Catch-a-Fire Pizza, with three locations in Ohio, is teaming up with Cincinnati’s West Side Brewing for a new location planned to open in early 2024. Catch-a-Fire will open a kitchen inside the brewery’s taproom, positioned in the Westwood neighborhood. “We have been wanting to be a part of the Westwood and west side community for a long time, since our food truck days,” explains Jeff Ledford, Catch-a-Fire co-owner. “We couldn’t be more excited to be joining forces with West Side Brewing.”

The new location will feature hybrid-style service, where guests place their orders, then wait for their food to be delivered to them. Catch-a-Fire’s menu at West Side will feature its popular wood-fired specialty pizzas, including One Love, Three Little Pigs, Buffalo Soldier and Crazy Potatoheads, along with a variety of shareable appetizers, entree salads, and artisan sandwiches with vegetarian and vegan options.

In addition to lunch and dinner service (operating similar hours as the brewery), Catch-a-Fire Pizza will also be providing catering services for private events taking place at West Side Brewing.

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Catch-a-Fire already has experience working inside a brewery, due to its previous longstanding location inside MadTree Brewing. “Our model of uniting our foodservice operation with a brewery taproom works,” notes co-owner Melissa Ledford. “It makes sense for us to focus on providing top-quality food while allowing the brewery to focus on the brewing process.”

“We think it’s a win-win!” adds West Side Brewing co-owner Joe Mumper. “Partnering with Catch-a-Fire will allow us to remain singularly focused on producing exceptional beer while knowing we have a partner that is just as dedicated to providing delicious food for our taproom patrons.”

West Side Brewing opened in 2017 and quickly became a pillar of the Westwood community. Its taproom offers a variety of beers and ciders, plus the Mug Club program and a rotating weekly event lineup, making it a popular gathering spot for customers throughout the region. The brewery has relied extensively on food trucks since opening and now looks forward to adding a permanent in-house kitchen to its repertoire as an added feature for guests. “We greatly appreciate the support of our food truck partners, but we’re confident that adding a consistent taproom food provider with extended service hours is best for our customers,” Mumper says. “We couldn’t be more excited to work with a top-notch operator like Catch-a-Fire.”

West Side Brewing and Catch-a-Fire Pizza are looking forward to a true collaboration on many levels, including through special events, food and beverage pairings, and rotating features. “We both share a similar vision and a respect for each other’s craft,” Ledford says.