SAN ANGELO, TX – In spite of the coronavirus pandemic, Greek-American Michael Choate who co-founded the Plateau Brewing Company with three of his high school friends is going ahead with plans to open the business, hopefully this year, according to a report on Fox West Texas.

Choate said that “he first got into the craft beer hobby while studying at the University of Texas at Austin” and “he and one of his partners began home brewing in their small apartment before involving their two friends,” but it wasn’t until “years later, in July 2018, Plateau Brewing Company was incorporated and born,” Fox reported.

Choate said that “it made sense to all of them to set up their headquarters in the hometown they keep returning to,” and “they each have family, friends and memories in San Angelo, and they wanted Plateau Brewing Company to be something the city could be proud of,” Fox reported.

Choate told The National Herald that Moutos is his mother’s maiden name and the building at 214 S. Chadbourne Street where his great-grandfather opened his restaurant after immigrating from Greece has been in the Moutos family for four generations.

“The story of the building is that of a Greek immigrant who was able to be a pillar of his community in Texas. I’m just trying to carry on at least some of that legacy,” Choate told TNH. 

The space is now being converted into the Plateau Brewing Company’s taproom and cold floor, Fox reported.

Dan Adney, also a San Angelo native, is the company’s head brewer and “is hard at work setting up their $250,000 worth of brewing equipment that just arrived,” Fox reported. He told Fox that “just some of the machinery received was hot and cold liquor tanks, a mash ton, a boil kettle and a couple of fermenters.”

Choate said “since they’ve been in the development stage during the pandemic, they are not behind schedule,” Fox reported, adding that “however, as Plateau Brewing Company is nearing its grand opening, the co-founders are setting up plans and policies to keep everyone safe, such as utilizing the beer to-go option through online orders.” Choate told Fox that “they are following many other successful brewing companies’ lead and hope that it will help give their craft beers a flourishing start despite the pandemic.”