Stephen Montoya
Plans for Boozie’s brewery in the former Fort Worth Star-Telegram pressroom and paper warehouse in Edgecliff Village have been scratched, according to partner Bruce Conti.
Conti, who already owns Trinity Distillery, came up against a rule of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission that prohibits ownership in “tied house” interests, in this case a distillery and a brewery, he says.
Chapter 102 of the Alcoholic Beverage Code outlines the state’s prohibition against “tied house” interests in the alcoholic beverage industry. That is, a person may not have a financial stake in one level of the industry (such as a brewer) while also having an interest in a different level (such as a bar).
In general, breweries and distilleries are considered to be part of the “manufacturing” tier, and there’s no prohibition against one having multiple interests in the same tier. The distinction is on whether a brewer held a brewer’s license or a similar permit such as a brewpub, which would fall under the “retail” tier.
Conti says he chose instead to move forward with Trinity Distillery because he owns the property where it sits, rather than a lease arrangement with the proposed Boozie’s. Trinity Distillery operates in the former Ranch Style Beans building at 1734 E. El Paso St.
Boozie’s recently closed its two restaurant breweries, including one at 6473 Camp Bowie Blvd. and another in Fairview.
“Boozie’s Collin County unit was only open for seven weeks, which was a much larger unit and I felt terrible about aborting the project before we had a chance to prove the concept,” Conti writes in a text message. “[The] Camp Bowie unit was doing great in the few weeks it was open, but I was driven to position myself in the manufacturing tier [the distillery] due to the real estate component.”
Conti told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in May, that the new brewery in Edgecliff Village was to have a tap room, beer garden, and outdoor music component, as well as brew pub fare.
Also set to make the move was award-winning brew master Bobby Mullins. Mullins and chef David Hollister were brought on board at the Boozie’s restaurant and brewery concepts to hone the drink and food aspect of this high-end sandwich concept.
Hollister told Fort Worth Magazine in May that he planned to maintain his partnership in the company after its planned transition, but he also was looking into doing something else.
“I’m going to take some time and kind of weigh my options, and see what I want to do from here,” Hollister says. “I’m looking at getting into the corporate side of food; I’m not really wanting to rush back into another kitchen.”
As for Mullins, there hasn’t been any verification to what his next move might be.
Boozie’s had previously operated as Wild Acre Brewing at the Camp Bowie location. Wild Acre was sold to Dallas’ Bishop Cider a year ago. Bishop Cider only operates the Wild Acre brewery, located in 21 acres on the property at East El Paso St.
