a second brewery has now announced that it too will open in the borough's downtown, just two doors away.
The Human Village Brewing Co. -- co-owned by Emily Barnes and Megan Myers -- will open in the spring and replace the Bus Stop Music Cafe.
Despite Pitman's classification as a dry town, breweries -- unlike bars and liquor stores -- do not require a liquor license, which must be approved through a referendum.
The Human Village Brewing Co. has it announced it will open a brewery on South Broadway, in Pitman, in the spring, replacing the Bus Stop Music Cafe. The brewery will be located two doors down from another brewery that recently announced it will open a nanobrewery in March. In November, the owners of the Kelly Green Brewing Co. announced that their plan to open a nanobrewery on South Broadway in mid-March.
Justin Fleming, co-owner of Kelly Green, said he is excited for Human Village to open just a couple doors down, and he does not see it as competition, but rather a positive.
"We are happy to have another brewery in town," Fleming said. "It is nothing but a good thing for everybody -- us, them, the town, the local eateries.
He said if there was just one brewery in town, it might not be worthwhile for some people to make the trip.
"But with two, they'll say, 'Oh jeez, let's jump in the car, there are two breweries in town, we can go brewery hopping,'" Fleming said.
The chamber of commerce's statement said with the owner of the Bus Stop, Vic Martinson, ready to retire, the Human Village Brewing Co. has been "entrusted to carry the baton of the Bus Stop Music Cafe."
"Vic felt that he was ready to retire to spend more time with his children after ten years as the proprietor of his beloved restaurant venue," the statement said.
The owners of Human Village Brewing Co. could not be reached for comment, but the chamber of commerce noted several times how dedicated Human Village is preserving the tradition of the Bus Stop Music Cafe, saying that the establishment plans on "working hard to make sure things stay exactly the same ... even the iconic walls."
It also pledges to maintain the Bus Stop's "tradition of being a venue for live music."
However, there will be one significant change -- the Human Village brewery will be a "BYOF" (bring your own food).
The Bus Stop Music Cafe -- which over the years has developed a devoted, almost cultish following -- was the first business to sell alcohol legally in the borough's 110-year history.
The Bus Stop will remain open until April and "will still have a full lineup of scheduled shows and open mic nights."
Martinson was unable to be reached for comment.
John Fitzpatrick, vice president of the Pitman Chamber of Commerce, said he too sees two breweries as a positive for the borough.
"I think it's going to make Pitman more of a destination," Fitzpatrick said.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
