BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) announced it is awarding $100,000 to Cory Clark to secure a brewing facility along Lake Shore Road in Dunkirk.
"I came back to Western New York to open a brewery," Clark told 2 On Your Side.
Clark was born in Western New York, but left when he turned 18. He spent time in Seattle, Washington where he opened Soda Jerks, a soda establishment, and truck that would serve custom sodas at farmers markets.
"My brother is a brewer as well, so it's in the family," Clark said.
Clark is hoping to purchase property at 85 W. Lake Shore Road, in the shadow of dormant NRG power plant.
"The brewery will result in the creation of another attraction for residents and visitors," said CCIDA CEO Mark Geise. "Which we need more of in our County."
The brewery, which remained close to the chest of Clark, will make custom hard seltzers and sodas. The hard seltzer market has skyrocketed in the last two years. The novelty beverage is projected to be a $2 billion industry by 2021. Hard seltzers have seen 200 percent sales growth since 2018.
But local, craft seltzer-based breweries are still in their infancy.
"It's going to be a very unique product here," Clark said.
Clark is hoping to partner with local farmers to source ingredients for his seltzers, sodas and various menu items for the restaurant portion of the brewery.
If all goes according to plan, Clark hopes to open the Lake Shore Road brewery sometime in June 2020.
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