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Fillmore 13 Brewery
G
Mary Meldrum
etting the walls even, the
floors level and all the
physical aspects of the
1920s-era building to square up
and mathematically cooperate
for the renovation was difficult.
Navigating the city of Pontiac’s
approvals, permits and building
requirements took time, too.
Despite the challenges, Fillmore
13 Brewery opened on March 6
after just 11 months of construc-
tion. The space used to be an art
FILLMORE 13 BREWERY
7 North Saginaw, Pontiac
(248) 977-3972
www.fillmore13brewery.com
gallery and consignment shop
with offices in the back, but the
transformation to a brewery is
complete.
The partially exposed old brick,
the bar with the barn wood sid-
ing and the eclectic seating all
come together now to make this
5,200-square-foot space a great
place to meet up with friends for
a pizza or sandwich and enjoy a
selection from18 beers brewed
onsite.
“Our brewery is a seven-barrel
system,” Roumaya says. “Bo
Holcomb is our brewer, and we
have worked together for a long
time. He is very particular about
brewing and the results show it.”
Amidst the quiet revival of
Pontiac’s downtown area, Fillmore
13 Brewery sits right in the middle
of the blooming business area,
across the street from Pontiac’s
theater, which has recently under-
gone a $20 million renovation.
A self-proclaimed “foodie,”
owner Lee Roumaya brings 27
years of restaurant and manage-
ment experience to the Fillmore
13 Brewery. Menu items are made
to order, and hand-tossed pizza
is a signature dish and already a
house favorite. Appetizer plates
range from nachos and wings to
cheese platters and charcuterie.
Unique sandwiches round off the
menu with offerings like the tur-
key brie with cranberry relish on
rustic bread.
I asked Lee where he came up
with the name for his brewery.
“After drinking a couple of
beers, I went online to look up
dead presidents,” he explained.
“Millard Fillmore was the 13th
president of the United States. I
have also always liked the num-
ber 13 because when I was young-
er, Dan Marino [ famed quarter-
back for the Miami Dolphins] was
my favorite football player to fol-
low, and his number was 13.”
Roumaya has pride in the fact
that Fillmore 13 is composed of
many repurposed parts. The barn
wood came from a centuries-
old barn in Armada. The bar
top came from the now-closed
Roosevelt Billiards; the pews
along the wall in the restau-
rant area are from a church in
Chelsea. The pipe shelving and
the corrugated steel used for the
brewery doors and hostess stand
were made onsite with remnants
of materials that were left in the
basement.
The bar area is set up with just
a few televisions and communal
high-top tables where multiple
parties of strangers can gather
and intermingle. This is inten-
tional. Roumaya declares that
breweries are all about bringing
people together. He urges people
to put down their phones and
ignore the television and talk to
the person sitting with them.
“It is amazing the conversa-
tions that get started just by talk-
ing to a person next to you,” he
says. Referring to the two or three
televisions, he says, “We never
turn the volume on high. It is
always on low so people can hear
each other talk.”
Open only for dinner now,
this brewery is already becom-
ing a favorite spot for some local
residents and business people.
Once a lunch menu and shift is
added in the coming months, it
will become an afternoon hub, as
well. •
1300610
jn
April 27 • 2017
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