Northstar Taps LLC, a new craft beer tap room, plans to open later this month at 1818 Second, in Cheney.

Brannon Reed co-owns the business with his wife, Celina. A craft beer enthusiast himself, Reed says he decided to open the business after he was laid off from his previous job earlier this year.

“I wanted to open a craft beer tap room in a location where there wasn’t one yet,” he says. “We managed to find a great location with reasonable rent, so we saw it as a great opportunity.”

Reed says the 1,600-square-foot space previously was occupied by a children’s clothing boutique but was recently renovated by Spokane-based Tru Jack Contracting.

He says the space now includes a bar, a seating area with capacity for 28 customers, and an additional back room that he plans to develop into a group event space.

“We started the renovations in January but ran into some issues, so we didn’t finish until last week,” he says. “We’re hoping to hold a grand opening event sometime within the next few weeks.”

As its name suggests, the tap house will have an astronomy theme and the space will include several custom-designed tables that Reed built himself.

Reed says the tap room will offer a selection of craft beers, ciders, and bottled wines. He says Northstar will carry several beers from local breweries, including Whistle Punk and Hidden Mother.

“We’ll have a mix of locally brewed beers, along with some that are brewed in places like Portland and Vancouver but may be harder to find in our area.”

Reed says the tap room also will have a to-go cooler, and a crowler machine that will allow customers to can tap beers and bring them home.

“We won’t have a food menu, but we do plan to offer a pub mix and there are also several restaurants nearby, so our customers will be welcome to bring food in or have it delivered,” he says.

Looking ahead, Reed says he hopes to develop an outdoor patio space eventually and renovate the back room for hosting events like trivia and old school video game nights.