Brew pub expands to region

CLEARWATER — More beer will flow in the region, with the announcement that Portland, Maine-based Shipyard Brewing Co. plans to open a Sea Dog Brew Pub in Clearwater.

The Clearwater Sea Dog Brew Pub, scheduled to open near the Countryside Mall in mid-November, will be the first in a statewide expansion through 2017, according to a release. The restaurant will hire up to 120 employees, the company says, and will have a menu that mixes local seafood with Northeastern staples, like Maine lobster and New England clam chowder. Most of the beer will be brewed onsite, though some will be shipped from Maine.

The company says the Clearwater market is one of the brand's strongest regions, which facilitated the expansion. “People know the Sea Dog brand in New England, and they seek it out in Florida,” Sea Dog Florida Sales and Marketing Manager Paul Carbone says in a release. “There is a craving for quality craft beer in this region and it's an area where we feel we can grow.”

The pub will go into the former Pssghetti's, a 10,400-square-foot building now owned by Seadog Clearwater Properties LLC, the release states. The company recently bought the property from Flagship Community Bank. Sea Dog plans to upgrade the exterior, including adding an awning to the front of the building. The interior will also get a makeover, the company says.

Shipyard Brewing Co. runs three company-owned Sea Dog Brew Pubs in Maine. Four other Sea Dog Brew Pubs in Massachusetts are run though a licensing agreement.