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  • New Brewery Taproom Inquiry

    Greetings from Seattle. I am in the process of developing a new startup here in the Seattle area in 2007. It will be a production brewery with a taproom of about 50-60 seats. Among many questions and comments I will be posting this year, the first is this.

    I am developing financial models and do not have all the data to build from for this smaller taproom size. My brewing experience has been in the 100-250 seat brewpub environment and regional production brewing. I am trying to come up with a reasonable estimate/goal of annual over the bar beer quantity in BBLS. I have heard of the 5-10BBL/seat rule but was hoping for a more specific number from someone who is operating at this size. The taproom will most likely be open 7 days per week and operate from 11AM until 10PM. Retail sales will include growlers and kegs. There will be food service and local demand is high for this concept. If there is any other factor you need to qualify your answer to this question, please let me know.

    Thank you in advance for your support,
    Beaux Bowman
    Project name TBA soon!

  • #2
    Well, sales in such an environment are very local. I do not trust the 5bbl/seat type of thing, because I don't know your neighborhood. Is it next to retirement homes? Next to a college? I know a place that is 0.6 bbl/seat in a downtown setting, because it is mainly a lunch crowd.

    I'm also confused because you say there will be food. Then it's a restaurant, right? Or is it a taproom bar that has peanuts and pretzels?

    I suggest the following steps:
    - Visit other similar bars/restaurants in the same 20 square blocks to figure out the 'beer count' at lunch, dinner, and late night
    - Make sure you take a typical day, as Monday is not Friday
    - Make sure you take a typical month, as January is not December
    - Estimate YOUR beer count at lunch, dinner, and late night
    - Multiply to get to a year's worth of beer
    - Make friends with local bar managers, and perhaps have them review your estimates. Or make friends with a beer distributor, as they know how many kegs move through a place on a given week.

    Best of luck, brother.


    Cheers,
    --Jake Tringali

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks for the input, good points. I Have local industry peers that I am talking to but wanted to gather as much information and input as possible from my probrewer peers.

      In regards to food, it will be something along the lines of sandwiches/salads/soups, easy prep and presentation because the main focus is the beer. I know what my current BBL/seat count is where I am brewing but it would not be a linear calculation due to the fact that our location is in a mall area and university. My new project will be in a suburb of Seattle and not in a high traffic retail location. Again, the main thing is the beer production for outside accounts and oh by the way, there is a small taproom that you can come to and have some pints and tasty food. There is also a large, global employer in town. These employees made up about 70-90% of the guests that came to the previous brewpub that was in town (that I brewed at). The demand was there and still is but the business (brewery side) folded due to personal reasons to do with the owners. There is no brewpub or taproom in town at this point.

      Thank you,
      Beaux

      Comment


      • #4
        Sounds like a great opportunity for you, and for the neighborhood!

        You say that beer is the main focus (as it should be!), but if you are open for lunch, beer will not be the main focus - food and iced tea in under an hour will be the focus. Check your local zoning, sometimes it is required that food sales be 50% or more of your sales.

        Cheers,
        --Jake Tringali

        Comment


        • #5
          You are correct, the lunch crowd will not be "hitting the taps" as you might say. It will be building brand awareness and a place to come after the "whistle blows" at the digital quarry. The big picture value of your lunch crowd is building the next sale. "hey, cool place for a sandwich, beer looks good, maybe we should stop by on the way home and have a pint and a growler to go". I do not think lunch beer sales will be big, but they will hook people to your cause. Small portion beer will be promoted at lunch such as small 8-10 oz beers. The big picture is to get them back after the sun goes down, which in Seattle is pretty early!

          Thanks again for your feedback,
          Beaux

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