St. Cloud to Get New Self Serve Taproom

(KNSI) — St. Cloud will get its first self-serve taproom after Monday night’s public hearing.

The city council voted 6-1 to approve a liquor license for Whit’s Craft at 505 West St. Germain Street. The lone no vote was from Carol Lewis.

Owner Robert Hartley spoke with KNSI News minutes after the vote about moving into the historic Whitney Building. “We liked the open atmosphere in the room. It has very big, wide open front glass windows, so we liked that location in downtown. And understanding what the city was doing with downtown, we thought that’d be a good thing to be a part of.”

Hartley experienced the concept in downtown Minneapolis and Hopkins, and after looking around the region, he thought St. Cloud would be a great place to set up shop. It will have 40 taps and a special focus on Minnesota craft beers, ciders, wine and seltzers. He says the business model favors quality over quantity. “This allows people to come in, sample a wide variety of beers, maybe find one that they wouldn’t be able to normally try. Something that they’d be able to experience elsewhere in the state that they might not have had.”

Guests check in with a host and purchase an electronic wristband tied to a preset beverage amount. The first round will max out at 36 ounces. To unlock another 17 ounces, guests check back in with the host, who will do an evaluation to make sure no one is being overserved.

Hartley hopes to open in mid-September.

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