A new beer garden is part of a local author’s plan to reinvigorate Plainville.
By Lannan M. O’Brien
Along Rhode Island’s northeastern border, a Massachusetts town with a population of fewer than 10,000 is undergoing a transformation. Plainville, a suburb of both Boston and Providence, is for the most part a quiet community – but two of its residents are creating a stir with the opening of a huge beer garden and event space. Best-selling author Jeff Kinney (known for the ever-popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series) and his wife, Julie, are determined to give community members a reason to go downtown.
The 8,000-square-foot space, called The Guild Garden, is operated by The Guild Brewing Company. Situated at the intersection of Bacon and South streets, the beer garden is part of the Kinneys’ larger project to revitalize Plainville. The effort started in 2015 with the opening of their bookstore and café, An Unlikely Story, just across the street from the beer garden, and the construction of a nearby parking lot.
“Over time, we realized that we wanted to expand the footprint of what we were doing in our downtown and create some more unique offerings for the town and for the region,” says Jeff, explaining that he and Julie gradually purchased the properties surrounding the bookstore. “And so, we own all four corners of the downtown of Plainville, Massachusetts.”
They’re calling it Plainville Square, with the overarching goal of the downtown area becoming a community gathering place—similar to the role of their bookstore, where Jeff says there is “always something happening,” from author talks to ukulele classes. At varying times, members of the Kinney family can be found at the shop, including Kinney’s oldest son, Will, who works there. The bookstore has also become a magnet for literary talent. “It’s been really interesting, actually, because when we opened the bookstore, we never would have guessed at the caliber of authors who would appear on our stage or do virtual events with us. We’ve had everybody from Dav Pilkey, who does Captain Underpants, to Henry Winkler to Stacey Abrams… and that’s just really motivated us and made us feel like we could draw people from near and far to our bookstore, so we thought we’d expand on that.”
The beer garden, they felt, was a natural fit for their customer base, providing a family-friendly atmosphere for outdoor entertainment, food, and beverages. After searching for the perfect partner to operate the venue, they settled on The Guild, which owns a brewing cooperative called Isle Brewers Guild, as well as two beer halls and a beer garden in Rhode Island.
With the help of their construction company, Dellbrook|JKS, they designed a modern space with brightly colored shipping containers in The Guild’s color scheme, orange and blue. The space was fully constructed and landscaped in October, but they decided to wait until April to open for a full season.
“This venture means a lot to us,” says Jeremy Duffy, The Guild’s co-founder and managing partner, adding that he and co-founder Devin Kelly will have a regular presence at the beer garden — not just as managers of the space, but as patrons. He describes the venue as being family- and community-centric, with a focus on quality food, drinks, and entertainment. “I use the word ‘oasis,’ but it’s incredible when you walk inside of it, you kind of get transported to a different place.”
The space includes a bar featuring The Guild’s beers, plus other spirits and non-alcoholic options, a full kitchen, and a stage for events such as live music, author talks, and more. Fans of An Unlikely Story can expect some interplay between the bookstore and the beer garden, in the form of outdoor book signings and author events. Jeff has creative ideas for a new spin on traditional book signings: “I want to turn them into kind of cocktail hour-style book signings,” he says, describing one of the shipping containers that serves as a lounge. “We thought it would be really fun if people could mill about and have a drink while they’re waiting for their turn to get their book signed and the author could hang out in this cool space.”
Speaking of The Guild’s various business ventures, Duffy highlights its focus on four “pillars”: beer, food, music, and art. “I’ll add a fifth, which is books,” he says with a laugh. “We’re really excited to see what that looks like.”
Since its establishment in 2017, The Guild has quickly expanded from a collaborative that brews, packages, and tests beers for other brands into a brewery with multiple food-and-beverage locations. In 2024, the company was named among the top 70 beer producers in the U.S. But throughout their growth, they’ve maintained a small-business mindset focused on fostering community.
For this reason, the Kinneys’ investment in rejuvenating downtown Plainville resonated with Duffy and Kelly, and they appreciated the thoughtfulness of their planning. Most importantly, Duffy notes, “Jeff and Julie want to do this for all the right reasons. [After initial meetings] Devin and I came away so impressed by not only their vision and their business acumen, but really just their community-centric kindness. I would say that’s honestly half the reason why we’re doing it, because of what they want to do from a ‘give back’ perspective. And that’s inspiring.”
Outside the beer garden, plans for Plainville Square include an anchor restaurant, retail market space, and a town green for outdoor events such as farmers’ markets and vendor fairs. The new developments will replace derelict buildings that housed former businesses.
Like many towns throughout Massachusetts and New England, Kinney explains that his town was built around industry in the 1800s. For Plainville, this was jewelry manufacturing, home to a company called Plainville Stock Co. that lasted over a century. “And then that industry goes away, and you’re left with an empty downtown. So, you have to fill it with something because people like to have a reason to go into their downtown … I think the ideal for us would be to create a model that other towns could follow, because we need to reimagine how people use their downtowns.”
When asked why this was an important initiative for him and Julie, he says, “I think it’s one of those things where you need to take care of your own backyard.”
