Something wicked(ly good) this way comes: Voodoo Brewing Co. moves into Houston
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Nathan McCutcheon, shown in this file photo, built the space that now serves as Voodoo Brewing at West Pike in 2016, before he and his wife ever heard of the craft beer company. The colorful, family-friendly taproom and eatery opened last June.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Voodoo Brewing at West Pike, which opens Saturday, offers a laid-back atmosphere where friends and families can chat, play board games and enjoy time together outside the home. The brewery is all about the details: The doors were painted by the owners’ children, and this Voodoo location is the first to offer a kids menu.
HOUSTON – Fun for the whole family is brewing along West Pike Street in Houston.
“We’re a very family-oriented group,” said Nathan McCutcheon, who owns Voodoo Brewing Co. with his wife, Aubrey, business partner and general manager Jason Joseph and Joseph’s wife, Joanna. “Being parents ourselves, we like taking our kids places when we go out. We want people to bring their kids. That’s the whole concept of Voodoo: family, community.”
The employee-owned Voodoo Brewing Co. was founded in 2005 in Meadville, and opened its first taproom a decade ago. Since then, the business has expanded to eight distinct breweries throughout Pennsylvania, including locations in Erie, New Kensington, a forthcoming North Shore bar, and beyond.
The award-winning craft beer is recognized globally and will flow from taps locally starting Saturday, when Voodoo Brewery at West Pike welcomes guests inside for its grand opening.
“It’s excitement all around,” said McCutcheon, who is thrilled to open his first brewery.
The building that is now Voodoo was originally constructed for the McCutcheon family business. When COVID hit, operations remained headquartered in McCutcheon’s hometown of Apollo.
“I was looking for something to do with the building,” McCutcheon said. “My wife and I … were looking into different businesses and stumbled across Voodoo’s franchise online. It was just the right fit; their culture with our culture really meshed.”
The colorful brewery fits well into Houston’s downtown. Voodoo is a welcome addition to West Pike Street, said Mayor Jim Stubenbordt.
“It’s a big plus for us. It brings people from out of town into the community,” Stubenbordt said, noting Voodoo is one of three eateries in the borough. “More people will be aware of what we do in the town – the Pumpkin Festival. It’s a benefit for everybody. It’s a win-win situation. Nathan did a fantastic job with this.”
McCutcheon, his partners and their children poured their hearts into the brewery. They constructed the community-style tables at which customers will enjoy food, brews and conversation, and the McCutcheon and Joseph kids painted the colorful doors that hang from the building’s ceiling.
“We’ve been working tirelessly to get this beautiful space open for you,” McCutcheon said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. “Everything that we do here is all about good vibes.”
From bewitchingly cool décor to a creative drink menu – Voodoo partnered with Washington-based Liberty Pole Spirits, whose liquor is featured in several cocktails – to the QR Code ordering system and cozy corner couch, Voodoo Brewery is certainly, as the kids say, a whole mood. The brewery boasts a tantalizing food menu curated by Chef Jeremiah Delach, who sources ingredients locally to concoct West Pike Beer Cheese mac ‘n cheese, brisket grilled cheese and pickle pizzas, among other options.
“We’re the first Voodoo franchise to have a kid’s menu,” McCutcheon said, reiterating Voodoo is more than just a place to grab a beer.
Board games and books are on display for kids of all ages to enjoy together, and signs on the patio read, “Welcome Pets.” The brewery will welcome regional performers to its stage each week and host a trivia night weekly.
“(We’re a) community hub, with beer as a bonus,” laughed Aubrey McCutcheon.
Voodoo is located right next door to Helltown Brewery and a stone’s throw from Rusty Gold Brewing, but McCutcheon said there’s no rivalry between the businesses. In fact, he said, each location offers something unique to the community, and McCutcheon is looking forward to working with the other breweries to breathe life into Washington County.
“We want to partner with local people. We want to draw more business into the area,” he said.
Voodoo has a few Helltown brews on tap and is setting up a booth at Canonsburg’s Brews and Bottles event Saturday. A bus will shuttle folks from the event to Voodoo, and the new brewery’s owners hope an opening weekend of beer-themed events is good juju for the new business.
“Everybody’s really excited,” McCutcheon said. “Families can come hang out, have a couple of drinks, grab a game, something from the past and relive their childhood. That’s what the vibe is.”