Lakewood Brewing Co. Celebrates 10 Years With a Revamp, a New Restaurant, and an Updated Beer Garden

Husband-and-wife co-founders Wim Bens and Brenda Busch, have owned and operated Lakewood Brewing Co. for 10 years. In celebration of their decade in business, the couple is renovating the Garland brewery and beer garden with exciting new additions — including their first-ever restaurant.

After meeting at the office (Irving-based firm Tracey Locke), Wim eventually left the advertising world to further cultivate his interest in home brewing. A Belgian native, Wim applied to the American Brewer’s Guild, apprenticed at Fort Worth’s Rahr & Sons, and graduated with a new set of skills to open his own brewery. In September 2012, Lakewood Brewing Co. was born.

The company produced 11 kinds of beers in its first year, including the flagship Lakewood Temptress Imperial Milk Stout. The name Lakewood came from the couple’s East Dallas neighborhood. “It’s kind of like Springfield,” Wim tells PaperCity. “Lakewood is a neighborhood you can find in almost every U.S. state.”

The family-friendly Garland spot features indoor and outdoor games like foosball and cornhole. And this summer, the space will add on a restaurant to serve bites along with their newest beers like Big D IPA and Tangerine Queen.

Although an exact menu isn’t available yet, the couple explains that there will be everyday options, as well as catering for public and private events. Upstairs, a new loft area overlooking the taproom will be available to book for private parties, while the taproom will expand to feature twice as much seating. Paint, tiles, and new lighting fixtures will give the decade-old space a complete refresh.

The family-owned brewery currently hosts live music on the outdoor beer garden stage, including a weekly Tacos ‘N Tunes event on Tuesdays. Over the next couple of months, Lakewood Beer Co. will add on irrigated planters, turf, new shade features, and a mural (depicting the brewery’s origin story) to the area. There will also be fire pits with Adirondack chairs, checkerboard painted tables, and more games.

And if you haven’t taken a tour at Lakewood Brewing Co. yet, it’s a great way to learn how beer is made and distributed. The company has been recognized nationally in beer competitions like the U.S. Beer Tasting Championship, and their brews can only be found in Texas.

With all of the new additions, there will be even more of a reason to visit the favorite independent craft beer spot.