By MALLORY PARUSZEWSKI
Senior Reporter
The buzz in town is intense as residents eagerly await the grand opening of a new beer hub on the Square that promises to revolutionize the local social scene.
With beer enthusiasts and community members alike eagerly anticipating the arrival of this unique establishment, the stage is set for a refreshing addition to Alva’s landscape. Opening day is planned for late summer or early fall, and owners Cody and Carly Williams are hopeful that Alva Beer Co will bring a new outlook to Alva.
“We are hoping to attract more people down here and give people on the square more things to do,” Cody Williams said.
Cody and Carly Williams met at OSU in 2003. Carly Williams’ father was a home brewer in the ‘90s and gave Cody his own home brewer kit in 2004. He tinkered with it while in college.
When the Williams lived in Colorado in 2008-2009, they got to enjoy the small beer hubs around town. An award winning beer hub in particular sparked the Williams’ interest in what it would be like to start their own.
Post COVID-19 is when they finally decided to start their own brewery in Alva. They wanted to be downtown to bring it to life with music, and the atmosphere.
The building known as Devery Implement on the corner of Fourth and Barnes, is to be the future home for craft beer and soda, artisan pizza, sandwiches, appetizers, wine and seltzers.
“We want to start our own events and piggyback off what’s already happening in Alva and hopefully supply a little piece that’s been missing,” Cody Williams said.
Repurposing a building from the community to start a new business can have several significant benefits. By utilizing an existing structure, they are not only preserving the town’s history and character but also contributing to sustainable development.
It can help in revitalizing the area, creating a sense of continuity. Additionally, it can often be more cost-effective than constructing a new one from scratch, allowing resources to be put towards enhancing the business itself rather than starting from the ground up.
“It’s definitely good for Alva’s economy, using the resources we already have to bring something new to the community,” said Jodi Bradford-Stevison, former Executive Director of the Alva Chamber of Commerce.
Before it was Devery Implements, it was a blacksmith shop. The walls in the back are wood and have cattle brands burned into them.
That wood is going to be taken apart and turned into the bar tops for Alva Beer Co.
It has so much history and the Williams want to keep that familiar feeling. Instead of making the building look all shiny and new, they are sticking with rustic farmhouse aesthetic.
“I don’t think you get the same atmosphere or character, it brings all of that into it and we want to keep it,” Carly Williams said.
The Alva community is continuing to grow, with Alva Beer Co and Nite Lite coming to town and then The Bull Smokehouse and Saloon and The Office already being here.
They give different opportunities to everyone and different experiences.
These places create a lively scene and it is a great way for residents and visitors to socialize and unwind. It gives more people to choose from based on their preference.
“We all offers different thing,” Cody Williams said. “I think we complement each other and we all excited to be encouraging other to go to all places.”
