Potchernick’s Cerveceria

In business from 1904 to 1991, Potchernick’s held claim as the second oldest continuously operating sporting goods store in the United States. Vacant since it closed, the narrow building (two-hundred-feet long and a mere twenty-eight-feet wide) will be restored, renewed, and reimagined as a combination restaurant and brewery with a new urban paseo that connects the business district with the city’s famed Riverwalk.

The building’s original storefront entry on St. Mary’s Street will transform into a quick-bite comal kiosk, offering a rich sensory experience that hints at the activity within. Inside, the space will be divided to house the new cerveceria as well as a monumental 185-foot-long paseo, a ramp that stretches the length of the 11,200-square-foot building. The ramp, recalling a historic paseo that once occupied the site, will parallel the brewery, bar, and seating area before opening out to the Riverwalk.

Restored skylights and steel-framed windows will illuminate the time-worn D’Hanis clay block and concrete-and-stucco walls, while a new interior glass enclosure showcases stainless steel brewing tanks—the heart of the brewery. A portion of the original floor on the river side of the building has been removed to create a two-story space that highlights the existing concrete structure and helps pull natural light deep into the building. A mix of seating for around 125 guests will include two-top tables, bar stools, and picnic tables (inside and outside). With an unpretentious yet considered aesthetic, the venue will reanimate a forgotten space along the Riverwalk where guests can stop in for conversation, tacos and beer.