Pavlov’s Brewing plans cross-state taproom in Holland, Ohio

Pavlov’s Brewing Company has chosen the easy part of expansion and the hard part at once: it is moving into a former taproom instead of building from bare ground, and it is doing it across state lines. The Temperance, Michigan brewery plans to open a new Holland, Ohio location in the old Black Frog Brewery space at 831 S. McCord Road, near the South McCord and Angola roads intersection, later this summer.

The new site will operate as a sister company called Pavlov’s Brewery, giving John and Joan Groll a foothold in a new regional market without adding another production-heavy buildout at home. That matters in craft beer, where a second location can burn cash fast if you have to outfit the whole room, install the bar, and create the customer base from scratch. By stepping into an existing taproom footprint, Pavlov’s inherits a beer audience, a recognizable corner, and a room that already feels like a destination.

Back in Temperance, Pavlov’s has been running since 2019 at 7548 Lewis Ave. The brewery says it keeps 16 rotating taps of house-brewed beer flowing, along with Michigan-vinted wines, local entertainment, and weekly food trucks. The Holland move extends that formula rather than reinventing it, and the staff is already working on a small outdoor area for the site, another sign that this is meant to be a hangout, not just a serving counter.

The space comes with real history. Black Frog Brewery opened there in 2016 after owner Chris Harris first started brewing in 2014 by splitting half of his two-car garage into a brewery. Harris later said he had made “great friends” in Holland, where he brewed more than 40 different beers over the years. Black Frog closed the Holland taproom in March 2026, and Harris planned a farewell party for March 28.

That kind of handoff says a lot about where small breweries are growing now. Instead of chasing big, expensive leaps, they are looking for proven rooms in proven neighborhoods, then layering their own brand onto the bones of an already working beer bar. Black Frog also widened its footprint in 2025 with a Cleveland taproom at the MidTown Collaboration Center at 1966 E. 66th St., which Harris said would remain open and be run by his son. Pavlov’s is following the same cautious logic, only in reverse, by turning a closed taproom into its own cross-state outpost.

Even the name has a family story behind it. John Groll said Pavlov’s was inspired by Joan Groll’s guide dog, Quinley, and the conditioned response idea tied to Ivan Pavlov. In Holland, that same kind of recognition is exactly what a smart brewery move looks for: a familiar space, a ready-made beer crowd, and a name that can stick before the first pint is poured.