Brewery Setup Blog

Key criteria for microbrewery success

Owning a brewpub microbrewery/tap room can be very fulfilling and very rewarding. But starting any business is not easy, and statistics indicate that four out of ten business startups fail by year five. With the market for new brewpubs going strong, the probability of success might be higher than other businesses, but it is still not a given that a business will succeed.

So what are the keys to success? We have picked up quite a bit over the years through listening to our customers, and while there is no magical 'formula' (the nature of human desire keeps this elusive), there are three main ideas that keep popping up. The three key criteria we repeatedly hear (and see) are:

1. Brew great beer. This almost seems to go without saying, but needs to be said. Keeping passionate about your brewing (or finding a passionate brewer), using good methods and record keeping, sourcing fresh ingredients, and maintaining good sanitation are all keys to brewing great beer. Be open to what customers want (not what you think they need) and adapt. If it's peanut butter stout that brings them in (even if that sounds anathema to you) be open to trying it. A pilot system is a great way to try a new recipe and get feedback. Offering $1 pints for the first twenty pours of a new recipe might be a great way to bring people in AND get feedback (if they purchase a second pint you know they like it!). 

2. Find a good location. If you are the first in your area, great beer alone might be all you need. But if there are others when you open, or if others come, having an easy to access location is important. A location that has other attractions nearby (arts, entertainment, restaurants etc.) might also draw more people, and ideally provide lots of foot traffic.

3. Create a remarkable atmosphere.key steps and criteria for successful brewpub brewery Like number 2, if you are the only craft brewery in your area, the good beer alone MIGHT be enough. But people want a 'remarkable' experience — which means that they go away and 'remark' to someone else about how great your place is. A key aspect of remarkable is the atmosphere you create, and decoration is in most situations very central to that. Make it a unique and interesting space. If unique and interesting aren't your thing (most people are passionate about something that could be translated into a unique space), find someone to help you who has a great aesthetic sense and creative imagination. There are MANY ways to make a space interesting; having flourescent lights, white drywall with a few posters and boring tables and chairs is not going to be interesting for most people, and in fact, if it is depressing in there, even if your beer is fantastic, they might not want to come.

If you are planning to open a brewery. TIANTAI BrewTech could help you answer your questions and supply the brewery equipment system. We supply 2-150bbl complete beer brewing brewery equipment system including malt milling equipment, brewhouse equipment, fermenters, brite beer tanks, beer bottling machine,beer canning machine, beer kegging machine, hopping machine, yeast propagation equipment. We also supply all auxiliary brewery systems like steam heating pipe and valves, water treatment, filter, air compressor etc. Everything in brewery are all in our list.

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