Twin Brothers Open Tasting Room

Rockford Brewing Company

EXPANDING ITS FOOD AND BEVERAGE IMPRINT IN IMPRESSIVE FASHION

An artist’s rendering depicts the planned Malph’s Pizza Pub that the owners of Rockford Brewing Company project to open in downtown Rockford by spring of 2023. The new pizzeria will take the place of Vitale’s Pizza of Rockford and will also house a distillery and brewery in a historic building following an extensive restoration undertaken by Rockford Brewery Company co-owners Seth Rivard and Jeff Sheehan.

Jon Becker MiBrew Trail

There is a trifecta of food and beverage offerings brewing inside a historic building in downtown Rockford that positions an already exploding company to further extend its footprint on Michigan’s food and beverage industry. Rockford Brewing Company has announced plans to open a new pizzeria, Malph’s Pizza Pub, as well as a distillery and brewery in a famed building, portions of which date back to 1866, once its completes extensive renovations. The company’s co-owners, Seth Rivard and Jeff Sheehan, purchased the Vitale Building, longstanding home of Vitale’s Pizza of Rockford, and will rename it Malph’s Pizza Pub. “We are excited to honor the labor of love of all things pizza that Terry Prowoznik has delivered over the years at Vitale’s,” said Seth Rivard, co-owner of Rockford Brewing Company. The pizza pub is expected to open by spring of 2023. Malph’s Pizza Pub takes its name from Rockford Brewing Company’s easy-drinking Malph’s Premium Beer, a throwback to the lager styles popular in the post-war era.( Malph also happens to be the childhood nickname of Rivard). “It’s going to be sort of an old school pizza parlor,” said Chris Knape, who handles public relations for the growing company. “It’s affordable and geared toward families.” Sheehan and Rivard are hands-on type of guys, Knape said, noting that the business partners opened the doors to Rockford Brewing Co. in 2012 after beginning erecting the building with their own hands in 2011. The two are not cutting corners on their ambitious renovation plans. “That’s why it is going to take so long,” said Knape. “We’re tearing a lot of it down to the studs while maintaining as much of the historical integrity of the building as possible. New plumbing and new electrical are part of the plans.” The remodeled 5,764 square foot space means Rockford’s operation will include two different venues: its existing brewery and taproom next door and a Gastropub, a term said to be coined by two London pub owners in 1991 to describe a hybrid pub, bar and restaurant. It will have substantial seating, including two separate bars, and gorgeous views of the historic Rogue River Dam and downtown Rockford. “This is a great small community,” Knape said of downtown Rockford. “It’s an undiscovered gem with a bustling bar and restaurant scene we are happy to be a part of.” Expansion plans also include extensive outdoor seating complete with a large beer garden patio and an elevated deck. Malph’s menu will continue to feature some of Vitale’s favorite recipes that have stood the test of time for the past 43 years. A variety of new items being developed by the brewery’s culinary team will also be added to the menu. “We’re proud of our food at Rockford,” Knape said. “When we first opened RBC, we didn’t have our own kitchen,” Rivard explained. “We established a strong relationship with neighboring Vitale’s, offering their pizza to RBC guests before our own kitchen opened. We learned over time that there was still a strong demand and separate demographic for the pizza and beer combo, and it was just a natural move for us.” Rivard said its rewarding to see their business take off in a community near and dear to them. “Malph’s fits our vision of naturally growing in our beloved hometown of Rockford with new products, offerings and experiences while avoiding the risks, clichés and complications of attempting to duplicate what we are doing in other cities.” Rivard and his RBC cohorts launched a Kickstarter campaign to invite the community to pledge its support of renovating the historic building that will house Malph’s. “We’ve raised about $17,000 with about seven days to go,” Knape said. “We have over 100 backers, the bulk of which are locals but we’ve generated supported form across the state as well.” Rewards for supporting the fundraising campaign range from a bottle of Malph’s soon-to-be famous Umami Mommy Hot Sauce and make-at-home pizza kits, to free pizza for a year and a pizza party for 20 when the much-anticipated opening of the pizzeria occurs. Not only will Malph’s churn out delightful pizza, it will brew a variety of beers on-site and will begin distilling its own gin and vodka. “We’re starting with gin and vodka because that doesn’t require as long of an aging process as other spirits, but we hope to expand over time to include whiskey and other treats,” Knape said. Since being named the Best Small Brewpub and Brewer in the nation at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival, RBC has seen the distribution of its brands grow tremendously. For instance, in 2109 alone distribution sales grew more than 140 percent, led by the company’s flagship IPA, Hoplust. In early 2020, RBC became the first Rockford business to achieve Gold Level status as a Green Leader through the city’s sustainability committee. “The growth trajectory has been tremendous and we’re far from finished,” Knape said.