In 1997, Canal Street Brewing Co. opened its doors for business, ending a 46-year drought of no commercial breweries in Grand Rapids. Business was difficult at first and in 2001, they were on the verge of bankruptcy. As a result, they decided to do things differently and brew bolder, less popular beers. Even with such a risky move, business began to flourish. Twenty years later, they are one of the 20 largest breweries in the country and are known as Founders Brewing Co. They helped pave the way to make Grand Rapids the beer city it is today.
