Craft beer fans in Los Angeles know the importance of supporting the local businesses that make the community great, and fan-support has been an effective way for local businesses to fight closure, influence local government, and of course raise money for charitable causes. Now one of our favorite local watering-holes is looking to expand and they’ve turned to crowd-funding to help get the job done.

Koreatown’s best spot for craft beer, Beer Belly, has recently started an Indiegogo campaign to help fund the construction of a patio to provide more space for customers and future events. Jimmy Han has a fantastic spot on Western and 6th St, and the addition of a permanent patio space would be the whipped-cream on top of the deep-fried Oreos. Here’s what he says about the project:

We want to provide a venue for our community to enjoy craft beer and food in the type of weather that can only be found in Southern California. Uses for the patio are endless… summer events, weekend brunches, and warm summer dinners! Our business has grown, and the extra space is what we need to be able to comfortably accommodate as many people as possible.

We feel blessed to have been able to raise a glass with the neighbors, out-of-state tourists, and even a few professional athletes! A few months ago we celebrated our one year anniversary by throwing a patio party. It was only then did we start to see tweets coming in about how close of a community we’ve built in a year’s time. There’s something to be said for having a beer under the sun with friends and family, and we’re hoping that we can do a lot more of it in the future.

The funding options start at $20 and go up from there. There are some great perks being offered for your support including a pint glass, Beer Belly apparel, the chance to have your name engraved on the deck, and special event invitations. If you really open your wallet to back the project, for $1,000 Beer Belly will throw you and 30 friends a private party – with four hours of open-tab!

Getting a little bit of deja-vu from this post? If so, good catch: this is actually the second attempt at crowd-sourcing some of the funding for the Beer Belly patio. The previous, unsuccessful, campaign ran in September 2012, but this new Indiegogo fundraiser has a less ambitious target amount of $4,000 and better perks for backers.

The weather this week is just a taste of what LA is in store for this Spring; don’t you want to enjoy some craft beer and crafty food in alfresco-style this Spring? Hit up the Indiegogo page and make sure that the campaign is a success with your contribution!

• Source: Indigogo – Beer Belly: Craft Beer & Crafty Food Means Time for an Expansion Project