Mirror Twin Brewing and Rolling Oven Pizza have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship since Rolling Oven moved into the shared building at 725 National Ave. After all, what goes together better than pizza and beer? However, this fortuitous pairing—which the owners of both businesses say has been instrumental in their growth—wasn’t always part of the plan.
In 2016, Mirror Twin co-founder Derek DeFranco became aware the building was zoned as a brewpub, meaning there had to be a food component. He realized that pretzels and popcorn wouldn’t cut it and, with little desire to run a kitchen himself, he teamed up with Nick Ring, owner of Rolling Oven food truck, to open a permanent location inside Mirror Twin. “I think this partnership has been the best blessing that has happened to us,” DeFranco said. “It’s allowed both of us to grow at a pace that I don’t think we could have grown without each other.”
Mirror Twin’s growth has been such that, when the building across its parking lot at 723 National Ave. became available after music club Cosmic Charlie’s moved out following noise complaints from nearby neighborhoods, the brewery was able to sign a lease and plan an expansion that takes the “mirror twin” concept to a new level.
1 of 6
Tiffany Combs
2 of 6
Tiffany Combs
3 of 6
Tiffany Combs
4 of 6
Tiffany Combs
5 of 6
Tiffany Combs
6 of 6
Tiffany Combs
Recently renovated and open for business, the new space features an additional 16 beer taps, plenty of seating, as well as wine and cocktail service. Subway tile on the walls and picnic-style seating add an urban, upscale vibe. The new spot is open to the public from 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays through Sundays, with brunch specials, mimosas and a Bloody Mary bar on Saturdays and Sundays. In addition to an extensive cocktail and wine menu at 723 National Ave., Mirror Twin has also added canned wine to the menu at its original location.
Because both buildings fall under the same LLC, and therefore the same liquor license, patrons can order drinks at either side and carry them across to the other. DeFranco and his partner, Mike Sobolak, plan to eventually use the nine parking spaces between the buildings as a beer garden but first need to find additional parking elsewhere. Walker Properties, which owns the buildings, is currently considering three proposed plans for the space between Mirror Twin and neighbor CrossFit Maximus.
Rolling Oven has also expanded into the new building, adding two pizza ovens. Having three ovens increases capacity and also allows for a larger menu, with daily specials and items such as steak and pork ribs. “I’m into the creative side and building out the menu,” said Ring, who grew up making pizza with his mom. “That’s what I’m having fun with right now.”
Rolling Oven’s expansion also extends beyond the parking lot. In December, Ring opened Rolling Oven Taproom at 140 Court St. in downtown Versailles. The new stand-alone spot features 20 taps—several pouring Mirror Twin beers, naturally—a wood-fired pizza oven behind the bar, a patio, two glass garage doors, and a large mural of the Rolling Oven food truck. The food truck is also still hard at work. Rolling Oven catered 20 weddings in 2018 and worked the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, among other events.
Mirror Twin also capitalized on the opportunity to increase its capacity. They’ve upgraded their brew system from a three-barrel system—which Sobolak calls “little more than a glorified homebrew setup”—to a new 15-barrel system. They’ve also installed new fermenters that will increase their total capacity from 30 barrels to 160. To make room for the new equipment, Mirror Twin moved its office space to the new building and leased an additional warehouse for storage across National Avenue.
The owners also plan to distribute Mirror Twin’s beers to bars and restaurants throughout Lexington in 2019, as well as to outlets in Northern Kentucky and Louisville. They’re also planning more bottled releases, as well as more beer packaged in cans using a mobile canning line. In three to five years, the owners say, they’d also like to open satellite taprooms in other Kentucky locations and possibly in Ohio.
“I want people to know just how grateful we are,” DeFranco said of Mirror Twins’ growth. “Without the support of the community, without people coming in here saying ‘we really like your beer,’ or saying, ‘we really like what you guys are doing,’ this wouldn’t be possible.”
With local breweries like West Sixth Brewing, Blue Stallion and Country Boy Georgetown adding their own food components and a constricting market for local food trucks, Ring is also thankful for Rolling Oven’s partnership with the brewery. “Without Mirror Twin, I would be doing something else,” he said. “I had to have it and it’s worked out perfectly. I’m lucky.”