Comeback story: Great River Brewery returns after 5 years

A great business comeback story is complete. The Great River Brewery in downtown Davenport has reopened after it was forced to close by the flood of 2019. “People come in here, look around and say ‘I never thought this would open again,’” said Scott Florence, the owner of the brewery at 332 E. Second St. […]

A great business comeback story is complete. The Great River Brewery in downtown Davenport has reopened after it was forced to close by the flood of 2019. “People come in here, look around and say ‘I never thought this would open again,’” said Scott Florence, the owner of the brewery at 332 E. Second St. The business is across the street from The Last Picture House.

1 of 8

Mr. Florence was one of dozens of people who gathered at the Great River Brewery on Friday afternoon, June 7, to celebrate the business’ grand reopening with a Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony. Other festivities included live music, prize give-aways, visits from people in the business community and the gathering of beer lovers to celebrate the comeback story. “After five years, it’s great to see the Great River Brewery standing again. … This cornerstone of our community gets to see a second life,” Kyle Carter, executive director of the Downtown Davenport Partnership, said during the opening ceremonies. That second life happened after a disaster closed the business. At about 4 p.m. April 30, 2019, a HESCO barrier floodwall – holding back the swollen Mississippi River – failed near Pershing Avenue and flooded parts of downtown Davenport. The Great River Brewery was hit especially hard as floodwaters rushed into the business building in a matter of minutes. “It all washed away pretty quickly. In 15 minutes, we were out of here,” Mr. Florence recalled during the grand opening ceremony. While giving a tour of the updated building a short time later, the business owner pointed out how high on the chairs – at least two feet high – the floodwaters rushed into the building  and destroyed everything. "There's a lot of equipment that got washed away," he added. In the years that followed the flood, much has changed at the brewery. For instance, there have been changes in ownership and the quest to secure funding to restart the business. When the money was finally secured, the brewery’s comeback story began. The business was made bigger, better and bolder. It got a host of new features, including everything from more room for customers to air conditioning as well as bigger and better bathrooms, said the owners. Mr. Florence would not disclose the cost of all that rebuilding work and new features. Some of the features of the new-look Great River Brewery include:

• The business spans about 5,000 square feet and has 15 employees.
• In the renovations, the former garage – what used to be the brewing floor – was converted into a 100-seat restaurant, featuring pizza, pretzels, and craft beer.
• There will be a “rotating menu” of beers at the business. The current “beer sheet” menu includes “pre-flood” beers such as 483 Pale Ale and Widespread Wit, and “post-flood beers,” such as Mexican Lager and Amber Lager. There also are beers from Nerdspeak Brewery, such as Mischief Managed and It’s All in the Reflexes. "We want to have a rotating menu of beers to keep people wondering what's coming next," General Manager Tyler Peterson said. There are also plans to bring in cocktails, craft soda and coffee from MotoRo.
• Many other beers and drinks will be available in the coming weeks. Two of the most repeated words on the current beer sheet for the business are: “Coming soon.” (Updates on the brewery can be found on its Facebook page here.)

“This is all pretty cool. … I was in here before (the flood). But now, there is just a much better flow to the place,” said Marion Meginnis, a Davenport City Council member, while looking over the many updates to the business on Friday. In addition to the brewery being updated, the entire neighborhood around the business has undergone big changes in the past years. Ms. Meginnis pointed out that the brewery building was once home to a gas station in what became known as the “Motor Row Historic District” section of downtown. That section was the first part of town many people saw as they got off the Government Bridge from Arsenal Island.  “This area was the welcome area to Davenport.” she said. When the brewery first opened in Motor Row, it was one of the only businesses in that downtown neighborhood. But that has also changed. Since the flood of 2019, there has been a comeback story for the area, such as The Last Picture House, which opened in December. "There's a lot of new developments in this area too, so there's more potential for people to come and enjoy the things we offer," Mr. Peterson said. Or as Mr. Florence puts it, this is all part of a great comeback for the brewery and the downtown neighborhood. “This is a real comeback story, and that is what makes you feel good about all of this,” he added.