WAAF's Greg Hill Is Bringing A Brewpub To Patriot Place

FOXBOROUGH, MA — A local radio personality is moving forward with plans to open a brewpub to Foxborough and Patriot Place.

WAAF's Greg Hill, best known for the Hillman Morning Show, plans on opening a Battle Road Brewing Company location at the home of the New England Patriots. It will be his second brewpub, with his first being located in Maynard.

Unlike other establishments at Patriot Place, a brewpub is a place to taste beer, rather than a restaurant experience. Customers order one of the company's beers that's on tap, try it, and if they like it, maybe they get another or try something else. The beer provided would be made by Battle Road and brewed in-house.

"You wouldn't go up there and order a Bud Light," Town Manager Bill Keegan said during a hearing at Tuesday night's selectmen meeting. "They can't serve anything beyond (Battle Road Beer). It's very similar to a wine tasting. You either like it or you don't. If you like it, you buy more later on."

Hill told the board that the experience is not one of hardcore drinking, but rather "beer, lifestyle, and attitude." Restaurant officials compared the experience to Trillium Brewing's Canton location.

Brian Early, the general manager of Patriot Place, said other restaurants could "takeover" the brewpub and provide food and act as the restaurant of the day.

"What I like about this is it's inclusive for the restaurants, it's not excluding them. This is the holy grail. This is something that provides a very low impact but can be inclusive of the restaurants. The (restaurants) I have talked to have embraced it," Early said.

Selectman Leah Gibson noted that similar pubs have become popular in Canton and Norwood.

The brewpub was issued 30 one-day beer and wine licenses to start and if it works out, they'll be back in front of the selectmen in January for their pouring license and the go-ahead to build and install a two and a half to five-barrel system.

Battle Road Brewing is aiming to open next year.

Image Credit: Dan Libon/Patch