Hey all. I've been reading this forum for a while and have gained a ton of information already - thank you for that!
I'm looking for some advice as I'm in the information-gathering phase considering jumping into commercial brewing at the nano level.
I currently own a profitable wine and craft beer shop/bar in a small town that has a solid following. Been in business a little over 3 years and have a strong existing customer base. I'm in one of the premier locations in our small town, with ample parking, ~3,500 sq feet of space, a porch and plenty of tourists on a greenway across the street.
My shop specializes in boutique wines and beers, and we keep rotating drafts and a decent bottle list as well. I've personally been brewing at home for about a decade (I would hire a main brewer if I go this route) and am considering converting my event room into a very small brewery area to sell limited runs directly out of our bar. No distribution.
How feasible (and wise) would it be to add a 1 or 2 bbl system and sell that on draft instead of carrying other producers?
I feel like I already have a lot of the tough things checked off: great location that can seat up to 100 with outdoors, established business and clientele, alcohol permitting already in place (just need brewpub), revenue model that is hybridized to not rely solely on beer sales, etc. Already being attached to this world, I believe that adding the nanobrewery side of things would greatly enhance the attraction level of the place and even make it a destination in and of itself.
If there's merit to this idea, I'm thinking of a few snags and other questions:
What sort of budget should I expect for brewhouse and fermenters and all basic equipment for this setup?
A big one here: my space is on an old, thick, flat slab and is a lease. I'm not sure my landlords would be happy with repouring the slab for a slope to trench. Maybe we could grind down? Or maybe we could get away with a single, central floor drain at this size? I'd love to avoid massive, disruptive and expensive modification here if possible but don't know that the most recent techniques and suggestions would be for something of this size.
What other structural things might I be missing in converting from commercial bar to brewpub?
What's the best type of turnkey system - gas or electric? Can I get away with 1 bbl for this knowing that I don't intend to massively grow and distribute?
Is this something that could be accomplished with under $20k of additional expense?
Any help or just reactions would be really appreciated. Thank you!
I'm looking for some advice as I'm in the information-gathering phase considering jumping into commercial brewing at the nano level.
I currently own a profitable wine and craft beer shop/bar in a small town that has a solid following. Been in business a little over 3 years and have a strong existing customer base. I'm in one of the premier locations in our small town, with ample parking, ~3,500 sq feet of space, a porch and plenty of tourists on a greenway across the street.
My shop specializes in boutique wines and beers, and we keep rotating drafts and a decent bottle list as well. I've personally been brewing at home for about a decade (I would hire a main brewer if I go this route) and am considering converting my event room into a very small brewery area to sell limited runs directly out of our bar. No distribution.
How feasible (and wise) would it be to add a 1 or 2 bbl system and sell that on draft instead of carrying other producers?
I feel like I already have a lot of the tough things checked off: great location that can seat up to 100 with outdoors, established business and clientele, alcohol permitting already in place (just need brewpub), revenue model that is hybridized to not rely solely on beer sales, etc. Already being attached to this world, I believe that adding the nanobrewery side of things would greatly enhance the attraction level of the place and even make it a destination in and of itself.
If there's merit to this idea, I'm thinking of a few snags and other questions:
What sort of budget should I expect for brewhouse and fermenters and all basic equipment for this setup?
A big one here: my space is on an old, thick, flat slab and is a lease. I'm not sure my landlords would be happy with repouring the slab for a slope to trench. Maybe we could grind down? Or maybe we could get away with a single, central floor drain at this size? I'd love to avoid massive, disruptive and expensive modification here if possible but don't know that the most recent techniques and suggestions would be for something of this size.
What other structural things might I be missing in converting from commercial bar to brewpub?
What's the best type of turnkey system - gas or electric? Can I get away with 1 bbl for this knowing that I don't intend to massively grow and distribute?
Is this something that could be accomplished with under $20k of additional expense?
Any help or just reactions would be really appreciated. Thank you!
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