Firkin expanding to Reno

The owner of Carson City's Firkin and Fox will open a new location this summer inside the Summit shopping center in Reno.

Jim Phalan, who opened the Carson City pub in January 2008, said the new location, the Firkin and Wolf, will feature New York-style pizza plus 20 draft beers. He is planning for an opening date toward the end of June or early July.

"A smart man once said invest in bad times and save in good times," Phalan said Tuesday.

There are 15 other Firkin franchises in the United States and 33 in Canada, said Phalan, who also owns the Firkin and Hound in Visalia, Calif. The Reno location, at 13971 S. Virginia St., will be his third restaurant.

"It wasn't what you call the first thing on my plate to do," Phalan said. "But it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up so I consulted everyone in my circle, basically my family, so we all agreed this was a good opportunity so we decided to venture on it."