Never shy from a challenge, the Lorain Brewing Company has set sail in the greater Cleveland area. With almost 10 years of experience at the helm as a co-founder of Avon Brewing, located just down the road from Lorain, Mathias Hauck has slowly built a small family brand of breweries with the new Lorain location becoming the centerpiece with a new brewery and event center.
This marks Hauck’s latest endeavor among four locations under a unified branding strategy, each rooted in the name and identity of its local community.
“We’ve always wanted to be more than just a brewery. It’s about being a hub for the community,” Hauck said. “In 2015, when we opened Avon Brewing, the goal was to create a space where people could celebrate all of life’s moments. Weddings, baby showers, even little league baseball drafts — all of that happens in our spaces.
“It’s about being a part of people’s lives.”
Hauck’s commitment to fostering local connections is evident across his brewery locations in Avon (with ZZ’s Big Top bar), while adding in Medina Brewing (located 40 miles south of Lorain), Madison (70 miles east of Lorain), and now the new Lorain location which also includes a coffee shop along with being an event center.
Although each location operates under a different name, they share the same logo, beer, and menu, creating a sense of continuity while respecting their unique surroundings.
“We’re known by this logo,” Hauck said. “The colors represent the local schools, and the name changes to reflect the town. It’s our way of tying into the community while maintaining a recognizable brand.”
Lorain Brewing’s new home has been created by Hauck and other business owners in the downtown area to be a centerpiece of the city’s ongoing revival. The brewery is part of The Shipyards, a sprawling 24,000-square-foot event center along the water, complete with a conference facility, dining options, and an expansive outdoor beer garden.
“Lorain has so much potential,” Hauck said. “We see this as an opportunity to contribute to the city’s growth. With new jobs coming in and a focus on manufacturing, we want to be part of this transformation.”
The Shipyards location offers more than just picturesque views — Hauck said it’s a space built to accommodate a wide range of events.
“It’s a little bit like one of those destination places where you can go,” he said. “When we’re not having a wedding or an event, we can have a big concert. We can bring in some bigger bands and seat 400 people. We can make it a boxing or fighting venue. We can do cornhole tournaments.
“We can do literally anything we want up in this humongous event space to just kind of enhance the experience of what people were doing on a regular basis.”
Adding a state-of-the-art kitchen for dinner service along with another for catering large weddings was also integral for the development of the space.
“We’ve also integrated a 15-barrel brewhouse and a five-barrel brewhouse into the design,” Hauck said. “It’s going to be a showpiece where people can see the brewing process in action.”
Although closing the Avon Brewing location, ZZ’s Big Top, which once a beloved dive bar known for its wings and vibrant atmosphere, has found new life as part of Lorain Brewing’s growing family. Retaining its unique identity while aligning with Lorain Brewing’s shared branding, menu, and beer offerings, ZZ’s Big Top now serves as a community gathering spot, honoring its past while embracing the ethos of the brewery’s broader mission.
Hauck’s work ethic and dedication have been instrumental in his success. Balancing his role as a brewer with his full-time job as a career services specialist for Lorain County Joint Vocational School, he often finds himself juggling multiple responsibilities.
“I’ve always been driven,” Hauck said. “Whether it was playing football and rugby at Dartmouth or managing internships and academics, I’ve learned to thrive on being busy. It helps that I love what I do.”
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His ability to delegate and trust his team has been a key factor in scaling the business.
“We have incredible brewers and managers who keep everything running smoothly,” Hauck said. “Our staff across all locations does an amazing job, and we make sure they’re well-compensated.”
Unlike many breweries that shifted to distribution during the pandemic, Hauck remained steadfast in his taproom-first model.
“Selling beer over the bar allows us to connect directly with our guests,” he said. “It’s more personal, and it also supports our employees with living wages.
“For us, it’s about creating a vibrant atmosphere where people want to gather.”
Lorain Brewing is more than just a business venture for Hauck — it’s a personal mission to uplift the community.
“Vision plus effort equals success,” he said. “I’ve always believed in dreaming big and working hard. Lorain Brewing is our way of saying, ‘We believe in this city, and we’re here to be part of its future.’”
The response to the move has been overwhelming.
“People are excited to have us in Lorain,” Hauck said. “It’s motivating to see how much this means to the community. This isn’t just about opening another brewery. It’s about creating a place where people feel at home, where they can make memories, and where we can all celebrate the revitalization of Lorain together.”
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