Glen Echo working to open brewery in Wylie

Preliminary renderings showing potential design concepts (Glen Echo Brewing).

A new brewery is in the works for the City of Wylie, after the town's city council approved a special use permit this week allowing Glen Echo Brewing to be established on a property located at 106 N. Birmingham St.

Founders Steve and Debbie Schoenekase originally targeted another nearby city for their brewery, but shifted the focus to Wylie around the summer of last year. And, according to Debbie, things are on the fast track now that they've got the initial approvals out of the way.

"The Wylie Economic Development Corporation, the planning department, and the city manager's office have supported our vision from the beginning," says Schoenekase. "Working with Wylie is refreshing!"

Once up and running, Glen Echo will occupy an existing structure comprising just over 4000 square feet. The building itself lies on a 0.21 acre plat, with plans calling for an outdoor patio space to be built out front. Then in the back, a concrete slab lining the building would be used as a potential parking spot for a food truck.

Glen Echo will operate within the confines of the city's Downtown Historic District, which is fitting given the couple's plan to integrate a bit of their own family history in the theme of the place. The brewery's name is drawn from Glen Echo Dairy, a business run by Steve's great-grandfather in Illinois during the early 1900s. Plus, the original font and orange color from the dairy's logo will be carried over into Glen Echo's design motif.

Regarding production plans, the company will utilize a 10-barrel brewhouse fabricated by Deutsche Beverage Technology. Debbie expects the brewery to have 10-12 beers on tap once Glen Echo is fully operational.

"We will brew traditional ales and lagers like a Czech pilsner, German hefeweizen, bock, märzen, English brown ale, and chocolate milk stout-- in honor of the family dairy farm," says Schoenekase. "In addition, we will brew some trendier IPAs and seltzers, and for the non-alcoholic option, we do make a flavorful root beer."

As for project timelines, construction should start in March, with the majority of work involving a remodel of the interior. From there, if all goes well, Glen Echo Brewing will look to open sometime this summer.