For years, one thing McHoppers Brew Co. owners Mike McMordie and Dody Hopper heard over and over is that there’s nothing to do in Fernley.
That’s one reason they opened the brewery in September 2021, and now have tripled its space with games and an event venue that they hope will make the brewery a true Fernley destination.
After the Boys & Girls Club moved into the new Community Response and Resource Center in September, McHoppers took over their former space next door to the brewery, adding 4,800 square feet and bringing the total space to about 7,200 square feet. The remodel created 2,100 square feet of reservable event space and 2,700 square feet of new gaming space, including four lanes of axe throwing, two cart boards, a kid zone and three tournament-grade Diamond pool tables.
“We’re not just a brewery anymore,” McMordie said. “We wanted to build something Fernley didn’t have.”
The new event room can seat up to 120 people at tables or up to 220 in stadium-style seating. The space was intentionally designed as a blank slate, with movable staging, adjustable lighting and a planned drop-down projector for business meetings or seminars.
Since opening, it has already hosted a wedding, an engagement party and a New Year’s Eve celebration.
“It’s perfect for an event between 60 and 100 people,” McMordie said.
McHoppers does not provide catering but can recommend caterers if customers need it. Guests may also arrange their own catering, and McHoppers offers several alcohol-service packages to choose from. The brewery recently expanded its license to allow full liquor service for private events. Spanish- and English-speaking DJs are available for hire.
“For the first 10 parties booked, we’re offering free table and chair rental,” McMordie said.
Axe throwing costs $20 for 30 minutes or $30 for an hour per person, for ages 12 and up with a parent. Pool leagues are already lining up and will play Mondays and Wednesdays, with another league expected on Thursdays. The tables are open to the public Friday through Sunday.
With the added space, McHoppers has extended its hours and will expand its food menu by the end of January to include wings and fries alongside its paninis. The new hours are 2–10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 2 p.m.–12 a.m. Friday and 1–6 p.m. Sunday. Children are allowed in the brewery portion until 6 p.m.
McHoppers continues to host karaoke, trivia nights and its regular open mic nights with the Fernley ACES, as well as bingo fundraisers one Wednesday per month, which have become so popular that they may become twice monthly. The brewery is booked for bingo fundraisers through May and already has July reserved.
For bingo fundraisers, McHoppers provides all supplies; organizations only need to bring prizes and a caller.
“We want to be a big footprint in the community,” McMordie said. “When people come to Fernley, we want them to say, ‘You’ve got to go to McHoppers.’”
The brewery also recently joined Harvest Host, allowing RV travelers to dry camp in the parking lot for free while visiting the brewery. McMordie and Hopper say it’s already helping spread Fernley’s name to visitors from across the country.
With Fernley’s population now around 26,000, the owners say they hope the expanded offerings keep more residents in town instead of driving to Reno.
“We hear all the time that there’s nothing to do here,” McMordie said. “There’s 26,000 people in Fernley at this point, and at any event, the whole town shares 800 people. And I’m wondering where the rest are. So by providing something that’s out of the norm and a little bit different, maybe some of these people stay in Fernley and spend their money instead of driving to Reno.”
The event venue can be reserved by calling Skye at (530) 966-7349.
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