Hahaha keeping my options open, need a career change and there seems to be all kinds of opportunity on here...head north and hunt slabs, or head south and camp at AI all the time.
I did a business plan for a small production brewery 5 years ago, and I was looking at around $300k. That was buying used 15bbl brew house equipment and renting a smaller place in a warehouse area down here. Some recent plans for a brewpub come up closer to $750k. The added expense is in space and kitchen equipment. To do things 100% the way I would like, I would need $2mil. That would be a beachfront location, 5bbl brew house, barrel room, decent kitchen, and outdoor area with custom smoker. That would be the most successful, but also the most work. It would also take longer to recoup investment, as it would require a full staff, chef, line cooks, and someone to help brew.
The bubble will burst someday in any market. We are a tourist city, where population fluctuates with the season. That is something to consider. The other option is to make beer a reason to tour, eliminating the seasonal flux. I don't see that happening soon. I can already tell you what production breweries will not stand the test of time. Localism here is the only thing that will allow them to function. That is, until we become saturated in the market and locals stop supporting every brewery. Craft beer is here to stay, much like wine and bourbon. The national market still has a lot of room to grow, which is why I encourage entrepreneurs to seek out untapped regional markets.
Yeah, spend a few days working there. It is not a glamorous business. Hard work and long hours. But there is a special feeling you get when you watch total strangers order your beer at a bar, then say how much they love it.
There's a couple of them around here, Pump. None are chain, all are stand-alone. <Longest-tenured one is approx 14 yrs, newest one is last year. None have failed. That last part tells you a lot about the demographics here.....the level of disposable income is up there - - and these people spend it as part of their routines in their lives. I agree with you on not having all kegs in one hopper.
Hadn't heard the saying, but I like it fl.surfdog. I've toured a few places, including brew pubs & straight-up breweries. Have some ideas on the concept. By no means am I the final authority, but I believe in assembling a great team & in that sense, we have the foundation.
Well, if you're taking a jab at me, or anyone for that matter, the obvious answer is you don't know me or Seldom or Pumpmaster nor do you know how hard anyone has worked. So, lighten up Francis. If you're trying to say, in your own convoluted way, that you've been there & done that in terms of starting a biz, props to you. As a general observation: I've started 3 businesses from scratch, they're all successful, they're all still rolling. Yeah, I could tell you a few things about the kind or work, and the kind of risk, that it takes to make that happen. But I generally don't bother with storytelling because unless one has actually started & run a successful biz, then one ain't got a clue and thus my biz anecdotes are falling on 9 to 5 ears, and that's a waste of time.
Brew, that's impressive analysis. Might bring you up here as Project Consultant. I agree 100% with what you say about craft beers being here to stay. One thought on that is look at how AmBev has snapped up smaller (well, smaller than that beast) brewery operations. Another is that every time I go to Europe I'm disappointed at how poor the beer selection is. Wine, they got that set. But Euros are way behind in terms of beers compared to America. And that's been in the last 25 yrs that the USA has developed this huge craft beer following. So, one could say that this market is the early years of what has become, from scratch, a huge market, with further growth to come as the population expands, the level of disposable income continues to rise & beer becomes entrenched in America as the libation of choice for the next gen, and the next gen....
Yankee, sounds to me like you have a vision, go for it man. There is certainly nothing wrong with a vision and the hard work behind it, and with that usually comes success. Good Luck. I to, do Sanitary Stainless Tig Welding....hint, hint....lol
I lucked out, I had no interests in school(besides tang). Mom brought me to voc-tech school. I've been a machinist foe 18 yrs and love it. Also picked up welding and fabrication along the way. Working at a shipyard for mega-yachts. It's a nice gig, but this would have been a better story if it ended in my becoming a porn star.
Lot of welders out here... You guys should all team up and form a new welding company by the sea, "The Swellders".
Swellders, love it. Yankee, you're spot-on regarding Europe's lack of beer diversity. This is true throughout Europe except for Germany and Belgium. They do pretty well...a huge number of styles originated in those two countries, and most towns still have their own brewery just like the good ole days. Haven't been, but heard it's a fun trip. That's great that you have a place to setup shop already. My house is zoned res / commercial so I can brew & distribute on a small scale right from home. My plan is to start while keeping my day job. Build the brand first. It could be tricky, but it's definitely the lowest risk. Would you be the brewer?
MadAtom, I would most definitely not be the brewer. Taster, ok, I'm down with that. Nah, I have a team of people, including 'the brewer' who has some experience creating some pretty tasty libations, and a very successful restaurant guy for the brewpub aspects, as well as a talented architect & a slew of trades guys who are really good at their respective stuff. What could possibly go wrong...? lol I like your idea of phasing your plan in. Lower the risk while pursuing your passion; then, the big day comes when you have to decide do you chuck it & go for the sudsy future...? Life should be risky, IMHO, and too often it's mundane; maybe that's one reason we all love surfing.
Germany isn't that great either. Only certain cities like Munich and Bamberg are full of great beer options. Most cities have breweries that have been bought out or merged and mass brew for the general population. America likes diversity, and that allows the craft beer industry to be creative.
