2026 40 Under 40 Honoree: Matt Katase (36)
“Planting roots is a safe bet. Thinking long-term and seeing the work through is respected here.”
PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA
Matt Katase
Owner & CEO, Brew Gentlemen/Braddock Public House
While still a Carnegie Mellon student, Matt Katase decided to build a brewery and plant roots in Braddock. What felt like a gamble has paid off for the Hawaii native.
Katase co-founded Brew Gentlemen with a fellow CMU grad, opening the original Braddock Avenue taproom in 2014 and eventually expanding into a larger facility in the same community. Its flagship brew, General Braddock’s IPA, has earned recognition beyond Pittsburgh.
In 2024, Katase, along with his wife and business partner Alaina Webber, opened Braddock Public House, pairing Western Pennsylvania favorites with dishes reflecting Katase’s heritage in a gathering space staffed locally and shaped through conversations with neighbors.
The company connects Braddock with the broader Pittsburgh community through projects like Oktoberfest and Riverlife’s Shore Thing. They also worked with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership to bring a beer garden to the Allegheny Overlook.
Katase says he approaches hospitality through the Hawaiian principle of Aloha, emphasizing kindness, unity, humility and perseverance.
