Salt Springs Brewery, a restaurant and brewery housed in a 115-year-old former church, will open in Saline, near Ann Arbor, on Friday.
“This was a unique opportunity to do something special with this building,” says Mark Zadvinskis, co-owner of Salt Springs Brewery, at 117 S. Ann Arbor St. “It’s centrally located, (and is) right downtown where all the action is in terms of community events. We are happy to give the building new life with this venture.”
Executive Chef Justin Dalenberg, formerly the head chef at Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, plans to feature seasonal items prepared in a European style at the restaurant, including sausage and cure meats made in house. The menu features a rib-eye steak, beer battered pickled green beans, a charcuterie and cheese board, and a Reuben sandwich, among other offerings. Prices will range from $8 for an appetizer to $24 for an entree.
Zadvinskis says the brewery will feature traditional German and Belgium beers such as Hefeweizen and Saison, along with IPAs, an oatmeal cherry stout, and a porter called “Big Brown Bunny.” He says there are four wines and ciders on tap. Salt Springs Brewery will also feature a beer garden with live entertainment on weekends.
Zadvinskis says extensive renovations were necessary to transform the former Stone Arch Church into a brewery, however he says all of the stained glass windows remain.
“We updated the interior with all new floorings including mosaic tile and vinyl flooring that looks like driftwood plank,” Zadvinskis says. “We also had to build a bar in the kitchen in a building that was never intended to have these things. We used all the old doors from the building to create new surfaces.”
For more information, visit SaltSpringsBrewery.com.