Southern Tier Brewing Co. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

Chautauqua County’s Southern Tier Brewing Co. said it has found the “perfect location” to expand operations in the Buffalo market. That location happens to be the HarborCenter complex downtown, currently the site of (716) Food and Sport owned by Pegula Sports and Entertainment.

“Since we opened our doors in 2002, Buffalo has been one of our top markets,” said Phin DeMink, founder of Southern Tier Brewing Co. “We’ve always viewed Buffalo as home and always wanted a physical presence in the Buffalo market. We were looking for the right spot to share our great brands with our many friends and fans who have been such loyal supporters of Southern Tier over the years. We believe we finally found the perfect location.”

(716) Food and Sport has been closed for nearly a year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Southern Tier’s latest taproom will open in late summer, the brewery announced Tuesday in a news release.

Southern Tier plans on keeping much of what has made (716) “special, with some updates made to allow for onsite brewing, an enhanced craft beer experience, and a retail area for merchandise and ‘to go’ sales of beer and spirits.”

The new taproom will have a from-scratch, beer-inspired food menu, and pour a full line of Southern Tier beers, ciders, seltzers and spirits. The new taproom will continue to be a “premier place for Buffalo sports fans to come and support their teams,” Southern Tier said.

“Terry and I built LECOM Harborcenter to contribute to the rebirth of Canalside and our waterfront.” said PSE President & CEO Kim Pegula. “Part of our plan has always been to find local partners to run these businesses when the time was right. It makes sense now to have our longtime partners at Southern Tier take over ownership and rebrand (716) Food and Sport. We are confident that Phin, Sara and their team will enhance the great experience our fans have come to expect by doing what they do best, serving them their favorite locally brewed craft beers along with a new menu of hand-crafted, beer-inspired food items and appetizers.”

Southern Tier Brewing Co., located at the Stoneman Industrial Park near Lakewood, has grown considerably since its start. Demink noted in a August 2002 story that the equipment used to get the brewery up and running had been sitting unused in the former Old Saddleback Brewery in Pittsfield, Mass.

Southern Tier currently has taprooms in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Charlotte, N.C.