Warehouse Renovation for Taproom

[crieg122]

We are meeting with our investor at the end of this week to figure out whether or not we will have the finances to renovate a warehouse space into a 1600 sq/ft taproom. The warehouse itself is 6000 sq/ft and we are planning on using the remaining space for storage for our two giant 'crawler bikes,' a potential bike mechanics space (actual bicycles, not crawlers), and the plan for now... a huge space to hold private events. I could go on and on about the things we plan on doing with the space once it is up and running, but that would take forever and I really only have a few questions.

In addition to the taproom (we're looking at having 20 taps), we want to put in a full bar, liquor included. A lot of my friends in the industry have stressed multiple times that if you can push liquor, you can make rent. Because we are featuring liquor as well, we have to serve food, but only feature a minimum of 5 menu items. My plan, as I will be overseeing the kitchen, is to do some very basic soups and salads, and then a wide variety of quesadillas. I have no intentions of using a fryer because of the high costs of grease traps and all that crap, plus theres other ways of preparing food. Oregon law requires at least 5 menu items and a few sides as well - I plan on doing between 7-10 different quesadillas, including whole wheat tortillas, lots of veggies, and daiya for the vegans (they're everywhere out here). My main dilemma as far as the kitchen is concerned is whether I should get a flat-top gas griddle or go with something else. The flat top would require some sort of hood which would jack up the kitchen costs a bit, but would also provide me with the equipment necessary in case I wanted to expland on the menu down the road.

As far as the taps are concerned... because we haven't officially acquired the space yet, I haven't been able to go in and look at how we can utilize the space we have. We have a layout drawn up (required to apply for liquor license) so we have an idea as to where we want things to go, but I've never done anything like this so I don't know if we're going to have to run lines to a walk in for the kegs, or if we will somehow be able to throw them in some sort of under-counter refrigeration systems up-front by the bar. We are very new to this whole process so I realize there is a lot to be learned. I think that we are definitely onto something, as our other business will guarantee daily customers throughout the spring-fall months (winter will def be a lot slower).

I'm trying to be as inclusive as possible, but there's a lot of stuff that I could go on and on about. I guess all I'm looking for are your guys' thoughts and feedback... I'm willing to answer any questions I can. Thanks for reading, I realize this is a bit long.

[ChesterBrew]

Have you talked with your local Health Department about what they would require you to install? I know of several instances where places were required to install grease traps, even if food wasn't going to be prepared. You'll also want to confirm what sink configurations they'll require behind your bar space.

[einhorn]

Idea: set up the location so that you can tap out of the walk-in cooler. Saves a lot of investment in glycol lines/refrigeration set up.

Oh, and don't forget to get a bigger walk-in than you initially imagine.

[crieg122]

@einhorn
We recently went and talked with a guy that specializes in walk-ins, and installing draft systems. I'm under the impression that if we put all of our taps on a wall that is shared with the walk in, we would have to drill through the walk-in to run the lines. Would this potentially 'ruin' the walk-in in case we ever wanted to re-sell it for some reason?

@chesterbrew
We are working with a 'consultant' (a friend that is the GM of a brewpub in town) to help us cover our bases as far as the health department and OLCC (oregon liquor control commission) because they have some quirky laws and because this is our first time ever venturing into opening our own place.

[einhorn]

I guess if you drill holes into anything it's going to decrease the value or make a resell hard. But the fact is that most walk-ins are made like Legos, snap-together pieces for easy set-up and take down (and expansion, if necessary). I would suggest buying one of these no matter what you decide to do with the tap lines.

Also, depending on your general set up and estimated output I would consider putting it on the concrete floor and get a door big enough so that you can wheel pallets in and out if necessary.

[crieg122]

@einhorn
Yeah the idea is to have a walk-in regardless... the estimate we received today to do direct lines is a lot cheaper than going the glycol route... makes sense to me. With 20 taps, plus a little space for foods storage, is there a specific size that you would recommend for the walk-in dimensions (assuming they are all half barrels)? Our next order of business is to decide what route we want to go as far as developing our tap list.

I've drank plenty of beer and frequented a lot of good brewpubs and taprooms that feature a wide array of beer styles. Clearly you want to feature styles of beer that will fit all of your projected customers tastes, but are there any general guidelines to follow when building a beer list? The pacific northwest is a mecca of beer so I know that we will have more than what we need to choose from... in fact, that could be the problem. Thoughts?

[einhorn]

To be quite honest, I believe this will happen naturally. I assume you will be carrying the beers brewed on site along with commercial brews (making sure you have the correct licenses, of course), so my suggestion is simply look for as many one-offs, seasonals and "hard-to-find" beers that you can from distributors and augment your selection with styles you may not brew in house. This is the fun part and I believe this will be the least of your worries.

Prost!