New pub opening in Kennewick

Next month's opening of Barley's Brew Hub on Kennewick Avenue is poised to be a celebration.

"We're here to celebrate beer," owners Tom and Shari Floyd said in unison while standing next to the indoor beer garden.

They weren't joking.

Barley's Brew Hub opens Sept. 22 and will offer 40 beers and ciders on tap, at least 10 of which should be locally produced craft brews such as Ice Harbor, Whitstran, Shrub Steppe, Horse Heaven Hills and Paper Street. Prefer domestics? They'll have those in bottles.

"That's really what we want to do -- bring awareness that there are a lot of great breweries here," Shari said.

And because the Brew Hub is opening in the heart of wine country, the Floyds plan to feature a selection of local vino.

The accompanying menu, which is still being hashed out, should feature pub fare such as burgers, deep-fried pickles and French fries. Pulled pork sandwiches, nachos and tacos, as well as a brisket sandwich, will add some barbecue flair.

"We're going to be a little simplified at first," Tom said.

Tom is well-versed in beer and barbecue. The Pasco resident's homemade barbecue sauce took top honors during the 2008 Grapefest barbecue competition. He was also a member of the Ice Harbor Brewery and Pub team that won that year's ribs competition. His home-brewed stouts have taken top honors at past county fairs.

And while Tom's barbecue sauce will be featured on the menu, his brews will be missing from the taps.

"We leave that to the professionals," he said, laughing.

Tom and Shari, both 51, have backgrounds in brew. Shari owned the Beer Garden in Kennewick, and the couple operated the now-defunct starspangledgifts.com, which featured beer and wine gift baskets.

The Barley Brew Hub, at 3320 Kennewick Ave., takes over a building previously occupied by the short-lived comedy club The Elbow Room and longtime fixture Jack-Sons Sports Bar.

The Floyds have spent the past four months renovating. The dance floor has been converted to a family dining area and is separated from the bar by a gazebo-esque indoor beer garden.

Flat-screen TVs lining the walls will most often be tuned to sports. Indoor seating accommodates about 110 people. An outdoor beer garden featuring overhead light strings and umbrellas should seat about 60.

"I think it will be a good first date place," Shari said.

Barley's Brew Hub should employ about 15 people. It will be open Monday through Saturday and closed most Sundays, except when Seahawks games are televised.

"We'll always have the locals on TV," Tom said.

Summer hours will be from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Barley's Brew Hub will close an hour early each day during winter hours.

-- Drew Foster: 509-582-1513; dfoster@tricityherald.com

This story was originally published September 2, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "New pub opening in Kennewick."