Youngstown self-serve taproom Whistle & Keg to open in downtown Cleveland next month

by Emily Maassen

January 28, 2019
2 Min Read

Another iPourIt operator opens a second location. Whistle & Keg plans to open it’s Cleveland location in February 2019.

Whistle & Keg, a pour-your-own taproom bar with 50 self-serve taps in Youngstown, Ohio, is on track to open its second location in downtown Cleveland next month. Multi-unit operators are a big differentiator of iPourIt. With 61% of the total taps in operation being multi-unit operators, iPourIt continues to be the nation’s undisputed market leader in self-serve beverage dispense technology.

iPourIt and Whistle & Keg were recently featured in Crain’s Cleveland Business.

Co-Owners, brothers, and Youngstown natives Joe and Mike Thomas opened the Youngstown location in October 2017. Joe, a dental sales rep, and Mike, a financial adviser, started in business together through their line of Washing Well Laundromats, of which there are now four in Youngstown.

The brothers visited a bar with a self-service concept powered by iPourIt Inc. technology.

“We just fell in love with that kind of model. It’s like the laundromat of beer.”
Joe Thomas

Their Cleveland location, opening at 818 Huron Road East — a space formerly occupied by Prospect Music, which closed last fall — will feature 50 taps offering craft beer, wine, cider, mead, and kombucha.

“We went into Youngstown knowing it was almost like a test for us. We wanted to make sure it was profitable. Cleveland was always going to be next for us no matter what. But (the first store) was better than expected, and we’ve seen a really good customer base that keeps coming back, which has been a really positive sign for us to make the move to Cleveland.”
Joe Thomas

Read the full story below.

About Whistle & Keg

Whistle & Keg based out of Youngstown, Ohio, is a taproom with a pour-your-own concept featuring 50 self-serve taps. The unique taproom has an open food policy allowing patrons to bring their favorite food or get food delivered while they enjoy a selection of local and regional craft beers, wines, ciders, mead, kombucha and more. Patrons can expect a fun and inviting atmosphere with live music, comedy shows, craft events and more. To learn more, go to https://www.whistlekeg.com/.

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