Despite funding challenges, the group behind the Little North Brewhouse in Baie Verte remains optimistic it will open.
“We haven’t given up on it,” group spokesperson Brandon Philpott told The Central Voice Feb. 18.
The group applied for funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). However, their application was denied after the agency indicated it would no longer support such ventures due to an oversaturated microbrewery market in Newfoundland and Labrador.
They’ve attempted to get an explanation from ACOA into the reasoning behind their apparent application rejection. They even filed an access to information request, but it has yielded them very little information.
As a result, the Baie Verte group has had to alter timelines for start-up and production until funding for construction is secured.
The group has turned to the Business Development Corporation (BDC) in hopes to achieve what they need to get plans back on track.
“We’re trying to make this work any way we can,” said Philpott.