Tattersall Distilling Design & Build

people sitting at tables enjoying drinks

This project was featured in FES Magazine. Read the full article here!

In 2020, Tattersall Distilling wanted to expand production and create a destination where guests could drink, dine, tour, learn and celebrate — all under one roof. Morrissey Hospitality helped shape a hospitality-driven design strategy that transformed a vacant retail box into a 75,000-square-foot distillery experience unlike anything in the region.

Creating a Venue as Bold as the Brand

Tattersall’s Minneapolis facility is landlocked, limited production, food service, and guest experiences. The founders envisioned a larger location capable of producing up to 200,000 gallons of spirits annually while offering full-service dining, private events, classes, tours, retail, and outdoor entertainment.

The project required converting an aging department store into a flexible, multi-venue destination with a distillery at its core. The team had to balance code requirements for on-site distilling, maintain visibility into production, design multiple kitchens and bars, and ensure the entire building could support hundreds of guests daily without sacrificing flow, comfort, or brand identity.

Designing a Destination That Does It All

Morrissey Hospitality joined Tattersall, Boelter, and the architectural team from concept through construction to ensure the space supported both high-volume operations and elevated guest experiences.

Our team helped to define the overall layout, programming, and flow of Tattersall’s hospitality spaces, including:

  • A full restaurant and cocktail bar with a main kitchen designed for high-volume service and visibility into the distillery.
  • A dedicated catering kitchen near the 400-seat ballroom and outdoor amphitheater to support weddings, concerts, and other large events.
  • Multiple bars and service points throughout the building and outdoor amphitheater to ensure fast, efficient beverage service during peak periods.
  • Flexible private event rooms with operable partitions, enabling the venue to host everything from board meetings to weddings and large special events.
  • Integrated visibility into production through classroom bars, private event overlooks and a self-guided distillery tour path that brings guests into the story of Tattersall spirits.
  • Retail Store with Tasting Bar and Classroom to connect guests to Tattersall’s products, spirits knowledge, and brand experience.

The Morrissey team also supported the specification and placement of food service equipment across two kitchens, three catering pantries, multiple bars, and all back-of-house support spaces. This included mirrored prep lines, efficient hot and cold production zones, appropriate walk-in and dry storage, high-capacity dish systems, and thoughtful routing of product, staff, and guests.

Durability and sustainability were central to this project. Together, the team selected systems and materials that supported long-term heavy use — aged barnwood, stacked stone, durable fabrics, water-recycling distilling systems, high-efficiency equipment, and solar panels. The results preserved an industrial-meets-rickhouse aesthetic while ensuring the building performs for years to come.

Proven  Performance Across a Versatile Venue

Tattersall River Falls opened in 2021 as a full-scale distillery, dining, and event destination with more than 35,000 square feet of dedicated hospitality space. The property now offers 159 restaurant seats, 420 ballroom seats, a 5,700-square-foot outdoor amphitheater, multiple private event spaces, and a retail market — all while producing 200,000 gallons of spirits annually.

Key outcomes include:

  • Purpose-built hospitality flow: Two kitchens, multiple bars, and event-specific support spaces allow the venue to run restaurant service, large events, and distillery experiences simultaneously without competing for resources.
  • Improved flow, speed, and efficiency: Mirrored prep lines, well-placed dish areas, and strategic bar layout reduce steps, protect timing, and keep service smooth during high-volume periods.
  • Enhanced guest engagement: Guests enjoy seamless, easy experiences at Tattersall — from dining and cocktails to tours, classes, and events — with curated visibility into production and consistent brand storytelling throughout the space.
  • A scalable and durable dining, event, and entertainment venue: The space supports heavy daily use, large weekend crowds, and seasonal traffic without compromising comfort, aesthetics, or operational control.

Tattersall River Falls now blends high-capacity production with high-impact hospitality — a destination designed to grow alongside the Tattersall brand.

Services Provided:

Design & Build

  • Kitchen and food service design integration
  • Bar & Beverage station design
  • Event space programming and flow
  • Back-of-House operational planning
  • Equipment specification
  • Vendor coordination
  • Sustainability and efficiency planning
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Richard Dobransky

President & CEO

Richard joined Morrissey Hospitality as President in 2018 and accepted the role of CEO in 2023. Under Richard’s leadership, the organization implemented best-in-class solutions to support its hotel, restaurant, and events venue portfolio. He spearheaded efforts to upgrade all internal systems, embrace automated workflows and data analysis, and streamline every aspect of the organization for real-time, accurate reporting and accountability.

Focusing next on the employee experience, Richard oversaw a restructuring of employee compensation to ensure that every Morrissey employee earns more than a living wage. With his team, he improved employee benefits packages and ushered in numerous new initiatives to reflect the needs of employees and promote better work-life balance.

Under Richard’s leadership, the Morrissey portfolio has grown from 5 to 18 owned and managed properties. He oversees a team of over 100 managers and 1,000+ employees, leads efforts to provide authentic hospitality experiences at every location, and is an active coach and mentor to many.

Well respected and highly regarded throughout his career, Richard enjoys annual recognition in the Minnesota Top 100 and Top 500 Business Leaders list, and was named among Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 2026 Most Admired CEOs. He serves on the Board of Directors for Visit Saint Paul and The Downtown Saint Paul Alliance.

Richard intrinsically understands the communities he serves, helping to create hospitality concepts that serve as long-lasting, meaningful gathering spaces. He aims each day to make, do, and be better for Morrissey customers, employees, clients, partners, vendors, and community members alike.

Elizabeth Morrissey

Senior Vice President

As Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer at Morrissey Hospitality, Elizabeth leads the company’s growth strategy with a focus on business development, strategic partnerships, and brand expansion. With nearly a decade of internal leadership experience and deep roots in hospitality, she drives new revenue opportunities, cultivates client relationships, and strengthens the company’s presence in new and existing markets.

