Uptown getting brew pub

This fall, local beer fans will have a unique spot to visit when Abe Erb opens in uptown Waterloo.

Waterloo locals Tony and Rob Theodosiou are opening the restaurant and brewery, where they will make fresh beer and offer seasonal food, while having live music play for guests.

The brothers created a unique concept of a joint restaurant and brewery in the same building so customers can enjoy fresh beer on tap with their food.

The eatery’s name is derived from Abraham Erb, a Mennonite settler who founded Waterloo.

“He built this town basically with his bare hands, so Abe Erb is about hard work. It’s about if you want something done you do it yourself, and that’s what we’re doing here,” said Tony Theodosiou.

The design of the restaurant will be just as unique as the idea.

“It’s a brewery so we’re about fresh beer, and one of our taps is going to be tapped right into the brewery. So when you want to come in and grab the freshest beer you can probably get, you’re going to come to that one tap and pour beer right from that vessel that’s going to be hanging right above your head,” he added.

The restaurant will also feature some reclaimed pieces of Waterloo’s history to keep with the tradition of Abe Erb and independence.

The restaurant will be located at 15 King Street South in uptown.

“For a new concept like this, location is very important, so we searched high and low in uptown Waterloo because it is a thriving part of the city,” said Theodosiou.

With the location so close to Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo, students are obvious target customers. They are hoping to attract females as well as males to their restaurant as a place to hang out.

“We really do think about the female aspect quite a lot in the design and what type of beer to offer.”

There will be a large variety of beer to choose from for all different tastes guests are looking for.

In addition to the extensive beer menu, wine and cocktails will also be offered for those who don’t drink beer.
Abe Erb will be a one of a kind dining experience for its guests and the owners are adamant about representing their passion for tradition.

“It’s about independence … it’s about a work ethic that is not found very much these days. It represents a time before technology saturated the earth, when things were hand crafted and the only reward needed was an honest pint of beer,” Theodosiou concluded.