thinking of opening a brew supply store

[integra93ls]

Ok I'm thinking of opening a brew supply store in upstate new york.
We will be doing both a storefront and internet sales to help offset cost of storefront.
What are the main supplies needed to keep in stock?
I would have fresh grains, hops, yeast and some other supplies like pots, chillers, coolers for mlt, etc.
Does anyone know any wholesale suppliers that I could deal with? Or any other ideas for the store?
Could also do a brew on premises.

 

[TrainSafe]

The only business advice I have for you is: focus on customer service as your first, second and third priorities. The rest will come naturally.

 

[integra93ls]

that will be priority alongside fresh product

 

[integra93ls]

My question is do these smaller stores make a decent profit? Where I am located there are no stores within a very large area. So I will have a big area that people will come from. Is the demand high enough ?

 

[Maxkling]

Also, I know every time I go to my LHBS, I talk. I ask for advice and opinions.

This is what has made me not return back to certain stores and stick with the one I go to.

So I hope your plenty knowledgeable and have good communication skills. Experience IMO, will be the determining factor.

Also to answer your question above, its all on you. Advertising, starting a business isn't easy. It will be scary slow for a long time until your build up a name, reputation, reliability, and marketing. It doesn't happen over night and you do nothing but loose money until you can find you equilibrium. Its with any business.

Do you have ANY experience with economics, marketing, management, or law? If not you really should do a good bit of research for find a partner that can assist you.

 

[integra93ls]

Yeah I know its gonna be hard at first to start. I don't have a ton of experience in businness but have a general idea what to do n what not to do.
I have some experience in homebrew but just like everything else in life always learning as you go.
My main concern would be having fresh supplies n great customer service. And talk n hang out with customers to help them out. Hell we will be helping eachother out.....
And yes the more you do it the easier it gets.

 

[jheld00]

The first thing I would do is get an idea of how popular home brewing is in your area my advice would be to check all the local clubs that should give you a decent idea of potential customers. You could open an incredible brew store which I'm sure you would but if you don't have a customer base to keep cash flowing then you won't be open long. Also check with you potential venders to make sure you could even get their product I have heard some venders will only sell to so many stores within a designated area.
One thing I have noticed here in St. Louis which is a pretty good sized area there is only one true "home brew store" is location. Since people are going to be coming from a good distance, they will not want to take a bunch side streets and what not to get to your shop. Try to find a place near a major artery in your area.
Also advertising is key. No fancy commercials but ads are cheap in small local papers, social networks are cheap(if not free) way of getting your name out there. You could also go to the local club meetings and hand out hops or give a local charity event a few beginners kits that they could auction off. A must would be having a booth at all local craft beer events.

Sent from my iPhone using HB Talk

 

[MaltnHops]

www.fermentap.com is the wholesale supplier for many of them. It is a division of More Beer.

 

[integra93ls]

Thanks will check it out. Some good ideas for advertising. Ty. I will be checking out and scouting some areas I'm thinking of for potential customers

 

[integra93ls]

Just thought of a place. The local beer dist has a part of building I could possibly rent out from them. I would have some great traffic from there clients and could help them out at same time... Hmmmm I might have to check into it tom.

 

[JRems]

If you plan to open a shop in put valley, there is a small beer/homebrew shop 15 min away in croton

 

[integra93ls]

Not in pv. Where is that shop in croton? Name, site??

 

[JRems]

Greengrowler right on the main street in croton on Hudson. near croton point park.

 

[C-Rider]

If you plan to open a shop in put valley, there is a small beer/homebrew shop 15 min away in croton

Mahopac, holy S ***. My uncle use to have 4 acres on a hill top off Union Valley Road. We'd go there every summer weekend and sometime stay for a week or two. During the winter it was almost impossible to get to the top of the hill w/o 4 WD. He had a Willys jeep, but someone had to walk up the snow covered road to get it and drive down to pick ups up.

Some of my best pre and early post teen summmers were up there.

 

[mrgstiffler]

Make sure that the homebrew samples you give out are GOOD beers. It's hard to take advice from someone who brews ****ty beer.

 

[waldoar15]

You'll probably want an account with LD Carlson. They're right down the road a bit from me, but won't sell to us common folk.

Just about all the local shops here are beer/wine making. They do a huge amount of wine supply (juice) sales in the fall. I don't know of a single "one dimensional" brew shop around here. Something to think about, it's cash flow.

Most of them have some beer/wine making classes too.

 

[integra93ls]

looking into all the ideas. thanks. keep them coming

 

[othellomcbane]

Sorry to dig up an oldish thread, but are you still going through with this store? What have you learned so far?

Also, what town would this be in? I'm not far from Putnam Valley, but you seemed to indicate that this wouldn't actually be in Putnam Valley.

 

[Xpertskir]

Yeah I know its gonna be hard at first to start. I don't have a ton of experience in businness but have a general idea what to do n what not to do.
I have some experience in homebrew but just like everything else in life always learning as you go.
My main concern would be having fresh supplies n great customer service. And talk n hang out with customers to help them out. Hell we will be helping eachother out.....
And yes the more you do it the easier it gets.

The long in short of business is you invest in what you know.

If you admittedly don't know homebrew or business that well, you need to tread lightly or find someone who knows both to partner with you.

If you didn't know, 90% of all business fail within the first 5 years, those are not good odds and you need to have a smart plan to start and then fight and claw your way to steer clear of failure. You also have to love it because you will be spending way more of your life with this business than anything else for the foreseeable future.

Not trying to be a debbie downer. Just letting you know its not easy and chances are you will fail.

My advice would be to create a business plan, and spend A LOT of time being very careful to get reasonable numbers to base your assumptions on. Talk to other homebrew store owners in distant states that are similarly rural(it sounds like you are) and ecommerce based stores to get a feel for what you can expect ect. You will need as detailed a business plan as possible to get any funding(assuming you are not self funding).

By the time you finish your business plan you will know whether or not its a good idea, and perhaps how to tweak a bad idea to make it good. Be honest with yourself and don't let your passion for the business overrule good judgement.

 

[CBXBob]

Since the OP hasn't posted in 9 months, he has either A) Given up the idea. B) Tried and failed. C) Is so damn busy he has no time to frequent forums. Or maybe D) Is _______ (fill in the blank)

 

[othellomcbane]

I'm fairly certain he hasn't opened up a shop, since I live nearby (hence my curiosity) and haven't heard about any new homebrew stores. But I am also curious why he gave up the idea, if that is the case.

 

[C-Rider]

Don't know where Beacon is but sure use to have fun during the summers at my Uncles place. There was an old iron mine that flooded and we use to swim in the flooded pit, and fish in the Croton Falls resovoure (sp).

 

[JRems]

The iron mine was sealed up a few years ago. I think everyone went there at one time.

 

[C-Rider]

The iron mine was sealed up a few years ago. I think everyone went there at one time.

I haven't been anywhere near Mahopac since the early 60's. Hope it's still as "country" now as it was then.

At the iron mine I remember there was one place we would jump off a "cliff" maybe 15 feet above the water. There was a shaft going deep there. we often tied a rock to a string and never had enough string to figure out how deep it was. Ah for the "good old days".