Last Saturday, my two boys, Arlo with a Mario stuffed toy and Theo with a magic wand, hopped in the car for the grand opening of Apollo Fermentation’s new location at 150 N Cleveland, formerly the Work Room. Founded by Chris Hannemann and Emily Haltom in 2019, Apollo has relocated to a new spot.
The move gives the Hannemanns a chance to team up with Mamacitas Taquitos and Big B’s Beef, both former pop-ups or food trucks. Now they share space under one roof, working together in a co-op setup, sharing space, equipment and clientele, much like microorganisms in fermentation growing together.
When we arrived, we bumped into neighbors finishing up and grabbed their table. Theo, who typically lives on a diet of mac and cheese and chicken nuggets, suggested we try a flight of kombucha. It was a win when Theo tried kombucha for the first time and loved the root beer. We devoured our taquitos and played Jenga, where I pulled the log that toppled the tower, signaling it was time to go. As we got up, we ran into a friend and passed our table along for kombucha and a game of Apples to Apples.
We have already set a date to return next week during spring break to try Big B’s and another kombucha flight. Small businesses, like fermentation, take time and cooperation.
