USA, UT: Shades Brewing set to open in Salt Lake City this fall

The brewery opened in Park City in 2010 and moved to South Salt Lake in 2015 where they say they’ve outgrown their current space. They say they intentionally chose the Ballpark District and want to be a hub and gathering place there.

Alexandra Ortiz and her husband are the founders of Shades Brewing. They’re spending much of their time now watching the progress of the renovation of The Engine Block building which sits along 300 West, which now has a new bike lane. The couple hopes the outdoor patio and location near Utah Transit Authority’s Trax line will be great for business.

“One thing that we’re so proud of is that breweries tend to bring communities together,” Ortiz tells KSLTV.

Ortiz and her husband have been working out of an old meat packing warehouse in South Salt Lake. For a while now they’ve wanted to be able to open a kitchen and have a place that feels cozy, comfortable and community-driven.

Amy J. Hawkins is the chair of the Ballpark Community Council. She moved to the area in 2014. Despite the recent announcement that the Salt Lake Bees baseball team will leave the Ballpark District after their 2024 season, Hawkins says she’s proud of the progress in her neighborhood.

“There have been a few ups and downs we always knew it was a transitional neighborhood and we always had hope for it and I think now some of those hopes are really starting to pay off,” Hawkins said.