52 Taphouse located in Minden, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
MINDEN — 52 Taphouse hosted its grand opening in Minden on Thursday, Jan. 15.
52 Taphouse is the second location of Upper Room Brewery, located in Kearney. The new craft beer experience has been under construction in 2025. The name references Kearney County being identified by the licensed plate number “52.”
Dustin Favinger, one of the owners of Upper Room Brewery, said that the Upper Room has been open in Kearney since 2021 after brewing their first beers in 2020.
Favinger there are a couple ways for a brewery business to grow, increase foot traffic or distribution or open a new location in a new market.
Favinger, a Minden native, said that opening a new location made the most sense for their operation. He said they had been in contact with community members about expanding and the idea was appealing to their business.
The work to open in Minden started in December of 2024 after being in talks with the community since the summer, Favinger said.
The renovation work on the location started in 2025, Favinger noted a lot of upgrades needed to be made to the 140-year-old structure, but they are happy with how the renovations turned out.
The location held a soft open on Wednesday, Jan. 14 before their grand opening on Thursday. Favinger said they had a great opening and first weekend with a ton of foot traffic.
He said many members of the community said they were thankful for 52 Taphouse opening in the community.
For the near future, Favinger said they plan to find the tendencies of the customers and help cater to those. They hosted a trivia night on Friday and brought in food trucks on another to bring more offerings to their customers.
Favinger said they hope that 52 Taphouse will become a “community magnet” and act as a place for people to gather. He said they plan to foster a family friendly environment, such as offering board games for families who make a stop.
Favinger said they are open to community feedback on what would help add value to 52 Taphouse. He encouraged people to reach out with suggestions or ideas.
52 Taphouse is located at 345 N. Colorado Ave., Suite 1 in Minden. The location will be closed on Sundays and Mondays but open Tuesday-Thursday, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. – 10 p.m. and Saturday 1 p.m. – 10 p.m.
52 Taphouse will make announcements about events or beer offerings on their Facebook page.
“Built for the community, designed as a modern, welcoming space, and pouring great beer made to be shared, 52 Taphouse is all about coming together,” 52 Taphouse stated on social media, “Whether you’re meeting friends, making new ones, or just looking for your new favorite pint, this is your place.”
52 Taphouse is located at 345 N. Colorado Ave., Suite 1 in Minden, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
