Beer Church Brewing Co. is a boutique, small-batch craft brewery and wood-fired pizzeria located in downtown New Buffalo, Michigan, a charming Lake Michigan beach town only 70 miles from downtown Chicago. As its name implies, Beer Church Brewing Co. is located in a former church. In fact, the iconic white building was built in 1861 and was used as an armory by the Union during the Civil War. For most of its life, the building served as a Methodist church until the congregation relocated in 2015. However, the building had not been renovated since the late 1800s. 

The brewery owners had a vision for an art deco vibe and commissioned Indiana artist Felix Maldonado, who is known for his Jackson 5 murals. It took Maldonado two weeks to craft the mural entitled “Graffiti Renaissance.” The mural’s bottom half is a graffiti painting that infuses the concepts of church, beer and pizza through various shapes and colors. The mural informs the entire interior scheme. 

Fuse Alliance Member River City Flooring, with the help of Armstrong, provided the perfect flooring design for Beer Church’s branded colors with the durable Natural Creations LVT. The flooring needed to be able to withstand heavy foot traffic as well as the spills and stains that would be expected in a busy brew pub. Because of the conditions of the subfloor, River City had to install new underlayment and used Mapei for all prep needs. Mapei was also used for the ceramic mortar and its Ultracolor Plus FA was used for grouting. The inside of the brewpub can now seat 103 people, while the outside can accommodate 67 guests.