Pilot Project Is Opening a Second Chicago Location in Wrigleyville This Spring | Eater Chicago
"Launched in 2019 in Logan Square as an incubator for up-and-coming brewers, this operation helps small brewing teams test unique beers before opening independent breweries; brands that started there include Donna’s Pickle Beer, Funkytown Beer, and Azadi Brewing. To date 21 brands have worked out of the incubator, nine led by women. Co-founders Dan Abel and Jordan Radke expanded capacity in November 2022 by opening a 70,000-square-foot production facility and tasting room in Milwaukee after purchasing the Milwaukee Brewing Co.’s Pabst Brewery District location with support from an $8 million fundraising effort led by InvestBev. The incubator is opening a second Chicago spot in Wrigleyville (planned for late May/early June) at a 3,500-square-foot space that features a rooftop and a basement lounge serving canned Moscow Mules, margaritas, and whiskey sours from Devious, the operation’s own beverage brand, plus a full kitchen with a menu described as “Neo-American street food.” The model removes traditional barriers for brewers by providing facilities, marketing, and distribution in exchange for a small equity stake (typically 5% or less), evolving into co-packing or co-manufacturing agreements as brands scale — an approach the founders compare to the built-in infrastructure musicians have for recording. The expansion comes amid industry headwinds — declining beer popularity and tariff pressures — that have led to other Chicago brewery closures, and aims to give brewers access to a different Wrigleyville customer mix (sports fans during games and young professionals/nightlife patrons at other times)." - Serena Maria Daniels
