May 07, 2021

Dry Lake Brewing is open for business

Posted May 07, 2021 12:46 PM
Owners Kevin Burkey (left) and Ryan Fairchild  help manager Jamie Blew cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening  of Dry Lake Brewing on Main Street in downtown Great Bend  on Thursday
Owners Kevin Burkey (left) and Ryan Fairchild  help manager Jamie Blew cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening  of Dry Lake Brewing on Main Street in downtown Great Bend  on Thursday

By KEN CARPENTER
Great Bend Post

The wait is finally over for the owners and customers of Dry Lake Brewing in downtown Great Bend. The brewery, located at 1305 Main Street, opened Thursday night with a grand opening celebration.

Owners Ryan Fairchild and Kevin Burkey have been working on the project for quite a while. Burkey says that in the summer of 2019, they were meeting with a potential investor when everything fell into place.

"We were actually sitting at Great Bend Coffee across the street here, and we talked about several buildings here in downtown, not necessarily on the square but within a couple of blocks of it," Burkey remembered. "The very next day after that meeting, Brown's closed their doors and put paper in the windows. We saw that as a sign. The Chamber put us directly in contact with Brown's corporate which owned the building, and I found myself later that week negotiating with the president of Brown's Shoe Fit out of Iowa."

Fairchild and Burkey had hoped to open the business in 2020, but the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic put the brakes on their plans. On the positive side, Burkey says the unexpected delay gave them more time to choose the aesthetics and layout of the building.

Burkey believes the brewery's location will help make it a success.

"With this building being right on the square, having the bandshell across the street, I really think this is the most foot trafficked block in Great Bend," Burkey explained. "This building being so large - it's a 7,000-square-foot building - it gave us the ability to take out those front windows, create a patio space and give everybody in Great Bend and Barton County an awesome spot to sit in the shade and people-watch and just enjoy downtown Great Bend."

The large space accommodates 84 customers inside with seating for 34 people in the patio area. 12 to 20 people can also be served in an event room.

The brewery will be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. Details can be found at drylakebeer.com.