Black-Owned Funkytown Brewery Receives $3.7M Grant from Chicago

The funds will help the craft brewery open a new facility on the Near West Side.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Funkytown Brewery, one of the few Black-owned craft breweries in the nation, has received a $3.7 million grant from the City of Chicago. The money will be used to create a new brewery and tap room on the Near West Side, expanding the business founded by three childhood friends from Oak Park.

Why it matters

Craft breweries have historically been dominated by white owners, with less than 1% of the industry being Black-owned. The Funkytown grant represents an effort by the city to support minority entrepreneurs and ensure diverse representation in the growing craft beer market.

The details

Funkytown Brewery was founded in 2021 by Rich Bloomfield, Greg Williams, and Zach Day, who met growing up in Oak Park. The brewery currently operates out of a beverage incubator space in Logan Square, but the new grant will allow them to open a dedicated brewery and taproom. Funkytown focuses on creating easy-drinking beers with moderate alcohol and low bitterness to appeal to new beer drinkers, especially in underserved communities.

  • Funkytown Brewery was founded in 2021.
  • The brewery received a $3.7 million grant from the City of Chicago in February 2026.
  • Funkytown hopes to have its new brewery and tap room open sometime in 2027.

The players

Funkytown Brewery

A Black-owned craft brewery founded in 2021 by three childhood friends from Oak Park.

Rich Bloomfield

One of the three co-founders of Funkytown Brewery.

Greg Williams

One of the three co-founders of Funkytown Brewery.

Zach Day

One of the three co-founders of Funkytown Brewery.

City of Chicago

The local government that provided a $3.7 million grant to Funkytown Brewery to help the company open a new facility.

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What they’re saying

“This just takes our home brew to the next level.”

— Rich Bloomfield, Co-founder, Funkytown Brewery (CBS News Chicago)

“It's a sense of gratitude from the city, so that they actually see what we're doing, and you know, they're very appreciative, and they actually respect what we're trying to do.”

— Greg Williams, Co-founder, Funkytown Brewery (CBS News Chicago)

“Less than 1% are Black-owned in the industry, so it's very important for us to continue to grow and show that, you know, everyone drinks beer, and we want to be in that space as well.”

— Greg Williams, Co-founder, Funkytown Brewery (CBS News Chicago)

“Craft breweries tend to be in predominantly white areas, so if they're not in the grocery stores in the Black neighborhoods, if the tap rooms aren't in Black neighborhoods, and the marketing isn't geared towards Black people or other underserved groups, then you're kind of implicitly like left out of that space. You just think it's not for you.”

— Rich Bloomfield, Co-founder, Funkytown Brewery (CBS News Chicago)

“Just continue to grow, and keep it funky.”

— Greg Williams, Co-founder, Funkytown Brewery (CBS News Chicago)

What’s next

Funkytown hopes to have its new brewery and tap room open sometime in 2027.

The takeaway

The Funkytown Brewery grant represents an important step in supporting minority entrepreneurship and increasing diversity in the craft beer industry, which has historically been dominated by white-owned businesses. The brewery's mission to create accessible, community-focused craft beer could inspire more Black-owned breweries to emerge and thrive.