Redd Dog Brewing is packing up its Tacoma taproom on Sixth Avenue and heading a few blocks closer to downtown, into a larger brewpub space on Fawcett Avenue that the owners say will be all about full-service hospitality. The new spot is slated to feature an in-house Mexican kitchen and a larger beer garden, while the original Sixth Avenue location will pour its last beers this Saturday so the team can focus on building out the new site. The change marks a pivot away from the self-serve U-Pour model Redd Dog launched with and toward a traditional taproom and kitchen that leans more on food and in-person service.
Move confirmed by owners and local coverage
According to The News Tribune, Redd Dog is set to take over the former Black Fleet Brewing space on Fawcett Avenue and trade its U-Pour tap wall for standard table service at the new brewpub. The outlet reports that the on-site Mexican menu will be led by longtime executive chef Silver Moren and that owners are targeting a June–August 2026 opening window. Co-owner Lane Scelzi confirmed the plan in a phone call and, The News Tribune notes, in a post on Instagram.
From U-Pour startup to full-service brewpub
Redd Dog opened its Tacoma doors on Sixth Avenue in 2021 as a U-Pour taproom and later expanded the concept to Puyallup and Bellevue, where the brand still runs pour-your-own tap walls. Redd Dog lists the Tacoma venue alongside its other locations, and local beer coverage at the time chronicled the original self-serve model. The Fawcett move will create Redd Dog’s first Tacoma location specifically built around plated food and traditional service rather than self-serve pouring.
Ready-made brewhouse speeds up the switch
The Fawcett Avenue building Redd Dog is eyeing already has serious beer bones. The space previously housed Black Fleet Brewing, and commercial descriptions of the property note an existing brewhouse, walk-in cold storage and a complete kitchen, pieces that should shorten the timeline to get another brewery and restaurant up and running. A commercial real-estate listing outlines a turnkey ABE 10BBL brewhouse and kitchen infrastructure at the address, while Black Fleet Brewing identifies the same Fawcett location as its former taproom. With that backbone in place, Redd Dog can concentrate its early efforts on shaping the taproom, dialing in the kitchen program and outfitting the adjacent outdoor area.
Why a food-forward play fits the moment
Industry figures from the Brewers Association help explain why a food-heavy brewpub makes sense right now. The group’s recent data shows a maturing craft beer market where openings and closings have tightened and overall production volumes face pressure. The association reports that brewery closures have outnumbered openings in recent years and that craft volume has softened year-over-year. Those trends have nudged many smaller brewers to lean harder on onsite food and hospitality to even out the books. For a growing local brand, the combination of a full-service kitchen and a roomy beer garden can stretch business across more hours of the day and potentially boost margins…