A brewpub has opened at a former movie theater in Aberdeen Township, local officials announced Friday.
Alternate Ending Beer Co. is located in the former Strathmore Cinema at 1057 Highway 34, according to a news release. Owner Scott Novick and his team have transformed the former four-screen theater into a gathering place featuring signature craft beers made on site, as well as other drinks and food from Talula’s in Asbury Park, the release noted.
“On behalf of the Aberdeen town council and the Economic Business Council, it gives me great pleasure to welcome the Alternate Ending Beer Co. family to the Aberdeen business family,” Mayor Fred Tagliarini said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Tonight, the fruits of your labor have paid off with this exciting grand opening.”
The building, which dates to the 1960s, also will include a theater room that will enable patrons to enjoy a movie as well as food and drink once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. It is currently following state restrictions, including opening indoor dining at 25% capacity and outdoor dining on a first-come, first-served basis.
“The way you have incorporate the movie theater history the past with your recipe for the future will certainly earn you an Oscar for best new brewery of the year,” Tagliarini said. “This is truly a great reuse of a cherished theater that was unable to survive the changes in how people view movies.”
To mark the event, Alternate Ending donated a share of profits from the grand opening to the H.A.M. Therapeutic Recreation Program, which serves individuals with developmental disabilities from Hazlet, Holmdel, Aberdeen and Matawan.
The brewpub is open Wednesday through Sunday.
