“What are you doing here?” passersby would ask Johnny Kraszewski as he worked to make his dreams come true on River Street in New Haven.
When he told them he was opening a brewery in this blighted section of Fair Haven, pocked with vacant lots and abandoned buildings, they had another question: “What, are you crazy?”
Kraszewski told the crowd at the ribbon-cutting of his brand-new Armada Brewing on Thursday that he had a rote response: “I’d look them dead in the eyes and say you’re crazy for not believing and not having faith. Because we are here today on River Street in Fair Haven, opening a brewery — all possible due to the ones that have faith and believed in us.”
City officials and Kraszewski marked the occasion by cutting a ribbon with a samurai sword, linking the event to the fantasy themes that decorate the walls of the brewery and the labels of Armada beers.
Armada’s new “castle,” as the staff calls its, opened earlier this month after extensive renovations to an 1800s-vintage building once home to the Bigelow Boiler factory. Thanks to financing from Liberty Bank and some small city grants, Armada now welcomes beer-lovers to a downstairs tap room and upstairs beer hall with expansive views of the Quinnipiac River.
Kraszewski took the occasion of the ribbon-cutting to recognize the tradespeople and suppliers who helped make his dream come true, from Candido Electric of Milford to Pandolfi Plumbing of North Haven to New Haven’s Elegant Concrete Polishing.
“I want to say a very special ‘thank you’ to all the contractors that helped restore this historic building into the castle that it is today,” Kraszewski said.
The new brewery’s local roots also resonated with Daniel Quesnel, Liberty Bank vice president and business banking officer.
“I worked my way through college right here in southern Connecticut working as a bartender for John’s grandfather, who lives in West Haven,” Quesnel said. “So to see this come full circle like this is a real treat.”
Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.
