It has been a good couple of years for beer lovers in Croatia: the craft beer scene is booming, beer festivals have been popping up left and right, and now, we’re headed for the opening of the largest brewery and beer garden in the country.
Rijeka will soon house an attractive new establishment, owned and operated by the renowned German brewery Kaltenberg, reported Novi list. The restaurant-brasserie will be able to seat 300 customers, and the opening of an outdoor beer garden seating 400 people is planned for 2018. CEO of Kaltenberg, Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, will attend the opening, accompanied by the Royal Family and other guests visiting from abroad.
According to Alex Pilepić, designer at the Babaloo Design company, said the city of Rijeka was the inspiration when they started working on the interior design project for the entire complex. The starting point was an industrial vintage style with an artistic note to it; apart from the restaurant, the spaces will house beer-themed guided tours and educational lectures, as well as business meetings and team building programmes. The entire design project called for an investment of 500.000 euro.
The establishment aims to feel inviting for various types of guests and will include features such as a billiard table and multiple TV screens, so the customers can watch football matches while enjoying a dinner and a couple of beers.
It only remains to see if the location will work in the restaurant’s favour, as the venue is located in Kukuljanovo, an industrial zone situated on the outskirts of Rijeka. It’s an unpopulated area that’s home to multiple large shopping malls, but Pilepić stated they are positive the new establishment will be booming with business in no time. “When it comes to beer houses, there is no serious competition in the Rijeka area. Even though the location is set at a distance of 7-8 kilometres away from Rijeka, the 6000 people currently working at Kukuljanovo don’t have an adequate hospitality object, and there’s also the addition of 20.000 customers visiting the area on a daily basis. We’re talking about a large turnover, which makes it a smart move to invest in such a business there”, concluded Pilepić.
