Thursday, November 10, 2016 – Once a quarter, EA organizes an excursion for newcomers whom we’ve helped relocate to NE Ohio during the past year. After a very successful ladies only gathering this summer, we hosted a Guys Night Out. Jay Demagall, owner of the Forest City Brewery, led our group on a private tour of the brewery,
which is housed in a building that dates back to 1865. This spot is so old school Cleveland that you can just feel the stories coming through the brick walls. The ceilings are 20′ tall with original exposed wood beams. Traces of old skylights that let in natural light during the Civil War era are visible.
Designed to connect newcomers to other recent transplants, as well as expose them to NE Ohio hidden gems, EA’s alumni outings are small gatherings by design (usually less than 25 in attendance) so that everyone has a chance to meet everyone else and exchange contact info if they meet a like-minded person.
Our recent transplants relocated from Atlanta, Bainbridge Island, Columbus (2), Long Island, Raleigh/Durham, Seattle, and France. They relocated for their or their wives’ executive positions at Dealer Tire, Fifth Third Bank, KeyBank, Medical Mutual of Ohio, MetroHealth Medical Center, Tarkett, and University Hospitals.
So, while EA is known for highly customized Discover Cleveland (and Akron) orientations to attract out of town talent or to educate a new hire relocating to NE Ohio, every transplant is also entitled to one year of settling in services, and these outings are a piece of that.
The Guys Night Out showcased a very unique spot in Cleveland. Forest City Brewery is tucked in between Tremont and Ohio City in an area known as Duck Island (see our earlier blog posting about this area) and just down the street from legendary cocktail lounge, The Velvet Tango Room. The brewery opened this summer. The block long building also houses Duck Rabbit Coffee (a craft coffee roaster), Cleveland Cycle Tours (15 person bikes used for pub crawls that are part adventure, part happy hour), and Western Reserve Meadery (honey wine, that has many varietals – not just sweet!).
Brewery owner Jay has the mind of an entrepreneur . . . the brewery regularly hosts Balance & Brews (yoga followed by adult beverages), Throwback Thursdays (spinning actual records, often classic jazz and blues from the 1930’s and 40’s), and many other niche events. The beer hall is also available to rent. While the outdoor beer garden behind the restaurant (oldest one in the city) may require bonfires and jackets now that fall is here, the regulars still sit out there and enjoy the stars while sipping craft beers.
Owner Jay Demagall shares the building’s history with EA guests.
Jay is also a talented collector and picker (Amazon, eBay, CraigsList). 95% of the items inside the brewery have been re-purposed and given a new life.The sign over the bar that proudly displays the brewery’s name was the top of a desk he found in the building when he purchased it.
The old glass beer bottle was found during excavation and is from the brewery that produced beer here for one year in 1899. The rowing scull in the beer hall (cut in half to make cool wall decorations), the vintage signs hanging on the walls, and the antique car in the corner, all give this place such an authentic vibe that your next visit to a chain restaurant with tchotchkes galore will seem completely artificial and meaningless. We not only love to connect newcomers but to support local businesses working to make NE Ohio a better place as well.
EA’s settling in services are just one aspect of how we help integrate newcomers into NE Ohio after a corporate move. If you think EA could help your company attract and retain the best talent into NE Ohio, please call us at 216.231.9311.