Elizabeth began her career at The Saint Paul Hotel before taking on leadership roles at the Waldorf Astoria New York, Johnson Brothers Liquor Company, and Moet Hennessy. She returned to Morrissey Hospitality to help shape the company’s next chapter, progressing quickly from operations into business development. Her background spans hospitality operations, marketing, human resources, and sales strategy — making her uniquely positioned to scale the organization’s impact while preserving our guest-first, people-focused culture.

Elizabeth’s leadership is grounded in purposeful growth: building high-performing teams, elevating client brands, and delivering exceptional service across every property in the Morrissey Hospitality brand portfolio.

Paula Soderberg

Vice President of Human Resources

Paula is a results-driven professional with comprehensive and extensive human resources experience. She is well-versed in labor relations, employee relations, retention, training and development, HRIS, compensation and benefit management, domestic and international recruiting, job description development, HR audits, unemployment hearings, worker’s compensation claim management, and risk and safety management. She is also well versed in Def Leppard — so don’t mention the band unless you want her to talk your ear off.

Paula’s experience helps her foster an optimal working environment through development and deployment of new strategies in recruiting, onboarding, training, job description and standards, benefit administration, and employee development. She is a versatile and motivated leader, with proven communication and organizational skills. She is practical, articulate, and creative with a demonstrated ability to solve difficult issues.

Paula started in hospitality while a teenager at her family’s restaurant in Stillwater, MN. She continued to work FOH positions while in college pursuing her HR degree (don’t ever let her work BOH. She can’t cook…at all.) She understands operations, allowing her to support management and coach employees effectively. She also has held many HR management roles within healthcare, insurance, telecommunications, and government, but hospitality is her home.

Keith Reardon

Vice President

Keith is a hospitality management professional with 30+ years of experience leading food & beverage operations for hotels, restaurants, golf courses, and sports & entertainment facilities. His peers describe him as a high-capacity, intuitive, creative, thoughtful, and disciplined leader. With years of industry knowledge and experience in multifaceted hospitality environments, he routinely demonstrates strength in strategically building high-performance teams, resulting in stable revenues and profits.

Before joining Morrissey Hospitality, Keith held positions with Ritz Carlton Hotels in Palm Springs, before moving on to Centerplate, where he operated the Colorado Convention Center and opened Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. Keith’s passion is restaurant and kitchen design and construction. He recently completed the design and construction of all the hospitality components at Morrissey’s newest location, Tattersall Distillery in River Falls, Wisconsin. Keith is active in the Twin Cities community, serving as Treasurer on the Executive Committee for the Hospitality Minnesota’s Educational Foundations Board, and as an advisor to Visit Saint Paul.

Johnessa Hardyman

Vice President of Finance

Johnessa has always had a passion for finance and accounting. She started her career in community banking and completed her bachelor’s degree in accounting before finding a passion for hospitality in 2012 at The Saint Paul Hotel. Johnessa spent two years working onsite at The Saint Paul Hotel before transitioning to the Morrissey Hospitality Shared Services Office.

Johnessa Hardyman brings over a decade of expertise in hospitality finance to her role as Vice President of Finance at Morrissey Hospitality. Since joining the company in 2012, she has held key leadership positions, including Senior Accountant, Controller, and Director of Financial Planning and Analysis. Johnessa’s extensive experience spans budgeting and forecasting, cash management, internal and external audits, system transitions, and acquisitions.

With a Master of Science in Accountancy from Saint Mary’s University, Johnessa excels at leveraging financial data to drive informed decision-making. She leads the accounting team with a focus on accuracy, efficiency, and strategic planning, ensuring that financial insights translate into actionable business strategies. Passionate about financial forecasting, she thrives on analyzing how businesses actualize their projections and the impact on cash flow. Her deep understanding of both finance and hospitality makes her an invaluable asset to the organization and its clients.

Amy Houston

Vice President of Marketing & Communications

A Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) with a deep passion for hospitality, Amy blends creativity with strategic vision to build meaningful connections between brands and guests. Her expertise in brand development, campaign execution, and revenue-focused marketing continues to shape Morrissey Hospitality’s growth and industry leadership. Known for her empathetic leadership style, she fosters collaboration and inspires those around her to think bigger and work together to bring bold ideas to life.

Amy Houston brings over 20 years of experience in marketing, hospitality, and sales. Since joining Morrissey in 2020, she has led strategy for 18 independent brands, driving measurable success through data-driven campaigns and innovative storytelling. Under her leadership, the company has transformed its marketing operations, bringing services in-house and streamlining digital platforms to create a more cohesive, results-driven approach.

Callie Kiepke

Vice President of Operations

Callie Kiepke is Vice President of Operations for Morrissey Hospitality, bringing more than a decade of leadership experience across event venues, restaurants, and golf course operations. Known for building strong teams and implementing effective, scalable processes, she plays a key role in driving consistent performance across the organization.

Callie began her hospitality career at 18 and earned a degree in Hospitality Management from the University of Wisconsin–Stout. After nearly ten years with TPC Twin Cities, she joined Morrissey Hospitality at Bunker Hills Event Center, where she advanced from Catering Sales Manager to Director of Catering and later General Manager. Under her leadership, Bunker Hills became one of the company’s top-performing properties.

In addition to her work at Bunker Hills and Kendall’s Tavern & Chophouse, Callie has supported operations at Stockyards Tavern & Chophouse, played a key role in the opening of Dawn Manor, and is instrumental in strengthening private dining operations. As Vice President of Operations, she leads menu development, systems strategy, and process standardization, with a focus on continuous improvement and exceptional guest experiences.

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