New LHBS and Smoke Shop in Mid Michigan

[wrestler63]

Have some decent hours of operation! Every LHBS that i have ever been to had horrible hours: only open three days a week, only between the hours of 4-8pm, no holidays, etc. I really want to go to a local shop instead of dealing with the internet, but they make it really hard to buy anything.
And if you have any success, branch out and open a shop near me.

Our initial plans are for hours to be 11am - 9pm Monday through Saturday.

I am looking into a limited retail license as well to carry just craft beers.

 

[wrestler63]

Well, e-mails are in to several suppliers. Looking at wholesale costs, turn around and payment procedures. Now on to Cigar suppliers as well as roll your own cig stuff.
We will see what happens.

 

[OsbornBrewing]

My first location I have picked out is in downtown Mason. It is 15 miles south of Lansing off US-127 about 1.5 miles. There are a few other locations but thought this one might be nice for south and east patrons as well.

Any of you like cigars as well?
Cheers

+1 on that location!!!! We drive 127 about 6 times a year to see my parents at Higgins Lake. I can let SWMBO get gas and take care ofthe daughter and I'll stop in and harass you, I mean shop

 

[OsbornBrewing]

As far as the cigars go, my only thought would be to separate it from the brewing store. An inside door or something to link the two. The smokers i have been around don't have a problem with drinking, but the non-smokers i have been around are not very tolerant of smoking. If you make them walk through a cigar shop you risk losing a whole client segment. Just a thought.

The brewers will come if they feel they are getting something out of it, namely beer sales. . If you approach them with " hey I got this beer store and if you showed i would et a lot of interest" they are like yeah, I am in business to get you sales, NO! And then people are left with this feeling that they don't want to help the beer scene or something like that. The paradox is you need them to draw a crowd, but you need a crowd to get their attention.
Plan some space for demos, classses, etc. Host a local homebrew club. Host a demo or class, get ALL YOUR friends and family, club members to come, use some marketing dollars to pay the ones you have to to FILL your place. Take pictures and keep a log. That way when you approach the brewers you can say, we did Beer 101 and had xx people there, if you came it would be double that and at $20 a ticket that 2000 or whatever for you plus whatever beer you sell. Now you are offering them something instead of asking them for a favor.

 

[wrestler63]

Mr. Osborn,
Thank you so much for your info......Kinda funny. When I got back into Homebrewing 3 years back I went all grain and watched quite a few of your videos on you tube as well as visited your website. My 1st mash tun was modeled after yours.

Anyway, the smoke shop is simply to buy product, no smoking inside shop. It will be separated from the HB section. The layout we have in mind is at the back of the store with a faux wall and a room you enter.

My 1st mash tun gave me an idea to have a few inexpensive DYI mash tun available at the shop for a little over cost as well as my DYI IC. Thought being if I help people get started cheaply, relationship forms and they return for all their ingredients and up grades.

 

[wrestler63]

Well, got quick replies from wholesale hops and whitelabs. Still waiting on Breiss. Sending info to LD Carleson Tues.

Need to find a packaging device for 1 and 2 oz. of hops.