Surprise! Buffalo’s Spotted Octopus Brewing moving to former Roc Brewing spot

Buffalo nanobrewery will shift production to the former Roc space and operate taprooms in both cities... at least for now.

Exhale…

Can someone please tell the beer news to slow down a bit? I am often prepared for stuff to drop (and I was here), but I just don’t need it to drop all at once.

Here’s your December surprise — Buffalo-based Spotted Octopus Brewing, one of the exciting newcomers to the 716 scene, is headed down the Thruway to Rochester. (I refuse to call it “the 90” like our Buffalo friends might. Get out of here with that “the” nonsense.)

And to finally settle one of Rochester’s most enduring beer-related questions over the past year or so, Spotted Octopus plans to move into the former Roc Brewing space at 56 S. Union St. on the outskirts of downtown Rochester. The new spot should be open by spring 2025. (If you remember, Roc Brewing’s former home is pretty close to being turnkey. The kitchen, taproom, and brewing space have just been itching for a new tenant since Roc closed in October 2023.)

Photo: This was stolen directly from Spotted Octopus social

The plan, at least initially, is to move all production to Rochester, while operating the two taprooms. Earlier this month, Spotted Octopus confronted reports in Buffalo about a potential foreclosure at 41 Edward St. home due to ongoing legal issues with the property owner (unrelated to the brewery itself).

“We would like to address the recent article in Business First and reassure you that Spotted Octopus Brewing Company is here to stay. Although the building we lease is facing foreclosure, we want to assure you that we are in good standing and are excited about what lies ahead,” it shared on social media.

Spotted Octopus, currently based in Buffalo’s Allentown neighborhood, opened in early 2022 and features a 1-barrel brewing system. By moving operations to Rochester, it’ll be able to greatly expand production capabilities and utilize the sterling 7-barrel system inside Roc. (Funnily enough, Roc also started as a 1-barrel nanobrewery.)

“We want to have a space where there’s a spot for everybody,” co-founder Dom Nicotera told Buffalo Rising in late 2021 (I left the original quotation emphasis to give you an idea of the Spotted Octopus vibe). “It’s not labeled any type of bar or brewery — it’s just a spot where everyone’s welcome. It’s inclusive and a space where everyone can feel comfortable. So, we ultimately came up with ‘The Spotted Octopus.’”

Like Roc, Spotted Octopus is wildly inclusive and welcoming. It feels like a perfect new brewery to move into that space and also honor the foundation it built. Roc was among the friendliest spots in Rochester. Spotted Octopus promises to fill that same niche.

Photo: Provided photo shows the Roc Brewing space before Roc’s expansion earlier in the pandemic — either way, you can see it’s a stunning space.

Operating with that 1-barrel system, Spotted Octopus is among the most adventurous and inventive breweries in Erie County. It’ll tackle just about anything and isn’t afraid to take risks (which is very attainable and manageable when operating with a nano-sized system). I will be very curious to see how that approach translates to the bigger Roc system.

If you wanna learn more about Spotted Octopus (and I will introduce you a bit more to the brand and the characters behind it next week after I get a bit of sleep and catch up on all this beer news), check out this great podcast interview with the owners from my friends with the Buffalo Beer League.

And you’ve gotta forgive me a little bit here, but I’m gonna toot my own horn. (If you come to this space with any regularity, you’ve come to expect that.) I highlighted the availability and beauty of the former Roc space recently through a sponsored partnership with building owner CJS Architects. I have it on good authority that Spotted Octopus saw my work and then reached out to CJS. So… if you’re looking to spread any beer-related news, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’ve shown my expertise and effectiveness in connecting parties and delivering results. (Just cycle through my stories over the past 11 years and you can see the connections I’ve made. I am not gonna run through all of them but I also don’t need to.)

Alright, can we please ask the news to slow down a bit on this Friday? I still need to write about Knucklehead Craft Brewing’s 10th anniversary (and still plan to do so tonight, since the Webster party kicks off tomorrow afternoon — hope to see you there).

More details on the Roc Brewing space in the sponsored story below…

A final note: It’s pretty wild to think I’ve been working on this independent publication for over two years now. In that time, I’ve published 200 newsletters, highlighted some of my favorite people in the industry, curated two beers festivals (that featured 150 participants and 4,600 attendees), and continued to break all the biggest news in the region (closures, consolidations, openings, etc.).

The Cleveland Prost remains the preeminent source for regional beer news. If you own a brewery, bar, or beer-adjacent business, this is the best place to reach the nerds you wanna be in front of. So I remain open to sponsorships, advertisements, and sponsored content. Feel free to reach out to me at clevelandprost@gmail.com for more. And more than anything, thanks for all the support. None of this would be possible without the devoted (and thirsty) audience.