If you already have the tank, take it to Dairy Engineering in Arvada. But anyone who can weld stainless can do it. Cut the top off at the top seam, then a reinforcing ring needs to be welded on. I would just make a copper pipe false bottom with slits facing down. I think I talk about that in the operations manual. Good luck!
Haha, lucky you. A great book I read a long time ago said the best business that started was because the entrepreneur couldn't believe no one had thought of it before. Jump on this as soon as you can!!!
That’s what I’m racking my brain over, how can I differentiate myself from other nano breweries and find a niche in the market. I was even considering traditional brewing methods, but time constraints would probably come into play. I attended a brewing event back in march where they used 18th century techniques, and to tell you the truth, I found it very interesting.
Regarding you last post about wine pubs, I haven't seen this in the US, but in Spain, you can find many places that serve directly from the barrel. Mostly, these are sherry bodegas. You can bring your bottle and get it refilled. This also is the case in some wine shops in the mercados. Or even some high end wine shops that would serve 4-6 types of wine in the shop with a snack. As is the case in Spain, you never drink without something to eat.
This used to be the case in American bars. You'd get peanuts or popcorn free with your drink. Maybe the margins are too small to continue this practice.
Well, we shall see. None of this makes sense to me. Too many contradictions. Prices are too high, someone should do something, but price controls are marxist. Things are too expensive, let's deport the workers who make the goods cheaply for us. They want us to buy electric cars, they are bad! Let's put a billionaire who makes electric cars in charge and give him a big tax cut and protectionist tariffs. It goes on and on.
I work as a brewer in Brooklyn and we have a good space and location. Although, lately many breweries that started out in NYC are moving upstate and either keeping taprooms or just their brands. Btw the cost of NYC and the maturation of the biz, NYC is not the most conducive place for craft breweries.
I'm not sure if you covered it but my concern is cash flow and paying the bills to start. Should I take out extra to cover it? I'm planning an 8bbl frankenbrew settup (with new pumps I may boast...) for Monroe MI. to open next summer. The building needs a complete remodel. Not ideal but great location with 60year old, reputable, italian/pizza next door. We are planning just beer but to bring music and craft to the area which has nothing
Well, I'm seeing most breweries making the same beers in varying qualities. I do feel that the overall quality has gone up. But, you will see the same roster on their tap list. This is the US, so hazy, lager, IPA, etc. What is happening is, what used to be a passion project is becoming a business. Maturity of the market, but, remember some cool beers that were being brewed? Gone! Brooklyn 1 and 2. Gone. Dogfish head, Teobrama, etc, gone! I keep trying to go back to the european beers that fired me up, but try finding them in this crowded beer market. I could go on, but if you are of a certain age, you will know what I mean.
I’d be interested on your opinions on how people can begin to predict numbers for opening. There are many comments that when you first open 3 BBLs/seat/year is a good starting point but you can’t fill every seat in a huge taproom, and you may have standing area in a small location. Another aspect is town size, with some people starting in massive metropolises with multiple breweries and others in small towns without any restaurants. How have you projected patrons throughout all your different breweries and restaurants through the years?
Enjoying your example of Building a Small Brewpub series here and glad you had an excellent time in Canada. I read your Brewery Operations Manual a few years ago and we have picked up used equipment from various places to minimize cost of initial investment. Regarding modifying Grundy tanks... is that something you would tackle yourself or is there a company here in CO that can get it done? Thank you!
I look forward to it! We don't have a lot of appropriately sized restaurants that go out of business out this way unless they are immediately snatched up by someone much bigger, or more aggravatingly, left vacant as a tax write-off forever. After I was laid off from Oilfield after oil prices tanked a week before the Coronavirus Panic took off, I walked the streets in and around Cheyenne, Wyoming looking for an opportunity but to no avail. I want food, but food trucks are unreliable in these parts, though I had already been pondering maybe having my own food truck like you were recently suggesting.
I'm not sure but it looks like not much activity here in the comments. I hope this gets to you!
