So my long term goal is a owning a brewpub. I've been writing a business plan and working towards this, but I'm 5-10 years away from it being even close to a reality.
I was speaking with a nearby brewer friend of mine and brought up the possibility of contract brewing in his brewery. As he's not at capacity, he was open to the idea, and so now that I see it as a real possibility, I'm wondering if it's a path worth considering. The brewery is about 15 minutes from me, and I would be able to brew my own beer, so unlike many contract breweries, I would basically be renting the equipment, not just providing a recipe.
As I see it, there are upsides and downsides to going this route. The potential upsides include brand recognition later down the road when I'm ready to open the brewpub, a foot into the business for considerably less than the cost of a brewpub, and obviously a way to do something I enjoy.
The downsides include the public perception of contract beer, as well as the potential for problems down the road if the brewery begins to reach capacity.
So, that said... what does everyone think? Is it a worthwhile move, or would it be a dumb way to get started, and why?
I was speaking with a nearby brewer friend of mine and brought up the possibility of contract brewing in his brewery. As he's not at capacity, he was open to the idea, and so now that I see it as a real possibility, I'm wondering if it's a path worth considering. The brewery is about 15 minutes from me, and I would be able to brew my own beer, so unlike many contract breweries, I would basically be renting the equipment, not just providing a recipe.
As I see it, there are upsides and downsides to going this route. The potential upsides include brand recognition later down the road when I'm ready to open the brewpub, a foot into the business for considerably less than the cost of a brewpub, and obviously a way to do something I enjoy.
The downsides include the public perception of contract beer, as well as the potential for problems down the road if the brewery begins to reach capacity.
So, that said... what does everyone think? Is it a worthwhile move, or would it be a dumb way to get started, and why?
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