Southern Tier Brewing Company Opening New Taproom At LECOM Harborcenter

BUFFALO, N.Y., March 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pegula Sports & Entertainment welcomes Southern Tier Brewing Company to LECOM Harborcenter, as the premier craft brewing company expands to downtown Buffalo. Southern Tier will convert (716) Food and Sport into its newest tap room location to showcase their full line of craft beers, ciders, seltzers and spirits. Southern Tier's presence will enhance the revitalization of downtown Buffalo.

"Terry and I built LECOM Harborcenter to contribute to the rebirth of Canalside and our waterfront." said PSE President & CEO Kim Pegula. "Part of our plan has always been to find local partners to run these businesses when the time was right. It makes sense now to have our longtime partners at Southern Tier take over ownership and rebrand (716) Food and Sport. We are confident that Phin, Sara and their team will enhance the great experience our fans have come to expect by doing what they do best, serving them their favorite locally brewed craft beers along with a new menu of hand-crafted, beer-inspired food items and appetizers."

"Since we opened our doors in 2002, Buffalo has been one of our top markets," said Phin DeMink, founder of Southern Tier Brewing Company. "We've always viewed Buffalo as home and always wanted a physical presence in the Buffalo market. We were looking for the right spot to share our great brands with our many friends and fans who have been such loyal supporters of Southern Tier over the years. We believe we finally found the perfect location."

Southern Tier plans on keeping much of what has made (716) special, with some updates made to allow for onsite brewing, an enhanced craft beer experience, and a retail area for merchandise and "to go" sales of beer and spirits. The new taproom will have a from-scratch, beer-inspired food menu, and pour a full line of Southern Tier beers, ciders, seltzers and spirits. The new taproom will continue to be a premier place for Buffalo sports fans to come and support their teams.

Paul Vukelic, President and CEO of Try-It Distributing, agrees that this taproom will be a great addition to the downtown waterfront area. "As a proud partner and local distributor for Southern Tier Brewing, Try-It Distributing Company, Inc. welcomes and supports their expansion into Buffalo. As western New York's premier and #1 selling craft brewery, consumers can now enjoy Southern Tier products in the heart of downtown Buffalo."

"Southern Tier is excited to deepen the partnership with Terry and Kim and build on the (716) legacy. Buffalonians can count on a great Craft experience, from our locally inspired food menu to the beer we'll be pouring…all served with Southern Tier hospitality," commented DeMink. 

For updates and to keep up with progress follow @STBCbeer_buf on Instagram. The project is set to open in late summer, 2021. 

About Southern Tier Brewing Company
After several years of professional brewery experience in Chicago, founders Phineas and Sara DeMink had a vision of bringing craft beers to a region rich in brewing heritage, but essentially devoid of production breweries. Southern Tier Brewing began in 2002 with second-hand equipment in the rural countryside near Lakewood, New York, and has become one of the top craft beer companies in the eastern United States.  Known for its big flavor and high quality, Southern Tier has strong brands such as 2X IPA, Pumking, and Overpack'd the top can variety pack in the United States. In 2014, Southern Tier joined the Artisanal Brewing Company family, which has since added Victory Brewing Company (Downingtown, PA), Sixpoint Brewery (Brooklyn, NY) and Bold Rock Hard Cider (Nellysford, VA) to is portfolio.  Southern Tier also has taproom locations at it production brewery in Lakewood, NY, as well as in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Charlotte. 

About Pegula Sports & Entertainment
Pegula Sports & Entertainment (PSE) streamlines key business areas across all Pegula family-owned sports and entertainment properties including the Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bandits, Rochester Americans, Rochester Knighthawks, LECOM Harborcenter and ADPRO Sports. PSE aims to be a leader in the sports and entertainment industry by bringing together the individual resources, capabilities and talents of each of its entities to create a cohesive and sustainable brand that together represents the Pegula family's interest. PSE's mission is to achieve long term success through teamwork while constantly striving for excellence and placing fans first in all that we do to ensure our brands create memorable experiences.

PSE Media Contact:
Don Heins
(716) 855-4757
[email protected]

Southern Tier Brewing Company Media Contact:
Derek Detenber
(312) 404-1809
[email protected]

SOURCE Southern Tier Brewing Company