We started as a brewpub and both the restaurant and brewery grew swiftly. They could not coexist in the original space. We moved the brewery to a former muffler shop 1/2 mile away. We just did free popcorn and sold chips the first year. Sales were not great. We found a reliable food truck operator and after 6 months of coming to the brewery, we partnered with him to make a food stand. (Our local health department is terrible to mobile food) We placed a 20' shipping container in the beer garden. I fitted it as a full commercial kitchen. Taproom sales doubled. the venture (50/50 split) was profitable in the first 6 months. This was slightly more expensive than a trailer but not a truck. We do smash burgers, fries and desserts. The brewery owns the container and supplies utilities. We don't charge rent, but in return he (chef) manages all the food and staffing. We like this arrangement.
We still have a restaurant that is 80% of the trouble and 20% of the profit. We are making it show good cash flow so someone will buy it and the brand and commit to buying our beer for 60 months. My wife also has said, "no more restaurants!"
Tom your words aew always an inspiration. Your ability to be self disciplined is ONE of your greatest strengths. Seeing you implement these principles over the years is proof of your advice. Sandy is obviously your largest assest/Blessing in life. Congradulations!!
Am I completely missing something? In my market (a little under 750K pop metro area encompassing 2 cities and a couple towns in between) and NOBODY has a sports "bar" themed tap room. We're 25 miles from Green Bay, WI. We have 16(?) high schools that all compete throughout the year for state championships and are seriously competitive and their games are televised (primarily football). And we also have a small university that fields sports.
Doing a search for "sports bar" in Appleton, WI nets over 20 results. Not one is a brewery/tap room. The four primary breweries in town that I've talked to never thought of sports as a "theme" when they were planning because they didn't have an interest in sports. So, we have two without any screens whatsoever (one modern, one English pub style), one is similar to a cave and one with 2 screens (both with Untappd information) and a modern/Florida-like vibe. This seems insane to me.
If you already have the tank, take it to Dairy Engineering in Arvada. But anyone who can weld stainless can do it. Cut the top off at the top seam, then a reinforcing ring needs to be welded on. I would just make a copper pipe false bottom with slits facing down. I think I talk about that in the operations manual. Good luck!
Haha, lucky you. A great book I read a long time ago said the best business that started was because the entrepreneur couldn't believe no one had thought of it before. Jump on this as soon as you can!!!
That’s what I’m racking my brain over, how can I differentiate myself from other nano breweries and find a niche in the market. I was even considering traditional brewing methods, but time constraints would probably come into play. I attended a brewing event back in march where they used 18th century techniques, and to tell you the truth, I found it very interesting.
Regarding you last post about wine pubs, I haven't seen this in the US, but in Spain, you can find many places that serve directly from the barrel. Mostly, these are sherry bodegas. You can bring your bottle and get it refilled. This also is the case in some wine shops in the mercados. Or even some high end wine shops that would serve 4-6 types of wine in the shop with a snack. As is the case in Spain, you never drink without something to eat.
This used to be the case in American bars. You'd get peanuts or popcorn free with your drink. Maybe the margins are too small to continue this practice.
Well, we shall see. None of this makes sense to me. Too many contradictions. Prices are too high, someone should do something, but price controls are marxist. Things are too expensive, let's deport the workers who make the goods cheaply for us. They want us to buy electric cars, they are bad! Let's put a billionaire who makes electric cars in charge and give him a big tax cut and protectionist tariffs. It goes on and on.
Ha, yes, very observant. It gave me an idea for next weeks article. Building a Wall (around your brewery) Making a plan B for the next....
I work as a brewer in Brooklyn and we have a good space and location. Although, lately many breweries that started out in NYC are moving upstate and either keeping taprooms or just their brands. Btw the cost of NYC and the maturation of the biz, NYC is not the most conducive place for craft breweries.
Thanks, this needs to be said.
