Bartlett wants a brewery so bad it can taste it.

So much so that lately the city has made regular posts to social media promoting its desire to add a brewery as well as boutique shops to the suburb’s retail offerings.

A brewery or microbrewery has never operated in Bartlett. John Threadgill, president of the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce, thinks the idea of one in Bartlett makes a lot of sense.

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“There are a couple of different scenarios. One is partnering with existing projects that are in the pipeline, and the other is a standalone, preferably in the Bartlett Station District,” he said, referring to the west end of the city. “Either way, I think it would be something that Bartlett would welcome. Finding the best fit, real estate-wise, is the main challenge.”

Alderman David Reaves sees challenges for breweries in general in Bartlett. He believes one struggle is finding the right kind of property that doesn’t require substantial renovation to open. He cites a 3% retail space vacancy rate in Bartlett reported by the BACC.

“From what I’ve seen, many of the vacant properties don’t have the right combination of either logistics like parking space, or they’re just in overall poor condition,” Reaves said, adding that a likely scenario to land a brewery will probably involve finding a building not currently for sale and making the owner an offer.

As for boutique businesses, he thinks clothing stores are a tough business due to cheap products from online sites like Temu and Amazon, and the fact that much of it comes from overseas.

“I think more craft stores like butcher and bread shops are the types of boutique establishments we need,” Reaves said.

He sees feasible space in the Stage Centre commercial area and other scattered spots along Stage Road.

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Bartlett Mayor David Parsons is hopeful about boutique retail and brewery concepts coming to the city.

“Our community has demonstrated strong support for these types of local businesses, and we view them as an essential component in creating vibrant destinations for our residents and visitors,” he said.

This year, the city is partnering with Meddlesome Brewing Company for its Bartlett LIVE Music Series, which kicks off next Saturday, July 12. Last year, during the series’ inaugural year, they teamed up with Grind City Brewing.

“We’ve been fortunate to have local breweries eager to engage with our city,” Parsons said. “We’re also looking forward to the planned development of The Ramble on Summer, which will bring a unique restaurant and outdoor event space to our community.”

The city enlisted the Jones Aur brokerage firm in recent years to recruit new businesses to the city.

Last month, during the annual budget discussions, Reaves pushed for the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to require city staff to hire an economic development manager to lure new retail businesses.