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Plan to double size of Phase Three Brewing goes before Lake Zurich board

Lake Zurich village board members are set to consider expansion plans for Phase Three Brewing Company at their meeting on Monday.

If the plan is approved, the brewery will double its footprint and be able to offer more outdoor seating once the weather - and perhaps the global pandemic - improves.

Phase Three, the third brewery to operate at 932 Donata Court in the industrial area on Lake Zurich's northeast side, intends to expand into the adjacent building at 928 Donata Court.

The expansion will add 6,970 square feet to the company's existing 6,995 square-foot space. Both units are part of the same industrial complex building. The project will also allow the company to offer six more tables of outdoor seating to the south of the building.

The plan was unanimously approved by the village's planning and zoning commission at a Nov. 18 meeting.

Evan Morris, the company's co-founder and operations manager, said during the meeting that the business is doing well enough, even with the pandemic, to pursue the expansion.

"Lake Zurich has been a huge part of that success," Morris said. "It's been a pleasure so far to conduct business in Lake Zurich, we're extremely happy to be here."

Phase Three Brewing was founded in March of 2019 by Morris and the husband-and-wife team of Head Brewer Shaun Berns and Marketing Manager Brittany Berns. They named the company Phase Three because the new venture marks the third time they have worked together making beer in the Chicago area.

They linked up just over 10 years ago at the now-shuttered Ram Brewery in Schaumburg. All three were later hired by More Brewing Company in Villa Park, which opened in July of 2017.

From the start, Phase Three's beer has been made at the 932 Donata Court location, even when the space was owned by Lake Zurich Brewing. In January, Morris and the Berns made a deal to buy the site from Lake Zurich Brewing.

Morris said Phase Three outgrew the capacity at the original location, and the expansion is a big part of the company's future.

The location was first used as a brewery in 2016 when Black Belt Brewery opened there. Black Belt closed in 2017 and Lake Zurich Brewing opened in 2018.

The Lake Zurich village board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday. The meeting will be livestreamed on the village's Facebook page.

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