I'm not sure if you covered it but my concern is cash flow and paying the bills to start. Should I take out extra to cover it? I'm planning an 8bbl frankenbrew settup (with new pumps I may boast...) for Monroe MI. to open next summer. The building needs a complete remodel. Not ideal but great location with 60year old, reputable, italian/pizza next door. We are planning just beer but to bring music and craft to the area which has nothing
Well, I'm seeing most breweries making the same beers in varying qualities. I do feel that the overall quality has gone up. But, you will see the same roster on their tap list. This is the US, so hazy, lager, IPA, etc. What is happening is, what used to be a passion project is becoming a business. Maturity of the market, but, remember some cool beers that were being brewed? Gone! Brooklyn 1 and 2. Gone. Dogfish head, Teobrama, etc, gone! I keep trying to go back to the european beers that fired me up, but try finding them in this crowded beer market. I could go on, but if you are of a certain age, you will know what I mean.
I’d be interested on your opinions on how people can begin to predict numbers for opening. There are many comments that when you first open 3 BBLs/seat/year is a good starting point but you can’t fill every seat in a huge taproom, and you may have standing area in a small location. Another aspect is town size, with some people starting in massive metropolises with multiple breweries and others in small towns without any restaurants. How have you projected patrons throughout all your different breweries and restaurants through the years?
Enjoying your example of Building a Small Brewpub series here and glad you had an excellent time in Canada. I read your Brewery Operations Manual a few years ago and we have picked up used equipment from various places to minimize cost of initial investment. Regarding modifying Grundy tanks... is that something you would tackle yourself or is there a company here in CO that can get it done? Thank you!
Loving this series of articles, thanks for sharing!
I look forward to it! We don't have a lot of appropriately sized restaurants that go out of business out this way unless they are immediately snatched up by someone much bigger, or more aggravatingly, left vacant as a tax write-off forever. After I was laid off from Oilfield after oil prices tanked a week before the Coronavirus Panic took off, I walked the streets in and around Cheyenne, Wyoming looking for an opportunity but to no avail. I want food, but food trucks are unreliable in these parts, though I had already been pondering maybe having my own food truck like you were recently suggesting.
Hi Tom,
I'm not sure but it looks like not much activity here in the comments. I hope this gets to you!
We started as a brewpub and both the restaurant and brewery grew swiftly. They could not coexist in the original space. We moved the brewery to a former muffler shop 1/2 mile away. We just did free popcorn and sold chips the first year. Sales were not great. We found a reliable food truck operator and after 6 months of coming to the brewery, we partnered with him to make a food stand. (Our local health department is terrible to mobile food) We placed a 20' shipping container in the beer garden. I fitted it as a full commercial kitchen. Taproom sales doubled. the venture (50/50 split) was profitable in the first 6 months. This was slightly more expensive than a trailer but not a truck. We do smash burgers, fries and desserts. The brewery owns the container and supplies utilities. We don't charge rent, but in return he (chef) manages all the food and staffing. We like this arrangement.
We still have a restaurant that is 80% of the trouble and 20% of the profit. We are making it show good cash flow so someone will buy it and the brand and commit to buying our beer for 60 months. My wife also has said, "no more restaurants!"
Cheers,
Greg Hershner
New River Brewing
excellent advice. This is especially true now with the explosion of microbreweries over the last 10 years .
Tom your words aew always an inspiration. Your ability to be self disciplined is ONE of your greatest strengths. Seeing you implement these principles over the years is proof of your advice. Sandy is obviously your largest assest/Blessing in life. Congradulations!!
Thanks Dean. But she's not my asset, but my teacher.
Am I completely missing something? In my market (a little under 750K pop metro area encompassing 2 cities and a couple towns in between) and NOBODY has a sports "bar" themed tap room. We're 25 miles from Green Bay, WI. We have 16(?) high schools that all compete throughout the year for state championships and are seriously competitive and their games are televised (primarily football). And we also have a small university that fields sports.
Doing a search for "sports bar" in Appleton, WI nets over 20 results. Not one is a brewery/tap room. The four primary breweries in town that I've talked to never thought of sports as a "theme" when they were planning because they didn't have an interest in sports. So, we have two without any screens whatsoever (one modern, one English pub style), one is similar to a cave and one with 2 screens (both with Untappd information) and a modern/Florida-like vibe. This seems insane to me.
Am I under-thinking this?