2nd Thunder Canyon Brewery planned

Owner and brewmaster Steve Tracy said he's closing on a deal to purchase part of an old charter school on the southeast corner of East Broadway and South Fifth Avenue. He plans to open the second Thunder Canyon Brewery location there.

The current owner of the charter school is Medlar Investments LLC, according to the Pima County Assessor's Office.

Tracy declined to discuss the price because the sale hasn't closed, which he said should happen "any day now."

It's going to take some time to renovate the property, so it'll be a few months before the brew pub is up and running, Tracy said.

He anticipates an April opening.

Tracy said he has considered opening a second location for about two years, and he looked all over Tucson before settling on downtown.

"We like the vibe downtown, and it's got a good mix of people," he said.

Thunder Canyon Brewery will open a short jaunt away from another local brewer. Barrio Brewing Co., at 800 E. 16th St., also serves craft beers and hearty meals.

At the other side of downtown, on East Toole Avenue between Stone and Sixth avenues, is Borderlands Brewing Co., another locale that's getting into Tucson's craft beer scene.

Tracy said it may seem like competition, but Tucson has plenty of room for more craft brewers.

"I think Tucson has been underserved with breweries for a long, long time," he said.

The more companies that cook up suds locally, the better known all the brewers become, he said.

Thunder Canyon Brewery has had strong enough business to expand to the second location, Tracy said. Its current location at Foothills Mall, on the northwest corner of North La Cholla Boulevard and West Ina Road, has maxed out its brewing capacity.

The brew pub, like so many other restaurants in Tucson, did hit some bumps during the recession, but for the most part "people kept drinking," Tracy said.

Contact reporter Dale Quinn at dquinn@azstarnet.com or 573-4197.