Coquitlam's lone craft brewery is expanding.
City council unanimously endorsed a measure last month that would permit the seating capacity at Mariner Brewing to double from the current 50 to 100 customers ahead of the busy summer beer-drinking season.
"As our business has grown over the past two and a half years, we've been increasingly strained to fit all our guests in our current space," Byron Vallis, the owner of the company, told The Tri-City News, "so this expansion is much needed."
Along with expanded outdoor patio seating, he said the new space will be "separate but connected" from the current lounge area. There will be room for a couch, fireplace, retro video games and a small art gallery, he added.
But there are still a few regulatory hoops to jump through before customers can enjoy the expanded seating capacity.
Vallis said the city building department is scheduled to conduct a final inspection this month and the provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulatory Branch approvals are expected later in February or early March.
Once all the necessary approvals are in place, Vallis said the brewery the expanded lounge will be open to the public.
