How Tupps Brewery Is Making An Impact In McKinney

“We didn’t really know this was an option,” says Chris Lewis, head brewer at Tupps Brewery in McKinney. “It was actually the city of Frisco that ran a report and it showed that their citizens were going for entertainment, and we were number one.”  Tupps is one of the area’s most popular attractions, and the city of McKinney almost saw the family-owned brewery slip away. 

Seeing an opportunity to swipe one of the most successful craft breweries in the state, the city of Frisco approached Tupps to move their operation from McKinney to Frisco with abounding incentives. Excitedly, Chris told his friend Barry Shelton, who also happened to be the assistant city manager of McKinney, about the potential partnership and move. “He said, ‘No way — you’re not going anywhere,’ and the next day, he went to the mayor.”

The move never happened. Instead, the McKinney Community Development Corporation approved $11.3 million in financing, and the McKinney Economic Development Corporation helped fund brewery equipment. One 40-year lease-to-own agreement later, and Tupps isn’t going anywhere. 

The grand Tupps experiment started in 2009 as a weekend hobby in Keith Lewis’ garage. Lewis, who had a homebrew kit and a textbook, would brew batches for fun, and it wasn’t long before his kids joined him. When Lewis realized that he could turn his hobby into a business, he started Tupps Brewery in 2015 with his buddy Tupper Patnode. The two friends had been homebrewing for years and decided to turn their hobby into a business, naming their brewery Tupps as a nod to Patnode’s nickname, “Tupper.” At the time, they saw a gap in the market for a craft brewery in the rapidly growing city of McKinney, and they could not have been more correct. Soon enough, Lewis’ two sons and daughter quit their day jobs to come work with him.

The founders of Tupps had a clear vision for their brewery from the beginning. They wanted to create a space where people could come together over a shared love of craft beer. They also wanted to use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and to give back to the community through various charitable initiatives. These values have remained central to Tupps’ mission and have helped the brewery build a loyal following in the years since it opened its doors.

For the city of McKinney, Tupps’ new location provides McKinney with an important way to extend the historic downtown cultural district and aids in the redevelopment of east McKinney by taking over a grain processing factory that has been in operation for over 120 years. The agreement also includes a 2% revenue share with the city.

“The city of McKinney is committed to revitalizing the east side of our historic downtown area, and I could not think of a better partner than Tupps to start this process,” says McKinney Mayor George Fuller. “Tupps will bring much-needed energy to this area, which will attract other businesses and expand our historic downtown footprint.” 

Opening August 7th, the 4.3-acre campus will include a state-of-the-art 28,000-square-foot production facility, including a barrel-aging area that will house over 200 barrels that will age unique beers. Additionally, there will be a 3,000-square-foot kitchen serving a 10,000-square-foot taproom and an 8,000-square-foot covered patio. There will also be two beer gardens with a converted loading dock that is now an outdoor stage for hosting live music as often as possible.

One of the most unique elements of the campus is the creation of a retail craft market with a shopping area that will be housed in former grain bins. “We will have different vendors in each one of them, so, like, one guy’s gonna have cigars in a humidor, another guy will have a shop where he sells simple syrups, we’ll have amazing cookie lady and some other fun ones,” says Keith Lewis.

Called the B.Y.O.B. Courtyard, which stands for “Build Your Own Business,” the program received over 75 applications, ranging from woodworkers to visual artists to the aforementioned cookie lady. Lewis is excited about this program because they want to create an entrepreneurial environment that encourages people with heart and soul to grow their businesses. The vendors will have to pay rent, but the idea is to keep everything affordable. “We aren’t taking a percentage of sales or anything like that, so we’re hoping we can help some of these businesses grow,” says Lewis. The brewery will also provide financial and marketing advice for the vendors. The idea is to further the community vision by creating a place to directly interact with small businesses in a relaxed, fun atmosphere.

One of the biggest benefits of the new location is capacity. In their current facility, located at 721 Anderson St., Tupps can make around 12,000 barrels per year, whereas the new production facility will be able to produce between 50,000 and 55,000. “I’m incredibly excited to be able to produce more beer and get caught up if we need to. With the new facility, we’ll be able to brew in a day what is currently taking us a full week,” says Head Brewer Chris Lewis. The new canning line is also a point of pride, going from 15 cans per minute to upward of 300 cans per minute with the new system.

But the state-of-the-art brewery isn’t just better, faster and more. The Lewis family’s commitment to sustainability is also reflected in the design and construction of the new location. The site is being renovated using sustainable building practices, including the use of energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems, water-saving plumbing fixtures, and low-VOC paints and finishes. The brewery is also implementing a recycling program and composting food waste to reduce its environmental impact. Tupps also uses locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and has implemented a waste-reduction program that includes donating spent grain to local farmers for animal feed, both of which are ways to serve the community.

Tupps Brewery takes great pride in its McKinney roots and places a strong emphasis on community involvement. The brewers strive to consistently contribute to and uplift their hometown, believing that businesses should take responsibility for creating a positive impact in the regions they serve. They have long partnered with local charities and nonprofits to support a variety of causes through regular fundraisers and donation drives, including an annual toy drive for local children who are in need, as well as partnered with the North Texas Food Bank to donate food and raise awareness about hunger in the greater McKinney area.

The new project fosters a distinct atmosphere of community development, with the notion that the brewery serves as more than a mere spot to enjoy a drink — it is also a space for people to come together. “We’re already a big part of downtown, so I think it’d be a good transition. We’re close friends with everyone downtown, and we can’t wait to be great neighbors,” says Keith Lewis. The Tupps parking lot will also provide relief for the current street parking in the greater downtown area, helping create an incredible opportunity to increase the capacity of community events happening in the cultural district.

Ultimately, Tupps’ success isn’t because of sustainability or its community involvement, though they certainly help. Tupps is one of the best craft breweries in the state because it makes some incredible beer. One of the most crowd-pleasing aspects of the brewery is the sheer variety of beers it offers. The current location of the brewery has a rotating lineup of 14 beers on tap, with new offerings added on a regular basis. Tupps has something for everyone, whether you’re a hophead looking for a bitter IPA or a fan of fruity sours and wheat beers.

One of the brewery’s most popular offerings is the DDH IPA, which is brewed with Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo hops. This beer has a bold, citrusy flavor and a smooth, creamy finish. Tupps also offers a number of stouts, including the Full Grown Man Imperial Stout, which is aged in whiskey barrels for a rich, complex flavor. For those who prefer lighter beers, the Tupps American Wheat is a refreshing option with a crisp, clean taste.

Tupps also experiments with more unusual beer styles, like their Raspberry Shade Sour, which is brewed with fresh raspberries. The brewery has also experimented with beer cocktails, mixing its beers with fruit juices and other ingredients to create unique and refreshing drinks. The brewery is always looking for new ways to surprise its customers, and its beer offerings reflect this commitment to creativity and experimentation. The new location will have a liquor license and, in addition to beer and wine, will also have a draft cocktail program.

Tupps Brewery has always been more than just a craft brewery. Tupps is creating the primary hub for McKinney locals to gather and forge genuine connections with one another, all while enhancing and expanding the downtown footprint. Tupps is successful because it excels at making beer, but it has gained a devoted following because of its steadfast commitment to sustainability, community involvement and support for nearby businesses, which stem from the brewers’ strong belief that enterprises hold a responsibility to improve and uplift their local communities. The new location is poised to further enhance this sense of community and togetherness, and it will begin to open in phases starting August 7th. Thankfully, for the city of McKinney, they aren’t going anywhere.