Bosco's Opens 2nd Nashville Restaurant, Launching Brewery

Memphis-based Boscos Brewing Co. is launching a new subsidiary called River Ghost Brewing, which will distribute craft beer to restaurants and bars.

Parent company Roma Pomodori Inc. had been brewing beer solely for its Boscos restaurants for 16 years. It will begin brewing and packaging beer for distribution to area establishments, says Chuck Skypeck, Boscos founding partner, vice president and head brewer.

"After 16 years of brewing, our product will be available beyond Boscos' walls," Skypeck says. "Memphis is ready for its own brewery of craft beer."

This month Boscos opened a second restaurant in the Nashville market -- the fourth in its chain -- and will start franchising in the near future, Skypeck says.

From its 9,000-square-foot headquarters and brewery at the corner of South Main and Crump, which opened in December 2007 originally to supplement brewing efforts at four Boscos locations, the company plans to produce about 46,500 gallons of beer in the first year.

With the beer market dominated by mass brewers such as Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., craft beer started to take off several years ago, Skypeck says.

"We've felt for the longest time their stronghold on the market," he says about behemoth brewers. "But brew pubs finally started taking off as a high-margin, low-volume business."

Thanks to Einat Paz-Frankel