Treno Pizzeria and Tap Room held its grand opening Friday, after delays in opening amid the pandemic.

The wood fired pizza shop has more than 30 beers on tap, available from a self-serve tap wall, a concept new to the area.

Owner Jacob Bates says customers will get a wristband upon arrival and have the opportunity to start a tab.

From there they use their wristband to unlock different beer taps, which allow up to 32 ounces at a time.

“We are not a bar, we are very much a restaurant aimed at feeding the masses in this community, but I think this new option will be something people enjoy” Bates said.

Bates and his co-owners are on the forefront of development in downtown Temple.

He owns Bird Creek Burger Company also located downtown, as well as the coffee shop, First Street Roasters, which is opening soon, and is attached to Treno.

Before COVID-19 was present in local communities, Bates purchased a machine to clean and sanitize all devices used in his Bird Creek Restaurant.

The burger joint was forced to close for two weeks after one of its employees tested positive for the virus in the early months of the pandemic.

Experiencing all of that, it’s safe to say Bates has seen the role the pandemic has had on business owners, but he says it wasn’t going to stop them from pursuing this new business.

“We will have a limited capacity, which is not what we anticipated when we came up with the idea but that’s okay because we’ve adapted and I think it will still be really fun,” Bates said.

He says all watches will be sanitized after each use as well as hand pulls that will soon be available so customers don’t have to touch the beer tap handles.

—KWTX