AUBURN – Gritty McDuff’s is still more than a month from debuting its new Court Street brew pub.
It’s not for a lack of trying, according to company officials.
Construction on the space, 5,000 square feet at the corner of Court and Main, is taking longer than expected.
“We’re ready to roll,” said Operations Manager Mike Clemmons. “We’re just waiting for the contractors to finish the work, clear out and give us the keys.”
The company had hoped to open by this week, but contractors still have a lot to do, said Thomas Wilson, marketing director for the brew pub.
They’ve installed most of the plumbing and electrical work, finished the new heating and air conditioning systems, and built the pub’s main bar. Now, crews are installing the brewery equipment, putting down the bar top and working on the restaurant’s interior.
“There’s no conflict or problems,” Wilson said. “That’s just the way construction goes sometimes.”
He said the restaurant should be up and running well before the Great Falls Balloon Festival, scheduled to begin Aug. 19. The company is a sponsor of the festival, Wilson said.
“We’re buying equipment, getting tables delivered and interviewing people,” Wilson said. “We’re well into the process.”
Gritty’s opened its first brew pub in Portland’s Old Port in 1988. It opened a second in Freeport in 1995.
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