Taproom set to open this weekend in Willard

Roughly four months after opening a taproom in Rogersville, Springfield Brewing Co. plans to launch a similar venture this weekend in Willard.

A soft opening event is set for Saturday at 115 E. Jackson St. for Mile 6 Taproom, said SBC co-owner Christina Chanter. The Saturday event is by invitation only, she said, but the venue will open to the public on Sunday.

“We’re just really excited,” Chanter said, adding the taproom also is planning a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on New Year’s Eve.

Mile 6 Taproom is named in recognition of its location along the Frisco Highline Trail, she said. The 5,420-square-foot venture’s name is intended to double as a descriptor of its general address, much like One 2 Five Taproom, which opened in August at 1846 S. State Highway 125 in Rogersville. Chanter previously estimated an October opening in Willard, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

Chanter said other names for Mile 6 were considered, such as Jackson Street Taphouse and additional options that centered around the Frisco Highline Trail.

“We talked with the [Willard Area] Chamber [of Commerce] a lot and figured that this was the best,” she said.

Both the Willard and Rogersville ventures are registered with the Missouri secretary of state’s office via Front Row Property LLC. Chanter declined to disclose startup costs for Mile 6 Taproom or its lease terms with building owner Ozark Greenways Inc.

Chanter said General Manager Melissa Merrell will lead the eight-person staff at the Willard taproom, which will include a dozen SBC beers on tap, kegged wine and spirits from its sister company, Ty Iechyd Da Distillery. The small-batch sprit selection will include bourbon, gin, rum and vodka. 

While One 2 Five Taproom serves wood-fired pizza, along with appetizers and salads from its small food menu, Chanter said there are currently no plans by SBC to cook on-site at Mile 6.

“We don’t have a kitchen. We did put in a grease interceptor just in case we decided to at some point, but we’re going to be using food trucks, and people can bring in food,” she said, adding the taproom has access for two mobile eateries.

Aside from offering indoor entertainment such as cornhole, pool tables and board games, Mile 6 Taproom will have an outdoor beer garden with fire pits.

“It’s just going to be a very casual, relaxed vibe,” Chanter said. “We want it to just be kind of a nice community center and asset to the trail, of course.”