What do you want from a Craft Beer Store?

[thisisbeer]

I just want to thank all of you for the thoughtful responses. As someone who got there degree in Marketing this is better than any focus group I could have ever done. So many great ideas and suggestions.

I thought we were getting free beer for this?

 

[DromJohn]

Take a look at Lazy Dog Growler.
45 taps.
3 reserved for sodas as the draw instead of BMC.
Continual updates. If a tap changes, the website changes. I believe they also announce on Twitter.

 

[mattd2]

Take a look at Lazy Dog Growler.
45 taps.
3 reserved for sodas as the draw instead of BMC.
Continual updates. If a tap changes, the website changes. I believe they also announce on Twitter.

Yes, a good website / Facebook page that is updated when a keg kicks. That way your regulars can check out what's on offer at work!

 

[danielofthedale]

I thought we were getting free beer for this?

If we are able to get the store open and you or anyone else who posted here are in the Atlanta area I will make sure you get some free beer at the store. It's only fair.

 

[MaxStout]

Another little thing I thought of...a few of the stores in my area have email newsletters that you can register for on their websites and/or Facebook pages. Sure, it's kind of old-school in the era of social media, but I like getting an email on Thursday telling me about the beer tasting coming up on the weekend.

 

[feinbera]

Exposure to new beers, and availability of beers I can't get elsewhere.

Does your "growler fill" permitting allow people to drink on-premise? Sorry if it's an obvious answer, the growler laws are insane out here in Cali. They're only just recently considering the idea of letting one brewery put their beer into another brewery's growler, so the very idea of a store filling growlers with beer from multiple breweries is kinda blowing my mind a little.

...anyway, if you can, host tastings/tap-takeovers! It's fun to taste the "B-sides" in a brewery's line-up, or taste examples of a style that aren't the ones you'll see for that style in every bar. Even when the actual tasting doesn't blow me away, I have a hard time leaving my fave bottle shop without three figures of something every time I walk in the door.

Oh, and, ditto what everybody else is saying on the BMC tap. Stock the cans, but the folks buying BMC aren't the kind of beer geeks who will care enough about getting it fresher than the cans, especially not if they have to pay for the growler, which they're certainly not already gonna have when they walk in the door.

 

[deejdubya]

One of the best examples of a small craft brewery store is Beertable Pantry. It is in Grand Central Terminal, which offers a ton of foot traffic every day. The experience is nice as the staff is knowledgeable, courteous and quick (necessary if you are catching a train).

If you could replace the quickness with getting to know your customers that would be an excellent trade-off. Their website is weak, so if you want to learn more, google "beertable pantry" and see how the media has covered this.

In terms of your real estate selection, consider being in a mall environment (eww, right?). But, that may be beneficial as you could develop a customer base among beer lovers who just happen to be accompanying their loved ones on a shopping trip. Can you be hip and be in a mall? Well, if you pull off the beer selection right, yes I think you can.

There is no reason to carry BMC, as those buyers can buy that product anywhere and will simply choose the best price/most convenient location.

 

[thisisbeer]

If we are able to get the store open and you or anyone else who posted here are in the Atlanta area I will make sure you get some free beer at the store. It's only fair.

Be sure to keep us updated on the progress!

 

[DrunkleJon]

If we are able to get the store open and you or anyone else who posted here are in the Atlanta area I will make sure you get some free beer at the store. It's only fair.

Now THAT is what I like to hear. Much luck on the store. Make sure you have all your bases covered as starting businesses can be a real confusing tough mess.

 

[atom]

two suggestions:

don't overcharge
clearly label the price of all bottles!

my biggest pet peeve about places around here. i don't want to ask how much every single thing i want is. i've stopped going to places that don't label.

 

[mattd2]

...In terms of your real estate selection, consider being in a mall environment (eww, right?). But, that may be beneficial as you could develop a customer base among beer lovers who just happen to be accompanying their loved ones on a shopping trip. Can you be hip and be in a mall? Well, if you pull off the beer selection right, yes I think you can...

Or if you can get one of the places on the outside of the mall that would be even better - not in the mall, your customers don't even have to go into the mall with their loved ones and the will get to stay for th 1/2/3+ hours their loved ones are in the mall!

 

[tx-brewer]

I feel sorry for you guys that have to go to the mall with swmbo. I used to and after giving her hell, and telling her that she didn't need anything she looked at, and all this crap is a waste of money, I no longer go shopping with her.

In fact she is out right now shopping with a girlfriend, surely blowing money and happy that I'm not there killing her buzz, and I'm home drinking and cleaning the garage

 

[gratus fermentatio]

As much as many of us despise the mall, a mall location would be good to sell homebrew "starter kits" to all those Christmas/holiday shoppers. Maybe a kiosk loaded with homebrew starter kits, you could easily assemble the starter kits & instructions yourself, or even (cringe) sell them the "Mr. Beer" kit. If you had another (bigger & better) location, you could always include a flyer in each kit with the name, address & Ph#, even have biz cards & a sign at the kiosk with the same info. When the holidays are over, you dump the kiosk & enjoy all the biz generated by it at your regular location.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Regards, GF.