If you’re in Cottonwood and hear a bell ringing, head to The Belfry. If you arrive within five minutes on the half-hour between 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily, you can nab a pint of beer for half off as part of “Beer 30.” If you ever been to Cottonwood, you’ve probably driven by the building where The Belfry is housed. The restaurant’s name and that bell ringing is a nod to the building’s history. It was a church that was built in 1928 and is still being used as a gathering place.
“Growing up here and living here, I’d always wanted to create a place where people could come to gather,” says Bob Conlin, managing partner and co-owner of The Belfry. So he opened The Belfry Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery. The formerly green building was a church until the 1950s. According to Bob, it was a car dealership at one point, and that’s now the area where beer is brewed. The City of Cottonwood took it over, and then it eventually fell into disrepair. Although not the original bell, it is a working one. It was cast in 1900 in Wisconsin and was used as a school bell. Preserving the historical details was important. Customers have come in and told the staff they attended church or were baptized in the building. The 7,000 square foot place has an upstairs and downstairs. “It’s two distinctly different environments. The upstairs is a more elegant, fine dining restaurant bar with a great craft cocktail menu. The downstairs is much more casual, a neighborhood gathering spot,” says Bob, who also owns Bobby D’s BBQ in Jerome.
The upstairs features a stainless steel chef’s kitchen and a wood-fired grill. The menu features both classic brewpub fare and New American food. Available after 5 p.m., diners can find wood-fired entrees including Tuscan Brick Chicken, 10-ounce Cowboy Sirloin and Baby Back Ribs. Craft beer is a key part of the business for one good reason. “Craft beer is timeless,” says Bob. Downstairs, beer is brewed in metal vats. The Belfry serves 16 beers on tap. New on tap is the Blueberry Wheat beer for summer. The brewery brews beer in traditional styles. Outside, The Belfry features two separate patios and a beer garden with eight TVs. Customers can enjoy live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This has been in the works since 2013. Although opening on Oct. 1, 2020 during a pandemic was hard, Bob felt like it was a project worth bringing to fruition. “This is a place where people could go and hang out. A gathering place was what I felt Cottonwood was always really lacking,” says Bob. “To be able to contribute that to the community was a dream that I felt was worth pursuing.”
The Belfry is located at 791 N. Main Street in Old Town Cottonwood. Call 928-239-4595 or visit belfrybrewery.com for more information.
