Exclusive: Go inside the new East Austin home of Hi Sign Brewing, home to beverage history

Hi Sign Brewing is sending a signal: Come on in.

The Austin brewery's former location has been closed since Feb. 28, and it will now welcome guests to a brand-new taproom and production facility with a grand opening on July 9. Hi Sign founder Mark Phillippe saw the move as an opportunity — to do the opposite of what he did the first go-round.

"We're making the best beer we've ever made, unequivocally," Phillippe recently told the American-Statesman. "I think the people closest to me who have had our products over the last five and a half years would say honestly, 'This is the best version of Hi Sign that I've had." 

Previous coverage:Hi Sign Brewing to turn old RC Cola warehouse into new Govalle taproom and brewery

The universe sent him some signals along the way.

Phillippe, a Marine Corps infantry officer who served in Afghanistan, opened up Hi Sign in February 2017. Hi Sign Road, the location of his family's Montana cabin, inspired the name. You've probably seen the brewery's beers around town, including El Berto, a Mexican-style lager, and Violet, a blueberry blonde.

At first, Hi Sign made its home on Old Bastrop Highway near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Two years in, long-term construction on U.S. 183 had become a deterrent to getting customers into the taproom, Phillippe said.

"People could not find the space," he said. Phillippe took it as a sign to look for new digs.

A friend took him to see an East Austin space up for grabs, the former home of Infinite Monkey Theorem. It wasn't a good fit for Hi Sign — it's now Wanderlust Wine Collective — but Phillippe had a good feeling about the building next door: 730 Shady Lane.

That location was a tall drink of Austin beverage history, according to Hi Sign, first opening as an RC Cola bottling facility in the 1950s and later becoming home to Shiner's first local distribution center and then Hill Country Brewing & Bottling. The owner, Ambrose Taylor, turned it into a wood fabrication shop, building tables and chairs for many of the restaurants that Hi Sign supplies beer for.

The property wasn't listed, Phillippe said, and Taylor didn't necessarily intend to sell. Phillippe invited him out to dinner. They had a 4 1/2-hour conversation over beers at Salt & Time. A month or two later, Phillippe said, Taylor pinged him. 

They made a deal for Phillippe to buy the space. The pandemic interrupted that deal in March 2020, but Hi Sign eventually found its way into its new home all the same.

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At the old Hi Sign, Phillippe said, you wouldn't know where you were if you didn't recognize the names of the beers. The taproom wasn't all that distinct from the production facility.

Phillippe took the opportunity for a fresh start. He drew inspiration from other spots he'd visit around town and started to notice design elements worth translating to his own brewery. The brewery worked with OPA Design Studio on the new look.

To best understand the difference between the old Hi Sign and the new, Phillippe directs you to where the toilets are.

"Here, we started with the bathroom," he said.

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The previous facilities were built with bare bones, he said, just to get the job done. The new bathrooms, though, are covered in emerald green tile and custom wallpaper featuring black-and-white drawings of local icons: the Pennybacker Bridge, the Capitol, Willie Nelson and, of course, Hi Sign Brewing. Golden faucets and mirror frames reflect the clean white lights overhead.

From the outside of the brewery, rich brown wooden planks buttress big windows and heavy-duty doors. Inside the 13,000-square-foot building, white subway tile, Edison lightbulbs and golden beer taps brighten up the long bar's honed graphite quartz top. There's a colorful mural facing the bar.

Next to the Hi Sign logo painted in big red letters, doors lead into the production facility. Their wide windows let customers peer in on the action.

The new Hi Sign taproom is meant to be comfortable, Phillippe said, maybe even a place you could get some work done. "Not just a hot, sweaty beer bar from 4 to 10 p.m.," he said. Expect morning coffee service and couches, plus grilled cheeses from the Burro Cheese Kitchen truck outside. 

"It's a universe," Phillippe said. "It's in synch. There's nothing that feels to me really out of whack."

It's been a long, exhausting journey to this moment, Phillippe said, especially during the pandemic.

"Two years ago, I was walking into a brewery several days of the week, and we didn't have a single employee anymore," he said. Phillippe furloughed their sales rep, two brewers made career changes and the taproom server stuck around as long as possible before moving on to another brewery.

Bars and restaurants were closed partially or totally, and Phillippe said Hi Sign was practically broke. At one point, he hired a former employee just to help brew Hi Sign's best-seller, but even that wasn't enough to pay the bills.

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But Phillippe knew that customers loved Hi Sign's beer, and he had a family depending on him. He wrote "YCF" — you can't fail — on a stickie note at the brewery.

Now, there's a new team in place, including taproom general manager Fernando Hernandez, head brewer Josh Kunzli and packing manager Windham Hodges. Hi Sign has started brewing its first beers on the new system, and there's already a party on the calendar.

Phillippe said: "I think the kids are going to be alright."

If you go

What: Hi Sign Brewing will open the doors to its new taproom and production facility and mark its fifth anniversary with a party starting at noon on July 9. The brewery also will debut new can designs and beer releases. DJ Stefon Osae will spin from 6 to 10 p.m. Burro Cheese Kitchen will be onsite. 

Where: 730 Shady Lane

Hours: The brewery's regular operating hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

More information: hisignbrewing.com