Cognition Brewing Company opens Hygge Center in Ishpeming

ISHPEMING, Mich. (WLUC) - Ishpeming community members now have a local space in which to gather. The Hygge Center at 301 N 1st St. is open and available for use.

“We’re open for talking to people, we’re open to what people need to do, we’re hoping that people just know they can come on down. This is your place, this is our place, we’ll make it work,” Grace Episcopal Church Missioner Marna Franson said.

The center is located at the Grace Episcopal Church across the street from Cognition Brewing Company and was started through a partnership between the church and Cognition.

Brewery manager Janelle Buttery said the Hygge Center’s name originates from a Scandinavian word.

“[Hygge] is a movement or a way of living and here we are embodying that movement. A nice warm, gathering space for Ishpeming,” Buttery said.

Eventually, a taproom and event space will be available at the center. Franson said the objective is to make the center self-funded.

“That will happen through grant-funding hopefully, from individual donations. We always have a donation bucket out. We will charge people for the use of the space depending on if they’re for-profit or nonprofit, all of that also is in development,” said Franson.

Cognition Brewing Company is operating again out of its original Mather Inn location. Buttery said court orders allowed the brewery to return to the space as acting landlords until its lease ends.

“That allowed us to turn the power back on and continue functioning within our legal lease time limit, beyond that we don’t know the future of that space or the Mather Inn,” Buttery said.

This follows a utility dispute with the inn’s previous landlords.

Cognition also plans to expand into Marquette at the Third Street Marketplace location this July.

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