Meantime, a New Hub for the Detroit Beer Community, Takes Shape in Cass Corridor

In December 2024, beer enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the legacy of 8 Degrees Plato, a beloved beer shop and taproom in Detroit’s Cass Corridor, once called the “Craft Beer Corridor” by locals during the height of the craft beer movement. The event, led by owners Tim Costello and Brigid Beaubien, marked a bittersweet farewell to the institution that served the community for nine years in Detroit and 14 years in total since its beginnings in Ferndale. 8 Degrees Plato is the latest in a series of Michigan beer businesses to announce their closure, joining the ranks of Ascension Brewing, Arctic Circle, Brew Detroit’s taproom, Brite Eyes Brewing, Jamex Brewing Co., North Center Brewing Co., Three Gatos Brewing, and Two Bandits Brewing. However, the space will soon see a revival. Hospitality veterans with decades of experience, Erik Annonson and Elliot Hoffman, alongside partner Brittney Carnahan are set to take over the location and reopen it as Meantime, a new iteration of the former beer shop. The name reflects a concept the pair embraces: a nebulous amount of time where patrons can choose to hang out for just one drink or stay for many. [Image: Tim Costello, who alongside his wife Brigid Beaubien founded 8 Degrees Plato, speaks at a farewell part for 8 Degrees Plato in December 2024. https://platform.detroit.eater.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25887045/PXL_20241229_010854522.MP_.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] “We’re looking forward to Erik and Elliot carrying on the community that was built,” says Costello. “They will be great stewards for the Detroit craft beer scene and I wish them the bestest of luck!” Annonson and Hoffman bring extensive experience in the beer industry — most recently at Cøllect and Eastern Market Brewing Co. in Detroit, respectively. The pair originally had plans to open a brewery under the name Side Pull Beer Company, but with this recent acquisition, those plans have been temporarily paused. “So much of what we wanted to do, for so long, was open a brewery,” says Hoffman. “And I think, even though we’re so passionate about that side of it, so much of us wanting to produce beer was about creating something to bring people together. It’s really about beer being a conduit of the human interaction and conversation, and we’re really focused on the conversations that go deep into the night.” Hoffman notes that the old 8 Degrees Plato format, with a combination bottle shop and bar, already embodied their approach toward beer. “It was an epicenter for the craft beer community, and we don’t take that lightly. It’s something we’re excited to be a part of and the main reason we were drawn to it. It’s also in the community we wanted to be a part of, though granted we’re going to put our own fingerprints on it and spin to it, but it’s a humbling experience to carry on what was started.” [Image: (left) Elliot Hoffman, Erik Annonson, and Brittney Carnahan are transforming the 8 Degrees Plato address into Meantime. https://platform.detroit.eater.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25887589/Meantime.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] The trio is reimagining some of their original brewery ideas in the new space including installing a side pull faucet. This type of faucet is commonly used to control the flow of beer, creating a creamy head, which is the traditional way to serve and enjoy a Czech pilsner. They’re collaborating with Hamtramck’s Florian East Lagers & Ales to brew the Czech-style lager that will become Meantime’s house beer, a recipe that was initially intended to be the flagship label at their original brewery. With tentative plans to open Meantime to the public in early April, Annonson and Hoffman will preview the brew at Florian East on Monday, March 10. Former Plato Nation members are encouraged to watch their email for more details on how to transition their memberships and what the new memberships will include. “We’ve gone through different eras in the beer industry,” says Annonson. “From budding to IBU wars, the pastry stout, the smoothie-bath, and now the lager evolution, alongside a dip in the overall industry. You never know what the next step will be, and with beer, you’ve got to constantly be excited about it. Even if you’re just figuring out how to survive in craft beer.” Meantime will be located at 3409 Cass Avenue in Detroit; estimated to open in April.