A new brewery is heading smackdab to the middle of Tennessee.
Jeff Bellamy, Brent Fagan and Nowell Robbins have plans to bring a microbrewery and taproom concept for their brand Smackdab Brewing to downtown Murfreesboro. It will go into an old building at the corner of North Front Street and West Lytle Street at 401 West Lytle St.
Bellamy, Fagan and Robbins met years ago and bonded over their love of beer. They have been homebrewing for a long time, serving Smackdab beer at festivals around Murfreesboro and Nashville. Bellamy used to work in real estate, and Fagan and Robbins both bring brewery experience to the table. Fagan worked with other Middle Tennessee brands like Mantra Artisan Ales and Yee-Haw Brewing Co. in Nashville.
The three have been searching for a location for Smackdab Brewing for a long time. When this spot came on the market about six months ago, they leapt at the opportunity.
“I’m born and raised in Murfreesboro,” Bellamy told What Now Nashville. “The square is coming along nicely and that’s where we’ve wanted to be the whole time, so it’s going to be perfect.”
The microbrewery will be 3,630 square feet, according to Murfreesboro Planning Commission documents, and will feature a brewhouse inside that is visible to customers as well as an outdoor patio area. They will serve their selection of beers, as well as other beverage options like wine, ciders, kombuchas, soda and non-alcoholic beer.
Their goal is to create a community gathering space for the Murfreesboro community.
“[Creating community] has always been part of the vision, and it’s a big part of craft breweries,” Fagan said. “You want to have your regulars and have a spot where people can come relax and hang out. It’s family-friendly and dog-friendly. It’s just really a good environment.”
While they might do some limited distribution of their beers, they want to focus on cultivating their taproom environment.
“We want our customers to come to us,” Bellamy said.
The team is still in the planning and permitting process, so it is too early to tell when the brewery will open. However, with construction still to come, a 2026 opening is likely.
Moving forward, the team wants to focus on cultivating the brand locally. Smackdab Brewery is designed to be a Murfreesboro brand, even offering a nod to the city in its name: Murfreesboro is geographically “smackdab” in the middle of Tennessee.
“We want to be very Murfreesboro-centric and have something cool downtown, and be part of the revitalization and the projects the city has planned,” Fagan said.
