With more than 20 taps available, great food coming from the kitchen and a full-scale brewery headquarters just down the street, Night Shift Brewery of Everett and Encore Boston Harbor cut the ribbon last Thursday on a new, extended partnership within the casino.
While Night Shift has always had its select beers on tap at Encore, this partnership took things to the next level to have Night Shift operate the restaurant concept – with Encore taking care of the kitchen and Night Shift handling the beer offerings.
Last Thursday evening, Night Shift Co-Founder Mike O’Mara and Encore President Brian Gullbrants were on hand to cut the ribbon on the effort and make it official.
“I think it’s pretty cool to have a physical presence in the casino,” O’Mara said. “We have had our beers at Encore and now we have an even greater partnership with them…There is a lot of overlap we’re both pulling from. Some 80 to 90 percent of the customers here come from within an hour’s drive, which mirrors our distribution also.”
Gullbrants said it was a great local partnership, combining food with high-quality local beer from down the street.
“We are thrilled at the opportunity to partner with another local Everett business, whose products are beloved in the region,” said Gullbrants. “Night Shift Brewing’s reputation for high-quality craftmanship and strong community ties created a natural synergy that we know our guests will love.”
Interestingly, Night Shift got its first start just down the street in a building behind the McDonald’s. That building no longer exists, as it was purchased by Encore and used as the design hub when the casino was being built – and now serves as storage for the casino and a horticultural center for the gardening efforts in Encore.
O’Mara said Gullbrants and others at Encore reached out to the partners of Night Shift just over the last few months with the idea to align. It ended up being a no-brainer.
“Our priorities lined up pretty well,” O’Mara said. “That’s a great thing. We have the same agenda and the same idea of what we’re looking to do…We’re just really excited to double down in our own City of Everett. It’s another location and a different spot, but right down the street from our brewery and Tap Room. In a lot of ways, we’ve come full circle with this.”
The new space is outfitted with all the COVID-19 protocols, and is a great spot to view sports while eating creative wings and delicious sliders. The menu is very diverse, and perfect for small plates or a dinner. Clearly, the beer is the focus and Night Shift has ample opportunity to have fun and be creative with their offerings from the brewery, while also offering the staple products that have made them a beloved regional brand that started in Everett.