Lil Beaver Brewery & Bellas Landscaping with Justin Bellas
Episode #22 marks the first episode of 2021 for the Building BN podcast. On this episode, CEO Patrick Hoban and Project Manager Nik Duffle sat down to talk to Justin Bellas, of Lil Beaver Brewery and Bellas Landscaping. They talked landscaping, craft beer, art, community, and what happens to beer sales during a pandemic.
Bellas, a Bloomington native, started the Bellas Landscaping business with his identical twin brother, Adam, in 2003, right as they graduated from Normal West High School. From their website, “Established in 2003, Bellas Landscaping, LLC is a landscape design, build, and maintenance company located in Bloomington, IL and serving the entire Central Illinois area.” They offer design services, installation and building, and maintenance. They also offer seasonal services, such as snow removal.
Recently, the Bellas brothers found themselves in the beer and brewery business, in a big lil’ way. Partnering with Chad Bevers, they brew and can Lil Beaver Brewery beer, right here in Bloomington. They also have a 3,000 square foot taproom and a 20,000 square foot patio at the same location, 5 Finance Dr., Bloomington. They feature a rotating selection of 24 flavors and styles of beer on tap as well as a full-food menu. Bellas encourages everyone to come try their beer selection. Said Bella, “if (you) come out and try one of our twenty four beers on tap, (you’re) going to leave liking something.”
Unlike a lot of businesses in Central Illinois who have struggled during the pandemic, business at Lil Beaver has doubled, and then doubled again. Said Bellas, “During the pandemic, they basically said there's really not a bad time to sell beer because good economy or bad economy, beer sells… With people at home, not as much to do when the bars are closed, then the package sales (of Lil Beaver Brewery beer) went through the roof.”
You can read more about Bellas Landscaping here. See pictures of the taproom and outdoor patio and peruse the Lil Beaver Brewery menu here. Listen to the conversation in its entirety, here.
