BROOKLYN NAVY YARD — Bearded brothers Rick and Michael Mast are expanding their chocolate-making operation to the Brooklyn Navy Yard where they’ll be opening their own “chocolate brewery.”
Gourmet chocolatiers Mast Brothers has leased 65,000 square feet of space at the Green Manufacturing Center, where it'll be brewing, bottling, kegging and distributing their popular non-alcoholic chocolate beer, the Navy Yard announced this week.
“We are humbled by the opportunity to grow our family business in such a stunning, historic, and state-of-the-art facility in the Brooklyn Navy Yard,” Rick Mast said in a statement.
The move will eventually bring 175 new jobs to the Navy Yard, more than doubling Mast’s existing team of 75.
“It is a dream come true to be a part of the incredible Brooklyn Navy Yard community and have the chance to create many more delicious jobs,” Michael Mast said in a statement.
The chocolate makers will also be bringing a new community program to the Navy Yard called M.A.S.T., which stands for Math, Art Science Technology. Students from local elementary schools will get to see Mast production in action throughout the school year.
Mast will also offer special programming and public tours coordinated by the Navy Yard’s BLDG 92.
Mast is the latest food manufacturer to move to the Navy Yard, joining famed appetizing shop Russ & Daughters, which will be anchoring the Navy Yard’s new food hall.
The brothers recently came under fire after they admitted to previously using remelted and mass-produced chocolate to create their bars.
