Tupps Brewery moving to historic McKinney grain site

All images courtesy of Tupps Brewery.

Tupps Brewery will soon trade one historical setting for another, as the company is set to make a move closer to Downtown McKinney.

Since debuting in 2015, Tupps has occupied a 17,000-square-foot space at The McKinney Cotton Mill. However, the brewery has outgrown that location and will now expand to a spot with over 40,000 square feet on a 4.3-acre campus in the city's  Historic Mill District.

Helping to spur the project, the McKinney Community Development Corporation approved a grant in the amount of $11,333,262 for construction, and the McKinney Economic Development Corporation has provided a loan for use in purchasing additional equipment Tupps will use to meet growing market demand.

“The McKinney grain site is a perfect location to build our forever home as it fits the Tupps vibe and allows us to meet increased demand for our products while providing more space for additional customers visiting the brewery,” says Keith Lewis, founder and president of Tupps.

This new location will be an extension of Downtown McKinney in a grain processing factory that has been in operation for over 120 years. The layout will comprise a 12,000-square-foot taproom in the original grain-milling building, a state-of-the-art production facility and a retail shopping area housed in reused shipping containers.

Current view and future rendering of Tupps' new location.

“The city of McKinney is committed to revitalizing the eastside of our historic downtown area and I could not think of a better partner than Tupps to start this process. Tupps will bring much needed energy to this area which will attract other businesses and expand our historic downtown footprint,” says McKinney Mayor George Fuller.

On the production side, Tupps will operate in a 28,000 square foot facility. The building will incorporate a barrel-aging area housing over 200 barrels that will age unique beers to be available for sampling on selected tours and for sale in the brewery's beer-to-go store.

As for other amenities, Tupps is a family business to its core and will continue to welcome families both young and old. The brewery will have a unique playground for all ages and plenty of space to relax inside and out. To that end, in addition to a large outdoor stage hosting live music and theater performances, the site plan will include shops featuring local artists, craftsman, and food vendors.

Tupps has also pledged to continue its strong commitment to the community with charitable work. Tupps got started by brewing beer in Keith’s garage, so it wants to give other dreamers the ability to start their own business in a supportive environment.