By Thomas Smith
Driving past Boshkung Brewing, perhaps you have noticed a change to the appearance of the food truck parked out front.
An iconic addition to the exterior of the brewery, the food truck has been swapped with a sleek black truck, replacing the former kitchen space.
With changes to their food offerings last year, owner Mathew Renda realized the need for improving his kitchen space.
“We couldn’t keep up,” said Renda, noting an increasing number of year-round visitors.
The newly installed food truck includes two fryers and a flat top grill. This new equipment has supported an expansion of their menu to include burgers, tacos, mussels, and fried chicken. Courtney Ryckman led the team developing the new menu, with Renda offering some thoughts throughout the journey. The new offerings provide a full dining experience for those wanting to share some appetizers, have a quick snack, or visit for an entire meal.
They have still kept the older food truck, which is still in a working condition. Renda says to keep your eyes peeled for it in the future.
Playing around with pickling, their menu now offers a taproom platter with pickled egg and vegetables made at the brewery. An offering that is one of Renda’s go-to desires at a brewery, in addition to playing cribbage with his wife.
Their steady growth of their brewery operations, lead by brewmaster Ryan Prentice, combines with the new menu well to improve the experience of their customers.
The rate of people that drink alcohol is trending downward, notes Renda. Looking ahead to the future, Renda wanted to expand his business to a full dining experience. Even those without a palette for beer come to the brewery for their food. In addition to their beer offerings, cocktails and wine are available.
Noticing a lack of businesses that stay open late and shutter their doors in the winter, Renda decided to expand his hours of Boshkung Brewing to 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
“There aren’t many options in Minden,” said Renda.
Noting an increase in employee’s time and cost of improving their kitchen space and dining area, Renda says that his investment is worth it towards his long term goal of becoming a distinguished restaurant in its own right in addition to brewing a variety of beers.
Renda says that the mindset he applies to his business is to stay busy and stay relevant.
In addition to expanding their hours, they will increase their offerings of events that happen at the brewery, such as trivia, karaoke, and both cribbage and euchre tournaments.
Renda also noted the potential to collaborate with a winery to offer a wine pairing event.
“People want stuff to do,” said Renda. “This was a much needed improvement.”
There have also been improvements to their outdoor seating area. An enclosed heated space allows for more space for nightlife events and for customers to enjoy a meal and a drink. There is also the need for flexibility of the space as the patio is opened in the summer.
Renda opened Boshkung Brewery with the dream of making great beer and fostering community.
While he believes that his business is shifting its identity towards a restaurant with a brewery, he is committed to making the same great, innovative beers that Boshkung fans love.
Reflecting on 2025, Renda says that it was a good year, one of the best that Boshkung has ever had. Looking ahead, growth is the number one priority for his business.
To grow, he hopes that Boshkung continues to be a pinnacle of the community.
“The community is our bread and butter,” said Renda. “I am proud to be the employer of so many employees.”
With growth, expansion is needed. Even expansion of their team, says Renda. Looking to the summer, he says that they will be making moves to hire their summer staff soon.
Keep an eye for updates from Boshkung Brewing on their social media pages for their latest events, hiring notices, and special offers.
