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By Luci Scott – The Arizona Republic
SanTan Brewing Company, a microbrewery and restaurant in downtown Chandler, has bought the building it occupies for $3 million.
The seller, a Montana real-estate agent, purchased the former Bank One building from Chandler developer Desert Viking in June 2008 for $4 million.
SanTan Brewing is expanding its brewing capacity and adding canning equipment to sell its beer statewide in bars, restaurants and retail stores.
Owner Anthony Canecchia said he chose to use cans instead of bottles to be more environmentally friendly.
“We’re going the green route,” he said.
He noted that aluminum weighs less than glass, so less fuel is burned by trucks.
“It’s a superior way of packaging a product,” he said. “It has a longer shelf life, and just all around a much better way to do it.”
SanTan has three 15-barrel fermentation tanks on site at 8 S. San Marcos Place, and it will add seven 30-gallon tanks, Canecchia said.
That will increase capacity to more than 5,000 barrels annually.
It is moving into space to the west vacated by Images salon and Russian Oasis, a gift shop.
The restaurant covers 5,100 square feet, including a 1,200-square-foot brewing facility. The expansion is 3,700 square feet.
Canecchia’s goal is to finish the expansion by June 1. He opened the business in September 2007.
The automatic canning system will be capable of producing 30 12-ounce cans per minute.
Canecchia said he will begin canning two brands: HopShock IPA and Epicenter Amber Ale. Within six months, he plans to can Devil’s West Coast Pale Ale and HefeWeizen Wheat.
He also brews Gordo Stout and Sunspot Gold, the kind sold at Floridino’s Pizza & Pasta at Alma School Road and Galveston Street, a restaurant owned by City Councilman Jeff Weninger.
SanTan received a U.S. Small Business Administration loan through Mercantile Capital Corp. in Florida.
The Whole Foods store in Chandler was the first grocery to sell SanTan beer; nearly a year ago it began selling a 64-ounce bottle, or “growler,” in four flavors: Devil’s Ale, HefeWeizen Wheat, HopShock IPA and Epicenter.
“It sells very well,” said Germain Coquet, specialty team leader at Whole Foods.
Whole Foods in Tempe and Scottsdale also sell SanTan brews, and the Paradise Valley location will soon retail his beer, Canecchia said.
He is deciding on a distributor and wants to expand sales to bars, restaurants and supermarkets such as Fry’s and Safeway.
“We really believe in Chandler,” Canecchia said. “Chandler has been fantastic to us.”
No broker was used when Canecchia bought the building; the previous owner, Shaun Shahan of Montana, comes to SanTan for a beer occasionally, and the business deal was made between the two.
Now that Canecchia is a landlord, he is looking for a tenant in the space just vacated by the Simply Unique gelato store, which faces Commonwealth Avenue.
