Prost Brewing Co., a popular Denver area brewery known for its authentic German-style lagers, immersive atmosphere and innovative technologies, is expanding into Colorado Springs.

The craft brewery is remodeling a former Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom restaurant at the First & Main Town Center on Colorado Springs’ east side into a Prost biergarten, Boyd Hoback, the company’s director of biergartens, said by email.

The $1.3 million remodel will transform the space into the immersive German-inspired gathering place Prost is known for.

The brewery operates tap rooms and biergartens in Fort Collins, Denver, Highlands Ranch, Wheat Ridge and Northglenn, where the company celebrated in early 2024 the opening of its new state-of-the-art headquarters and biergarten. The Northglenn location is a 65,000-square-foot facility featuring imported equipment and technology from Germany, Hoback said.

In the Springs, Prost is adding a covered patio section and an interior private events space, and is excavating an exterior patio area to include a small stage and kids section.

When complete, the space will feature community-style biergarten tables, a large, kid- and dog-friendly outdoor patio, live entertainment on the weekends and Oktoberfest and other seasonal German celebrations.

Guests can enjoy Prost’s high-quality classic German beers alongside a selection of cocktails, wine, ciders, seltzers and guest beers. Those looking to grab a bite to eat can choose from a “Germanesque-influenced” menu with options like bratwursts and other sausages, schnitzel sandwiches, burgers, salads and more.

Hoback said the renovations are expected to be completed by the end of November.

Prost’s expansion southward into Colorado Springs builds on the small retail presence it already maintains in area stores and presents an opportunity to grow the local market, he added.

“We’ve found a great synergy between our biergartens and our retail business, so we want to develop the market,” Hoback said by email. “We also believe that there have been a lot of hits and misses with breweries in the Springs, and we believe that Prost will be well positioned to compete, particularly with our niche as the highest quality German lager biers (sic).”

Nationally, craft brewing production declined 4% in 2025 “amid broader softness in beer sales,” according to the Brewers Association annual report, released in April. Craft beer production totaled 21.9 million barrels, with 60% of breweries reporting a decline, 39% reporting growth and 1% holding steady.

Matt Gacioch, staff economist for the Brewers Association, told The Gazette in early June there are reasons to remain optimistic, even if consumers are drinking less overall.

“What’s nearly guaranteed is that success going forward will come down to creating something meaningful and memorable for consumers,” he previously said.

The Colorado Springs area has weathered a number of brewery closures and openings over the last year.

Notable closures included those of Metric Brewing, Brass Brewing Co. and Atrevida Beer Co., among others, while Armillary Brewing Co. opened in the spring and 105 West Brewing at Garden of the Gods took over the space formerly occupied by Trinity Brewing Co., for example.