A full deck
Anna Van Diest shows one of the lights that will grace the front of the building formerly known as Broadway Bar & Grill, but which is being renovated to house offices and a small brewery.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Anna Van Diest stands in the area that will house the brewing equipment for Moore Brewing Company in the former Broadway Bar & Grill building. The brewery is tentatively expected to open in August, co-owner Lori Moore said.
The deck behind the former Broadway Bar & Grill building may not look like much now, but owner Anna Van Diest has plans to restore it, and maybe even expand it. It’s one of the building’s best features, she said.
MOSES LAKE — It’s had a few names in its time, that old building at 302 W. Broadway Ave. It’s been Barney Google’s, Ginny’s, the Mighty Quinn, the LakeFront Bar & Grill and most recently, the Broadway Bar & Grill. Now it’s going to get a whole new lease on life.
“The whole building is going to be stucco,” said Anna Van Diest, who with her husband Rob bought the building in November 2021. “It's going to be an off-white, like a bone color, with black windows and doors. And we're going to have a couple of new windows put on the front.”
The building will house offices for several businesses owned by the Van Diests, and will also host a new brewery, Moore Brewing. The brewery will allow the building to capitalize on one of its best assets, the deck overlooking the lake.
“We're working on redoing the deck right now,” said Van Diest. “We're going to really maximize the space there. We've already hired a gentleman to do wrought-iron decking back there. We're also going to be adding three garage doors to the back, just to kind of allow that brewery to maximize that outdoor space. Because what better place to be than on Moses Lake?”
“We are working on branding the building as a location destination, just to be called The Deck,” said Lori Moore, co-owner of Moore Brewing. “That’s kind of a big feature for us, is the deck space itself.”
The brewing equipment will be housed in the space adjacent to the deck, where the bar and kitchen were at one time. The equipment was ordered the same day the Moores signed the lease, at the end of April.
“Brewing equipment is all custom-made to your specs and your space,” Moore said. “We have a tentative ETA of Aug. 1. And so we'll be working on interiors, starting with things like plumbing, electrical – all those big things have to happen before we work on décor. Our goal is to try to get all of that stuff done by the time the equipment comes. And then the focus at that point will just be on brewing really good beer.”
Moore Brewing Company is a new enterprise. Moore’s husband Chris and his son are both avid home brewers, she said. The company’s slogan will be “Drink Moore Beer,” she added.
Van Diest said the plan is to expand the deck so as to make use of the dock that extends into the lake right behind the building. That way patrons can tie up their boats and pop in for a beer, she said. It will also be more accessible to people walking the trail alongside the lake.
The Van Diests own the parking lot next door as well, and Van Diest said the plan is to invite some food trucks to set up out there to complement the brewery. Moore said the brewery may offer some light fare – sandwiches, maybe – but they don’t want to compete with the many good eateries in town. Mostly, they just want to create a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere.
“We're really looking for a different kind of brewery vibe,” she said. “We've been to tons of breweries; we've definitely got our favorites. And it's not really just about the beer, it's also about the atmosphere. We're trying to create something that is a little bit more, I don't know, small, intimate feeling.”
Joel Martin can be reached via email at jmartin@columbiabasinherald.com.
