For nearly a century, “Green Bay” has been synonymous with professional football, a place where guts meet grit on the field of play, and the gridiron greats of nine decades live on. Those who call Green Bay home couldn’t be prouder of that linkage.
At the same time, we’re also aware of our unique place in Wisconsin’s history.
We’re part of the fabric of a centuries-old community, a culture defined by the adventurous spirit of 17th-century French-Canadian merchants, the raw determination of settlers who came to log and farm; the visionary industrialists who established paper mills, breweries, canneries and other businesses; and the pioneers of transportation who connected our community to the rest of the nation by rail.
Both histories — our connection to the Green-and-Gold and our link to a storied cultural past — come together within the historic walls of Titletown.
The spirit of the community is embodied by the Titletown family and our commitment to delivering personalized, authentic experiences to our guests.
And that in itself is legendary.
The Depot
The historic Chicago & Northwestern Railway Passenger Depot, constructed in 1899 and located in Downtown Green Bay, was a bustling hub of activity in its golden age. Thousands of families saw their loved ones depart for war and were reunited after its end, at the depot. Among the most famous visitors to have come through the depot were Nat King Cole, Buddy Holly, and three presidents: Taft, Franklin Roosevelt and Eisenhower. For many residents of Green Bay and surrounding communities, the depot was a social center and a gathering place which played a significant role in families' most memorable life events.
Eventually, the railroad stopped using the depot and vacated it in 1994. The building sat idle for nearly two years. That all changed when in July of 1996, a group of investors began a complete renovation of the historic Chicago & Northwestern Railway Passenger Depot. Titletown Brewing Company (TBC) opened on December 6, 1996. The Dousman Street Depot was alive again with the sounds of people.
TBC operated its restaurant in the depot until March 2020, when it decided to to consolidate all operations in the Larsen Canning Buildings —where it had expanded in 2014 (See Beerworks history below). This would create efficiencies, reduce costs and ease understaffing issues. Maintaining both sites became challenging and costly given the age, size and maintenance needs of both buildings. Hiring adequate staff to provide guests with great service was also trying. Just as TBC announced its plan to relocate restaurant operations to the Tap Room, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, shutting down all bars and restaurants for months on end, further straining the company’s resources and halting investment to reopen a restaurant—especially amid a worsening labor shortage and uncertain economy. The depot was later leased to a new operator, The Depot Gastropub, that serves many familiar menu favorites and several TBC beers on draft. Meanwhile, the Titletown Brewery, Tap Room and Roof tap resumed normal operations once the pandemic eased. We are excited to welcome guests back to our bustling historic spaces that are once again buzzing with activity, new friends waiting to meet you, and of course, our delicious craft beers!
Beerworks History
In 2013, Titletown Brewing Co. was ranked as one of the Top 20 Brew Pubs in the country based on volume. At that time, the majority of our beer was sold in our Brew Pub. We were busting at the seams and made a strategic decision to build a full service brewery with a Tap Room. As luck would have it, historic warehouse buildings adjacent to the Depot became available and were purchased. This was the second time that Titletown Brewing Co. purchased abandoned, historic buildings and revitalized them into destinations.
Our Brewery, Tap Room, and Roof Tap are located in the former Larsen Canning Buildings. The Larsen Canning Company was founded in the late 1800’s and officially closed in 2004. The majority of the buildings were built between 1908 and 1922. On October 11, 2014, the Titletown Tap Room was opened, followed by our first shipment of packaged beer on February 15, 2015. On September 22, 2015, our Roof Tap opened offering a spectacular view of downtown Green Bay and our historic smokestack. The Roof Tap is open year-round, offering both an indoor and outdoor experience.
Throughout the course of the renovation, Titletown made every effort to preserve the history of the building. In our Tap Room, which was built in 1908, you will find a 1,200 lbs. restored mechanical gear, window frames from the original building and light fixtures that are over 110 years old. Our brew house was designed to fit into the old boiler room of the former vegetable plant, which also pays homage to the base of our smokestack. On our Roof Tap, you will see original fans from the building behind the bar and a 100-year-old fire door surrounding the fireplace.
We highly recommend taking a brewery tour to learn more about our history and the history of the area……. along with fun beer conversations too!
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