A brand-new brewery, taproom, and coffee shop is making its way to Somerville‘s Davis Square.
Curiosity Brewing Company is moving into the space adjacent to Sacco’s Bowl Haven/American Flatbread at 49 Day Street, reports Boston Restaurant Talk. Founder Nick DeFae told What Now Boston that the project is still in its early stages, with the team expecting to take over the property in September.
Plans call for a 7- to 10-barrel brewhouse, an 80- to 100-seat taproom, an espresso bar, and an outdoor patio. The idea, DeFae said, is to create a neighborhood “third space” where people can grab coffee in the morning, settle in for a while, and return for a beer in the evening.
The building was originally an auto body shop before being converted into an open-floor-plan office space about a decade ago. Curiosity plans to divide the property roughly in half, with the brewhouse occupying one side and the front-of-house space—including the espresso bar and patio—taking up the other.
“There’s significant construction and renovation ahead, but an auto body shell is about as ideal a building envelope to work with as you can get,” DeFae said. “The fact that it’s a former industrial building, yet is so close to Davis, is pretty special for us.”
Curiosity is working with ASK+, an interdisciplinary architecture, landscape, and construction management firm that’s behind a number of boutique hospitality projects in Cambridge and Somerville. Its portfolio includes Lamplighter Brewing Co. and Broadsheet Coffee Roasters in Cambridge, as well as Remnant Brewing at Somerville’s Bow Market.
The beer program will be led by DeFae and Bryan Daly, who is part of Curiosity’s founding team and will serve as head brewer. DeFae’s recipes have earned medals across six different beer styles, from juicy IPAs to pilsners and classic European lagers, while Daly brings experience with both hop-forward New England beers and more traditional brewing techniques.
Daly previously served as head brewer at Definitive Brewing Company in Portland, Maine, where he developed plenty of hoppy beers and IPAs. He is also a Certified Brewmaster with formal training in classical brewing styles from VLB Berlin, the Research and Teaching Institute for Brewing in Germany.
That range of experience will come through on Curiosity’s taps. “Excellent” hazy IPAs and other hop-forward beers will anchor the lineup, alongside sours, lagers, seltzers, and non-alcoholic options. The team also plans to regularly experiment with lower-ABV beers and cocktail-adjacent flavors, such as an espresso martini-inspired stout.
“New England breweries have always pushed craft beer forward,” reads the brewery’s website. “At Curiosity Brewing, we hope to honor that tradition while building something new for Davis Square: a taproom where great beer and strong community come together.”
Though Curiosity won’t have a full kitchen, the café will serve pastries and limited food items, while also allowing guests to bring in food from neighboring restaurants.
For now, the team is focused on the behind-the-scenes work required to get the project off the ground, including licensing, permitting, and construction. DeFae said Curiosity has been in communication with the City of Somerville throughout the process and has found its staff particularly helpful, giving a special shout-out to the Small Business Office Hours through the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD).
With plenty of work still ahead, Curiosity Brewing hopes to open in late spring or early summer 2027. A more specific timeline is expected to be announced in the coming months. For updates on the project, follow @curiositybrewingco on Instagram.
