Oakshire Brewing owner chooses downtown Springfield for third location
SPRINGFIELD – After four years of searching, Oakshire Brewing has found a home for its third location: 448 Main Street.
Jeff Althouse, CEO and founder of Oakshire Brewing, was born and raised in Eugene, which is where he opened his first location back in 2006. He opened a second location in Portland in 2019.
“I think Springfield is doing a really nice job of providing something a little bit different from a downtown perspective to what’s happening in Eugene,” Althouse said. “It’s a little bit smaller and has a lot more blue-collar roots because of that old mill-town work ethic, and that’s just different from a university town.
“I think it’s really neat to have both of these towns right next to each other, and we’re excited to be operating taprooms in each town.”
Althouse fell in love with brewing back when it was just a summertime hobby. He was finishing his mathematics degree at the University of Oregon and gearing up to become a teacher. That’s when his younger brother started “chirping in (his) ear” about starting a brewery.
After some years as an educator, having even been an educational assistant for the pregnant and parenting teens program at Gateways High School about 20 years ago, Althouse took his brother’s advice, and Oakshire Brewing was born.
Althouse said future patrons should get excited about Oakshire Brewing because it will be a “really welcoming space that’s open to everyone and is open in the morning through reasonable hours in the evening”
He said the hours may be 8 a.m.-10 p.m. to accommodate people who work graveyard shifts and want a beer when they get off at night. He also added that Oakshire Brewing is similar to a “town hall” in the sense that it’s a central location which encourages interaction among patrons.
Masaka Properties co-owner David Loveall said Althouse has signed an “extensively long lease,” and “everybody’s committed for a long-lasting relationship.” He added that the other commercial space at 448 Main Street has not been accounted for yet.
“It’s a real milestone for Springfield to have someone who is so well-invested that they believe that Springfield is where they need to be,” Loveall said.
“We don’t have to be the stepchild anymore to Eugene. We’re gonna create our own identity and move forward at our own pace.”
