Ask a dozen different brewery owners about the best way to structure the business, and you’ll hear at least a dozen different answers. Depending on location, size, ambition, organization, distribution plan, and many other factors, there’s really no best way to come at it other than to say, “If it works, it works.”
But, for as varied as the craft-brewing industry is, there are a few common traits that indicate a healthy business no matter its size. Efficiency in the brewhouse and across all operations is one, as is sustained profitability, strategic growth, and simply making the best quality beer possible. Here’s a look at how two different brewers work to constantly improve these factors through two very different approaches.
Fremont Brewing: Sustainable growth through constant reinvestment
Husband and wife Matt Linecum and Sara Nelson opened Seattle-based Fremont Brewing (pictured at top) in 2009 with little more than “spit and blood,” as Linecum puts it.