San Antonio brewpub to open second location in Hemisfair

Officials with Hemisfair announced Dec. 1 that Künstler Brewing Co., a woman- and veteran-owned brewery based in Southtown, will occupy the historic Pereida House at the redeveloped downtown San Antonio park.

This is the second location for Künstler, whose owners Vera and Brent Deckard launched their first brewery in the Lone Star neighborhood. Künstler will be joining other locally owned and -operated businesses in Hemisfair as part of a competitive selection process, Hemisfair officials said.

“We are beyond excited and humbled to join the Hemisfair family,” Vera Deckard said in a statement. “We have a shared love of our community, coming together, and neighbors gathering to celebrate one another and all San Antonio has to offer. We have seen how wonderfully this space and community has grown.”

Vera Deckard said she and her husband have had positive experiences in frequenting many of the local businesses and the park as guests.

“We can’t wait to be a part of it all and to share our passion for beer with even more of our neighbors. Prost,” she added.

Künstler will activate the space next to Paleteria San Antonio with a Künstler Tap and Brat-Haus concept, using two of the building’s interior rooms, front porch and shared outdoor patio space, Hemisfair officials said. The Pereida House, built in 1883 by Thomas Pereida and his wife, Petra, is a state antiquities landmark, park officials added.

“It's fitting that Künstler, which is German for ‘artist,’ would come to Hemisfair to be surrounded by public art and homes from the Germantown neighborhood that existed here before the 1968 World’s Fair,” Hemisfair CEO Andres Andujar said in a release.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming Vera, Brent and the Künstler team—and, of course, their delicious brews and brats—to the Hemisfair family.”

Künstler Tap and Brat-Haus at Hemisfair will feature a menu with signature beers and bratwurst, appetizers and to-go foods near Hemisfair’s Yanaguana Garden. A grand opening for the location is anticipated for summer 2022, Hemisfair officials said.

Several years ago, the Deckards initially planned to establish their brewpub at Hemisfair. The planned business underwent names such as San Antonio Brewing Co. and OK Brewery and Eishaus before the Deckards landed their current spot at 302 E. Lachapelle St.

Hemisfair is home to small San Antonio-based businesses such as CommonWealth Coffeehouse and Bakery, Dough Pizzeria Napoletana, EnergyX Fitness, Lick Ice Creams, Magik Theatre, Paleteria San Antonio and Re:Rooted Urban Winery.

Bombay Bicycle Club, Box Street Social and the Jerk Shack are scheduled to open at Hemisfair in the coming months, park officials said.

Park officials said of the 22 historic properties on-site at Hemisfair, 11 buildings are still needing funding for rehabilitation to accommodate new business tenants.