By LEE J. KAHRS
BRANDON – Pat and Dan Foley are coming to downtown Brandon.
The brothers behind Foley Brothers Brewing received a $30,000 loan from the Brandon Revolving Loan Fund Monday night for a new business, Foley Taco and Bean.
The business will be located in the former Inside Scoop ice cream shop building at 22 Park St. next to the Brandon Inn. The building is owned by inn owners Sarah and Louis Pattis.
The Foley brothers plan to serve tacos and their own craft beers, as well as other Vermont brews. They will also be roasting their own coffee beans and serving coffee. There will be ice cream, too, although not the array that was formerly offered in the space, mostly creamees and Wilcox hard ice cream.
The Foley family started Foley Brothers Brewing in 2012 at the family home on Stone Mill Dam Road about a mile outside downtown. Within a few short years, the venture became very successful, earning national and international acclaim. Asked why they decided to embark on another business, the brothers said Foley Taco and Bean represents their other interests.
“We talked about doing something that was not alcohol-related,” Pat Foley said.
“I’ve been working on the taco side of things,” Dan said, “and Pat’s been working on the coffee roasting. We thought tacos would compliment the space. It’ll be on the simple side with a handful of items to start.”
The meat for the tacos will be roasted outside in the back of the building, and Dan has been collecting and perfecting recipes for carne asada and fish tacos.
The new venture will also create three new jobs, but at first, Pat will be the bartender, Dan will make the tacos, and their sister Christine will handle the coffee service.
They also plan to feature live music at the location.
The brothers are renovating the ground floor of the building with an eye toward a May 5 opening. That’s Cinco de Mayo, an annual Mexican celebration commemorate the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862.
Pat Foley said the brewery recently hired a new office manager and another full-time production member, freeing up time for the family to pursue this new venture.
The $30,000 loan represents a third of the total start up cost for the venture. It’s an 84-month loan at 3% interest with a balloon payment at 48 months. The brothers will use the money to buy equipment, including a coffee roaster, an espresso machine, a fryer and a smoker.
In a letter to the select board Monday night describing the loan terms, Brandon Economic Development Officer Bill Moore said the Foleys used revolving loan funds to start the brewery, and paid the loan off early.
“The Foley Brothers have proven to be adept entrepreneurs,” Moore said. “The expansion of their successful brand and the creative reinvigoration of a legacy business to create another destination spot in Brandon demonstrates that leveraging our revolving loan fund program with our unique town yield successful results.”
As for the Foleys, they are anxious to get Foley Taco and Bean up and running.
“The more we think about it, the more excited we are,” Dan said.
