Redd Dog Closing Sixth Avenue Taproom, Relocating as Brewpub with Mexican Kitchen

Redd Dog is ending its Sixth Avenue U-Pour taproom run and moving into a larger downtown space intended to operate as a full-service brewpub. The Sixth Avenue location at 2805 6th Ave. will serve its final beers on Saturday, Jan. 31; owners say the move lets the business expand brewing capacity and hospitality offerings while keeping production local.

The new site at 2302 Fawcett Ave. occupies the former Black Fleet Brewing unit, which owners say has been closed for at least a few months and whose social page went dormant last July. Co-owner Lane Scelzi confirmed plans to take over the Fawcett Avenue space and convert it from a self-serve format to a traditional brewpub with table service and a kitchen. Owners are targeting a June–August 2026 opening window for the new location.

The pivot shifts Redd Dog away from the U-Pour model it launched on Sixth Avenue in 2021 and toward a combined brew-and-dine concept. In addition to house beers, the new Redd Dog Brewery will serve an in-house menu of Mexican food led by the restaurant group’s longtime executive chef, Silver Moren. Scelzi said he is particularly excited for Moren’s plans in the kitchen. Moren brings a decades-long background in Mexican restaurants, including family-run experience and more than 25 years working with the restaurant group.

Operational leadership will remain in the Scelzi family. Nolan Scelzi, a University of Washington Tacoma graduate who trained at Dru Bru and Seattle’s Hellbent Brewing Company, will spearhead brewery operations at the Fawcett Avenue site with support from Harrison Reed. Reed has managed the Bellevue Redd Dog location since it opened in 2024 and will continue his role in regional operations.

Owners describe the new footprint as guest-focused and outdoors-oriented. The beer garden will spill into an adjacent grassy lot and is slated to feature "a big canopy, tables, fire pits" plus cornhole and dog-friendly space, creating a neighborhood hangout that can host families, dogs, and community gatherings. Scelzi also noted the space includes a production brewery in great working condition, which should speed the transition and preserve local brewing capacity.

For Tacoma drinkers, the change matters on several fronts. Redd Dog’s Mexican kitchen aims to differentiate the brewpub from nearby breweries that sell pizza, and the larger outdoor layout offers a different kind of community space than the compact Sixth Avenue taproom. The Sixth Avenue unit’s future tenant is not yet confirmed.

Plan to stop by 2805 6th Ave. before Jan. 31 if you want a last pour from the taproom. For questions about the move, contact Redd Dog by phone at 253-212-1174. Expect permit work, buildout, and menu development through spring as the team prepares for a summer 2026 opening and a new chapter for the family-run brewery.