Inside the brewery, owner Jeffrey Moon is talking about new signage for his recently purchased business. Things are moving along, and Moon is eager to get to February 24th, the day Restless Moons will celebrate the Grand Reopening of the former brewery on Wolfe Street that was aptly named Wolfe Street Brewing Co.
Moon is originally from Pittsburgh but he came to Harrisonburg from D.C. where he was an economist for the federal government for six years. While working in finance, he volunteered with local beer production companies to learn what type of equipment and systems they used. He quickly realized that the craft brew industry was an emerging market, and decided to put his aspirations for owning his own business in the forefront by purchasing Wolfe Street Brewing.
For Moon, Harrisonburg was a solid choice. It has a vibrant downtown scene with local arts, music, and a one-of-a-kind culinary district. It is this vibrant scene and the recent upstarts in similar businesses coupled with the desire to be more connected that led Moon to choose the Friendly City for his first business.
So, what is Moon’s plan for the brewery?
“I’m going to be unique in that we will feature a lot of events that people would not expect to see at a brewery, and will do a lot to be engaged with the local community,” Moon says. Local artists’ work adorns the walls at Restless Moons, where Moon will continue to highlight local work and promote other entrepreneurs in Harrisonburg. “We will feature art classes here, and I want to focus on doing unique things with those in the community. This community feels much more comfortable to me than D.C,” Moon says. Other events that will round out the schedule include comedy acts, dance classes, and an upcoming event that will focus on self-defense for women.
Knowing he was going to change the name after taking over Wolfe Street Brewing in November, Moon says he chose the name Restless Moons to first of all incorporate his name, and also because it signifies a point in his life where he wanted more. “I was finding myself bored, just trying to find things to occupy my time at work,” Moon says, hence the “Restless” portion of the name in Restless Moons Brewing.
Another change customers will immediately recognize upon visiting the brewery will be the beer on tap. There won’t be one flagship beer. Instead, Moon will continue to experiment with the selection of beer. “I hope to experiment quite a bit to get people turned on to local craft beer,” Moon adds, pointing out that sometimes people perceive drinking beer as just for college students. “We don’t want to be just a place for college students to go to get cheap beer,” says Moon. “I want to create a place where people can enjoy events, and some really good beer.”
The brewery, located at 120 West Wolf will have at least 10 beers on tap. Patrons can choose between three sizes: 5 ounces, 10 ounces, and 16 ounces with flights available for $7. Seating is limited to 34 patrons but with standing room Restless Moons accommodates 110 persons at full capacity, and offers outdoor space during warm weather periods.
The Grand Reopening of Restless Moons is this Saturday, February 24th at Noon. The festivities include a ribbon cutting ceremony food from local food trucks, and candy from Mandy’s Candy at Agora Downtown Market. Evening activities will feature local bands Cyber Twin and Psychonaut, the tapping of five new beers, and drink specials and growler fills along with giveaways and a special cake from neighbors Bittersweet Bakery.
Written by Derek Blyer. Derek is a Public Relations major and an active volunteer with HDR. In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors, family and friends, writing, great food, and being able to help others.