Bell's Eccentric Cafe

It all started on a 15 gallon soup pot! Larry Bell came to Kalamazoo in the 1970’s to attend Kalamazoo College, where he began one of his first jobs in Kalamazoo with Sarkozy Bakery. It was while he was working at the bakery that he was introduced to the ingredients, the people and the craft of home brewing. 1n 1983 he opened Kalamazoo Brewing Company as a homebrew supply shop. As his passion for brewing blossomed, so did his entrepreneurial spirit and in 1985 he obtained this property on Kalamazoo Avenue, applied for a microbrewery license, and began brewing in a 15 gallon soup pot. In June of 1993 he opened The Eccentric Café; the first brew pub in Michigan to legally serve beer. Since then, this property has undergone many transformations. At the root of it all is our General Store where homebrew supplies are still sold today. The Eccentric Café has grown to incorporate a full-service restaurant, an outdoor music venue and beer garden, and an indoor concert venue and private event space. Cheers to good friends and great beer! We hope you'll join us for one of our events!