TILLAMOOK – To meet growing demand for its product Pacific City’s Pelican Pub & Brewery hopes to team up with the Port of Tillamook Bay to build a second, much larger facility on port property.

The new operation would double the existing brewery’s production from 5,000 barrels per year to 10,000 barrels per year.

It would also include a glass wall for viewing inside the brewery, a packaging and shipping area, a restaurant, tasting area and possibly a bakery and coffee roasting area.

According to Michele Bradley, Port of Tillamook Bay general manager, the brewery would feed spent grain to beef cattle located on a nearby lot.

The facility would create 79 jobs, said Bradley, noting she expected the project to take about two years to complete.

“This is a great opportunity for the Port and for an important business in Tillamook County,” said Tillamook County Commissioner Mark Labhart, who was instrumental in bringing participating parties together. “The Pelican Group could have decided to build their brewery/restaurant in Portland … but they hoped for, and wanted to stay in Tillamook County and continue to be part of this great county. The Port offered them the opportunity to get to yes in their decision process to stay in the county. The Port Board and staff deserve a lot of credit for their efforts in helping to make this happen.”

On May 27, the Port of Tillamook Bay Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to work with the pub and brewery, City of Tillamook, Tillamook County, Tillamook Economic Development Council and Oregon Governor’s Regional Solutions Team, a multi-agency group, to move forward with the project.

The original Pelican Pub & Brewery opened its doors in 1996. Since then it has produced a number of award-winning beers, many with names of local landmarks, including Kiwanda Cream Ale and Winema Wit.

Mary Jones, Jeff Schons, Darron Welch and Ken Henson co-own the Pelican Pub & Brewery.

Kelly Edwards, of Scott Edwards Architecture LLP of Portland, created a preliminary design for the facility.

The port’s master plan has called for development along its U.S. Highway 101 property in Tillamook since the 1980s, said Bradley.

“A facility visible from the Coast Highway would attract locals as well as tourists,” she added. “The port board is hoping to see the domino effect of bringing in an excellent anchor tenant.”