Humboldt Brews reopens

After years of wear and tear, Humboldt Brews received a much-needed remodel. On Dec. 6, 2007, the business will reopen. It has been closed since May. The remodeled interior will be a music-centered venue. It will have a bigger stage and dance floor as well as a redesigned restaurant area.

Humboldt Brews is located at 856 10th street in downtown Arcata. Robin Hewitt became co-owner of Humboldt Brews three years ago. She said that the building was last remodeled five to six years ago, but it wasn't extensive. This time around, the building had structural damage that needed to be fixed.

"Basically, the building was falling apart," she said.

Hewitt said that both the exterior and the interior will have a fresh face on it by the time Humboldt Brews re-opens on Thursday at 5 p.m. The biggest change, she said, has taken place inside. The stage, which used to be in the front of the building, has been relocated to the back. The restaurant will be near the front. There are new floors and new walls inside. The space is much larger for the music facilities. It will also have a redesigned pub area with a new menu and a new chef. Hewitt said the restaurant will still carry pub food but it will be more upscale now. There will be more locally grown and organic foods.

Pete Ciotti owns Big Pete's Pizzeria in Arcata. He is also the drummer for two local bands, Nucleus and Subliminal Sabotage. He said that he is excited about the remodel. It will make Humboldt Brews a venue that is centered more around live music. With the new in-house sound system Ciotti and his band will be able to dial in their own sound settings for the venue and work the sound to their advantage. Ciotti said that Nucleus is booked to play Humboldt Brews on January 26.

He said that he has played at Humboldt Brews many times over the years. He said many of his best memories are from shows that he played there. He recalls one show in particular. Two years ago he played at Humboldt Brews on New Years Eve. That night a storm moved through Humboldt County. It cut off power to Humboldt Brews and most of the other buildings in downtown Arcata. Despite the weather and technical difficulties, they played to a packed crowd at Humboldt Brews in an otherwise dead mid-winter Arcata. "We brought in generators to rock the show," he said.

Matt Grosjean is an architectural designer for North Coast Design. They were contracted to renovate the building and give it a more historical look. Grosjean said Arcata planners wanted the building to match the traditional architecture that is present in downtown Arcata. "We have to go with the cost point of the owners and the aesthetics of the city," Grosjean said. Grosjean said that the building was originally constructed between 1930 and 1940. It was a bowling alley for many years. Twenty years ago it housed a beer garden that was also a hot spot for bands to play. It accommodated more people than other venues in town. Grosjean said that the goal is to have bigger concerts there again.

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