By Morgan Bryce
Editor
A relaxing atmosphere, fun hangout for family and friends and quality, on-tap craft beer will be just a few of the features of “Resting Pulse Brewery,” a new business coming to downtown Opelika in 2019.
Started by Auburn residents Dave and Terri Plundo, the brewery will be located on the corner of First Avenue and South Eighth Street, in the heart of a new entertainment district created by Opelika businessman Richard Patton.
With construction underway, Dave said the brewery’s grand opening festivities are planned for the mid-to-latter portion of March.
“This is such an exciting time for us. Every day, you see all the activity here and you see changes – walls going up and new equipment coming in – it’s unbelievable,” Dave said. “And we’re thrilled to be a part of this growing entertainment district … people will be able to walk back and forth to the other venues and restaurants that are here in downtown. Some of the other venues are looking at some entrances on this side of the street to make it easier for people to do that – you’re seeing this whole area step up to make this a reality.”
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Plundos worked for years in the healthcare field, living in Ohio and Iowa before moving to the Auburn-Opelika area in 2015.
“We’re not homebrewers … anywhere we lived, we enjoyed going to craft breweries, craft distilleries and local wineries. They made for a great date night and adventure for us,” Dave said. “Every time we moved, we talked about how great it would be to do something like this. When we got to (the area), we saw that there wasn’t a lot of choices locally and that you had to drive a good distance to get to others. We thought to ourselves if we were ever going to do it, it was going to be here.”
During their search, the couple heard of Patton’s efforts toward improving downtown Opelika, and officially toured the future home of their business with him in March 2017.
“Richard’s vision is really our vision. He had something planned for the corner where we’re going to be, but after talking with us and knowing that my heart was set on that space, he worked and changed things up so that we could have it and do what we wanted to do,” Terri said.
Earlier this year, the couple hired Portland, Oregon native Eric Lindemann to be their head brewmaster. Lindemann met Dave at a craft brewery conference in San Diego, and said that their conversation was solid enough to convince him to uproot his family and head to the Southeast.
“Two very important factors brought me here: the first was the passing of the ‘Growler Law’ (which allows Alabamians to purchase craft beer directly from producer) and the commitment these two show to help make this project come through,” Lindemann said.
Though he prefers a beverage that is “malt-forward and yeasty,” Lindemann said he and the Plundos will work to tailor their Blonde Ale, IPA, Kolsch, Lager, Pilsner, Stout styles and more to the tastes of their clientele.
Once opened, the brewery will feature an L-shaped bar and seating for nearly 100 guests. The Plundos said they will staff their kitchen with two cooks and four servers to provide food for customers. Thirteen televisions will adorn the walls for sports fans to watch their favorite teams’ games.
The exterior will feature a “beer-garden” with adequate seating and space for events. Trees will be planted to provide shade. Pets are also welcome to the brewery, which will offer dog biscuits for canine owners.
Resting Pulse will also be available for hosting events like wedding receptions and work parties and weekly live music from local artists, part of the Plundo’s efforts to make their business a viable part of the community.
“When you come into our brewery, we want you to come in and relax, enjoy, sit back and soak in everything. With family or friends there with you, we want you to get to that ‘resting pulse,’ which is where the name for our brewery comes from,” Terri said.
The brewery’s hours of operation will be 11:30 a.m. – 2 a.m. Monday – Saturday and noon – midnight on Sundays. For more information or updates on the brewery’s opening, like and follow its social media pages or visit www.restingpulsebrewing.com.