“Let’s all go get a beer, ok?” says Mark Kocol
LANSING, Ill. (September 12, 2023) – Five years ago, One Trick Pony owner Mark Kocol came before the Lansing Village Board to get approval for a tax incentive to help him open a gastropub in downtown Lansing. Last week, he appeared before the board with a simple message: “The excitement remains. The plan is unchanged. Let’s all go get a beer, ok?”
The project will bring a One Trick Pony gastropub to 3329 Ridge Road, formerly the DeYoung Furniture Store. Financial, material, and pandemic-related delays have continued to postpone the Lansing microbrewery from moving downtown.
“I can assure you that our group is excited. And no one’s more excited than I am,” Kocol told the Village Board of Trustees on September 5.
Trustees voted during the meeting to amend a tax increment financing agreement with One Trick Pony.
Plans for the location, timeline
When Kocol shared his plans for the new location in 2020, he said the finished project will include a full-service kitchen, and a restaurant and bar capable of accommodating 100-110 seats on the 2500-square-foot main floor. The second floor will ultimately be a gathering room for private parties such as wedding and baby showers, birthday parties, and company gatherings. Kocol also envisioned installing garage-style or Euro wall windows that open onto Ada and Ridge Road during warm months.
Eventually, Kocol plans to move brewing operations to the location as well, which will require new construction behind the existing building.
“Nine to 12 months is the current time frame,” Kocol told Village Trustees in response to a question about when the gastropub will open. “That’s what the general contractor is describing this first phase as.”
One Trick Pony is currently located at 17845-17851 Chappel Avenue in Lansing.
Related
- One Trick Pony to bring Lansing’s first gastropub to Ridge Road (June 6, 2020)
- One Trick Pony gives update on Ridge Road location (August 24, 2019)
- One Trick Pony to open location on Ridge Road (September 3, 2018)
- Lansing’s One Trick Pony Brewery: a craft beer oasis (November 1, 2017)
