Noblesville officials and staff broke ground Monday on a new brewery at the former Bolden's Dry Cleaners site in downtown Noblesville, marking a visible step forward for a riverfront project first announced nearly two years ago. The building at 151 N. Eighth St. will sit along the White River, within walking distance of the city's trail network, and is expected to bring indoor and outdoor dining, a children's play area and a public restroom to a stretch of downtown once occupied by the dry cleaner.
A Riverfront Site With a Long Backstory
According to youarecurrent.com, city officials and staff broke ground on the project Nov. 2, with the brewery scheduled to open at 151 N. 8th St. next spring. The site has a history tied to the city itself: the former dry-cleaning business closed in July 2023, and the city purchased the building that same year, per the same report. The city's own website lists a timeline of opening by March 2027, though that figure comes from a lower-confidence source and hasn't been independently verified against the project's current schedule.
The brewery's roots as a Noblesville project go back to January 2025, when the city's economic development arm announced King Jugg as the new tenant for the site. choosenoblesville.com reported at the time that King Jugg had committed a minimum of $4 million investment into the adaptive reuse of the site and building, a sum that reflected not just a new business opening but a full renovation of an aging downtown structure along the water.
Public Amenities Baked Into the Design
The project's location carries some built-in advantages: the announcement noted the site sits along the White River and within the city's Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, meaning patrons will eventually be able to carry drinks outside within that district. Plans also call for an attached public restroom along the trail, with the building fronting both the White River and the Nickel Plate Trailhead, according to the same announcement.
The Indianapolis Business Journal, in its own report on the project, detailed additional specifics: more than 2,100 square feet of outdoor dining, a raised stage and dance floor, public art and a to-go window. That outlet also reported plans for a children's play area, a basketball court and public restrooms along the trail, painting a picture of a space built to double as a neighborhood gathering spot as much as a bar. The Indianapolis Business Journal put the building itself at nearly 6,300 square feet.
Sports Bar Vibe, With Dozens of Screens
King Jugg's managing partner, Randy De John, described the Noblesville location as a sports bar with 50 to 60 televisions, according to youarecurrent.com's coverage of the groundbreaking. That detail suggests a different flavor than a typical craft taproom, leaning instead toward a high-energy venue built around game-day crowds alongside the family-oriented play area and riverfront patio space.
Not every detail about King Jugg's history is settled across available reporting. The choosenoblesville.com announcement states the company was founded in 2021 by long-time colleagues John Jakob and Mike “Finny” Finnegan, while the Indianapolis Business Journal reported that King Jugg was founded in 2021 by John Jakob, John Causa and Mike Finnegan. The two accounts also differ on how the Noblesville site fits into the company's broader footprint: youarecurrent.com described the new brewery as King Jugg's second brewery, while the Indianapolis Business Journal referenced existing King Jugg operations in Broad Ripple and at a Fishers tap room, both of which are expected to remain in operation after the company opens the Noblesville property.
What Comes Next for the Property
The original 2025 announcement also laid out the property arrangement behind the project. Subject to required approvals, the Noblesville Redevelopment Commission would lease the property to King Jugg and grant the company an option to purchase it following successful, continuous operation downtown, per the city's economic development announcement.
When the project was first announced, the city anticipated construction beginning before the end of 2025, with completion expected in 2027, according to choosenoblesville.com. With Monday's groundbreaking now on the books, King Jugg and city officials are pointing to a spring 2027 opening, though the exact month depends on which source's timeline bears out.
