Freeport internet company opens new brewery, restaurant

The Freeport-based internet company, Salsgiver Inc., is giving community service a new meaning with its decision to rehab the former Freeport Foods at 309 Fifth St. to establish a brewery and restaurant.

Salsgiver recently opened Essential Fermentation Restaurant and Brewery, serving up special craft beer and traditional and non-traditional entrees by a chef who has worked on the West Coast, cooking for the likes of companies such as Facebook, Microsoft and others.

During the pandemic, workers at Salsgiver, including the owner Loren Salsgiver, grew tired of limited dining options.

“Going to McDonald’s every day, we needed healthier meals,” he said.

So he decided to gut the nearby former Freeport Foods building and open his own place.

Owning a restaurant/brewery is a new type of venture for Salsgiver.

“The project evolved as we went along,” he said, sitting in the bright and airy taproom. He refinished and repurposed an old oak bar that he found in Pittsburgh, turning it into a contemporary and new-looking furnishing.

Salsgiver and colleagues plan to whip up some new brews. They are collaborating with Freeport’s 1833 Coffee and Tea Co. to serve up a special cold coffee beer May 28.

“It’s part of community development,” Salsgiver said of working with other businesses and adding to the options in the Freeport business district.

Customers can expect other interesting beverages in the future, he said. For those who choose not to imbibe, fresh fruit-infused water is available.

Live music will be offered periodically.

The food has range, from traditional pub food to gourmet.

They are serving up steak wraps and sandwiches made from freshly shaved rib-eye as well as homemade black bean burgers. Then there’s the homemade deep-fried tacos, homemade meatballs, spicy Nashville chicken and craft beer-battered cod.

“Everything is made from scratch except the tater tots, and the potatoes are hand-cut daily for French fries,” said Chef Arlene Ong.

She is working on a “global cuisine” dinner menu that will be rolled out in the summer.