[jmcamerlengo]

So I am getting my business plan put together for the brewpub and wanted to run some numbers by you experienced folks to see if this sounds feasible.

The city I am planning on opening in has a population of about 16,000 people. The greater area(about 20 mile radius) has over a half million population.  There is a successful brewpub about 40 miles east of me that brews on a 10 bbl system and runs 11 taps year round. There is also a successful packaging brewery about 20 miles west from me. 

In my direct location(within 5 miles) there are 2 Italian resturaunts an AppleBees, an upscale place, a Japanese place, and all of your fast food joints. The area is growing with new business exponentially. I will be within 3 miles of 2 major interstates. There is also a shale boom by me that is expected to last for quite some time. It just started and businesses are just starting to move in. So i think now is the time.

My plan: A variety of burgers and sandwiches basically, healthy options such as wraps. Keeping the kitchen equipment minimal. If you're from the cleveland/pittsburgh area, think The Melt, Panini's, Primanti brothers type of menu.

For the brewery, I am thinking 7 bbl system. 2 week ale fermentations, 4 week lager fermentations. 75% ales, 25% lagers. 3-4 (7) bbl fermenters, and 2 (15) bbl fermenters.  I plan on having 8 beers on tap. 4 house beers, all of which are ales. 4 seasonal beers, 1 of which will always be a lager, and 1 of which will  be a high gravity or specialty beer, and the other 2 will be different ales.

Does this seem like a feasible startup plan? Should I start with less and expand? Cut the number of taps and fermenters down? Do I not have enough? Thanks!

[boulderbrewer]

You did not mention serving tanks alot of times that determines your size of fermentors, packaging anything? One thing I would ask do you want to own a restaurant? Maybe a package brewery and a tap house, limited kitchen(what you are thinking anway) or food trucks. Not trying to be critical but to get you thinking outside the brass and glass box.

[jmcamerlengo]

Their would be 8 (7) barrel serving tanks or so I'd think, unless a better recommendation comes along. I want to keg but only keg brews that need to sit and age for a while such as an imperial stout and possibly the lagers.

I do want to own a restaraunt. I have a good knack for food and menus. I don't want to cook in the pub, I would hire an experienced line cook, but I will be developing the menu for the most part, giving the cook some creativity and input as well if he desires. I think the area is starving for a place that has some variety.

[kylekohlmorgen]

The opportune word is "chef"...

We just lost a brewpub (remote location for a brewery) because they had average "bar" food. No matter how great the beer is... a brewpub is always a restaurant first, good bar second, brewery third.

[jmcamerlengo]

The opportune word is "chef"...

We just lost a brewpub (remote location for a brewery) because they had average "bar" food. No matter how great the beer is... a brewpub is always a restaurant first, good bar second, brewery third.

I agree 100%. I've been doing lots of homework on what people in the area are looking for, and what is successful elsewhere as well. I have a menu pretty much developed. I was a cook before I was a brewer and actually wanted to own a restaurant before I even started brewing.

Here's a teaser of the kind of stuff Im doing:

Lamb Burger with greek tzatziki sauce on a kaiser roll with fresh rosemary fries.
Reuben Burger with corned beef and kraut and homemade thousand island
Ancho chili rubbed chicken with beer BBQ sauce with fresh slaw, avocado, and applewood bacon sandwich with ancho fries.


you get the idea. I really want to keep it simple. Theres places nearby where you can go and drop 20 bucks per dish and get the big thick steak or nice pasta dish. I want the average plate to be 7-9bucks, but I want to avoid doing the run of the mill bar food that every other joint has. THis allows me to keep kitchen equipment minimal, and I can hire an experienced line cook to be the guy.  My inspiration for this came from "The Melt" in cleveland, oh.  All they serve is grilled cheese of different types, fries, slaw, soup and LOTS of great beer. Their is an hour wait at 3 pm on a Monday. All they have in the kitchen(its open) is a young kid, a flat top grill, 2 panini press, a regular ol' kitchen stove and some warmers for the soup. Thats it. The kitchen itself is ridiculously small and yet the operation is smooth, efficient and run by 1 person.

[kylekohlmorgen]

You're on the right track. That sounds delicious!

Keep expansion in mind, in the bar, restaurant, kitchen, brewery, etc. As you grow, can your place grow with it?

Try finding a line cook that might have some kitchen mgmt experience. They'll be able to help you manage your menu so you can put out what you want with minimal ingredients, all while keeping them fresh and keeping waste down.

Good luck!

[jmcamerlengo]

Thanks Kyle!

[boulderbrewer]

I would match my fermentors to serving tanks. Say you got two great beers and the rest soso. you brew 15 bbl of beer where do you put it in two tanks tying up a tap? Good Luck. I'm rooting for ya! You need any help just PM or ask it

[jmcamerlengo]

Thanks much boulder. That is good advice. I am looking at locations now. I found a warehouse right off the highway with 6000 sq ft of "naked" space. So Id have lots of room to do what I wanted inside. Also have a line on 1 year old restaurant equipment from a place that recently closed down.

[nateo]

If you're doing sandwiches, you'll have stale bread. Stale bread = awesome croutons. I can't imagine why more restaurants don't do that. I worked at a pretty remote restaurant where we had to bake our own bread, and we'd use the stale bread for french toast and croutons, so we hardly ever had to throw any away.

[jmcamerlengo]

If you're doing sandwiches, you'll have stale bread. Stale bread = awesome croutons. I can't imagine why more restaurants don't do that. I worked at a pretty remote restaurant where we had to bake our own bread, and we'd use the stale bread for french toast and croutons, so we hardly ever had to throw any away.

Absolutely agree! I do the same thing at home. May offer a bread pudding dessert made with yesterdays bread.

[morticaixavier]

If you're doing sandwiches, you'll have stale bread. Stale bread = awesome croutons. I can't imagine why more restaurants don't do that. I worked at a pretty remote restaurant where we had to bake our own bread, and we'd use the stale bread for french toast and croutons, so we hardly ever had to throw any away.

Absolutely agree! I do the same thing at home. May offer a bread pudding dessert made with yesterdays bread.

mmm bread pudding with cherry imperial stout caramel sauce.

[jmcamerlengo]

If you're doing sandwiches, you'll have stale bread. Stale bread = awesome croutons. I can't imagine why more restaurants don't do that. I worked at a pretty remote restaurant where we had to bake our own bread, and we'd use the stale bread for french toast and croutons, so we hardly ever had to throw any away.

Absolutely agree! I do the same thing at home. May offer a bread pudding dessert made with yesterdays bread.

mmm bread pudding with cherry imperial stout caramel sauce.

Now were talkin!

[boulderbrewer]

Don't underestimate the cost of filling the empty space with the restaurant and brewery. I would look at it as complete building and subtract 15% of that cost for your envelope. It is a SWAG but a good starting spot.

[Jimmy K]

Lamb Burger with greek tzatziki sauce on a kaiser roll with fresh rosemary fries.

I'd buy that - sounds great! Now I'm hungry