RAVE REVIEWS
Ravenous Brewing hosts fundraiser at its new, expanded home
C8MB(RLA1D – Ravenous Brewing Co. may have nearly quadrupled in size, but its new home off of Diamond Hill Road offers the same warmth, intimacy, and ambiance as the compact space in Woonsocket where it was born.
And to owner Dorian Rave, that’s exactly what he wanted.
“The reception’s been great, Rave said last Saturday during an interview with The Times in the free moments he had between the hustle and bustle of preparing for another busy day at the brewery. “I think everybody, whether new or coming from the old spot, has loved it.
“Those that knew us from Woonsocket, it’s a common theme, we’ve had individuals who have said that they love it here because they feel like they’re still at Ravenous. It didn’t change like they were walking into a foreign space, they still feel the vibe and the energy we had at the old location, he continued. “It’s been great, the beers have been great. The new people love it also. It’s been a great reception from both new and previous customers.
Ravenous last December relocated from its small 1,200-square-foot space on Cumberland Hill Road in Woonsocket to a larger, 4,000-square-foot locale on Industrial Road, just off of Diamond Hill Road, near Interstate 295 in Cumberland.
Ravenous Brewing Co. debuted in 2ctober 2012, with their public launch at that year’s Autumnfest celebration in Woonsocket. As Ravenous grew in popularity, so too did the success of its Coffee Milk Stout, which now serves as the company’s flagship beer, and is one of the more popular stylings across the Blackstone 9alley.
But the Woonsocket space had its share of limitations. In addition to the tight quarters inside, occasional flooding would occur just outside their door during a heavy rain, which would necessitate the brewery not being able to open for the evening.
Rave said he looked around Woonsocket for a new space to call home, saying “It wasn’t like we moved out of Woonsocket because we didn’t want to be there.” But ultimately, the space on Industrial Road was discovered last spring, and within months, they’d settled in the new location just prior to the holiday season.
“It was a little deceiving when we first came in. Through a lot of hard work, we were able to get it to what it is now,” Rave explained. “It didn’t look as large from the outside but when you walk in, it’s a very spacious location and it just kind of flowed. We’re able to capture the old Ravenous in a much larger, cleaner, open type of way.”
“Things have been going great, beyond our expectations to be honest,” he noted. “People in town and the amount of people we’ve been getting have been great. The town and residents have been very welcoming, a great group that comes every Friday and Saturday. It’s just the extra space, it being open, it doesn’t seem so tight. It’s
much more inviting and it’s definitely shown.”
Among the countless benefits offered via the new location includes the ability to produce more beer. Rave estimates that Ravenous has seen a 75 percent increase in beer production since relocating last December. Also, the team has grown at Ravenous, with its first fulltime employee an assistant brewer joining Rave and two other part-timers.
But even as Ravenous brews more beer, Rave says it hasn’t been easy keeping it in the tanks or taps.
“We have more tanks, which we’ve been able to brew more frequently. The volume of our customers has helped us keep those tanks in circulation,” he said.
“We have a great array of
beers, different styles from IPAs to brown ales to Hefeweizen. Just because of the sheer volume of beer that we’re going through, we’re having a hard time keeping the ones we have on tap,” Rave continued. “With the new hire and the ability to brew more, we’re ramping it up. Once we get to full complement with the beers we need to make, obviously every brewer likes to brew new things. I’m looking forward to putting new things in the lineup.”
The continued growth of Ravenous means that customers could very well find their stylings inside liquor stores in the not-too-distant future. Ravenous already cans four styles for sale inside the brewery Rhode Haze American IPA, Cof
fee Milk Stout, Bienvenu French 4uarter red ale, and Yo Mama IPA.
“We are canning now, because of the demand we are just at the brewery right now, but there’s always that other phase of the business that once we can stock up our beers, to be able to send some beer out for distribution whether it’s for cans or drafts to local bars and restaurants,” he explained.
And while Rave may have pint glasses and mugs all around the new home in Cumberland, what he doesn’t have at Ravenous is a crystal ball. But as he envisions the future of the brewery, in its much larger space, he sees nothing but positivity for the growth and evolution of the brand he created eight years ago.
“Obviously we’re enjoying our new home and settling into it. There’s definitely talks of maybe even looking at lager tanks or lager brewing systems because of the need, that’s on our forecasting list,” he said. “ sing the space to its best capacity, and hopefully in the spring we can open up the doors. It’s a great space to have the doors open and just relax and enjoy an awesome environment. That’s why it’s been so attractive to people.”
Ravenous Brewing Co. is open Friday and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at 10 Industrial Road.
Jonathan Bissonnette on Twitter @J_Bissonnette