Big Grove Brewery Cedar Rapids & Pickle Palace are Getting Closer to Opening

UPDATE: 12/5/23

Big Grove Brewery in Cedar Rapids is almost ready to open its doors! According to their latest Facebook post, the new location is set to welcome customers beginning next Thursday, December 14th! The announcement reads:

"Call a friend, shout it from the roof tops, scratch your dog's belly and baby talk it to them too (they're gonna love the patio almost as much as you will). We can't wait to share this new brewery and taproom space with you. We'll be raising a glass together in just a few days"

ORIGINAL STORY: 11/2/23

Two new Cedar Rapids hot spots are set to open within the next few months!

When I got into work this morning, I noticed a bright light shining into our studios in Downtown Cedar Rapids. The signage that went up at the new Big Grove Brewery in Cedar Rapids this September is now lit up at night, which is a good indication that they're getting closer to opening!

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Big Grove Brewery in Cedar Rapids posted on Facebook early this year that they were aiming to open this fall, possibly in November, but it looks like it will be closer to the end of 2023. An October article from the Cedar Rapids Gazette and a sign outside of the new location both say that the brewery is set to open sometime in December. A sneak peek look inside the building was posted online back in mid-August:

In the meantime, Big Grove has several open interview hiring events on their schedule for November, all of which will take place at Groundswell Café at 201 3rd Avenue SW. The actual brewery is still a "construction zone." They are looking for "an assistant general manager, shift managers, bartenders, hosts, servers, chefs, line cooks, prep cooks, and dishwashers." You can get all the open interview dates and times HERE.

Big Grove is just one part of the $100 million First and First West Development in the Kingston Village. Another highly-anticipated part of the project is The Pickle Palace, a new complex that will feature indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, as well as duckpin bowling, a rooftop bar, an event space, and a restaurant. If all goes according to plan, an October article from CBS 2 says that they plan to open their doors in January of 2024.

The Pickle Palace also has some hiring events taking place this month. The dates and times are:

• November 20th & 21st from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• November 24th & 25th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

You can check out a list of open positions and fill out an application online HERE.