A popular Gwinnett County dentist is taking on a new endeavor—brewing beer.
Dr. Marty Mazzawi and his family of dentists has been treating patients in Snellville for decades. But now this young entrepreneur, who also owns a couple coffee shops, is partnering with his brother-in-law, John Reynolds, to open what would be Gwinnett County’s first craft brewery.
Reynolds has been brewing his own beer for years.
“We thought Gwinnett is a great area. It’s 30 miles before you hit another brewery,” he says. “Why does one of the biggest counties in Georgia not have a craft brewery?”
The two have plans to turn a building near the train tracks in downtown Lawrenceville into a brewhouse. The 106-year-old structure was once a trouser factory that’s been more recently used as an auction house.
The Lawrenceville City Council will take a vote tonight on a special use permit that will allow the two to move forward with renovations and permitting. The two hope to open as the Slow Pour Brewery in January.
It will offer a variety of craft beer including a signature coffee stout, combining Mazzawi’s love for coffee and Reynold’s artistry at making beer.
“We just decided that coffee and beer were a good thing. So instead of trying to get it somewhere else, we’ll just do our own thing,” Mazzawi tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish.
The brewery will be within walking distance of a revitalized downtown Lawrenceville that offers plenty of trendy restaurants that the pair hopes will eventually serve their beers. They plan to offer samples of their product in a 3,000-square-foot tasting room following a tour of the facility—a condition under Georgia law.
So far the idea has been met with rave reviews. Lawrenceville City Manager Chuck Warbington says the city has been flooded with emails and Facebook messages supporting the plan.
As for Mazzawi, his patients will be happy to hear he has no plans of giving up his day job.
“I’ll never give up dentistry. I’ll be here forever,” he says. “But I might cut back a little bit.”
