Closer HBS

[andylegate]

I really wish there was a closer Homebrew Store near me. I live in Aiken, SC, which is a sizeable town of about 38,000. We even have our own microbrewery in town. But right next door to us is Augusta, GA, much bigger place and I figured there would be a store there.
Instead I have to either order online, or drive over an hour away to Columbia, SC or all the way to Atlanta, GA.

 

[Ol' Grog]

There's no brew store in Augusta? Home of Fort Gordon? Wow. I can't believe that. I lived there throughout the 60's and 70's and thought that place had everything.

 

[bummerkit]

the closest hbs to me is atleast a 2 hour drive.

 

[Cheesefood]

That would kill me. Some brew days, I end up visiting the LHBS up to 3 times. I'm bad at remembering to look at the list I made of stuff I'll need.

 

[andylegate]

Yah, when I plan a batch, I REALLY have to make sure that I have everything since I'd have to drive up to 1 hour one way to Columbia to get anything. Yah, I too thought for sure there would be a place in Augusta, but I can't find any listings in the phone book or on the web. They list places in Athens, GA and Atlanta. But here in South Carolina they only list Columbia and Greenville area. I'd love to have the capital to start my own place here since it seems the market is wide open.
Then again most red necks around here would just rather drink the beer, not make it! LOL!

 

[david_42]

Figure it takes about 150,000 people to support a LHBS. I'm an hour from two bad stores & 75 minutes from an ok one. The one I went to in Oakland, CA was great and since I was brewing at a friend's house only about a 15 minute drive (30 on football weekends).

 

[Ol' Grog]

After talking with the LHBS owner in OKC, whom owns the ONLY store in OKC, he ain't exactly getting rich. He said if it wasn't for his rental houses and that his wife is a realtor, he'd doubt that he'd even make a living doing that. Kind of surprized me. I kind of figured he had the monopoly around there. Also, the only other homebrew shop is in Tulsa or Norman, which is home to University of Oklahoma. Isn't Athens the home of UG or GT? I can see that.

 

[Cheesefood]

After talking with the LHBS owner in OKC, whom owns the ONLY store in OKC, he ain't exactly getting rich. He said if it wasn't for his rental houses and that his wife is a realtor, he'd doubt that he'd even make a living doing that. Kind of surprized me. I kind of figured he had the monopoly around there. Also, the only other homebrew shop is in Tulsa or Norman, which is home to University of Oklahoma. Isn't Athens the home of UG or GT? I can see that.

My LHBS gets its main income from indoor gardening. I've never seen so many customers pay cash for hundreds of dollars worth of items. A lot of people must grow tomatoes in the winter in Illinois. I'm surprised they'd be willing to shell over $400 for a new fan and fertilizer when you can buy tomatoes in the store for a buck or two a pound. They must be making a lot of sauce.

 

[andylegate]

LOL Cheesefood!
Well, look at us......... We sometimes pay more for some ingredients for our batches, and go through a lot of headaches sometimes just to make our beer, which you could just go buy in a store. Then again, we make beer that you can't find in the store either most of the times! LOL!
Maybe they're trying to grow tomatoes that you can't buy in the store???? LOL!!!

Actually, I wouldn't care about getting rich. The microbrewery here in Aiken isn't getting rich off the beer they make, they do okay as a resturant. It's a place down town that you can go eat, sit at a bar if you want, and sample their beers they make too (a bit over priced in the few times I've been there).
But 150,000 people. Aiken County has a total pop of about 50,000. I'm not sure what the pop of Augusta is but I think it's like 3 times Aiken City, which is about 30,000, so it comes close to that figure.
Me, I'd just like to break even and the convenience: "Oh man, I need to get some British Crystal 55L! I'll have to run to the LHBS......oh wait, I AM the LHBS!" har, har.