Three Empires aims to become Frisco's first brewery

Photo © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

Last night, the Frisco City Council approved a request to prepare an ordinance for a Special Use Permit (SUP) paving the way for the establishment of what would be the city's first brewery. To be known as Three Empires Brewing Co., those behind the venture have leased a spot at 6990 Main St. in The Rail District of Downtown Frisco.

Owners David and Mandalyn Wible intended to open just down the road at what was to become the Main Street Food Hall. When that project fell through, they signed on with Nack Development, owners of The Ford Building - a structure dating back to 1911 that was once the site of an automobile dealership selling Model A's and Model T's.

According to David, plans call for the renovation of a 1300 square foot space within those walls. Roughly 200 square feet will be reserved for the production area (one-barrel system with five small-scale fermenters), with a taproom bar, walk-in cooler and seating to fill out the rest. Modifications will also be done on the exterior elevations to let a little bit of the outdoors in.

"We'll have a roll-top garage door in front, with a little bit of outdoor seating," says Wible. "Then, we'll also put in a back door that can access the common area behind the building to get that indoor/outdoor experience."

In terms of offerings, Three Empires hopes to debut with upwards of eight beers. Look for a portfolio of straightforward ales to start, with an American-style pale ale, hazy IPA, witbier and a blonde among the styles being considered. Any lagers would come later, once production is in full swing and the daily lineup is fully-stocked.

Should you wish to enjoy a beer outside the confines of the taproom, Three Empires will have growlers and also do limited canning for to-go sales. Beyond that, things will be kept pretty close to home in terms of outside distribution.

"We'll probably do some light distribution, but nothing on a big scale," says Wible. "We want to keep it local and be a local brewery. We'll just walk up and down Main St. to see who would be interested in having our beer."

As for timelines, everything depends on getting through construction and the permit process. If all goes well, Three Empires could be pouring beer as soon as this summer.